S A C R I F I C E

C H A P T E R - 3

EYES NEVER LIES

It's been seven days since the camp—or rather, the canceled camp—and every time I see Siya, she either ignores me or rolls her hazel eyes. Not that it bothers me. I haven't spoken to Veenu either. I just wish the couple well, even if it means Siya's kids might inherit Veenu's features. Whatever, I hope they break up—or maybe not. Why do I even care?

But I can't seem to figure out what's wrong with Akshay Tharak. I'm not even acting right when my eyes fall on Siya. She's ignoring me, but I can't ignore her or her hazel eyes.

The alarm rang, pulling me out of my thoughts. Rubbing my eyes, I shuffled to the window and pulled back the curtains, letting the golden rays of the sun stream into my dark room—much like Siya had illuminated my dark life. Fuck, it's not even about her. Just ignore what I've said.

 I always sleep without a t-shirt on, so I pulled on a black tee that clung to my biceps before going through my morning routine.

Finished with my routine, I headed downstairs to check on my parents. It's crazy searching the entire house when you don't find them near the staircase. I was about to head to the kitchen when I heard Ma shouting, "Manohar ji, are you listening?"

"Say," Papa replied.

"So, as I was saying, I want that saree—the same one Meena had on her son's wedding," she said, trying to ensure Papa paid attention. Before he could respond with an "okay" or "fine," I walked in, mouthing a "good morning" to them.

If I were still that old-school fifth-grader, the conversations would be filled with praise and stories about school days and fun times. But now, as a 19-year-old college student, the discussions have shifted to serious topics about my future and the family I'm expected to build.

It's frustrating because the only girl I've ever been attracted to ended up with a nerd I've hated my whole life. I used to think no girl would ever fall for his dull face and boring personality. If he can pull the prettiest girl I had my eyes on, what does that make me? A loser? Sure, I'm a loser compared to him in studies, and I've never admitted it outright, just hidden it behind the fact that he's less attractive and less successful with girls.

But now he's proven me wrong. He's managed to win over the girl of my dreams, leaving me feeling like a bigger loser than he is.

"Akshay, are you listening?" Papa's voice pulled me back to reality, reminding me of how I'm often seen as a failure.

"Uh, yes Papa, go on," I said, though I wasn't entirely sure what he was talking about.

"So, are you okay with it?" he asked again.

"Sorry, with what?" I asked, genuinely confused. I noticed the disappointment on his face as he repeated himself.

"I can write the company over to you. You'll be the next owner, and I'm sure you can handle it. The company has grown really well under my control, and now that I'm unable to take care of it, you have the right to it."

"Papa, I still have a few years left to finish college. I'll think about it and take it when I'm a bit more grown up," I said calmly, receiving a simple "hmm" from him in response.

~

I stopped my bike in front of the bus stop as usual, waiting for Mridhul. A few seconds later, while scrolling through Instagram, I noticed Siya running towards the stop. She was dressed in a red long-sleeve shirt and light blue wide-leg jeans, her hair tied up in a ponytail. As she got closer, I couldn't help but be captivated by her scent of jasmine and the way her hazel eyes were accentuated with eyeliner.

Despite knowing how addictive she is to me, I tried to ignore her beauty, but there I was again, getting lost in the depth of her hazel eyes. She looked up at me as she rested at the bus stop, her eyes meeting mine. They seemed to convey her anger towards me, probably for having beaten up her precious boyfriend. She rolled her eyes at me, and I narrowed my gaze, unable to look away.