The night after the proposal felt unreal. Prakhar lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, his phone still in his hand.
His classmates were still talking in the KV 2 Colaba group chat, but he had muted the notifications. He didn't want to see the messages anymore.
Sweta's reply kept replaying in his mind.
"I'm sorry, Prakhar. I don't feel the same way."
It wasn't rude. It wasn't mocking. It was just… final.
No explanations. No hesitation.
It should have been enough for him to move on.
But it wasn't.
---
The Aftermath
The next morning, everything felt different.
Prakhar entered class, but this time, he could feel it—the stares, the whispers. No one said anything directly, but he knew.
They all knew.
He sat in his usual seat near the back, trying to ignore the awkward silence that followed him.
Rohan, his only real friend in Mumbai so far, leaned in. "Dude… you okay?"
Prakhar forced a smile. "Yeah."
Rohan hesitated, then grinned. "Man, you've got guts. Never seen someone do that in a class group chat before."
Prakhar exhaled, rubbing his face. "Yeah, well… didn't exactly work out, did it?"
Rohan shrugged. "At least you tried. Most guys just keep quiet and regret it later."
Prakhar wanted to say something, but just then, the teacher walked in, and the conversation ended.
He wasn't okay.
But he would pretend to be.
---
Sweta's Distance
The next few days were uncomfortable.
Sweta didn't treat him badly—she just… wasn't the same anymore.
Before, even if they weren't close, she had at least acknowledged him. A glance, a nod, a casual remark.
Now, it was like he was invisible.
She didn't look at him. Didn't talk to him.
She had built a wall between them, and Prakhar had no idea how to break it.
At tuition, it was worse.
If their paths crossed, she would turn away. When they worked in groups, she would avoid standing near him. It was like she had drawn a clear line between them—one that he wasn't allowed to cross anymore.
It hurt.
Not just because of rejection, but because he had lost something more than just a chance with her—he had lost whatever little bond they once had.
And the worst part?
She seemed… completely fine.
---
A Growing Frustration
One evening, as Prakhar left tuition, he saw Sweta standing outside, talking to Rohan.
Laughing.
It was a simple moment. Just two classmates chatting.
But to Prakhar, it felt like a knife to the chest.
She hadn't spoken a single word to him since the rejection. But here she was, talking to Rohan like nothing had happened.
Was she really that unaffected?
That night, he couldn't focus on anything.
For the first time, a thought entered his mind—
Maybe she had never cared at all.
Maybe he was the only one who had seen something special in their past friendship. Maybe, to her, he had always just been… some guy from school.
---
The Storm Within
Days turned into weeks.
Prakhar kept himself busy—school, tuition, studying, anything to distract himself.
But the frustration inside him kept growing.
Not just about Sweta, but about everything.
Mumbai still didn't feel like home. He didn't belong in KV 2. His father expected too much from him. Nothing felt right.
And deep down, a dangerous thought began to form.
What if nothing ever changed?
What if this was all there was to life?
No excitement. No purpose.
Just the same boring, frustrating routine every single day.
He didn't know it yet.
But everything was about to change.
And it would all start with a crash from the sky.