Chapter 18

Abhimanyu

Exams were over.

I should have felt relieved. But instead, there was this strange void. The routine of avoiding her had become so normal that now, without it, something felt off.

It wasn’t about missing her—no, that wasn’t it. But there was an unsettling restlessness in me, a constant awareness that she was there, yet not there.

I convinced myself it didn’t matter. Until Principal Nanda made that impossible.

“As part of the upcoming annual event, we’ll need two student captains to oversee the preparations,” she announced during assembly. “We’ve selected Abhimanyu and Shubhi for this responsibility.”

Just perfect.

I didn’t react, keeping my expression neutral. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught her looking at me—probably as frustrated as I was. But she didn’t say anything, and neither did I.

Later, in the meeting room, she walked in, already looking irritated. Great.

“Let’s just get this over with,” she muttered, sitting across from me.

“Works for me,” I replied, not looking up.

We discussed the project in clipped sentences. No unnecessary words. No eye contact. It was easier that way. Or at least, I thought it was—until she suddenly said something that made my breath catch.

"Principal Nanda told you she knows you’ve been through a lot recently."

My fingers clenched around the pen.

For a moment, I couldn’t respond. The air in the room seemed heavier.

Why was she bringing this up? Why now?

I looked at her then, and for the first time in days, I saw it—the curiosity in her eyes. Not pity. Not sympathy. Just… curiosity.

I hated it.

Without a word, I stood up and left.

I didn’t owe her an explanation.

And yet, walking away didn’t make the heaviness in my chest disappear.

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