"I… I give up," Ayush whispered.
Arnav's face dropped instantly.
A sharp "Tsk." escaped his mouth — pure disappointment.
Aman stopped mid-step.
"You… you gave up?" he asked, staring at Ayush.
"He gave up," Aman repeated to Arnav — almost begging for approval.
Arnav's jaw tightened in anger.
Aman swallowed.
"C-can… can I go now?" Aman asked, voice shaking.
Ayush lifted his head, eyes red.
"Take Jayesh with you," he said.
Aman looked at him — shocked, guilty — then nodded.
"S-sure."
He rushed to Jayesh, pulled him up and helped him walk. They started walking away.
Someone behind Arnav muttered, "Bro you're letting them go…?"
Arnav didn't look back — rage burning in his eyes.
"YES. Rule is rule."
He spit out each word with forced calm.
Aman, hearing that, finally breathed — a tiny smile of relief breaking on his tired, terrified face.
He exited with Jayesh.
The room was silent now.
Arnav turned toward Ayush — slowly.
"You could have beaten that piece of trash," Arnav said.
His voice was calm… too calm.
"And you didn't. Why?"
Ayush avoided eye contact.
"H-he was hurt… and he's stronger than me."
Arnav smiled — the kind of smile that chills blood.
"So much morals," he whispered.
Then he leaned in.
"But you're going to regret this. We're going to do things to you that you never imagined could happen in your life."
Ayush's breath froze.
Arnav's smile widened.
"Every. Single. Time. You'll think only one thing…"
He paused.
"Why did I let Aman win."
"What… what did they do?" Zoya asked, her voice curious but hesitant.
Ayush didn't answer.
He stared at the ground.
Roneet placed a hand on his shoulder.
"He looks uncomfortable… it's okay, you don't have to tell us."
Ayush shook his head.
"No. I want to tell."
His voice cracked.
"Because I want to warn you."
He looked straight at Roneet.
"Your name is Roneet, right?"
Roneet nodded quietly.
Ayush took a long breath — like something inside him was breaking all over again.
"He was talking about you too," Ayush said.
"While beating me… in the washroom."
Kabir's fists tightened.
Ayush continued.
"After he was… satisfied punching me… his other two friends held me. They tore my clothes off. They laughed and said I'm going to stay naked there the entire day."
Zoya gasped.
"They took my clothes… and threw them on the washroom commode. One of them looked at me and he… peed on my clothes."
Ayush's voice was shaking, but he forced himself to continue.
"They flushed it… all of them laughing."
Silence.
Ayush wiped his eyes roughly — trying to hide the tears.
"Before leaving one guy laughed and said — 'Next target will be our favourite… Roneet.'"
Everyone froze.
"Arnav got bored so he left first," Ayush finished.
"But the other two stayed until they were done laughing."
The whole room fell dead silent.
Roneet didn't move.
Kabir Narrowed his eyes.
Ayush whispered one last line the one that hit all of them like a bullet:
"He's coming for you next."
Roneet looked down, fists shaking.
"He… he ruined my first day," Roneet said quietly.
Ayush, Zoya and Kiara froze.
Kabir looked confused.
Roneet continued, voice breaking:
"He and Nikhil are the ones who set me up on the first day. One of them pushed me on a girl in the hallway… everyone stared like I was some creep."
His breath started trembling.
"Then in the conference hall washroom… Rohit beat me up. And both of them came later and said they'll bully me to death."
Zoya covered her mouth.
Ayush's eyes widened — he understood the pain too well.
Kiara looked furious.
"I asked them the reason," Roneet said.
"'Why? What did I do?'"
He laughed — the bitter kind.
"They said — 'Reason? What reason? We're just going to. That's it. There's no reason required.' And they laughed."
Silence.
"You didn't tell me," Kabir said quietly.
Roneet finally looked up.
"You never asked."
Those three words hit Kabir harder than any punch.
"Kiara knows more ," Kabir said softly.
Roneet jerked his head toward Kiara.
"Huh? How could she know?"
Kabir replied,
"She told me that something bad happened to you on the first day. I… I wasn't interested at that time to hear that."
All of them slowly turned toward Kiara — still asleep, her head down on the desk, hair covering half her face.
"Kiara… hey, Kiara, wake up," Zoya whispered, gently nudging her shoulder.
No response.
Zoya shook her again — nothing.
She pushed a little harder — still nothing.
Kabir raised an eyebrow.
"She's dead asleep. Just pour water on her."
Before Zoya could even react, Roneet snatched the bottle from Kabir's hand.
"Are you crazy?" Roneet snapped under his breath.
Zoya sighed and grabbed Kiara by the shoulders, trying to lift her up.
Kiara's body was loose like a ragdoll — completely exhausted.
With effort, Zoya made her sit upright.
A thin line of drool slid down the corner of Kiara's lips.
Kabir stared at her with a disgusted expression.
"…Ew."
Roneet, on the other hand, just froze.
She looked… adorable.
Her eyes fluttered — opening halfway, then closing again, fighting sleep like a stubborn little kid.
"Mmm… huh…?" she mumbled tiredly, eyelids heavy.
Then finally — her eyes opened completely.
She looked around in confusion, hair messy, voice groggy, still half in dreamland.
Roneet couldn't help it — a small smile appeared on his face.
She's… so cute.
What is she, a child? Kabir thought, looking at her.
"What's happening here?" Kiara asked, confused.
