Love Beyond The Boundaries.. ♡

chapter- 8

Kashish's pov

I was seated on the edge of my bed, flipping through the notes absentmindedly.
Across the room, Ruh was sprawled out on her own bed, scrolling through her phone. The silence between us was comfortable, but my mind was far from at ease.
I couldn’t help but think about Karan—the way he had been distant lately. It gnawed me, though I tried to push it aside.

“Kashish,” Ruh's voice broke through my thoughts. “Let’s go shopping. We’ve been cooped up in here for all the day. I need a break!”

I raised an eyebrow, unsure if I was in the mood for it, but I nodded. “Yeah, okay. A break sounds good.”

Within minutes, we were both ready and standing outside the hostel, waiting for the cab we booked.
I tried to keep myself engaged in light conversation, but my thoughts kept drifting back to Karan.

Rupali probably noticed my distracted mood and nudged me.
“You seem off. Everything okay?” she asked, a hint of concern in her voice.

Before I could respond, a sleek black car pulled up in front of us. To our surprise, Karan rolled down the window, his expression unreadable. “Hey rupali, going somewhere??” he asked, addressing Rupali with a smile.

Rupali immediately beamed. “Umm, yes going to market and waiting for the cab."

He shortly glanced at me and I was staring at him already with frustration, anger, disappointment, hurt evident on my face but I moved my gaze immediately as soon as our eyes met. I, however, felt a twinge of irritation the moment I realized Karan hadn’t even glanced my way properly.

"What are you thinking come fast, I'm getting late" he said in hurry.
I slid into the backseat without saying a word, my mind racing. Throughout the entire drive, Karan kept up an easy conversation with Rupali, completely ignoring my presence. His indifference stung more than I expected it to. Each passing moment, with him focused solely on Rupali, made me feel more invisible, more frustrated.

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, crossing and uncrossing my arms. My stomach churned with annoyance. Was he doing this on purpose?

When we finally arrived at the market, Karan parked the car, still acting as though I wasn’t there. As Rupali thanked him and stepped out, my irritation bubbled over, but I kept it locked behind my tight-lipped smile.

“Thanks for the ride,” I muttered, my tone betraying the frustration as I stepped out of the car without waiting for a response.

Karan didn’t say anything, just nodded slightly before driving off, leaving me standing there, my emotions swirling in a mix of confusion and anger. Why did his indifference bother me so much? And why, no matter how hard I tried, couldn’t I shake the feeling that he was deliberately avoiding me.

---

The bustling market was alive with the chatter of vendors and customers, the air thick with the scent of fresh flowers and street food. Rupali tugged on my arm, pulling me towards a stall selling colorful scarves.

“Kashii, look at these! Aren’t they beautiful?” Rupali exclaimed, her eyes gleaming with excitement as she ran her fingers over a soft, bright blue scarf.

But I was distant, my mind elsewhere. I nodded absently, eyes scanning the crowd without really seeing it. Karan's cold behavior weighed heavily on my heart.