Chapter 4
The next day at school felt strangely quiet.
Kitty wasn't there.
Meera noticed it immediately the moment she walked into the classroom. Usually Kitty would already be sitting there, complaining about homework or gossiping about something dramatic.
But today her chair was empty.
Meera dropped her bag onto her desk and sighed.
Great.
Now she had no one to talk to.
Which meant she was left alone with her thoughts.
And unfortunately, most of those thoughts were about one person.
Rohan.
Meera rested her chin in her palm and stared at the classroom door absentmindedly.
Why am I thinking about him this much?
She shook her head slightly, trying to focus on her notebook.
It didn't work.
Finally, she closed her book and stood up.
Maybe I should just talk to someone.
Her eyes moved toward the back of the classroom where her other friend group was sitting — Anya, Itasha, and Anu.
They were talking loudly about something and laughing.
Perfect.
Meera walked over and sat down beside them.
"Hi," she said casually.
"Hi," Anu replied. "What's up?"
Meera hesitated for a moment.
She didn't even know why she wanted to say it.
Maybe she just wanted to say it out loud.
Maybe she liked the feeling of telling people she liked someone.
Or maybe she just liked the attention.
Either way, the words came out before she could stop them.
"So… I think I kind of like someone."
Immediately all three girls looked at her.
"Who?" Itasha asked instantly.
Meera tried to sound casual.
"Rohan."
For a second, there was silence.
Then Anya groaned loudly.
"Oh my God," she said, leaning back dramatically. "Why is everyone so obsessed with Rohan?"
Meera blinked.
"What do you mean?"
Anya looked completely exhausted just thinking about it.
"Bro," she said, shaking her head, "my best friend was in love with him for three years."
"Three years?" Meera repeated in surprise.
"Yes," Anya said. "Her name is Rakshita."
Meera listened quietly as Anya continued.
"She liked him for so long. And he knew it too. But he kept giving her mixed signals."
"What kind of mixed signals?" Meera asked.
Anya sighed.
"One day he literally spent the entire day with her," she said. "Talking to her, laughing, walking around with her… acting like he really liked her."
Meera frowned slightly.
"That doesn't sound that bad."
Anya gave her a look.
"Wait, I'm not finished."
Meera stayed quiet.
"He even told her he was scared to like her," Anya continued. "He said he didn't want to mess things up."
Meera's eyebrows lifted slightly.
"That sounds… serious."
"Exactly," Anya said. "She thought he finally liked her."
"So what happened?"
Anya's expression turned annoyed.
"The next day he told her the whole thing was a dare."
Meera stared at her.
"What?"
"He said he wasn't interested," Anya finished bluntly.
The group fell quiet for a moment.
"That's horrible," Anu said softly.
"Rakshita was heartbroken," Anya added. "Like actually heartbroken."
Meera didn't say anything.
She sat there quietly, processing the story.
Could someone really be that cruel?
She thought about Rohan in the infirmary again.
The warm smile.
The relaxed way he talked.
He didn't seem like someone who would play with someone's feelings like that.
Maybe the story was exaggerated.
Maybe people misunderstood him.
Or maybe…
No.
He can't be that bad.
Finally Meera shook her head slightly.
"Maybe it's just rumors," she said.
Anya shrugged.
"Maybe. But personally, I stay away from guys like that."
Meera leaned back in her chair.
For a moment she wondered if she should just stop thinking about boys completely.
If all of them were like that…
What was even the point?
But somehow, despite everything she had just heard, she still felt sure about one thing.
Rohan couldn't be that bad.
Later during the break, Meera stepped out of the classroom.
Students were walking around the corridor, talking loudly and laughing.
Then she spotted him.
Rohan was standing near the railing, talking to one of his friends.
It looked like one of the guys from the football team.
Meera stopped walking.
Her heart started beating faster.
She watched them from a short distance, waiting.
Eventually the other boy laughed at something Rohan said and walked away.
Now he was alone.
This is your chance.
Meera walked toward him before she could change her mind.
"Hey," she said.
Rohan turned slightly and looked at her.
"Oh hey, Meera."
He remembered my name.
That small detail made her strangely happy.
"I followed you on Instagram," she said, trying to sound casual. "But you didn't follow me back."
Rohan looked slightly surprised, then chuckled.
"Oh… yeah."
He pulled his phone out of his pocket.
"I don't actually follow a lot of people," he explained. "You might have noticed."
Meera shrugged.
"Yeah, I did."
"But it's okay," he said with a small smile. "I'll follow you. Don't worry."
He tapped on his phone for a second.
"Done."
Meera nodded.
"Thanks."
There was a brief moment of silence.
"Alright," Rohan said casually.
"Alright," Meera replied.
And somehow, that was the entire conversation.
But as she walked back toward her classroom, she couldn't help smiling slightly.
Because even if it was a small interaction…
At least now, Rohan followed her.