"Good morning," Kabir said with a teasing smile.
Kiara shot him an irritated look.
"Nothing, go wash your fac—" Zoya started, but before he could finish, kiara cut her off.
"Did you finish Books? Should we practice?" she asked, already looking at Roneet.
"Y-yeah… I mean, no," Roneet said quickly.
"Huh?" Kiara frowned. "I said we don't have time."
"I'll take this book home," Roneet said, looking at Kiara.
"Alright. Then we can start our practice," Kiara replied calmly.
Kabir interrupted, closing his book.
"About that… we didn't wake you up just for the practice session."
Kiara looked at him, confused.
"Then?"
"We were discussing some people," Kabir said, holding the book in his hand.
"People you might have information about."
"I know?" Kiara asked, raising an eyebrow.
"We talked in chat, remember?" Kabir continued.
"About the person who pushed Roneet."
"Y-yeah… I mean, no," Roneet said quickly.
"Huh?" Kiara frowned. "I said we don't have time."
"I'll take this book home," Roneet said, looking at Kiara.
"Alright. Then we can start our practice," Kiara replied calmly.
Kabir interrupted, closing his book.
"About that… we didn't wake you up just for the practice session."
Kiara looked at him, confused.
"Then?"
"We were discussing some people," Kabir said, holding the book in his hand.
"People you might have information about."
"I know?" Kiara asked, raising an eyebrow.
"We talked in chat, remember?" Kabir continued.
"About the person who pushed Roneet."
Kiara rubbed her head while sitting on the bench.
"I mean… I didn't actually see it happen," she said. "But I suspect it was Nikhil. The way he laughed…"
She paused, then added, "Even so, he only pushed Roneet onto a girl. Rohit — her boyfriend — reacted way too much."
Roneet looked down, jaw tight.
"Yeah… I think so too," Zoya said quietly.
Kabir narrowed his eyes, staring straight into Kiara's.
"That's exactly what Roneet said as well — that it was Nikhil and Arnav."
He leaned forward slightly. "So do you have anything else?"
Kiara met his gaze without flinching. Her voice turned cold.
"I do," she said.
"I know the reason why he acted that way."
Roneet looked at her nervously.
"What do you mean?" Kabir asked.
Kiara turned to Roneet and said flatly,
"Because you're a creep."
Zoya's eyes widened. She grabbed Kiara by the arm and whispered harshly into her ear,
"What the fuck is wrong with you? Are you psycho? I said the same thing and you still want to hang out with this creep?"
Roneet froze.
Kabir's expression hardened.
"What do you mean by that?" he asked coldly.
"How is he a creep?"
"You're being impatient, aren't you?" Kiara said, looking at Kabir.
Then she turned to Roneet.
He looked like he was about to cry — his chest tight, anxiety creeping in. Hearing that word from her hurt more than anything else.
"Roneet… 'you're a creep' — it's a rumour," Kiara said, meeting his eyes.
She softened her tone just a little. "He must have heard it. That's why he reacted that way."
Kiara stood up and walked straight toward him.
Roneet was sitting right in front of her. Before he could react, she grabbed his face firmly and lifted it.
"Look at me," she said.
Roneet froze, breath caught in his throat.
"What's with this face?" Kiara continued, eyes locked onto his.
"I know those are rumours."
She leaned in slightly, her voice cold but certain.
"You don't even have the guts to do something creepy," she said bluntly.
"You can't even look at someone properly."
She tightened her grip just a little.
"So look at me. Directly."
"R-rumours?" Roneet whispered.
"Probably Nikhil and Arnav did it," Kabir said with a tired sigh.
"You still think it's just a rumour?" Zoya asked.
"But how did Rohit even know about it? The rumour only came out after the beating. That's when we found out about it."
She frowned, thinking hard.
"Zoya… do you remember?" Kiara asked suddenly.
"The guy who whispered something in Rohit's ear right before he beat Roneet?"
"Yeah… yeah, I do," Zoya said slowly.
"He definitely whispered something to Rohit."
She glanced at Roneet again.
Still… the way he looks, he does seem like a creep, she thought, conflicted.
Roneet suddenly stiffened.
"We talked to him," he said quietly.
"Before the dance party started."
Everyone turned to him.
"Both Nikhil and Arnav were talking to him," Roneet continued.
"His name is Sahil."
That's it. We've got it, then," Kiara said.
"We just need to ask him what they said to him."
"Y-yeah…" Zoya agreed, though her voice lacked confidence.
Ayush stood there, looking between them, completely confused.
"Wait—who the hell is he?" Kiara asked.
"It's a long story," Zoya said quickly. "I'll tell you later."
Kiara glanced at Kabir.
"Hey. Go find Sahil," she said with a smirk, clearly expecting him to listen.
Kabir didn't move. Instead, he looked at her calmly.
"Can't we just check the CCTV footage from the hall?"
"What?" Kiara blinked.
"Yeah—that's it!" Zoya said immediately.
Kiara clicked her tongue, irritated.
"Tch."
Roneet listened quietly.
"If they really did push you—which I honestly doubt," Zoya added, looking at him,"then we'll make Rohit and everyone else understand that you're not a creep."
A wave of relief washed over Roneet.
Ayush looked at him and gave a small smile.
"I'm happy for you," he said.
Roneet felt something loosen in his chest.
Finally… the creep allegations will go away, he thought.
Maybe now I can actually make friends.