Vaqzy lay still staring at the ceiling though he wasn't really seeing it. His thoughts were over the place going back to the same moment again and again. He could still hear her voice clearly in his mind, calm and gentle almost too careful.
"I don't see you that way."
He turned onto his side pulling the blanket closer like that could block it out.. It didn't. The words just kept repeating in his head in tones different versions and none of them were easy to hear.
A small thought slipped in.
Why did I say it like that…?
He let out a breath staring at nothing. It had sounded different in his head—simpler maybe less serious.. Out loud it felt heavier too direct, too much. He pressed his lips together. Shook his head a bit.
It doesn't matter now.
Nothing he said could be taken back.
His phone vibrated beside him.
He ignored it at first. Then it vibrated again this time, followed by another notification. The sound felt really loud in the room.
"Probably Rohit " he murmured, though he didn't sound sure.
Slowly he picked it up.
The screen lit up with messages. Many messages. Group chats, notifications, mentions. For a moment he hesitated, his thumb hovering over the screen.
He already knew.
Still he opened one.
The words appeared instantly casual and careless.
Someone mentioning his name. Someone laughing. Someone asking if it was true.
He didn't scroll further.
Didn't need to.
A faint dry smile appeared on his face though it didn't reach his eyes.
"So that's how it is " he said quietly.
He locked the phone. Dropped it beside him leaning back against the wall. The room felt smaller somehow like the air had gotten thick.
For a while he didn't move.
Then he stood up abruptly pacing across the room without any reason. Three steps forward. Turn. Three steps back. His thoughts didn't slow down—they only got louder.
Were people talking about him now?
Did Priya see those messages?
Did she feel awkward… or did she just ignore it like everything else?
That last thought stayed longer, than the rest.
He stopped walking.
Of course she would ignore it " he muttered under his breath.
Why wouldn't she?
For her it had been a moment. One conversation. One answer.
For him it had been everything.
He sat down again leaning forward elbows resting on his knees his hands loosely clasped together. His phone lit up more but this time he didn't even look at it. He let the screen glow for a seconds before it went dark again.
Silence returned.
It wasn't quiet.
His mind filled it.
Random things surfaced without warning—Rohit laughing earlier someone dropping a plate in the canteen that junior catching a falling samosa like it mattered.
He frowned a bit.
Why was he thinking about that now?
He pressed his fingers against his temples. Closed his eyes.
"Stop " he whispered.
The thoughts didn't stop.
They just slowed, then came back again.
Time passed without him noticing. The night stretched on, heavy and still until even the darkness felt really tiring.
At some point he lay back down staring at the ceiling again.
It looked the same.
Everything did.
Except it wasn't.
By morning the feeling hadn't gone away.
It had just settled deeper.
Morning came quietly.
It was too quiet.
Vaqzy sat on the edge of his bed. He stared at the floor for a seconds before he stood up. His body did what it always did. He got ready picked up his bag and stepped out of the house.. His mind was not really there.
Everything seemed normal.
That made it worse.
The road to college looked the same. The gate was the same the crowd was the same the noise was the same. Nothing had changed.
When he walked in something felt off.
It was not something he could see.
It was a feeling.
Some people looked at Vaqzy for a longer than usual.
Two guys standing near the corridor whispered to each other. Looked at Vaqzy.
He looked away.
Vaqzy told himself he was overthinking.
He did not believe it.
The corridor felt louder than usual. There were a lot of conversations, laughter and footsteps. It was all so noisy that it was hard to focus.
He reached his classroom. Paused for a second.
Then he stepped inside.
The students were already there. They were sitting on benches talking in groups. Some were leaning back others were on their phones. A few were laughing.
It all looked normal.
Until it did not.
Some students were talking.
"…I am telling you he actually said it."
"No way. Seriously?"
"Yeah in the canteen."
"Damn…"
Vaqzy froze for a moment.
It was not long enough for anyone to notice.
It was long enough for him to hear.
He walked to his seat quietly. Sat down. He kept his eyes on his desk. His hands were still like he did not know what to do with them.
A whisper came from the row behind Vaqzy it was sharp and it hurt it cut through all the noise in the room.
"That is him right, the one from the canteen?" someone said.
"Yes it looks like it, guy," another person replied.
Then someone laughed it was a laugh it sounded like they were laughing with their mouth closed it felt like a slap on the back of Vaqzys neck. Vaqzy kept looking his neck was stiff he did not turn around he did not move he just stared at the old desk at the lines and scratches on the wood they were made by students who sat there a long time ago. At least those marks would stay,. Vaqzy felt like he was losing his dignity.
Another voice came from the side it was loud. It sounded mean. "I mean, who says something like that it is like he wanted to get hurt."
"Exactly it was a mess " someone else said.
The laughter that followed was quiet. It was the kind of laughter that makes everyone feel like they are part of a group except for one person. It was not loud. It felt heavy, like a rock.
Vaqzy felt a feeling in his chest it was tight and it hurt it felt like he could not breathe. He tried to focus on something he looked at the dusty corner of the blackboard the tree branch moving outside the window the sound of a bag hitting the floor.
He wanted to forget what people were saying.
But the voices did not stop they just kept talking it was like a noise that Vaqzy could not make stop. For the time since yesterday Vaqzy was not just thinking about Priya he was thinking about what happened, about how people were talking about him about how they were laughing at him. It was not about the pain of being rejected it was about how people were treating him like he was a joke.
Vaqzys fingers were tight around the edge of the desk his knuckles were white.
Then the door opened it made a noise.
The professor came in and everyone stopped talking the room was quiet. But to Vaqzy the silence was loud it was thick with what people had said and what they might say next.
It was not an explosion it was slow it was quiet but it was scary something inside Vaqzy was breaking it was, like a ship sinking in the water.
Slowly, quietly. Something inside Vaqzy began to sink.
End of Chapter 3
Author's Note
Thank you for reading Chapter 3.
This is where the story changes. From heartbreak, to public pressure.
Not everything breaks loudly.
Some things just start sinking.
Tell me:
Did the classroom scene feel real to you?
Could you feel the pressure building?