My hands glided over the unlock button, afraid to even look at the message sitting there cozily, so innocent and yet so deadly.

I will myself to look at the screen.

Yes, there he is. He saw my status. That means he must have checked the Instagram direct and must have seen that I left the message unseen.

Yesss!

I almost jump in my triumph. I should continue ignoring him.

Something hit my heart, hard.

A smile appears in my mind's eye. A heart stopping smile. The person opposite to me scrunches his eyes and grins at me. I blush, and hide my face in my hands before giggling.

My friends give me the death glare.

Others clear their throat unnecessarily as if they all had a bad cold at the same time.

"Go and get yourself admitted to the hospital," I narrow my eyes at them and they all burst out laughing shamelessly.

I look back to see him either staring at us, grinning or lost in his own mind again.

The getting lost in his own mind thing frightens me a lot.

I tend to over think too, but when Mr. Moody starts to overthink, well...That means trouble.

------------------

I swipe up my keyboard. My fingers feel like they have iron chains tied to them. My conscience wants me not to reply, my emotions are pushing me forward. The tug of war continues for some time and finally I send a message.

"Well your #moods and your #instincts has found the wrong person to prey on. Hope these can stay with you forever in your life."

What I meant to say was he should value friendships or he'll have his moods and his instincts only to accompany him in his life.
His reply came before I could close the app and escape.

" Was that a threat bro?"

Followed by his usual refrain.

" I'm on duty."

As usual the idiot misunderstood my excessive display of emotions as a threat.

My life is so messed up!

And then he had used the term 'bro'. I know that a boy calling a girl,'bro' is so damn cute. But when that girl is in love with you, that 'bro' is something like people get 'friendzoned', he 'brozoned' me.

I was so frustrated that I could bang my head on the table right there. Instead I balled my hands into a fist and swallowed, trying to get a grip on myself.

Finally I wrote.

"Take it as you wish."

I hit send.

On second thoughts I added.

"Many people said lots about you. I was still trying to balance the friendship because I believe in my own #instincts rather than what others say."

I knew I was overdoing the hashtag thing but it was so addicting, taunting him in every line for that hashtag.

Suddenly a sinister thought struck me. Why did he message me on Instagram in the first place? Is it that he's already trying to distance himself ? I mean WhatsApp is for more private people, right?

Beads of sweat appeared on my forehead as I typed feverishly.

"Why Instagram? Are you ashamed of our friendship?
I regretted the words as soon as I wrote them."

But before I could delete, it turned to seen and then typing...

I couldn't curse myself enough.

"People said what???"

Here comes the three question marks. It means, his eyebrows are already on his forehead like two giant question marks.

"You're thinking too much."

He continued.

"I installed my insta yesterday only..."

Oh, he means reinstalled. Busy chap!

"Ashamed???"

Oh no! Here it comes. Let the world end here. Let me drop down dead. Let this entire canteen building collapse.

Nah!

Let the college collapse, then we wouldn't have to go for classes. But then if it collapses, I wouldn't die.

Bad idea, Shreya.

Shit! Let anything collapse as long as I'm dead. Anything to escape from the situation.

"Ashamed??? If it was so, we could've avoided this whole conversation."

The coldness in his voice seemed to be seeping out from the phone, dragging its claws over my skin. Unknowingly I shivered. I had displeased him.

Why the hell am I thinking so much? It's he who has started it. It's he who should apologize? I'm the one who should show attitude.

But nah! I'm like the docile lamb. I'm the weaker one in this entire setup. I'm the one that melts first and messages him. I'm the imbecile!

A/N Your suggestions are too valuable... Please give your feedback on what you would do in each situation... Love you all and to be continued tomorrow...