Chapter 8: New Endings

After the gathering, my driver came to pick me up.

The old white Ambassador was waiting, AC barely working, driver uncle humming Kishore Kumar. Arjun suddenly appeared at the car window.

He tapped on the dusty glass, his hair stuck to his forehead with sweat.

"I’ve sent you the universities you can get into with your scores."

"Take a look—they’re all in the university town."

I looked at him, confused, then glanced at Sneha, who was waiting quietly not far away.

Arjun followed my gaze and frowned.

"I ran into her being bullied on the road recently. Since we live nearby, she’s been going back with me."

"Don’t overthink it."

When we looked over, Sneha lowered her head even further, almost burying herself.

Completely different from the person she’d become ten years later.

She would get drunk, throw up everywhere, then wear Arjun’s shirt in my bedroom.

"Ananya, you can’t help him at all. But I’m different."

She’d play the victim in front of Arjun, crying until her face was streaked with tears, even kneeling on the ground.

"I’m different from you. I fought for all of this. Please, don’t ruin me."

And Arjun, with a dark expression, would pull her up and shield her behind him.

He’d frown at me as if I were a stranger.

"You really disappoint me."

So, they’d already been in contact long ago.

Snapping back to reality, I replied lightly—

"I already have a university I want to attend."

I turned down his kindness, thinking he’d understand what I meant.

But apparently, he didn’t.

He looked almost wounded, as if I’d snatched away his last bit of self-respect.