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The scorching afternoon sun filtered through the dusty windows of Lecture Hall, casting golden streaks across the desks. Isha slumped forward in her seat, her forehead resting against the cool wood of the desk, as the professor's voice droned on in the background. Beside her, ayushi was scribbling half-hearted notes, occasionally glancing at the clock like it might magically fast-forward to the end of the lecture.
"I swear, if I hear the word 'macroeconomics' one more time, I might actually cry," Isha muttered under her breath, just loud enough for ayushi to hear.
Ayushi let out a soft laugh, sliding her notebook closer to Isha so they could pretend to be paying attention together. "My brain officially shut down twenty minutes ago. I'm just here for moral support."
Isha sat up slowly, rubbing her temples. Her dark curls were tied in a messy bun, and her eyes were heavy with sleep. " Lectures back-to-back should be illegal. Who even made this timetable?"
"The devil, probably," ayushi replied with a smirk.
Outside, students could be seen lounging under the trees, sipping iced coffees and soaking up the sun. Inside, it felt like a trap-an endless loop of lectures, notes, and stifled yawns.
After sometime finally, the class ended. The moment the professor stepped out, Isha and ayushi practically jumped from their seats, gathered their things, and walked out, their tired feet dragging slightly as they laughed and chatted in the corridor.
Suddenly ayushi slowed her pace, nudging Isha's arm and subtly nodding toward the left courtyard "wo dekh tharkulla "
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I turned my head slowly in the direction Ayushi pointed-and yep, there he was.
Sunny
Talking to a girl I'd never seen before, leaning in way too close like they were in some slow-motion Bollywood romance scene. His hand was casually resting on her waist, and for a second, I genuinely thought they were about to kiss... in broad daylight... in college.
I blinked. Twice.
Ayushi snorted beside me
I gave them both a long, judgmental stare like I was a strict teacher who just caught two kids cheating in an exam. Sunny didn't even notice-he was too busy whispering sweet nothings
I mean, genuinely-how could someone be this low?
If there were an Olympic sport for being shameless, Sunny would've brought home the gold, silver, and bronze. He was a one-man parade of red flags,
Just as I was about to look away, Sunny turned.
Our eyes met.
For a second, I hoped he'd just give one of his stupid smirks and go back to being a walking disaster.
But no.
Of course not.
Because Sunny, in true Tharki-tornado style, whispered something to the girl-who giggled and walked off-and then started walking toward us.
His eyes-filled with the kind of drama usually reserved for low-budget serial villains-locked onto me.
Then came the line.
The one that made my soul do a cartwheel of disgust.
"You look beautiful," he said, voice low and sleazy,
I didn't say a word.
Didn't give him the satisfaction of a reaction.
Just grabbed Ayushi's arm and turned to walk away, letting silence speak louder than any insult could.
We'd barely taken three steps when his voice followed us-loud, dramatic, and designed to stop us like a bad cliffhanger.
" Run all you want isha but, one day I'll get you....and then baby it won't be your heart, it'll be after "
I clenched my jaw tightly and before Ayushi could explode-because she was about to-
I gently tightened my grip on her wrist and gave a small shake of my head.
She looked at me, eyes burning with rage, ready to throw verbal grenades his way... but I stopped her with just a glance.
Not now.
Not here.
He wasn't worth our energy-yet.
Ayushi clenched her jaw but stayed quiet, trusting my signal. But her entire posture screamed, "Say the word, and I'll end him."
Sunny, of course, took our silence as encouragement-because that's what delusional creeps do.
But I didn't look back again.
I didn't want to give him even a second more of my attention.
He took steps towards us and stood in front of us " why are you acting so innocent? Your body is screaming louder than your mouth ever could "
My fists clenched tightly
He leaned close to me and whispered in my ear "Keep running but when i catch you i won't need your permission sweetheart"
He took a small step back, just enough to make it seem like he was giving space-
But the smirk on his face said otherwise.
