Waiting for You

Chapter 4 (Mr. Planner)

Dhruv's Pov:

It's been a week since I embarked on this wild rollercoaster called college, and honestly, it's been a whirlwind of laughter, confusion, and the occasional accidental face-plant. Wandering through the campus and mingling with new people—both girls and guys—has been exhilarating. But today, I had an agenda: borrow some books from a friend's department. Little did I know, this mission would turn into a full-blown drama.

Walking into the department, I was feeling all academic and high-achieving, like a study superhero. But the moment I crossed the threshold, I froze in sheer panic. There she was—Divya, my high school crush—engaged in animated conversation with her entourage of friends.

Divya. The girl who epitomizes confidence and charm, effortlessly leading conversations while making awkward silences seem like an urban legend. It's one of the million reasons I fell for her. Sure, it started with her jaw-dropping looks—she's basically a human work of art—but as I got to know her, her personality shone brighter than a thousand suns. And now, here I was, standing like a statue in the middle of the room.

That's when Shrey, my friend and unofficial therapist, decided to make a grand entrance. With the finesse of a magician, he placed a hand on my shoulder and guided me out of the room like a bewildered tourist.

"Dude," Shrey said, utterly unfazed by my frozen state, "you looked like you were about to be cryogenically frozen. Did you forget how to breathe?"

"Bro, Divya is in your department! You knew I liked her, and you didn't tell me?" I exclaimed, trying to keep my voice low while failing miserably. I was practically shouting in a room full of people.

Shrey shrugged nonchalantly, his smirk widening. "I didn't tell you because I knew you'd turn into a human popsicle. Besides, I'm not your personal therapist."

Ah, Shrey. He's an aspiring therapist, but fate and his parents have other plans. So, he's currently honing his skills on me.

"I should get a therapist who doesn't bully me," I retorted, sarcasm dripping from my every word.

Shrey just grinned. "Oh, good luck with that. Happiness is scientifically proven to come from insulting your friends for no reason. Reduces stress by, like, 99.9%."

I rolled my eyes, though I couldn't help but chuckle. "Shut up, bro. Do you have her number or something?" I tried to sound cool and nonchalant, but my voice cracked like a teenager's during puberty.

"Use your words, and I might think about it," Shrey teased, as if he were the gatekeeper of some mystical land.

"Pleaseeeeeee," I begged, knowing full well that he'd drag this out as long as possible just to see me squirm.

"I'll message you," Shrey said, turning back to his class with a flourish.

As he walked away, reality hit me like a ton of bricks:

I shouldn't message her like a creepy stalker; I needed a solid plan.I had completely forgotten why I came here in the first place.I had a class to attend, too.

I should probably RUN!

With these thoughts racing through my mind, I sprinted back to my department. The rest of the day was a blur of missed notes and half-heard lectures. My thoughts kept drifting back to Divya. Seeing her again had stirred up a storm of emotions I was trying to keep at bay.

Later, in the sanctuary of my hostel room, I brainstormed like a mad scientist. I needed to approach Divya, but not in a way that screamed "I'm just another guy trying to hit on you." I wanted to stand out and show her I genuinely liked her for who she was, not just her looks.

As I pondered various strategies—casually bumping into her in the library, maybe?—my phone buzzed. It was a message from Shrey with Divya's number. My heart leaped. This was my chance!

I stared at the screen, my heart doing a cha-cha in my chest. Should I text her now? Should I wait? What if she didn't remember me? What if she did and thought I was the guy who tripped over his own feet during assembly? Yeah, that really happened.

Taking a deep breath, I typed out a simple message: "Hey Divya, it's Dhruv from high school. Long time no see! How have you been?"

I stared at the message as if it were a cryptic code needing decryption. Was it too casual? Too formal? Was the exclamation point overkill? Should I have added a smiley face? Would that be too eager?

I hovered my thumb over the send button, my nerves jangling like I was defusing a bomb rather than sending a text. This was it. The first step toward getting closer to Divya, the girl who had always been tantalizingly out of reach.

With one last deep breath, I hit send. And then, the waiting game began.

Waiting. The absolute worst part. Every minute felt like an eternity. My mind spun with ridiculous thoughts. What if she ignored me? Or worse, what if she didn't remember me at all? Would she just politely brush me off? Or—just maybe—would she be as thrilled to hear from me as I was to text her?

Minutes ticked by, and I kept obsessively checking my phone, willing it to buzz with a reply. This was absurd, wasn't it? Who gets this worked up over a text message? But there I was, perched on the edge of my bed, caught between excitement and dread.

Would this simple message change everything? Could it open the door to something more? Or was I setting myself up for an epic fail?

Only time will tell. But for now, all I could do was wait and see how this new chapter of my life would unfold. 

And maybe, just maybe, that chapter would have Divya's name written all over it.

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Hey Guys,

And again Dhruv-Divya aren't a thing-

I know it looks like one but it isn't...

Hope you enjoyed this chapter!!

~Not as moody as I look~

🪞🕊️🤍✨

Thank You,

Your loving author

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