Rags To Royals (Royal #1: Book 1) | ✔

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-• thank you •-

"Taranya?" An unfamiliar voice calls out to me. I lift my head from the paper sheet, pausing the game of tic tac toe I'm busy playing with Ayush in the short recess.

"Yes?" I raise my brows at the girl. I don't think she's from our class. And she looks young too.

"Can I speak to you?" She requests softly.

I glance at Ayush in confusion, trying to figure out if he knows who she is. He simply puts his legs out, giving me way. I sigh and get up from the seat, stepping out of the desk area before following her lead outside the classroom. On my way, Anagha raises her brows curiously. I shrug and exit the classroom.

"Yes?" I ask her stopping against the corridor wall. She turns to face me.

"I'm Tarun's friend." She reveals.

"Lately, Tarun has been distracted because of some girl at the school. I feel sending him off to boarding school will get him back on the track."

Is this her?

"Your name?"

"Saanvi," she answers.

I nod. "Is there anything you want to tell me, Saanvi?"

She takes a deep breath. "Why would you do that?" She eyes me in disappointment.

"Do what?" I act dumb, trying to stall the confrontation as much as I can.

"Play with his feelings? Promise him and then break it? Act like you truly care?"

I sigh softly. "Look Saanvi, I did what I had to. And it was his Mom who came to me with this request. I felt his mother knows best. Also, it was my brother over him. I made my decision."

"How easy it is to say it was your brother over him," she chuckles coldly. "Then why act all kind towards him? Why give him hope? You should have kept your distance from him. If he meant nothing, you should have never made it seem like he does mean something!" She snaps furiously.

"Because he did. He still does." I reply sharply. "I'm sorry, okay? I know what I did has no excuses. I'm not even going to ask you or him to forgive me. But I had to make a decision. Also, I didn't ruin his life. Even his mother wanted the same. If not me, maybe someday in the future she would have sent him far away." I shrug. "And let's not pretend that no one is ever going to part ways. What grade are you in right now? Ninth? After three years, we're all going seperate ways. So what if he went early?" I justify myself pathetically.

Her eyes tear up unexpectedly. I step back in panic, backtracking into my memories to check where I went wrong in choosing my words. Did I come out too harsh?

"Saa- Saanvi," I reach out to her hesitantly. She sniffles, recoiling from my touch and turns to leave. I watch her storm off in the class next to ours. A tired breath leaves my mouth as I lean against the corridor wall and stare outside the huge vertical windows.

The bell rings, compelling me to return to the classroom.

"Who was she?" Ayush asks me the moment I reach my desk. I gesture him to make way for him. He slides his legs out and I slip inside before plopping down on the seat.

"Tarun's friend," I answer, catching Arush's attention as well. He turns on his seat, looking at me with interest.

"What did she say?" He inquires.

I shrug. "She wasn't happy with his departure."

"So she came to you to vent it all out?" Ayush leans over, eyeing me curiously.