It wasn't a smile.
It was the kind of smirk that made your skin crawl-the kind that belonged to villains in dim-lit alleys and nightmares you couldn't quite shake off.
His eyes ran over me, slow and unashamed, and then he leaned slightly forward, voice just low enough for only me and Ayushi to hear.
" The more you resist , the more it gets rougher, but don't worry....i like it that way " He said and slowly his hand moved towards my waist.
That's it.
My patience snapped.
Everything I had been holding back-every glare, every cheap line, every disgusting smirk-boiled over in that single moment.
Without thinking, I stepped forward and slapped him. Hard.
Once.
Twice.
The sound echoed through the corridor like a gunshot, silencing everything around us. Even Ayushi froze, eyes wide.
Sunny stumbled back, one hand on his cheek, staring at me like I'd just committed a crime against his fragile ego.
"Don't you ever talk to me like that again!" I shouted, my voice louder than I had ever heard it before.
"I'm not scared of you. I'm disgusted by you!"
He opened his mouth, maybe to laugh it off like he always did-but I didn't let him.
"You think you're irresistible? You're pathetic. And if you ever come near me again, I swear, I'll make sure you regret it."
Silence.
People had started to gather, whispering, watching-but I didn't care. For once, I wasn't the one walking away.
I didn't think. I didn't hesitate. I just moved.
My hand shot out, and before he could even blink, I grabbed him by the collar-fist tight, knuckles white with fury.
He looked startled for a second, but I didn't give him the luxury of reacting. I turned sharply on my heel and began walking, dragging him along with me like he was nothing more than a rag doll in my grip.
The corridor echoed with gasps and murmurs, students parting on both sides like waves crashing away from a storm. I didn't look at anyone. I didn't need to. My eyes were locked straight ahead, my focus razor-sharp as I pulled him toward the college ground-our feet thudding against the floor, one heavy step after another.
He stumbled, tried to catch up, tried to say something-
"What did you think, Sunny?"
"That just because you throw cheesy lines at every girl that walks by, I'd be one of them? That I'd giggle, blush, and run into your arms like one of your little conquests?"
I took a step closer, my voice rising with every word, the crowd around us growing silent.
"Let me make something very, very clear. I'm not like those girls you sweet-talk and then throw away like yesterday's trash. I'm not here to entertain your ego, or fall for your fake charm. And I will never- never -let someone like you touch me again."
He tried to laugh it off, but I didn't stop.
"You think you're some kind of player, right? Some college casanova who can jump from one girl to another, breaking hearts like it's a sport?"
"But what you really are,... is a coward. A manipulative, disgusting coward who uses fake love as a mask to hide how empty you really are."
I could see some girls in the crowd looking at each other, quietly nodding.
"You've lied to girls. Played with their feelings. Promised forever and disappeared the next day like nothing happened. You've broken trust, dignity, and confidence."
"And with me?" My voice trembled, but I held my ground. " You crossed a line so dark, even your cheap jokes can't cover it."
I looked him straight in the eye, voice calm but cold as ice.
I turned back to Sunny, still on the ground, still speechless-his ego shattered, his fake charm crumbling right in front of dozens of eyes.
Phones were out. Cameras were rolling.In that moment, it wasn't just a confrontation-it was a storm, and everyone was watching it unfold.
I could see it in their eyes.
Disgust.
Shock.
And more than anything-anger. Not at me, but at him.
Some people were whispering in disbelief, others openly glaring at Sunny like he was some kind of walking virus. A few even started recording from different angles, capturing every second of his fall from fake grace.
I didn't stop them.
Because for once, the truth deserved to go viral.
Sunny was trying hard not to meet anyone's eyes now, shifting uncomfortably under the weight of dozens of stares that burned hotter than any slap ever could.
Even his so-called 'friends' had stepped back. No one came to defend him. No one dared.
