Comeback

The sun's rays kissed my cheek, and I rotated to the other side, forcing myself to merge into my pillow. I blinked my eyes, and the dark circles under them told the story of how much I longed for sleep.

Dragging my depressed self to class, I suddenly remembered that we had to call our parents if we didn't show up. Of course, I forgot. Thankfully, my friend Neha was there to save the day. We concocted a plan to avoid getting into trouble, but as fate would have it, we got caught talking by the formidable AKR.

Anand Kumar Roy (AKR) was one of the teachers whose personality dominated the whole department. His boldness, strictness, and intelligence made him an outcast among the other teachers.

Punishment was inevitable, but in a twist of events, AKR chose to reprimand Neha alone. I couldn't help but find the situation hilarious, especially since I knew of her secret crush on him. Poor Neha, her tears flowed as she pined for the very teacher who punished her. Little did she know, her crush added a layer of comedy to my otherwise dreary day. As we left the classroom, I tried to cheer Neha up, but the more I tried, the more she cried. She remained silent for the whole day. The boy behind us, Ved, was stoking the fire.

"What were you doing that he only punished you? Why did he only take you out?" Ved teased her.

I struggled to control my laughter, signaling Ved to keep quiet. My encounters with friends and having someone to talk to made my life less stressful. Neha was one of my friends who knew about my current situation and always supported me.

My best friends, Priya and Amrita—whom I call my Luna (Moon) and Taeyang (Sun)—helped me overcome my confusion. I started opening up to my friends and began living my life as if I had forgiven and forgotten everything. For me, that was the best way forward.

I started my new journey by making myself busier. During my free time, I roamed with my friends. One day, as I was returning to the hostel, I met one of my colleagues from another department, Nithya. She was an innocent girl with a cute face, someone I had once sat next to during exams and taught how to cheat. I wasn't a genius at cheating, but an engineering degree gives you life lessons that no other degree can.

"You said you play volleyball in the hostel, right?" she asked.

"I... I think I do..." Before I could say anything, she grabbed my hand and took me to a senior, Jayesh Bhaiya, who was sitting on a stair, and Somya Di, whom I had met earlier and remembered her saying, "Nowadays these juniors are not respecting their seniors, we should show them their place." This was the reason I never liked to meddle with seniors.

"Do you play volleyball?" Jayesh Bhaiya asked me.

"Yes, I have only played for the first time in my hostel," I replied, trying to sound confident as if I was cracking an interview.

"Come from tomorrow in the evening."

I thought if I said anything else, it would be like disrupting their words, so I just said, "Okay!" and shot a glare at Nithya.

Despite the awkwardness, joining the volleyball group gave me a new distraction and a new purpose. I started enjoying the evening practices, the camaraderie, and the physical exertion that kept my mind off the heartache. It was liberating to feel my muscles ache for a reason other than emotional pain.

Days turned into weeks, and I found solace in the routine. My friends became my support system, and volleyball became my escape. The laughter, the banter, and the shared experiences with my teammates started to heal the wounds that Sameer had left. Each spike and serve became a testament to my resilience, a silent declaration that I was moving forward.

Living a meaningless life no longer haunted me as it once did. The hostel room, which had been a prison of my despair, started to feel like a home again. I decorated it with photos of my friends, volleyball achievements, and little reminders of the good times. The dark clouds of loneliness and sadness began to lift, replaced by the warmth of friendship and the strength of newfound confidence.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***