Chapter 9: The Bus Ride and Booking a New Life
On Tuesday, after evening self-study, the school gate was a blur of students and puddles. Rohan carried Sneha to the car, her head lolling, his face tight with worry. "Sneha fainted. I have to take her to the hospital. Go home by yourself today," he said, voice urgent. The driver hesitated, concerned for me. I smiled bravely, "I’ll take the bus, it’s not unsafe. You go ahead."
Rohan told me to message when I got home. I promised, already planning to forget. As their car disappeared, I stood alone at the gate, the streetlights flickering. For the first time, I wasn’t afraid. That night, I booked a flight ticket for three days later, my hands trembling with excitement and fear.
Later, as I was about to head to my room, Rohan called out, shivering from the rain. "Why didn’t you message when you got home?" he demanded. I shrugged, "I forgot." Then, unexpectedly, he grabbed my wrist, his tone urgent. "Sneha and I are just friends. Today was an emergency. I would have done the same for anyone." I nodded, "I know. I didn’t think too much about it." He held on a moment longer, eyes uneasy, then let me go.