I wasn't done yet. Not even close.
I stepped forward again-heart pounding, hands trembling not with fear, but with fury-and grabbed his collar once more. Harder.
Gasps erupted from the crowd.
A few students flinched. Some pulled out their phones again, stunned that it wasn't over.
And I dragged him. Again.
This time, straight toward the principal's office. Not even the professor stopped me.He stumbled behind me, trying to regain balance, panic flooding his face.
"N-No! Isha, please!" he stammered.
**"I swear, I won't do anything like this again! Just let me go-I was stupid, I was joking! It didn't mean anything!"
But that's what made it worse, didn't it?
"Exactly," I said coldly, dragging him through the corridor.
"It didn't mean anything to you. Neither the girl, nor her dignity, nor her consent. Nothing ever does."
He whimpered something under his breath, but I didn't care anymore. The guilt, the panic, the shame-it was all his to carry now.
The students made way. The teachers didn't speak. The only sound was his pleading and my footsteps echoing like a verdict.
And as we reached the principal's door, I turned to him one last time, eyes burning.
"You're not sorry for what you did," I said.
"You're sorry you got caught."
And then-I knocked.
Loud.
So loud the whole hallway heard it.
"Come in," the principal's voice rang from inside, calm and unaware of the storm about to enter.
Without waiting another second, I yanked the door open and dragged Sunny inside-forcefully, unapologetically. He tripped slightly over the threshold, stumbling into the room like a criminal being hauled in.
Principal Mehra looked up from his desk, his eyes widening the moment he saw us.
His calm demeanor faltered as he took in the scene-my rigid posture, Sunny's flushed face, his loosened collar, and the chorus of whispers still leaking in from outside.
"Miss Isha? What on earth-"
I didn't even let him finish.
I stood tall, heart pounding, chest heaving with everything I had held back for too long.
"Sir, I want to report a student. Right here, right now."
"For harassment.
Sunny started shaking his head violently, "S-Sir, please! It's not what it looks like! She's lying! I mean- I was joking!"
I turned to him sharply, voice cutting like glass.
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
Silence.
Even the principal seemed frozen for a beat, trying to process the weight of
my words.
"Sir, this isn't the first time he's behaved like this-not with me, but with other girls either. But it needs to be the last."
There was a shift in the air.
The kind of shift that happens when truth finally punches through silence.
Principal Mehra sat back in his chair, eyes narrowing as he looked at Sunny with a new expression-not confusion, but scrutiny.
"Sit down, both of you," he said firmly.
"And you, Sunny-you better start praying there isn't evidence backing up what she just said."
Sunny collapsed into the chair like all the strength had drained from him.
But I didn't sit. I refused to.
Not because I was being rebellious, but because I didn't want to be on the same level as him-not after everything.
I stood tall. Unshaken. Unapologetic.
Principal Mehra looked between the two of us before turning to Sunny with a grave expression.
"You may speak. Say what you want to say."
Sunny swallowed hard. His voice trembled, but the desperation in it was clear.
"Sir, I-It was just a joke. I didn't mean to scare her. I swear- it was all in fun. Everyone knows I'm like that. I flirt. That doesn't make me a criminal!"
I scoffed, arms folded, jaw clenched.
The audacity.
"You flirt?" I echoed, cutting in before the principal could speak.
"Is that what you call cornering girls, touching them without consent, and making disgusting comments about their bodies?"
Sunny flinched like he'd been slapped again.
"You made it a pattern, Sunny. A game. You humiliate people and then hide behind the word 'joke'. But it's not a joke if only one person is laughing."
He turned to the principal again, his voice growing more desperate.
"Sir, please. She's overreacting. I-It was a misunderstanding-nothing happened, I swear!"
But now, even Principal Mehra's patience was thinning.He leaned forward, hands folded on the desk.
Just then, the office door creaked open with a sudden force.
Everyone turned.
