The Downsides Of Popularity ✓

Chapter 09

THE FIRST.

 IT IS UNUSUALLY cold today and going up and down the stairs helps to keep me warm but physically drains me out. The drama competition is due in 2 days and rehearsals for all four houses are in full swing. But the main problem I have to deal with right now is to identify students who are not a part of any of the plays and are simply skipping classes. Plus, I have to renew the permissions for every half, otherwise, our Principal will cancel the practices altogether.

I wonder where Utkarsh is. He is the vice president of the club but I can't find him anywhere since the recess got over. I enter the assembly hall where practices are going on and walk past the dramatists to go out and get some much-needed fresh air.

The bell rings signalling the last class for the day and all students practising are required to go back to their classrooms as per Principal Ma'am's instructions.

After five minutes, I go back inside and see that the hall is empty except for two people- Utkarsh and Kriti. Kriti holds him back by pulling at his coat, preventing him from going back to class.

'Not now Kriti, please. Someone will see us and misunderstand the situation.'

'Then let them!', Kriti says in a frustrated tone. 'If you are so scared that your nerd of a girlfriend will find out you still have feelings for me and the fact that you are using her to-', Utkarsh interrupts her, 'I'm not using her, nor do I have any feelings for you. Yes, I loved you but you never cared about it and when I stopped chasing you and pursued someone else, you suddenly start to care?'

'You don't know how hard it is to show your love for someone when you have a habit of stuffing everything in a jar and keeping it away so nobody realises how WEAK you truly a-are', Kriti says and I hear her voice break as she starts to sob, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Utkarsh walks down the stairs and envelopes the young crying lady in a hug, muttering something inaudible to me. They stay like that and I'm transfixed in my position behind the door until a hand falls on my shoulder. I wheel around and start to cry as I see it is Sreyansh and he nods his head as if he already knew the question I had in my head- 'if he saw that too.'

This means he lied to me. He lied about not having anything serious going on with Kriti. They probably had a fight and split up or maybe they didn't- I don't know what to think anymore. All I know is that he lied and somehow, that's enough to burn a mark on my heart.

Sreyansh takes my hand in his and softly pulls me away from the assembly, making me follow another way into the school building. We don't see my boyfriend (I wonder if he is anymore) or Kriti when we reach the corridor and stand a few feet away from our class. Sreyansh gently wipes my cheeks and says, 'Talk it out with him later after school. I'm sure you two will find a solution.'

'And what if he doesn't want-'

'You'll still have Meera and me, by your side, always,' Sreyansh reassures me as we enter the class. It's an English class and our teacher is busy with some articles for the school magazine so she gives us a free period, which is probably not something I need right now.