Author pov..

On the other hand, a maths test was going on in the school classroom.

Deepak wanted to take revenge on Deeksha.

Quietly, without anyone noticing, he slipped the small chits he had prepared and placed them near Deeksha's bench.

Deeksha didn't see them at all she was completely absorbed in writing her test, her mind focused only on the questions in front of her.

Nearby, Rahul sat frozen, staring at his paper.Nothing made sense to him.

In contrast, Deepak was solving the sums quickly, his pen moving confidently.

He had come prepared. After all, anyone who took tuition from Vaibhav would be scared enough to study seriously.

The teacher walked in, moving around the class, stopping at each bench for a quick glance.

Suddenly, her eyes fell on Deeksha's desk.

There several chits were lying in plain sight.

She picked them up sharply and said in an angry voice,"What is this, Deeksha?"

Deeksha looked down, shocked, her breath catching as she saw the chits for the first time.

"Ma'am, I don't know what this is," she said, her voice trembling.

"Oh really?" the teacher replied coldly. "Then let me see for myself."

The entire class turned silent. Every eye followed the teacher.

She opened the chits one by one maths formulas were written all over them.

"So you came prepared with all this?" the teacher said harshly. "I didn't expect this from you, Deeksha. You cheated."

"No, ma'am," Deeksha cried out. "I didn't cheat. Please believe me."

"Go outside," the teacher ordered firmly. "You won't give this test."

Tears welled up in Deeksha's eyes and spilled over as she stood up.

Rahul felt pain watching her like that helpless, humiliated.

But Deepak felt satisfied. Seeing her suffer gave him a cruel sense of pleasure.

Deeksha tried again and again to explain, her voice breaking, but the teacher refused to listen.

Finally, she walked out of the classroom and stood outside, crying silently.

The teacher turned back to the class and snapped,"What is this, a movie going on here? Focus on your test."

Slowly, everyone bent their heads again, pens moving across pages.

The test had just ended.

The teacher collected everyone's answer sheets and, before leaving the classroom, stopped in front of Deeksha.

Her voice was cold and disappointing.

"I'm calling your guardian. I didn't expect this from you, Deeksha."

Without waiting for a reply, the teacher walked away.

Deeksha stood there, frozen. Her throat tightened, and tears rolled down her cheeks.

The classroom buzzed with whispers cruel, careless words thrown around about her as if she wasn't even there.

Rahul noticed.

Something about it felt wrong to him.

He couldn't stand it.

He moved toward her, but before he could reach her, Deeksha suddenly turned and ran straight toward the girls' washroom.

Rahul followed and stopped outside the washroom door, helpless, unsure of what to do.

A moment later, Deepak came up behind him.

"What happened?" Deepak asked.

Rahul swallowed. "Deeksha was crying a lot. She ran inside."

Deepak shrugged indifferently. "So what? Let her cry. Why do we care? Come on, let's go."

Just then, two girls from their class walked past, talking loudly, not bothering to lower their voices.

"Did you see that Deeksha Thakur?" one of them sneered. "She used to act as an important monitor, attitude, acting all superior because she came from London."

The other girl leaned in, curious. "How do you know so much about her?"

The first girl smirked. "My mom told me. Her parents are divorced. Her father remarried, and her mother had nowhere to go, so she came back here. She had run away and married some London guy. The Thakur family is a big name in Banaras her uncle and grandfather were furious with her mom. But when she came back with Deeksha after the divorce, they accepted her."

The second girl clicked her tongue. "Still... how do you know all this?"

"Oh please," the first replied casually. "Her aunt is my mom's friend. She said Deeksha's mother drinks all day."

The second girl gasped. "A woman drinking alcohol?"

"Obviously," the first girl scoffed. "She's from abroad. Of course she'll behave like that. And look at Deeksha wearing such short clothes, roaming around acting all modern. Honestly, it's good the teacher scolded her today."

"Yeah," the second girl agreed. "She deserved it."

"Forget her. Let's go, or we'll get scolded too."Both girls walked away laughing.

Inside the washroom, Deeksha sat silently in a corner, her knees pulled close to her chest.

Every word stabbed her like a blade.

She covered her mouth so no one could hear her sobs.

Outside, Rahul and Deepak remained standing one indifferent, the other quietly burning with anger and helplessness.

Rahul and Deepak stood there, frozen in their places.

Hearing everything that had just happened made their hearts ache for Deeksha.

But for Deepak, the feeling was heavier and intense guilt pressed against his chest.

He knew he had gone too far, crossed a line he shouldn’t have.

After a while, Deeksha came out.