A group of girls walked in-eyes fierce, shoulders stiff, and hearts full of stories never told.
And right behind them... Ayushi.
Her jaw was tight, her eyes burning, like she'd waited for this moment all along.
Some of the girls looked like they were trembling. A few had tears in their eyes, their lips pressed shut, afraid the pain would spill out if they said a word.
Others-fists clenched, faces hard-carried pure, blazing rage.
"Sir," one of the girls stepped forward. Her voice was shaky, but her words were steel.
"We are the proof."
Sunny's head jerked up. Panic returned to his face.
One by one, the girls began to speak.
Softly at first, but as they spoke, their voices grew steadier. Stronger. Louder.
The room fell into a heavy silence.
Even Principal Mehra looked shaken. He stood up slowly, eyes scanning every single girl in the room.
And then he turned to Sunny, voice cold, final.
"Do you still want to say it was a joke?"
Sunny looked cornered. Drowned. His mouth opened but no words came out.
For the first time-he had nothing to say.
One by one, the girls stepped forward.
Their voices low at first, hesitant-like reopening wounds they'd buried deep.
But they didn't stop.
Each word was a blow. Each memory a scar made visible.
And Sunny?
He stood there. Frozen. Terrified. Like a boy whose lies were finally outnumbered by truth.
His eyes darted around the room-searching for an escape, for denial, for mercy.
But there was none.
"He touched me without asking."
"He tried to follow me home."
"He blackmailed me with screenshots."
"He told me I'd ruin his life if I told anyone."
Every sentence made the air heavier. Every girl who spoke looked freer-like they were finally breathing after being underwater too long.
Ayushi placed a hand gently on one girl's shoulder, nodding at her to keep going. She was their anchor. Their voice when theirs shook.
Principal Mehra was scribbling notes furiously now, his expression darker than ever before.
And Sunny... stood in the middle of it all like a guilty statue.
No more excuses.
No more smirks.
Just fear. Just silence. Just shame.
After listening to every trembling voice, every truth soaked in pain, Principal Mehra stood up.
His chair screeched slightly as it pushed back.
The room fell completely silent.
You could hear hearts beating. You could hear fear.
He slowly walked around his desk... step by step... until he stood right in front of Sunny.
Sunny looked up, face pale, lips trembling-still hoping for a miracle, still thinking maybe someone would save him.
But no one moved.
And then-
SMACK.
A thunderous slap echoed through the office.
So loud it felt like time paused.
Sunny stumbled back a step, clutching his cheek in shock. His mouth hung open, but not a single sound came out.
Principal Mehra's hand dropped back to his side as he glared at him with pure fury.
"You disgusting excuse for a student," he growled.
"You don't deserve to step foot on this campus again."
He turned to the girls-his voice now calm, but firm.
"You all did something incredibly brave today. And I promise you-none of this will go unheard. I'll make sure this reaches the board. He will be suspended. Investigated. And removed."
After the slap, the room stayed tense for a moment, like the air hadn't caught up to the truth yet.But something had shifted-a quiet sense of justice.
Principal Mehra slowly walked toward me.His expression, once filled with anger, was now calm. Kind.
He looked at me not just as a student, but as someone who had done something extraordinary.
And then...
He gently placed his hand on my head.
A simple gesture-but it carried the weight of respect, pride, and silent acknowledgment.
"You did something incredibly brave today, Isha," he said, his voice soft but steady.
"You spoke up when others couldn't. You gave voice to those who were silenced. This college is proud of you."
My heart clenched.
For a moment, I didn't know how to respond.
Everything that had happened.
I nodded slowly.
Principal Mehra turned sharply toward Sunny-his expression cold and firm now.
"You're not going anywhere," he said sternly.
"Stay right here. I'm calling your parents. You'll be suspended... permanently."
Sunny's mouth parted as if to protest, but no words came out.
He just stood there, trembling-his
world finally crashing around him.
