The few who had stopped in their tracks, startled by and witnessed the couple's quarrel took a while to disperse, but even as they left, he felt scrutinised. Like he always did, especially during personally embarrassing moments like these, as if public scrutiny was his birth-right. He heard someone -- or was it more than someone? -- say under his breath, "Huh! The minister's son got dumped." Yes, that derision was unmistakably familiar.
For such a brusque end to months of speculation and hope, he was shocked to have felt nothing at all. No reverberating after-tremors, no hard feelings -- save for being all bothered about being watched. Perhaps it was the realisation of the price he had paid to arrive at this conclusion -- the responsibilites shrugged off; neglected assignments; impending exams; missed family commitments... matters he had so conveniently forsaken to devote his time and energy into such expensive an episode. Opportunity cost, he recalled hearing someone say before. At some lecture? He forgot which.
