Ethereal: Eternal Echoes

3

After breaking things off with Smriti, Ishan felt an unexpected sense of relief. He convinced himself it was the right decision, that he needed to explore his attraction to Jisha without being tied down. Smriti's feelings seemed like a minor casualty of his pursuit of excitement and validation.

Days turned into weeks, and Ishan's infatuation with Jisha grew. She embodied everything he thought he desired-confidence, allure, and a magnetic personality.

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Ishan: Hey Jisha, wassup?
Jisha: Nothing much Ishan. What about you?
Ishan: I am good. Actually I wanted to ask you something.
Jisha: Sure, tell?
Ishan: I have a crush on you since you became my bench partner. I really love you Jisha. I ended up with Smriti, just because I love you. You are so perfect for me. And you are-
*his words were cut off by Jisha*
Jisha: I am not at all interested in any kind of relationships with you!!
Ishan: But what is wrong in me, Jisha? I am perfect for you Jis-
Jisha: Just shut up your mouth and be in your fucking limits. How can I trust you that you won't do with me what you did with Smriti. I don't even have any love feelings for you, whereas, Smriti's love for you was so more then what you can never think of. You are not deserving at all. So, just remove those motherfucking thoughts from your small brain!!!

-

When she rejected him, it bruised his ego, but he brushed it off, eager to move on to the next conquest.
Meanwhile, Smriti's pain haunted him. He saw glimpses of her sadness in the corridors, heard whispers of how she struggled. At first, guilt flickered in his heart, but he buried it beneath layers of denial. He told himself it was natural to want something new, something different. He couldn't be blamed for following his desires.
To distract himself from any lingering remorse, Ishan threw himself into self-improvement. He hit the gym relentlessly, sculpting his body into a form that turned heads. It became a fixation, a way to fill the void left by his fractured relationships. Each rep, each meal plan, was a step towards reclaiming control over his life.
As his physique improved, so did his confidence. Ishan found solace in the attention he garnered from other girls. Flirtations became his currency, each conquest a validation of his desirability. He reveled in the newfound power, relishing the game of attraction and conquest.
Yet, beneath the surface, doubts gnawed at him. He couldn't shake the memory of Smriti's tear-streaked face, the way she had poured her heart out to him only to be rejected. But acknowledging his betrayal meant confronting his own shortcomings, and Ishan wasn't ready for that level of introspection.
Instead, he embraced the role of the aloof heartbreaker, his charm masking the turmoil within. He treated relationships like disposable pleasures, never staying long enough to confront the consequences. The more he distanced himself from Smriti, the easier it became to justify his actions.
Days turned into months, and Ishan's transformation was evident. He walked taller, his once-boyish demeanor replaced by a calculated confidence. His interactions with Smriti became distant and strained.

In the depths of his soul, Ishan knew he had lost something irreplaceable. The genuine connection he shared with Smriti was now a distant memory, overshadowed by his obsession with image and validation. He masked his insecurities with bravado, afraid to confront the emptiness that lay beneath.

But as he gazed into the mirror, admiring the reflection of his chiseled physique, a flicker of doubt surfaced. Had he become the person he had always feared-a shallow shell driven by superficial desires? The question lingered, unanswered, as Ishan turned away, burying his doubts beneath layers of ambition and self-assurance.
In the corridors of Evergreen Heights School, Ishan Shah walked with a swagger that masked the turmoil within. Love had become a game-a game he played with precision, shielding his heart from the scars of his past. And as he chased fleeting highs and fleeting affections, the memory of Smriti faded into the background, a casualty of his relentless pursuit of self-gratification.

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