he was breaking me
into the loneliest bits
i thought it was love
but his love was a mirage
i accepted the fate
he left me with
i was blindly embracing the sabotage
Dhriti and Saara were practically falling out of their seats with laughter at the cruel joke fate had played on me. Instead of being assigned to the same van as Aadarsh, I was now doomed to travel with a group of 11th and 12th graders, with only a single 9th grader for company.
I had been so certain that I would be placed in Aadarsh's van that the disappointment hit me like a physical blow. I tried to shake off the sadness, but it clung to me like a stubborn shadow. I didn't want to be upset over something so trivial, but my heart refused to listen to reason.
It was break time now and Dhriti and Saara didn't invite me to join them in the canteen. Instead, Saara pulled me aside and asked me to accompany her to the washroom hall. She said she needed to talk to me alone and that it was important. I hesitated at first, but her persistence wore me down and I reluctantly followed her. Dhriti remained behind in the classroom, and I couldn't help but wonder why she wasn't coming with us.
As we entered the washroom, Saara turned to me with an anxious smile playing on her lips. "So here's the thing," she began hesitantly. "Dhriti and I really think you're wasting your chance with him."
I looked at her in confusion. "Is this what you wanted to talk to me about?" I asked.
Saara launched into a passionate monologue, extolling the virtues of a potential relationship between Aadarsh and me. She painted a vivid picture of how well we would complement each other and how much I would regret letting this opportunity slip through my fingers. She argued that missing him after our session ended would only serve to disrupt my studies and that it was worth giving him a chance. Maybe, she reasoned, I would be able to balance both my academic pursuits and a relationship.
I listened patiently as she repeated her arguments over and over again, her voice growing more urgent with each passing minute. Finally, I reminded her that the bell was about to ring and she glanced at her watch before reluctantly agreeing to head back to class.
As Saara and I re-entered the classroom, I couldn't help but notice that Aadarsh, Shivam, and Dhriti were all staring at me. I couldn't quite read the expressions on their faces, but something about the way they were looking at me made me feel uneasy.
I shrugged it off and took my seat next to Saara. Dhriti and Saara exchanged furtive glances and seemed hesitant, as if they were holding something back.
"Is there something going on that I don't know about?" I asked Dhriti, my voice laced with suspicion.
"Aadarsh wants to talk to you," Dhriti said hesitantly, her eyes darting nervously between me and Saara.