She splashed water on her face again and again, trying to calm herself, trying to wash away the storm inside her.

She wiped her face with her handkerchief and started walking away.

Suddenly, her foot got stuck.

Before she could steady herself, she lost balance and fell to the ground.

The moment she fell, Rahul rushed to her side without a second thought.

He tried to help her up, but she had hurt her knee badly.

Tears welled up in her eyes, and soon she began to cry.

Deepak hurried over too.

Rahul held one of her hands, Deepak the other, and together they helped her up and made her sit on a nearby bench.

Rahul knelt down in front of her, his eyes fixed on her injured knee.

A thin line of blood was slowly trickling out.

His expression tightened with worry.

“Deepak,” he said urgently, “go ask the teacher and bring the Dettol bottle.”

Deepak nodded immediately and rushed away.

Rahul looked at her as she cried. Her nose had turned pink, and tears kept spilling endlessly from her eyes.

Gently, he lifted his hand and wiped her tears away.“It’s nothing,” he said softly. “Just a small injury. It’ll be fine soon. Don’t cry like this.”

Hearing his voice, Deeksha looked up at him.

Rahul wiped her tears again with his own hand.

It felt strange to her unexpected but she didn’t say anything. She just kept looking at him, silently.

After a while, Deepak returned with the Dettol bottle and handed it to Rahul.

Rahul poured a little Dettol onto his handkerchief and said to Deeksha, “It might sting a little when I apply it, okay?”

Deeksha simply nodded.

As Rahul applied it, she felt a slight burning sensation.

Seeing her reaction, Rahul spoke to her gently, almost like he was calming a small child. “See? It’s nothing. You cried so much over such a tiny thing.”

Deeksha looked at him.

No one had ever cared for her like this before not over something so small.

His words made her feel warm inside.

Deepak stood there, watching silently.

But seeing Deeksha like this didn’t make him feel good.

Something felt heavy in his chest.

Rahul looked up at her and asked, “Is it better now? Does it still hurt?”

“I’m fine,” Deeksha replied softly. “It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

“Good,” Rahul said with a small smile. “Come on, let’s go to class.”

Deeksha shook her head. “No, I don’t want to go. Everyone is making fun of me.”

Rahul looked at her with assurance.

“No one will make fun of you. I’ll say it clearly in class. If anyone says anything to you, I won’t allow it. Okay?”

Deeksha trusted him instantly and nodded. “Okay.”

Rahul then handed the Dettol bottle back to Deepak and asked him to return it to the teacher.

Deepak turned and walked away.

Rahul led Deeksha back into the classroom and gently made her sit on her bench.

The students were already there, whispering and passing rude comments about her.

Their words cut through the air, sharp and careless.

Rahul didn’t like it not even for a second.

Raising his voice, he shouted, “What’s wrong with you all? Mind your own work. Even if she cheated, what problem do you have with it? Don’t you people ever cheat yourselves?”

The class fell silent, but Rahul wasn’t done.“If I hear even one more useless comment about Deeksha,” he warned, his voice firm and cold, “you won’t like what happens next.”

The moment everyone heard Rahul’s voice, the entire class went quiet.

Deeksha looked around in disbelief.

Everyone had stopped talking because of him.

Then her eyes went to Rahul.

Something about him felt different in that moment… strong, protective. And it made her feel good.

Rahul walked up to her and asked softly, “You’re okay now, right?”

“Yes,” Deeksha nodded.

“Good,” Rahul said lightly. “You don’t look nice when you cry. You look much better when you’re the monitor, scolding everyone.”

Hearing that, Deeksha couldn’t help but laugh.

Rahul smiled and added, “And by the way you look nice when you smile too.”

Deeksha smiled again, a little shy this time, his words still echoing warmly in her heart.

Rahul went back to his bench and sat down.

Deepak returned too. His eyes instinctively searched for Deeksha.

She looked better now more normal, calmer.

That gave him a little relief, but the guilt inside him refused to fade.

He walked over and sat beside Rahul, pulling out his book.

He tried to read, tried to focus but the words blurred in front of his eyes.

His gaze kept drifting, lost somewhere far from the pages.

Rahul noticed.

“Bro,” he said casually, glancing at him, “you’ve been studying a lot these days.”

Deepak didn’t respond. He seemed lost in his own thoughts.

Rahul watched him for a moment.

Something felt off. This wasn’t normal.

He gently shook Deepak’s shoulder.

Only then did Deepak snap back. “What happened?”

“I said,” Rahul repeated, half-smiling, “you’re studying a lot these days.”

Deepak nodded slightly. “Yeah… I guess I’ll have to study now.”

