Waiting for You

Chapter 18(Confused to more Confused)

Maya's POV:

"Dude, are you kidding me?!" I screamed, my voice echoing down the corridor. The sheer audacity of Dhruv's request made my blood boil. How could he be so clueless? The few students who were in earshot stopped in their tracks, eyes widening in shock. But I didn't care. Dhruv's latest scheme deserved to be publicly ridiculed.

Dhruv, with his trademark grin still plastered on his face, raised his hands as if surrendering. "I mean, it might just work faster—"

"DHRUV!" I cut him off, my hands flailing dramatically. "You're not in a cooking show trying to make two-minute noodles! You're talking about people's feelings here, not some quick-fix recipe!" My voice had reached a pitch I didn't even know it was capable of. I half expected the glass windows to shatter.

Dhruv blinked at me like I was speaking in tongues. "Maya, calm down. I'm just saying, maybe it would—"

"NO!" I shouted, interrupting him again. "We are not doing this. You want to woo Divya? Fine, do it. But dragging me into your half-baked love schemes? No way. And have you forgotten that Divya has feelings for Shrey? Do you realize what you're asking me to do? Be some sort of... prop in your ridiculous plan to make her jealous? What is wrong with you?"

Dhruv looked like a deer caught in headlights. He wasn't used to me yelling at him. Heck, he wasn't used to anyone yelling at him. Dhruv was the guy who breezed through life, charming everyone with his effortless smile and endless charisma. But not today. Today, he'd walked straight into a minefield.

He opened his mouth, probably to spout more nonsense, but all I could see was red. "You don't understand, do you? You're treating people like pieces on a chessboard. Do you even care about Divya? Or is this all just some game to you?"

Dhruv's face softened, his casual demeanor faltering. "Of course, I care about her, Maya. I wouldn't be asking you if I didn't think—"

"—if you didn't think you could manipulate your way into her heart?" I snapped. "God, Dhruv! Do you ever just, I don't know, talk to people? Be honest? Be real? Because this whole scheming thing? It's ridiculous. And I won't be a part of it."

Dhruv's shoulders slumped, and he finally looked like he understood. At least, a little. "I just... I thought maybe it'd be easier this way," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "Less chance of getting hurt."

I sighed, my anger simmering down to frustration. I knew that feeling too well. The fear of rejection, the desire to shield yourself from pain. But this? This wasn't the way to go about it. "Easier doesn't mean better, Dhruv," I said softly. "If you really care about her, you owe it to her—and to yourself—to be genuine. Don't take shortcuts with people's feelings."

Dhruv looked down at his feet, his expression a mix of guilt and confusion. "But—"

"You know what? I'm done with this dumb game. I don't owe anyone here anything, least of all you. I'm done with you and your ridiculous schemes." I turned on my heel, ready to storm away, my feet eager to put as much distance between us as possible.

"But...what about us?" Dhruv called out, his voice echoing through the corridor.

I stopped in my tracks, my back still turned to him. Without looking back, I shouted, "'WE' aren't a thing and will never be one." And with that, I marched away, my footsteps echoing in the now-dead-silent hallway.

I stormed down the hallway, my footsteps echoing off the walls as I tried to steady my breathing. My heart was racing, a mix of anger and sadness swirling in my chest, but I didn't dare stop. Not now. Not when everything felt so raw.

What was I even doing? I thought the words I'd just thrown at him replaying in my mind like a broken record. My hands trembled slightly, and I balled them into fists, hoping the pressure would keep the tears from falling. I had to keep it together, at least until I got outside, away from all the prying eyes.