Can I drop you somewhere?

CHAPTER 17

'Okay Divya, this is it!' I said to myself as soon as I woke up. I wasn't in a good mood from the last two days and the reason behind this was clearly the incidents which took place.

First the girl with the tattoos, who freaked me out and humiliated me in a corridor full of people. Then my clumsy self, who couldn't find the locker which was assigned to me. And finally, the star of the show - Pranay, my ex-boyfriend whose heart was broken by me allegedly.

But I've got just one chance to prove myself, to live my life the way I want to, where no one is there in my life to control or dominate me and I'm free to make my own decisions.

Then why the fuck am I willing to lose this chance for a boy who couldn't even trust me when I was with him?

So, THIS IS IT. I'll completely ignore Pranay from today and I won't let him close to me again.

But only if I could hold on to my decisions and try to fulfil them!

...

I sat in the cafeteria, book in one hand and a disgusting sandwich in the other. You know real college life is always different and nasty from what we saw in 'The student of the year' movie. And no matter how good the institution is, the canteen food will always taste like shit.

The book, the oversized hoodie, the glasses and the corner seat near the window where no one sits was just a trap. I mean I like talking to people, making friends etc but I've done this once and trust me it didn't go well. So this time, I decided to create my aura as if I'm an anti-social creep.

Though a part of me has always been like this. But I don't let most people see that side of mine.

And I don't really understand why do I torture myself by wearing these hoodies! I mean the weather in Mumbai is mostly humid and hot, still I wear them. I guess once I'm obsessed with something, it's difficult for me to leave that obsession. 

Anyways, these things helped me to disappear in the crowd and no one ever noticed me which obviously was a good thing. Otherwise guys like Aryan, Reyansh, Pranay can come into your life and whatever happens next is your responsibility. So now, I always prefer to be on the safer side.

I was peacefully overthinking when a group of people entered the cafeteria. And I noticed them because it seemed that they were those typical famous 4-5 people every school/college has.

One of them is always the 'loud one' who grabs all the attention for the whole group as they enter a room. One of them is always the 'bad guy' who's mostly into drugs and stuff and always ends up getting detention but has a good heart. Of course, one of the guys has to be a 'womanizer'. Though the girls seemed decent. But one of them was that typical 'wannabe chick' who wants boys to fall of her every time she *breathes*. And then there is this one guy in every group who's kinda popular but doesn't seem to belong to the group but is a part of the group for whatever reason.

And in this group that one guy was Pranay.

I turned towards the window as soon as I noticed him so that he won't be able to see my face. A part of me, wanted him to notice me and I cursed myself for wanting that. But it's not my fault, girls are always confused in every fucking thing they do.

You can date a girl for 2 years and you ask her after one big fight that 'Do you love me' and she'll reply with 'idk'.

I was doing a very difficult task which was hiding from Pranay and at the same time checking him out when a boy came and sat across my table blocking the view.

It was none other than Dhruv. Yes, the same guy who pulled out my earphones yesterday. I sometimes feel like this person lives to piss me off.

Keeping aside the fact that Dhruv was so annoying, one could easily behold how attractive he was and he also wore glasses which somehow made him look cute at the same time.

"What are you staring at ?" he said and made me realise that I was looking straight into his eyes while internally appreciating him. I so wanted to jump off this building.

"Nothing," I said in apprehension

"Anyways, uh have you completed the report about which I talked to you yesterday," he said.

"Yes, I'm working on it," I said lying straight through my teeth coz I haven't even started it.

"Anything else?" As I wanted to shoo him away as quickly as possible.

" Yes," he said

"What is it?" I said as I grabbed a bite of my sandwich.

" You look cute in those glasses," he said and smiled.

It was a sudden moment. I wanted to give him a very rude reply but instead, the sandwich got stuck into my throat and all I could do is cough.

Which of course drew a lot of attention and some people started looking at us.

Dhruv passed me his water bottle and I tried to lift it but I couldn't and it FELL on the floor. Since it was a STEEL bottle it fell with a bang and the rest of the people who weren't paying attention to us earlier started staring at us including Pranay and his folks. Which made it harder for me to calm down.

Fortunately, Dhruv noticed this and he came to me, opened the bottle, and made me drink water. He even patted on my back until I was normal again and Pranay noticed this TOO.

Pranay stood up and started walking towards our table. My heart started throbbing again and I was still coughing and Dhruv's hand was STILL on my back. But he helped me comfort so it was a nice gesture.

"Are you okay Divya?" Pranay said in a squeaky voice.

I wanted to give a reply but I couldn't and by the time Dhruv said, "She's fine."

" I'm talking to her who the fuck are you ?" Pranay said.

"Why do you care?" Dhruv replied back.

"Coz she's my ..." Pranay was about to say something when I interrupted him and said "I'm fine Pranay and you should leave"

He looked at me as if he wasn't expecting me to say this and he left without saying anything.

I didn't want to be rude to him but I had no choice.

"What the hell do you want now? Go away" I snapped at Dhruv even though he helped me.

I don't understand why do I push people away who genuinely care for me and obsess over those who don't give a fuck about my existence, who can't even understand when I'm mad at them and when I'm not!

Maybe we all do stupid stuff like this. 

And MAYBE we push people away from ourselves because we're too afraid and fragile to see them leaving us. And seek validation from those who don't care about us because we think we deserve not to be loved.