Just then, a girl from a senior class stepped into the room.

Her voice was clear and formal.

“Who is Deeksha Thakur?”

Deeksha stood up from her bench. “That’s me.”

The senior looked at her and said, “Your guardian has come. The principal is calling you.”

Fear crept into Deeksha’s eyes.

Deepak felt it too his chest tightened.

Rahul also felt bad for her.

Deeksha walked out of the classroom and headed toward the principal’s office.

As she entered, her eyes fell on a familiar figure sitting there Her Nanu was already in the principal’s room

Divya walked into the college auditorium and stepped up to the microphone.

Her voice echoed through the hall.“Hello, students. I am a student of this very college, just like you. I want to talk to all of you about something important. Please, everyone come here.”

Her voice carried across the campus. Students paused mid-conversation, confusion spreading as whispers filled the corridors.

Even the teachers looked puzzled, wondering what was happening.

Vaibhav stood quietly beside Divya, steady and serious.

Somewhere in the crowd, Ishani heard Divya’s voice.

Her heart skipped a beat.

She immediately ran toward the auditorium, Prachi following close behind.

Slowly, the hall filled up students, then teachers.

A professor stepped forward, his voice stern.“What is all this? What’s going on here?”

Before Divya could answer, Vaibhav spoke calmly, yet firmly.“Ma’am, sir… please wait. This is very important.”

Seeing Vaibhav’s serious expression, everyone fell silent.

Ishani arrived and froze when she saw Divya and Vaibhav standing together.

Confusion clouded her face.

Divya turned toward the screen and played a video.

The first video showed a girl from their own college and a boy.

Raj Thakur.

He was clearly harassing her.

Gasps filled the auditorium.

Another video followed.

This time, a different girl.

The same boy.

The same behavior.

Shock spread like fire. Students whispered to each other as recognition dawned on their faces.

Everyone knew Raj Thakur.

Divya played video after video.

Proof after proof.

A professor finally spoke, anger mixed with disbelief.“What is all this, Vaibhav? What are you both trying to do?”

Vaibhav met his gaze.“Sir, Raj Thakur has been harassing all these girls.”

Then came the final video.

Divya played it and Ishani’s face appeared on the screen.

Ishani went pale. Her world tilted.

Vaibhav’s voice broke the silence.

“And this… this is my sister. Raj Thakur harassed her too.”

The professor shook his head.

“You should have come to us with this matter. This is not the way to create a scene like this.”

Vaibhav clenched his fists.

“Sir, if I had come to you, you wouldn’t have said anything. Because Raj Thakur’s father is an MLA. That’s why I told the entire college.”

Divya stepped forward, her eyes blazing.“Students, tell me—will this goon keep harassing us like this while we stay silent? Or will we unite and teach him a lesson?”

The professor snapped angrily.

“Both of you have lost your minds! Leave this place at once, or we will suspend you.”

Before Divya or Vaibhav could respond, voices rose from the crowd.

“They are right, professor!”

“We come here to study, not to be harassed!”

“If we stay silent, he will never stop!”

“Now it’s on us to teach him a lesson!”

Divya stepped down from the stage.

The crowd parted for her, making way.

She walked outside and stopped.

Raj Thakur was sitting on his bike with his friends, laughing, and talking casually.

Divya moved toward him.

Behind her, students followed.

One by one.

Then dozens.

Then hundreds.

Raj noticed her and froze.

Shock flashed across his face, quickly replaced by arrogance.

“Well, well,” he smirked, stepping forward.“Good that I found you alone. Now I’ll show you how heavy it can be… to mess with Raj Thakur.”

Divya let out a slow, almost mocking breath.“Oh really?” she said. “And what exactly will you do?”

She stepped aside, clearing his view, and spoke loudly, her voice cutting through the air.“Go on. Will you do something to all these people too? Because now, they’re ready to fight you properly.”

Raj froze.

All across the campus, students had gathered.

They stood shoulder to shoulder, staring at him silent, unblinking.

Their eyes weren’t afraid anymore.

Fear crept into Raj’s face.

“What… what is all this?” he stammered.

Divya’s lips curved into a calm, dangerous smile.“You’re about to find out what’s happening.”

Suddenly, Divya shouted,

“Ishani!”

The entire crowd turned, looking around.

“Ishani!”

Ishani stayed hidden in the crowd.

Prachi stood beside her, holding her close.

“Go,” Prachi whispered. “Divya is calling you.”

Ishani stood frozen, fear locking her feet to the ground.

