Roshni's POV:

As I reached the college gates, my steps faltered when my eyes landed on Tushar. He was standing near the main building, his face lit up with a bright smile as he laughed at something.

But then my chest tightened. He wasn’t alone.

Standing beside him, flipping her hair and flashing her perfectly polished smile, was Kaira Di. She was laughing too, her hand casually resting on his arm like it belonged there.

I froze in place, my breath hitching. The sight of them together—it felt like someone had ripped the ground from under me.

"Tushar?" I whispered to myself, the word barely audible, my heart sinking deeper with every passing second.

Kaira turned slightly, her gaze sweeping over the campus until it landed on me. Her smile grew colder, sharper, and she leaned closer to Tushar as if staking her claim.

I felt my hands trembling. Why? Why was she with him? Why did he look so happy with her?

I quickly lowered my gaze and walked past them, pretending not to notice, but the ache in my chest grew heavier.

Author’s POV:

Kaira watched as Roshni hurried past, her lips curling into a victorious smirk. “Tushar,” she said sweetly, tightening her grip on his arm, “you’re so funny! I could listen to you all day.”

Tushar chuckled, oblivious to the silent war playing out in front of him.

Roshni, on the other hand, kept walking, her head down and her thoughts in turmoil. She reached the classroom, slid into her usual corner seat, and tried to focus, but the image of Tushar and Kaira together wouldn’t leave her mind.

Her chest felt heavy, her eyes stinging with unshed tears. She bit her lip, forcing herself to hold it together.

“Not now, Roshni. Not here,” she murmured to herself, trying to block out the whirlwind of emotions.

But deep down, one question refused to leave her alone.

Was this another one of Kaira’s games? Or was Tushar really not who she thought he was?

Roshni’s POV:

I was lost in my thoughts, still replaying the images of Tushar and Kaira together in my mind, when the bell rang, signaling the end of class.

Students started filing out of the room, chattering amongst themselves, but I remained seated for a moment, trying to gather myself. I got up, but as I was about to make my way out, I heard a voice.

“Roshni.”

I froze. The voice was familiar—my Biology Professor.

I turned around slowly, meeting his gaze.

"Yes, sir?" I asked, my voice barely audible, almost lost in the noise of the students rushing past me.

He was standing too close now. My breath hitched as I felt his presence loom over me.

The professor took a deep, deliberate breath, his eyes scanning me in a way that made my skin crawl. Then, in a low, commanding voice, he said,

“Come to my cabin.”

I could hear the underlying tone in his words, the way his gaze lingered unnervingly. I felt the blood drain from my face, my heart pounding in my chest. A chill ran down my spine.

For a second, I just stood there, paralyzed, unsure of what to do.

He was still standing far too close, his body blocking my way. The way he looked at me, the way he took that deep breath as if savoring my scent—it made my skin crawl with unease.

“I... I’m busy, sir. I have something to do,” I stammered, trying to force my legs to move. But he didn’t move.

His eyes darkened for a brief moment, but then he smiled—a cold, predatory smile that made my stomach churn.

“No excuses. Come to my cabin. Now.”

Author’s POV:

Roshni’s feet moved of their own accord, carrying her toward the professor’s cabin. She felt trapped, the heavy weight of his presence pressing down on her every step of the way.

The hallway seemed longer than usual, the distance to his office stretching out unnaturally.

Her mind raced. What does he want from me?

Roshni’s POV:

The door to the cabin creaked open, and I stepped inside, my heart pounding in my chest. The professor walked ahead of me, motioning for me to sit. Hesitating, I sat at the desk, trying to keep my composure as I felt the tension in the room grow.

He sat across from me, his eyes never leaving me. There was something in his gaze that made me shiver, a mixture of control and something darker that made my skin crawl. He leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the desk.

"See, Roshni," he began, his voice smooth but carrying an underlying menace,

"your marks have been going down recently. I’ve been noticing your performance slip, and frankly, it’s a concern."

I nodded stiffly, my voice caught in my throat. I had to speak, I knew I had to respond, but the words felt like they wouldn’t come. I felt trapped. I wasn’t sure if he was concerned about my grades or if this was just an excuse for something else.

