Meera sat in class, glancing at her phone every few seconds. Her fingers hovered over the screen. Finally, she typed:
"Rohan… why haven't you asked me to be your girlfriend yet? 😏"
A few moments later, his reply came:
"Meera… I care about you, but I don't think I want a girlfriend right now. My last relationship… wasn't great. I'm not ready."
Her chest sank slightly. She typed back a shrug emoji, feeling the familiar mix of frustration and attraction.
Harsh, sitting next to her, leaned in with a smirk.
"Texting Mr. Charming again?" he asked.
"Shut up," she muttered, rolling her eyes. She knew he meant well.
He tilted his head, faux serious. "Pay attention to class or you'll fail the exam, and then we'll probably be your seniors while you're still a junior."
Meera laughed softly. "You're ridiculous."
"I'm just stating facts," he said. "Don't shoot the messenger."
The rest of the lesson went by, but Harsh's presence was oddly comforting. And then, just as the teacher was wrapping up, Harsh leaned closer.
"Hey… I'm sorry for calling you dumb in front of everyone the other day," he said quietly. "I didn't realize… I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm really sorry."
Meera blinked. The sincerity in his eyes made her heart skip a beat. "I… it's okay," she said softly, touched.
After class, she walked out, feeling a mix of emotions. She headed to the washroom to freshen up. As she washed her hands, Itasha appeared beside her, looking glum.
"Meera…" she sighed. "I really liked Kizir. But he… he's dating Sanya now. He just… doesn't see me that way. And it hurts."
Meera put a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder. "I know it does. But it's not your fault. You can't make someone feel something they don't."
Itasha nodded, sniffling. "Thanks, Meera. You always know what to say."
At that moment, Kitty walked in and caught Meera's eye in the mirror. She smirked.
"Can you please stop crushing on Rohan now?" Kitty said, leaning against the wall. "You just know how he's being so toxic with you."
Meera crossed her arms, defensive. "Okay, you don't know him like I do."
Kitty rolled her eyes. "Meera… he's playing with you. Just like he's played with other girls."
Meera looked away, feeling the sting of truth in Kitty's words. She wanted to argue, to say that Rohan cared about her differently, but deep down… she knew it wasn't that simple.