The rest of us didn't wait.
We didn't need to.
One by one, we stepped out of the room-quietly, calmly.
Ayushi was beside me, her hand lightly brushing mine in silent support.
The girls walked together-no longer victims.
The moment we stepped out of the principal's office,
something unexpected happened.
Suddenly-I was pulled into a tight hug.
Then another pair of arms wrapped around me.
And another.
And another.
Before I knew it, all the girls were hugging me-surrounding me like a wave of warmth, strength, and gratitude.
Their voices shook as they whispered things like:
"Thank you."
"You saved us."
"Because of you, I'm not afraid anymore."
I felt their arms wrap tighter as emotions overflowed-girls who had once been strangers now connected by pain, now healed by courage.
I closed my eyes, holding them all just as fiercely.
As I stood in the middle of the hug, surrounded by all those trembling yet brave souls, I saw her.
AYUSHI.
She stood a little distance away, watching quietly-a soft, proud smile on her face.
But her eyes... her eyes were glistening with unshed tears.
We finally broke the hug.
One by one, the girls stepped back, wiping their eyes, trying to smile through the storm of emotions.
And then-they looked at me.
Truly looked.
"Thank you," one whispered.
"You don't know what you've done for
us," another said, her voice cracking.
"You're not just brave... you're our hero today."
I gave them a small smile, my voice soft.
"You don't have to thank me. We did this... together."
After the girls slowly walked away-still sniffling, but smiling-I stood frozen for a moment.
And then suddenly...
I ran.
Straight toward Ayushi.
She opened her arms before I even reached her-like she already knew
And the moment I crashed into her, I broke.
Completely
I clutched her shirt tightly as my body shook with sobs, all the pain, fear, and pressure pouring out like a dam had finally burst.
From the outside, I'd looked strong. Unbreakable.
But only Ayushi knew the truth.
Only she knew how scared I had been.
How my hands had trembled in the principal's office.
How my heart had raced when I stood in front of everyone.
She didn't say a word.
She just held me.
Tighter than ever.
One hand gently rubbed my back while the other cradled my head like I was something fragile-something worth protecting.
"I'm here," she whispered softly into my hair."I've always been here."
I clung to Ayushi like my life depended on it, my tears soaking into her shoulder, breath uneven.
She held me just as tightly, her arms warm and unshaking-like an anchor keeping me from falling apart completely.
And then, in the smallest, most broken voice I'd ever heard come out of myself, I whispered-
"I... I was so scared."
My voice cracked.
There was a pause. Just her heartbeat beneath my ear.
And then I added, even softer-
"But... I did it."
Ayushi pulled back just enough to look at me-her eyes shining, lips trembling with emotion.
"Yes, you did," she whispered back, her voice thick.
"You did it, Isha. You were scared... and still, you stood up. That's the bravest thing anyone can ever do."
I let out a shaky breath.
After that, we just stood there.
In silence.
Just me, trembling and broken, and Ayushi-quietly holding me together, piece by piece.
She kept rubbing my back softly, letting me cry until there were no more tears left to fall
Until my breathing calmed.
Until my heartbeat stopped racing.
And then, without needing to say it aloud, we knew.
It was time to go.
Still holding my hand, Ayushi gave me a small nod. I nodded back.
We turned... and walked away.
By the time, I reached home, the sun had already begun to set.
The sky outside was painted in soft shades of orange and gold-like it, too, had finally calmed down after the storm.
I was calm now.
Drained... but calm.
I quietly stepped out of the car, Ayushi giving my hand a final squeeze before heading to her place.
I nodded in thanks, offering a tired smile, then turned and walked toward the front door.
The house was quiet.
I pushed the door open slowly, stepping inside-expecting silence, maybe my mom in the kitchen, maybe no one at all.
But instead... I found him.
Dadu.
Sitting on the couch in the living room, back straight, hands folded neatly in his lap.
Waiting.
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