Broken promises

ch-05

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Another day, another glimmer of hope. Maybe today would be better than yesterday. Kirti hurried to get ready for school, expertly braiding her long black hair while her mother prepared breakfast and her father laced up her shoes. Being five minutes late was a rare occurrence for her.

In her rush, she snatched her lunchbox, donned her helmet, and hopped onto her scooter. "Lakshman bhaiya, please get me to school on time," she muttered, speeding toward her destination. Thankfully, she arrived just as the gates were about to close, barely making it inside.

Once in the school, Kirti quickly apologized to her friend Devika for her tardiness. The heat had canceled the school assembly, and the day proceeded with regular classes. In psychology, they delved into a new chapter titled "Motivation and Emotion." After a few periods, the lunch bell rang.

Before Kirti and Devika could settle down to eat, Prithvi and Prash’s group approached, their demeanor menacing. What followed was shocking; despite their strained relationship, they had never resorted to this level of bullying before. Prithvi yanked Kirti's hair, while Prash splashed water over her.

“What do you think you’re doing, you pathetic loser?” Prithvi shouted, his voice dripping with malice. Stunned and hurt by her former best friend's betrayal, Kirti found herself momentarily frozen, the weight of the betrayal heavy on her chest.

Devika sprang into action, pushing them away. "What the hell, Prithvi? How can you behave like this? And Prash, I thought you were our friend!"

The response that followed stunned everyone: “I know how to deal with girls like her. She’s nothing but a slu—" Prithvi’s words were abruptly silenced by a punch. Kirti had reached her breaking point.

“What did you just call me? A slut? Who the hell do you think you are?” she shouted, fury igniting within her. “You broke my trust, and now you’re blaming me?”

Flashback

It was dismissal time a year ago. Kirti, Prithvi, Aru, and Anviksha were walking to the buses, laughing and teasing one another. Prithvi had been pestering Kirti to reveal who had a crush on him. Suddenly, Aru blurted out, “It’s Kirti!”

The shock on Prithvi and Anviksha's faces was palpable. Embarrassed, Kirti chased after Aru, hoping to brush it off, but everything changed after that. Prithvi began to ignore her completely. Kirti tried to explain that it was just a joke from a truth-or-dare game, but he continued to avoid her. Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months.

At the last school camp, during the farewell DJ night, Kirti had cried in silence, her heart heavy with unspoken feelings. When a mutual friend mentioned this to Prithvi, he coldly replied, “Let her cry. I can’t be available for everyone.”

Flashback Ends

“So, what did I say wrong? You were a loser,” Prithvi sneered, a smirk on his face.

“Oh, really?” Kirti shot back, her voice laced with anger and pain. “Then what did you do after that...?” she demanded, her emotions spilling over as she faced him down.

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