𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐏𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒
𝑩𝒍𝒖𝒓𝒃
He says he can wait.
That he'll heal me, love me, treat me like I'm something whole. But what happens when he steps into the wreckage of a heart so broken, so bruised, that there's...
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Everything went perfectly in the medical check up, and I got lucky as the school held some food and spice tolerance competitions today. It was just what I craved. The pani puri and those spicy wafers were top-tier.
My craving grew stronger as I savoured them, without even realizing I was continuously winning.
As much as I love sweets, as a Maharashtrian, I can never not love spice.
Every competition enhanced the spice flavour with different foods like bhel, different spicy wafers, chilli tomato rolls, and pani puri, and it all came down to the spiciest chips and pani puri with actual chilli water.
The host announced the last competitors: me, Evyaan, and the other guy, Rohan.
The idea of competing again with Evyaan sent a bad signal to my stomach.
No matter how much I try to avoid him, it always comes down to him in the end. My team, on the other hand, was very much expecting me to win.
The idea of being disturbed again just because of Evyaan and those rumors left a bad taste in my mouth.
Our eyes locked as I walked toward the main table, and if I could read anything in his gaze, it was disappointment. The host paused, consulting with his team, before announcing that it would just be Rohan and me.
Relief washed over me, untainted by the weight of being paired with Evyaan—yet tinged with a sting I didn't want to acknowledge.
The more distance I put between us, the quieter the rumors became. That was what I needed: silence. No more whispers about him "pity helping" me, no more accusations that I was faking cluelessness just to catch his attention. But avoidance came with its own price—this gnawing sense of something unfinished, like a spark left unlit, its potential lingering in the air.
I took a deep breath, willing my thoughts to settle. The truth I didn't want to face was clear: keeping my distance didn't erase what I felt. If anything, it made me even more aware of the possibility that those feelings could grow if I let them.
But I couldn't. I wouldn't. Not now, not ever.
"Sir, Evyaan is joining too. He's ready," a student interrupted just as we were about to start.
I blinked, caught off guard. Hadn't he just backed out? A blend of surprise and annoyance surged through me, but I sighed and resigned myself to the reality of his sudden reappearance.
The host paused, visibly confused, and walked off to consult with the school faculty. Meanwhile, Evyaan casually took his place beside me, leaving me squarely in the center of an unanticipated and tense moment. I bit down on the inside of my cheek, trying to push down the rising anxiety.
"Are you sure you can join us? You won't get acidity after this?" Rohan asked, despite having just gulped down a gallon of water himself.
"I'll be fine," Evyaan replied calmly, ignoring the taunt.
