My Ex - Crush

Episode 10

Arjun's POV:

The cold water of the shower did little to calm the whirlwind of thoughts in my head. Why do I keep thinking about her? She’s just a friend, right? But there’s something different in the way we talk. It’s like I can’t get her out of my mind.

Wait, am I actually blushing right now? This can’t be happening. I can’t have a crush on her. But then why does my heart skip a beat every time she looks my way?

This can’t be just a passing phase, can it? Maybe it’s something deeper. The idea of wanting to spend more time with her, just to see her smile and hear her laugh, is both terrifying and exhilarating. I want to get to know her better, to be more than just friends.

Okay, deep breaths. I need to stop worrying about what my friends might think and try to be honest with myself. I’ve never felt so alive before. She’s making me feel all sorts of things.

I pulled on my shirt and sighed. Really, Arjun? A poem? And she didn’t even realize it was about her? Am I really that bad at writing poems? What made me think I could take that chance?

I shouldn’t have risked it. I knew what I was doing.

When I walked into the dining room, Amma and Appa were deeply engrossed in a serious discussion, the local newspaper in their hands.

“Poor girl,” Appa said, shaking his head with disapproval.

“What happened?” I asked, my curiosity piqued.

“One boy had one-sided love for a girl he met at the bus stop. It seems she repeatedly rejected him. Yesterday, he threw acid on her face,” Amma said.

I choked on my food, my shock evident. “What? Are these things still happening?”

“And you know what? She was just a schoolgirl. It happened at the bus stop near our place—the one where people change buses to go to Rajapalayam, Sivakasi, and Virudhunagar. You know the stop,” Amma added.

“This is unbelievable!” I said, my mind reeling. They did an acid attack on a schoolgirl just because she didn’t like him back? Our world is a mess.

“That boy is a college student—from that arts college near your college!” Appa said.

“What’s the use of education, then?” I said, shaking my head. “It seems useless when people like this are out there.”

“That’s why I’ve told your sister to be careful,” Appa said, his voice tinged with concern.

After finishing breakfast, I washed my hands and packed my bag for college.

“Arjun, I’ve packed lunch for you. Take the box and go. Don’t eat in the canteen every day,” Amma said.

“Okay, Amma,” I said, grabbing the lunch box and packing it.

Appa dropped me at the bus stop around 8. I boarded a crowded bus, hoping it would give me time to clear my head.

At the college bus stop, I waited for Vinoth, who usually arrives on his bike at that time. I joined him, and we rode to the department together.

When I reached the classroom, Deepika was already there. She was wearing a peach-colored kurti, paired with matching jhumkas. The sight of her made my heart race.

She smiled at me, and I waved back, trying to ignore the fluttering in my chest.

The morning classes were filled with lectures. Deepika usually sat in the first or second row, so I made sure to sit several rows behind her. Despite my attempts to focus on the lectures, my eyes kept drifting to her. She was so engrossed in her notes and asking questions, and it was hard to concentrate on anything else.