Atelophobia

~Chapter 4~

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Sanjana shoved her books into her satchel, as she got ready to go to college. She pulled her hair back into a tight braid, putting on a random churidar (Casual traditional Indian dress) before she made her way out of her room. She had already made tea for everyone so all she had to do now was leave.

She wondered if Mysha would come again today. Nobody would be home, her mom goes to a colony meeting every day, her dad and brother were at work and she would be at college. Sanjana didn't know if she was happy that she wouldn't have to see Mysha. Either way, she didn't care. That girl was crazy. It's better if she stayed away from people like her.

Sanjana slung her small leather satchel over her shoulder as she made her way out of the house, humming softly to herself. She used to take singing classes when she was younger, but she was made to stop abruptly. She never really knew why but she always figured it was something to do with her weird teacher. It didn't occur to her that what was happening wasn't okay. She was just a kid after all.

She made her way through the narrow pathway, toward the main road, her eyes scanning the trees that stretched over her. She noticed the newly ripened mangoes hanging from the branches of one of her neighbour's trees, it took everything in her to not pluck it. She loved mangoes. Her gaze flitted towards the ground occasionally to make sure she didn't trip on the scattered rocks that covered it.

She let out a gasp of surprise when she heard the roar of a motorcycle engine from behind her. She turned, her gaze landing on the familiar motorcycle. "Where are you going?" Mysha asked, but Sanjana turned away from the girl, ignoring her. She started walking again. "Oi! I'm talking to you,"

Sanjana didn't respond. She heard the motorcycle sputter to a stop, the sound of the engine now replaced by footsteps crunching the dried leaves on the ground.

Sanjana tried not to pay attention to the girl who was now trailing behind her but she couldn't when Mysha suddenly ran in front of her, her face inches away from Sanjana's. Sanjana pulled her gaze away from the short-haired girl's. "What do you want?" Sanjana's asked, in a low voice. They were no longer in the confinement of her porch. She couldn't risk it.

Mysha placed her hand on the shorter girl's shoulder causing Sanjana to flinch slightly. "I'm not going to hurt you," Mysha chuckled, but Sanjana shrugged her hand off.

"Move," Sanjana mumbled, still refusing to look at Mysha.

"Or what?" Mysha challenged, her eyes gleaming with amusement.

"Or I'll tell my father that you're harassing me," Sanjana huffed, finally looking at Mysha defiantly.

"Will you?"

"Just let me go," Sanjana hissed, trying to shove past her but Mysha was quicker, blocking the girl's way again. "What is wrong with you? I have to go to college."

Mysha sighed. "Want a ride?" She tried again.

Sanjana narrowed her eyes at Mysha. "No," she said, shoving past Mysha, this time Mysha didn't push back.

Sanjana sighed to herself as she walked towards the main road. She could feel Mysha's hard stare on her back but she shrugged it off. The girl scared her. She was so confident. It was terrifying.

She wondered how the girl seemed so unbothered by what other people said about her. Originally when Mysha had moved here everyone was talking about her. Calling her names Sanjana didn't want to repeat.

The talk around her had died down slightly, but that didn't stop people from treating her like she was the plague. Everyone in her colony avoided the girl and insulted her presence. Sanjana never understood the blatant hatred at first but now she realized why. They were all scared of her. Scared of her unbothered demeanour.

It made sense. A girl like her completely disrupting everything when she walked in.

"Watch where you're going, Sanju!" A familiar voice yelled as she got pulled back abruptly. Sanjana let out a small gasp, pulling away for their grip as she watched a car zoom past her. "Are you okay?"

Sanjana nodded, still startled at what had happened. "Thank you, Ajay," she mumbled, pushing some loose strands of hair that fallen on her face.

"Be more careful next time," he said, narrowing his eyes at her. Sanjana nodded in response.

Ajay and her were childhood friends but that wasn't Sanjana's choice. Their parents had forced them to become friends. He had asked her out multiple times in the past and her parents were completely interested in marrying her off into a family wealthy as his. And of course, Malika Aunty seemed to always be on her back as well.

But she didn't like him and quite frankly, he creeped her out. He was just too much for her liking. She never told anyone. No one would believe hereven if she tried. It reminded her of her music teacher but this was different. He was rich, his parents were close with hers, no one would believe her.

"Let's go," he mumbled, wrapping his hand around her wrist. She tried to get out of his grasp but gave up soon after. She didn't want to make a scene.

They walked towards their college, his grip still firm. She wanted to say something, but she never did. "Bye, Sanju," He said with a lopsided grin before he walked away from her, finally letting go of her hand. Instinctively, Sanjana wrapped her other hand around her wrist, glaring at the receding back of Ajay. She had to tolerate him, after all, he was one of the reasons her parents allowed her to go to college.

They believed that if he was there as well he could "keep her in check". It annoyed her to no end. They technically weren't even in the same block because of subject separation but they were still in the same college.

She walked past the wave students chattering outside the gates, not bothering to greet anyone. She didn't have many friends, she preferred keeping to herself. Fewer distractions that way and she could put all her focus into work. She envied the girls who had so many people to talk to and still managed to do well. But none of them did better than her. Sanjana was always topping, no matter what. It was one of the only things she had to feel proud of and she wasn't letting go of it easily.

As she made her way to her first class, she couldn't help but let her mind drift to a certain brown-haired girl.

Why was she so persistent on talking to Sanjana? What did Mysha see in her? Was she just trying to annoy Sanjana or was it something else?

It made no sense to Sanjana why someone like Mysha was so adamant on getting her attention. Something didn't add up and it was bothering Sanjana to no end.

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Sorry for the late update, I've been slacking.

Let me know your thoughts on Ajay.

-Anya