Chapter 4 : Fractured Moments
1051 Words
The euphoria of their victory lingered well into the following week, but for Myra, something had changed. The hug had been a mistake—or at least, that’s what she kept telling herself.
She avoided Arjun as much as possible, keeping conversations strictly professional. But Arjun wasn’t one to let things slide. He caught up with her outside the library one afternoon, blocking her path.
"You’ve been avoiding me, class prez."
Myra crossed her arms, forcing herself to meet his gaze. "I’ve been busy."
"Busy pretending nothing happened?" His smirk was gone, replaced with something unreadable. "We both know that hug wasn’t just about winning."
She stiffened. "It was a moment of excitement, nothing more. Let it go, Arjun."
He studied her for a long moment before sighing. "Fine. If that’s what you want."
She expected him to argue, to push back like he always did. But instead, he simply walked away. And for reasons she couldn’t quite understand, that unsettled her more than anything else.
---
The following days passed in a blur, and Myra buried herself in student council work. It was easier to pretend things were normal when she had deadlines to meet and meetings to run. But even then, she felt Arjun’s absence more than she cared to admit.
During a lunch break, Tanya nudged her. "You and Arjun had a fight or something?"
"No," Myra said too quickly.
"Uh-huh." Tanya gave her a knowing look. "Well, he’s been acting weird too. Quieter. Less annoying. It’s almost unsettling."
Myra hesitated but shook her head. "It’s nothing."
Yet, when she glanced across the cafeteria and saw Arjun laughing with Dev and Neil—but without the usual teasing glances in her direction—she felt something that suspiciously resembled regret.
Maybe, just maybe, she had made a mistake.
The tension between Myra and Arjun had reached an unbearable point. Days had passed since their last real conversation, and while Myra tried to convince herself that it didn’t bother her, the truth gnawed at her insides.
She wasn’t the only one feeling it.
Arjun, usually the first to tease or provoke her, had fallen unusually silent. He no longer sought her out between classes, no longer smirked when their eyes met across the room. And Myra hated it.
So when she saw him lingering by the sports field after school, staring out into the distance, she made a choice before she could talk herself out of it. She marched up to him, arms crossed.
"Are you seriously giving me the silent treatment?" she demanded.
Arjun turned, his expression unreadable. "I thought that’s what you wanted."
She faltered. "I—what?"
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You were the one who said the hug meant nothing. That we should let it go. So I did."
Myra’s throat tightened. "That doesn’t mean we have to stop talking."
Arjun let out a humorless laugh. "You can’t have it both ways, Myra. You push me away, then act surprised when I give you space."
She swallowed hard. "I didn’t mean—"
"What do you mean, then?" He took a step closer, voice quieter now. "Because I’m done playing games."
She hesitated, her heartbeat hammering. Because she didn’t know.
Or maybe she did, and she was just too scared to admit it.
"I don’t know," she finally whispered.
Arjun studied her for a long moment before shaking his head, a small, almost sad smile on his lips. "Figure it out, class prez. Because I can’t keep waiting."
With that, he walked away, leaving Myra staring after him, more confused than ever.
The days after Arjun’s words haunted Myra in ways she hadn’t anticipated. She had convinced herself that distance was what she needed—that pushing him away was the right thing to do. But now, with every quiet glance he no longer sent her way, every smirk that had disappeared, she realized just how much she had come to rely on his presence.
She needed to fix this. But how?
The opportunity presented itself sooner than she expected. A mandatory school camping trip had been scheduled for the entire senior class—a weekend of bonfires, outdoor survival activities, and, much to Myra’s growing dread, forced proximity to Arjun.
---
The bus ride was unbearable. Myra sat with Tanya, pretending to be invested in their conversation, but her mind kept drifting to Arjun, who was seated a few rows ahead with Dev and Neil. He laughed at something one of them said, and the sight of it sent an unfamiliar pang through her chest.
"You’re staring," Tanya whispered, smirking.
"Am not," Myra muttered, turning away too quickly.
"You so are," Tanya mused. "And I’m just going to say it—maybe it’s time you stop running away."
Myra had no response to that.
---
The first night at camp was predictably chaotic. Students scrambled to set up tents, and while Myra had planned to pair up with Tanya, fate had other ideas.
"Last tent goes to Myra and Arjun!" The teacher called out, reading off the assigned list.
Myra’s head snapped up. "Wait, what?"
Across the clearing, Arjun seemed just as surprised but quickly masked it with indifference. "Guess we’re stuck together, class prez."
Tanya barely held back a grin as she handed Myra her sleeping bag. "Good luck."
---
The tent was smaller than expected, and the air inside was thick with unspoken tension. Myra busied herself by rolling out her sleeping bag, hyper-aware of Arjun’s every movement. Finally, he broke the silence.
"Relax, Myra. I’m not going to bite."
She sighed, sitting back against the tent wall. "I know. I just... I don’t know how to fix this."
Arjun studied her for a long moment before shaking his head. "Maybe start by being honest. With yourself."
She swallowed, forcing herself to meet his gaze. "I miss how things were before. Before I ruined it."
Something softened in his expression. "You didn’t ruin anything. But you do need to figure out what you want."
Myra hesitated before whispering, "What if I don’t know?"
Arjun let out a small chuckle. "Then I guess we’re stuck figuring it out together."
And for the first time in weeks, Myra felt like maybe, just maybe, she wasn’t as lost as she thought.
- Writer
