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Make sure you know your process of healing. And you love it.” [Jacqueline]

……..

‘Gosh! What’s wrong with me? Did I just hug him?’ The chattering of people made me realize we were having an audience who were now gawking at us or just me. My cheeks turned redder and I glanced up awkwardly to gauge his reaction. He didn’t seem angry at all, instead, he just gave me his signature smile. A smile that creeped me out. Because hugging a boy was wrong to do so. I backed up. At that instant, I looked him up and down. Noticing his white shirt was now colored in red. Even his grey pants had few red stains on them. The most glaring stain was that my palms had his black snake-like eyes narrowed at me. It seemed that he wasn’t happy because I left him.

‘f*** what I am thinking? Why would he be sad? I have just ruined his clothes. I must be imagining it.’

His glare made me shudder in fear. I knew I couldn’t control the situation. Pushing a few people away, I ran out of the door. Paint dripping from my outfit.

I didn’t know why, but I felt funny and at the same time, I was full of weird excitement. The kind I never knew I was capable of feeling. The people looked at me weirdly leaving enough space for me as they do in Korean movies when a bad boy and their gang walk into the school like they are walking on the red carpet but I paid them no attention and just focussed running past them. I felt exhilarated as the wind played with my hair. Laughter bloomed inside me and I laughed hard. It felt so good to feel whatever I was feeling. For me, it felt as if I was a naughty kid who was running after she made a mess. The moment I reached the door of the washroom and kicked it open. Even though I was drenched in paint and was smelling so bad, I didn’t feel a shred of sadness.

‘Why am I so happy?’ I looked in the broken mirror. My lips were stretched upwards and however, I tried to turn it into a scowl. They have stretched into a smile again.

“Gosh! What did he do to me?” I looked at the red paint streaks on my face. I looked like a ghost but my heart was feeling the warmth. I blinked trying to stop the smile that was threatening to widen. My forehead was met with red. My skin which was a little shade lighter than most Asians had traces or streaks of red paint. As if I might have cried red tears. It was ironic that I was feeling the exact opposite of what I looked like. My white kurta was now dyed inside the grey jacket. My Salwar was the cloth that had been the least stained. I washed my mouth with soap still feeling ecstatic. If he wanted to bully me like this, it wouldn’t be bullying. The soap glided across the hollow of my neck as I peeled the color off me. the ringing of my phone made me snap my attention towards it and I clicked on the accept b***on to answer the call.

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eardrums and I found myself dumbfounded at the

I pa**ively closed the tap, but at the moment realized who could

a wild guess!” His voice seemed to be

I don’t think I know you. So I can’t guess.” I glanced at my face, it was still unclean but better than before. The streaks

Like a lot.” The man’s voice turned softer at the end

knew the consequences if I pretty much told him off, and he turned out to be my cla**mate who wanted to embarra** me and later that they could

red riding hood.” His words made me shudder, but also made me realize he must have been from our school to know that

in red. You looked like a painting. So beautiful.” As his words ended, he laughed. His laugh seemed to be full of evilness. “But you shouldn’t have hugged Rohan, even if you

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“You. Who are you?”

if you want yourself to be fine.

bluffing. You can’t like me, I am the ugliest

like you like

are trying to bully me like this now, please have some shame and keep the bullying

shouldn’t have said so many words to him. I should have just cut the call. But