"Sir, I’ll try to do better. I’ve been... distracted, but I’ll work harder," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper.

He leaned back in his chair, the way he was looking at me, with his eyes narrowed, was unsettling.

"I’m sure you will. But, you know, Roshni," he continued, his tone dropping lower, "sometimes, we have to do more than just study to get ahead in life."

The words hit me like a cold slap. My stomach twisted in panic, and I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck standing up. I looked down at my hands, trying to focus on anything other than him.

"You’re a smart girl," he said, his voice smooth, "but maybe... maybe you need someone to guide you more personally."

I felt a chill sweep through me as his words sank in. His meaning was clear, and the fear gnawed at my insides. I swallowed hard, my heart racing.

I stood up quickly, my chair scraping against the floor. "I have to go, sir. I need to study," I said, my voice trembling with fear as I took a step back.

He stood up as well, blocking the exit. "I’m afraid you’ll have to stay a little longer," he said, his voice thick with intent.

"You see, Roshni, sometimes the best lessons are learned outside of the classroom."

I froze, my breath catching in my throat, panic flooding my veins. My legs felt like they were giving way under me, but I couldn’t move. The room felt suffocating, and I couldn’t find a way out.

Panic surged through me, but my body remained immobile as if my legs couldn’t move, and my voice was trapped in my throat.

His voice was low, almost sinister, as he whispered, “You’re not going anywhere, Roshni.”

I felt his fingers tighten around my arm, and that was when a surge of adrenaline finally pushed me into motion. I wrenched my arm free, stumbling backward. His eyes darkened with fury, but I didn’t look back. I ran.

I ran out of that cabin, the air feeling thick and suffocating, the echoes of my footsteps reverberating in the hallway. I barely registered the other students around me as I pushed through the doors, my mind only focused on escaping, on getting away.

I didn’t stop until I was outside, breathing in the fresh air like it was the first breath I had taken in a lifetime. My heart was still pounding in my chest, and my whole body was shaking from the terror, but I couldn’t stop now. I couldn’t let him catch me again.

As I walked hurriedly away from the building, trying to compose myself, I saw Kaira standing with a group of her friends near the courtyard. Her eyes flickered to me, and a wicked smile spread across her face when she saw the state I was in.

“Kya hua, Roshni?” Kaira’s voice was sweet, but there was an undertone of malice that I knew all too well. “Cabin maine kuch hua kya”

I didn’t answer, but I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks, the embarrassment crashing in on me. Before I could turn and walk away, Kaira stepped closer, her voice dropping to a whisper that only her friends could hear.

“I bet Tumhe in cheezon ki adadt hogi,kyu sahi kaha na ? aur shayd isliye hi professor tumhe dekh ke khud ko rok nhi paye hai na?

Her words stung, but they were nothing compared to the humiliation I felt at that moment. Kaira’s friends, who had been silent until then, began to laugh, their voices loud and cruel.

And just like that, the rumors started.

Kaira’s smirk widened as she turned to her friends. I could feel the heat of their judgment, their eyes following me as I walked away as if their words were physically hitting me.

I wanted to collapse. I wanted to scream at them, to tell them they didn’t know anything, but all I could do was walk away, my heart heavy with shame.

It didn’t matter that none of them knew what happened. The rumors would spread like wildfire, and soon, everyone would believe it.

They would all think I was just like Kaira said—someone who would do anything to get what she wanted.

As I walked through the campus, my world felt like it was collapsing around me. The weight of their words crushed me, and for a moment, I wondered if I could ever escape the lies that had been spun about me.

At this point, I wanted to die. No one understood me, no one cared. It felt like the weight of the world was crushing me, and I couldn’t escape it. The shame, the humiliation—it was too much to bear.

The harsh reality of my life—the loneliness, the cruelty, the constant judgment—was suffocating. I felt invisible as if I didn’t matter to anyone.

Tears threatened to spill, but I refused to let them fall. No one deserved to see how broken I truly was. I took a deep breath, wiped my eyes, and forced myself to stand tall, even though inside, I was crumbling.