Marked By Darkness

Chapter 17- Not a Bad Choice

Ruhi's POV...

I hurriedly grabbed my bag, scanning the room for the diary I'd forgotten to bring. I sighed, realizing I was running late for college.
"Ugh, I can't believe I forgot to write everything down yesterday," she muttered under her breath. "Okay, I'll take it with me, and find some time to write later."

Mom's voice called from the kitchen. "Ruhi, breakfast?"

I rolled my eyes, already at the door. "Mom, I'm getting late."

Mom appeared in the doorway, holding out a packed breakfast. "Why don't you wake up earlier?"

I shot her a playful smirk. "Sorry, I'll try tomorrow," she said, brushing past me and taking the breakfast.

Mom huffed, giving me a knowing look. "Wait, let me pack it for you. Go have it."

"Mom!" I groaned.

Mom smiled as she handed the package to me. "Don't skip breakfast."

I threw my hands up in mock surrender. "Offh! Fine," she said, accepting it. "Thank you, my lovely mom," I added with a grin before quickly turning to leave. "Okay, bye!"

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In College Cafeteria...

Ruhi pulled out her diary and started writing. Her mind wandered as she jotted down notes about the events of the previous day, trying to organize her thoughts.

Esha suddenly appeared, sitting down across from her with a grin plastered on her face.

"Hey, Ruhi! Guess what?" Esha leaned in, clearly bursting with excitement.

Ruhi glanced up from her writing, her eyebrows raised. "Shoot."

Esha's eyes sparkled. "Arav proposed to me yesterday!"

Ruhi blinked, momentarily stunned. "Really?"

"Yes!" Esha leaned back in her chair, hands clasped in front of her. "My dream's come true, Ruhi. I've liked him since the first day of college, and finally, yesterday he asked me out!"

Ruhi grinned. "Wow, love at first sight?"

Esha laughed, her voice giddy. "I guess you could say that."

"Congratulations, Esha! That's amazing." Ruhi smiled genuinely, happy for her friend.

Esha's expression shifted slightly, a teasing glint in her eyes. "So, what about you? Any big news I don't know about?"

Ruhi paused, trying to ignore the sudden curiosity that bubbled up inside her. "Which news?"

Esha eyed the diary in front of her. "Ooo, what's this? A personal diary?"

Ruhi instantly closed it, her tone defensive. "Y-yeah."

Esha's grin grew wider. "Then I have to read it. Come on, just a peek!"

Ruhi snatched the diary back before Esha could grab it. "Nah, give me that."

Esha playfully tugged at it, not backing down. "No way! I want to see!"

"Esha, it's personal," Ruhi said firmly, but Esha ignored her.

Esha continued to pry as she flipped through the pages. "Who is Anshi? You never told me about her."

Ruhi felt her face flush slightly but quickly recovered. "Anshi's my childhood friend," she said, trying to keep the tone casual.

Esha frowned, intrigued. "She's not in this college?"

Ruhi shook her head. "Nah, she's in a different college."

Esha pouted, but then her eyes lit up again. "Aww, I'd love to meet her sometime."

Ruhi smiled faintly. "Of course. If I get a chance, I'll introduce you."

Esha grinned, then quickly glanced back at the diary, which was now safely back in Ruhi's hands. "So, you went on a date with Sounak yesterday?"

Ruhi immediately flushed, rolling her eyes. "It wasn't a date," she muttered, shaking her head. "Give me my diary back."

Esha smirked, tossing it back into her lap. "Alright, alright. But, Ruhi, I gotta tell you something."

Ruhi raised an eyebrow, putting the diary down. "What?"

Esha leaned in a little, her tone turning more serious. "Sounak is a good guy. We were wrong about him before. If you ever feel something for him, he's not a bad choice. In fact, I think he'd be a great choice for you."

Ruhi's face darkened, her tone firm. "What the hell, Esha? I don't like him like that. We're just good friends, that's it."

Esha shrugged but smiled, understanding. "Hey, I'm just saying. You never know."

Ruhi rolled her eyes but didn't push the issue. "I'll pass. Anyway, where is everyone else? No one's here today."

Esha chuckled, standing up. "No one else came today except me, I guess. Guess I'm just too awesome." She winked, heading for the door. "See you later, Ruhi."

Ruhi watched her go, then sighed as she picked up her diary again. "Yeah, see you," she muttered, settling back into her thoughts.

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