Fated To Love You

Chapter 83

The lunch break ended, and students began streaming into the classroom, their chatter filling the air. But the moment they saw Siddharth still on the floor, his tear-streaked face buried in his trembling hands, the noise turned into hushed whispers.

"Siddharth? What's going on?" one of his friends asked, his voice tinged with concern and confusion. He knelt beside Siddharth, his brows furrowed deeply.

Siddharth didn't respond, his shoulders heaving with quiet sobs. His friend hesitated for a moment, then gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, let's get up," he said softly.

Another friend joined in, kneeling on Siddharth's other side. "Let's go. Don't sit here like this," he urged, her tone filled with worry. Together, they helped him up. Siddharth's movements were slow, almost reluctant, as if the weight of his emotions had drained him completely.

His friends guided him to their usual spot. Siddharth kept his head low, his hair falling over his face, shielding him from the curious stares of his classmates. He wiped his face with his sleeve, though the redness in his eyes betrayed his attempt to appear composed.

Ruhi sat at her desk, her posture stiff and uneasy. Her hands gripped the edges of her notebook so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Her face was pale, but her cheeks burned with the weight of the stares directed at her. Every whispered comment felt like a spotlight, intensifying her discomfort. She avoided looking at anyone, especially Siddharth, her gaze fixed on the desk as if it could anchor her amidst the storm of emotions swirling inside her.

The punished boys, who had entered the room with Ruhi, exchanged uneasy glances. One of them shifted in his seat, his brows knitting together as he sneaked a glance at Siddharth. The other tapped his pen nervously against the desk, his lips pressed into a thin line as he tried to process what had just happened.

Within moments, the news spread like wildfire across the classroom. Whispers rippled through the air, tinged with both excitement and disbelief.

"Did you hear? Siddharth proposed to Ruhi, and she rejected him!" a girl murmured to her friend, her voice laced with shock and curiosity.

Some students craned their necks, pretending to adjust their bags or flip through their notebooks, just to steal a glance at the two of them. Others huddled together, their voices low as they speculated about what had happened.

Ruhi's ears burned as the snippets of conversation reached her. She bit her lip, trying to suppress the tears threatening to spill over. Her breathing was uneven, and she felt her chest tighten with every glance directed her way.

Siddharth sat in silence, his head buried in his arms on the desk. His friends exchanged worried looks, unsure of how to comfort him.

The classroom felt suffocating, the air thick with tension and unspoken emotions. Every glance, every whisper felt like a dagger, amplifying the vulnerability of both Siddharth and Ruhi.

Ruhi's thoughts raced as she sat there, her mind replaying Siddharth's words over and over again. Her chest felt heavy, a mix of guilt, frustration, and confusion swirling within her.

Siddharth, on the other hand, felt a pang of regret with every passing second. His mind was clouded with memories, the weight of his emotions pressing down on him. Yet amidst the pain, a flicker of hope remained—a desperate wish that Ruhi might still change her mind.

"No way! Ruhi rejected him? Siddharth Nigam proposed, and she denied? She must be out of her mind," a girl whispered, her voice laced with disbelief.