Deepika's POV:
"Let's go, the seniors will be waiting for us," Lavanya said.
"I'm not going," I replied.
"It's time to make things right. Come on, the third years will be there too. They’re better than our immediate seniors," Meera added.
"It’s our lunch break. Can’t we just rest?" I protested.
"We’ll come back and eat later," Lavanya insisted, dragging me along.
We headed to the college canteen on the main campus, which was always bustling with students. Nearby, a sunken amphitheater provided a place for students to eat. We spotted the seniors seated on one side of the amphitheater, and among them was a girl with a bob haircut.
We approached and greeted them. Meera made sure to stand in front of me, hiding my face. Thankfully, Chinmayi, the rude senior from earlier, was nowhere in sight.
The seniors asked us to sit, and we took our seats in front of them.
"I’m Merlin, the coordinator for the Reubens Trophy," the girl with the bob haircut introduced herself. She seemed to be from the third year.
"So, does anyone here know about Reubens and NASA?" Merlin asked.
"Yes," Shalini replied.
"Explain to the others," Merlin instructed.
Shalini took over. "NASA is a student organization for architecture colleges across India. They hold conventions every year, and Reubens is a competition that's part of that."
I barely registered the information. I was starving and felt like I might faint. Our lunch break was almost over, and I scowled down at my empty lunchbox.
When would these seniors leave us alone?
Suddenly, Arjun appeared.
"Ma’am, I need some of my class girls back in the classroom urgently," Arjun said.
"Alright," Merlin agreed.
"Meera, Lavanya, and Deepika, return to the classroom. We have some work to do," Arjun directed.
Meera stood up and dragged me along. We quickly made our way to the classroom, only to find it empty. We sat down and ate our lunch in peace.
I noticed a notification on my phone:
**WhatsApp**
**Arjun:** Saw the uneaten lunch box on your table. Hope you finally had some food.
I smirked and replied, "Yeah, thanks!"
Meera noticed my reaction but I quickly closed my phone and slipped it back into my bag. She adjusted her glasses and shook her head.
Just then, Joshitha rushed in, breathless.
"Do you have a measuring tape?" she asked.
"Yeah," I said, handing it to her.
"Thanks! I knew you’d be the only one with it," she said, grabbing it and running out. I wondered why she was in such a hurry.
In the afternoon design class, we worked on model-making with threads. The session was usually relaxed, with the main professor introducing the project and the assistant professors offering informal help.
Meera usually sat behind me at the drafting board. As always, my gaze wandered to Arjun, who was either scribbling on his sheets or chatting with Vinoth. Arjun had already befriended one of the assistant professors, an old school senior.
YOU ARE READING
My Ex - Crush
General Fiction"I wish I had never met you!" Deepika's voice echoed across the classroom, each word a dagger to my heart. "Excellent! At least we finally agree on something!" I fired back, even as a tear betrayed the storm of emotions within me. With those final...
