Pranshi called me after our first board exam. When I saw her name flash on my screen, I was puzzled. After hesitating for a moment, I finally answered.

“Hello, what’s up?” she asked.

“Hmm… good,” I replied.

“How was your paper?” she asked.

“It went well,” I said, keeping my answers short.

“Hmm… you’re a talented student,” she continued. “But mine didn’t go so well. I’m worried about what I’ll do on the next one.”

“Just study and try to perform better,” I said. But as I spoke, I realized something was off—the voice didn’t sound like hers.

‘Who is this? You aren’t Pranshi, are you?’ I asked.

A light laugh came from the other end, “Hehe, I’m actually her elder sister. I’m calling to ask a favor. Please help her out in the exam hall whenever you get a chance. She isn’t as gifted at her studies as you are.”

“I see,” I replied, “Could you please put Pranshi on the phone?”

After a moment, Pranshi came on the line. ‘Hello?’ she said tentatively.

“If you have a problem, ask me yourself in the hall,” I said firmly. “There’s no need to involve your sister.” Before she could respond, I hung up.

I WAS CONFUSED YET HAPPY

The next day, she called again to ask about my preparation. I was baffled by her sudden change in behavior and couldn’t understand what had come over her.

During the next exam, I could tell she needed help with the answers, but she seemed to be struggling with an internal conflict about whether to approach me.

Finally, she gathered the courage and whispered my name softly: “Chirag!”

Hearing her say my name after such a long time made me feel a spark of happiness inside, though it didn’t lessen my confusion about her past behavior.

Before I could respond, the final bell rang. We submitted our answer sheets and left the hall. I was overwhelmed by mixed emotions—my paper had gone well, and Pranshi was finally talking to me again.

Once we were outside, I asked her, “So, what’s going on?”

“Nothing!” she replied.

“Then why are you acting like this? You told me you didn’t love me, remember?” I asked.

“I was just furious in that moment,’ she explained, “Actually, my elder sister found out about us, and she was happy that I chose you.’

“Really? What did she say?” I asked, surprised.

“She said you’re a nice guy and that we should stay together.” Pranshi replied.

Just then, her sister arrived to pick her up. As I turned to head home, Pranshi called out to me. I looked back and saw her sister watching me; they both waved and beckoned me over. That was the first time I met her sister in person.

“Please help Pranshi with her exams,” her sister requested. “she isn’t as strong in her studies as you are.”

“Yeah! I will try. Don’t worry.” I replied. With that, we all headed our separate ways.

As the days passed, my anger toward her gradually faded, though I remained confused about where we stood. I continued passing her answers during every exam, caught in a cycle of doubt about whether what I was doing was right or wrong.

Despite the uncertainty, I found myself subtly enjoying the secret thrill of it all.

HER DUPLICITY GOT REVEALED

On the evening of our last exam, Pranshi called me. We talked for about ten minutes, leaving me feeling happy and relaxed.

I hadn’t fully realized that I was navigating this emotional drama during one of the most crucial phases of my academic career. With the pressure of the exams finally lifted, I was planning to take a break and visit some relatives.

Suddenly, the same friend who had told me about Pranshi’s Valentine’s Day date called. “I’m coming over to your place with Rony,” he said.

“Why? What happened?” I asked.

“You’ll get to know everything. Just wait for 15 minutes,” he replied and hung up the call.

At around 7 PM, they both arrived. I looked at Rony with clear annoyance, wondering what my friend was up to.

Rony wasted no time. – “Look, I’m not your enemy,” he began, “The same girl has betrayed us both. She’s playing us.”

“What? She’s been calling me every single day since the exams started,” I argued.

“She’s been doing the same to me,” Rony replied. He pulled his phone out of his pocket. “Look. Whose number is this?” He scrolled through his call logs right in front of me.

“Look! Whose number is this?” He said and scrolled his call log in front of me.

I was stunned. “Oh, man! What is this? This is too much.”

Furious, I immediately tried to call Pranshi, but she didn’t answer. I then called her sister. She picked up and asked what was wrong. I briefly explained everything, and she was visibly shocked to hear such things about Pranshi. She promised to resolve the matter and hung up.

DESPERATION TOOK ME FOR A RIDE

“I was in a state of total despair. When my friends found out what had happened, they insisted I join their post-exam party, hoping it would give me some much-needed respite. They had brought along some beer—the first time I had ever seen a bottle of alcohol up close. My close friends pressured me to try it, and though I was hesitant at first, someone said, “This will wash your worries away, and make you feel lighter.”

“Okay,” I finally agreed. “I’ll try it.” I had no idea what to expect, but after the first sip, I realized it tasted horrible.

“How can you guys drink this stuff?” I asked, grimacing. “It’s disgusting.”

“It’s not about the taste, bro” one of them replied, “It’s about the feeling you get after you finish the bottle. It’s called ‘Hangover!’.”

With incredible difficulty, I forced down the entire bottle, desperate for anything that would ease my dilemma. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but my mood shifted. I became quiet and started observing everything around me with a strange detachment.

We ate the food my friends had brought, and the night was filled with jokes, leg-pulling, and loud music—the perfect setup for a post-exam celebration. It was a good time, yet Rony’s words continued to haunt me.

Then, amidst the noise, my phone lit up. It was Pranshi.

APOLOGIES SEEMED TRUE TO ME

“She was incredibly apologetic. She said she was sorry for betraying my trust and for continuing to talk to Rony behind my back.

Because I was drunk, I struggled to find my words, so when she begged to meet and sort everything out, I simply told her to meet me the next morning.

After I hung up, my friends grilled me about the conversation. I told them everything.

One of them sighed and said, “Girls are extremely difficult to understand. They say one thing and do another. My girlfriend was the same way, so I ended it.”

Since they were all drunk, the advice started flying from every direction. “Leave her,” one argued. “She’ll just cheat on you again.” Another countered, “No, don’t listen to him. You love her too much to let go.” I stayed silent, just absorbing their conflicting opinions.

I had been waiting for that ‘Hangover’ the others talked about, but it was short-lived. Eventually, the party wound down and we all fell asleep. I made sure to set my alarm so I wouldn’t miss our meeting.

The next morning, I woke up early—even before the alarm could go off. When I arrived at our meeting spot, she was already there, standing alone. I looked into her eyes and saw a deep gloominess I hadn’t seen before.

“Do you still want to be in this relationship?” I asked her directly.

Stay tuned to know what she said…