When she still didn’t move, Vaibhav’s voice rang out loud, protective, filled with emotion.“Ishani, baccha, come here. There’s nothing to be scared of. Your brother is here. I’ll handle everything. Come.”

Hearing her brother’s voice, tears welled up in Ishani’s eyes.

Prachi gently took her hand and brought her forward, toward Divya.

Raj watched the scene in shock.

Behind him, even his friends began to look uneasy, fearing replacing their arrogance.

Divya turned to Ishani.

Ishani stood with her head lowered, her hands trembling.

Divya stepped closer, lifted Ishani’s face gently with her hands, and said softly,“Ishani… look at me.”

Ishani shook her head.

“No…”

Divya’s voice suddenly rose, sharp and firm.“Ishani, you trust me, don’t you? You consider me your friend, right?”

Ishani nodded slowly.“Yes…”

Divya met her eyes, unflinching.

“Then if you truly trust me—hit him. Right now.”

Ishani’s breath caught in her throat.

She was terrified.

She had never raised her hand against anyone before.

Ishani's fingers trembled.

The noise of the crowd faded into a dull hum, as if the world had suddenly pulled away from her.

Her heartbeat was loud-too loud-pounding in her ears.

She could feel every breath she took, shaky and uneven.

Hit him?

Her eyes flickered toward Raj for just a second.

Her body reacted before her mind did-fear crawling up her spine, memories crashing into her chest like waves she had tried so hard to bury.

His voice.

His laughter.

The way he had made her feel small... powerless... ashamed.

Her hands curled into fists without her realizing it.

"I... I can't," she whispered, her voice barely there. "I've never... I've never done this."

Divya didn't shout this time.

She leaned closer, her voice calm but unbreakable."Ishani, look around."

Ishani slowly lifted her eyes.

She saw girls, boys, strangers, and classmates.

Not a single mocking smile.

Not a single judging stare. Only support.

Only anger for her.

Only strength standing beside her.

"You were scared before," Divya continued softly. "And that wasn't your fault. But today... you're not alone."

Vaibhav stepped forward, his eyes wet but steady."Baccha," he said gently, "whatever you do-or don't do-I'm proud of you. You survived. That already makes you strong."

That broke something inside her.

Tears spilled freely now, sliding down her cheeks.

She wiped them angrily, as if she was tired of crying tired of being weak.

Raj scoffed nervously, trying to laugh it off."What drama is this? You think she can do anything?"

But his voice shook.

Ishani heard it.

For the first time... she noticed his fear.

Something shifted.

She took one step forward.

Her legs felt heavy, but she forced them to move.

Each step felt like walking through her own past through every moment she had stayed silent, every time she had blamed herself.

Divya's voice echoed in her mind

You're not alone.

Raj tried to step back.

He couldn't.

The crowd stood firm behind him.

Ishani stood right in front of him now. Her hands shook but they were raised.

She looked him in the eyes.

Not as a victim.

But as a survivor.

Her voice came out broken, yet strong."You took my fear as your power," she said. "Today... I will take it back."

And then

She slapped him.

The sound echoed across the campus.

Sharp. Final.

For a second, the world went silent.

Raj stumbled, shocked written across his face not from the pain, but from the humiliation.

From the fact that the girl he thought he had crushed... was standing tall in front of everyone.

Ishani's hand burned.

But her chest felt lighter.

She took a shaky breath and for the first time in a long time, she didn't feel small.

The crowd erupted.

Not in violence.

But in voices. In unity. In justice.

Divya stepped beside Ishani, placing an arm around her shoulders.

"That," she said quietly, "is what courage looks like."

Divya looked at Ishani really looked at her.

Her voice was steady now, no anger in it, only truth.

"Ishani," she said softly, yet loud enough for everyone to hear,

"every time he touched you in a way he had no right to... every time he crossed a line... every moment he stole your peace return it to him."

Ishani's breath caught.

The words hit deeper than any shout ever could.

She closed her eyes.

Her fingers clenched.

Divya stepped closer, her voice gentle but unwavering.

"This is not about revenge," she said. "This is about taking back what he took from you your strength, your voice, your dignity."

The campus stood still.

No whispers. No laughter. Only silence is heavy with understanding.

Ishani opened her eyes.

She looked at Raj-not with fear, not with hatred-but with clarity.

The first slap came hesitantly.

Not from rage, but from release.

She inhaled sharply.

Then another stronger this time.

With each strike, something inside her loosened.

A weight she had carried alone for too long began to fall away.

Her hands no longer trembled.

Raj staggered back, humiliation burning deeper than pain.

His arrogance crumbled, exposed in front of hundreds of witnesses.

Ishani stopped.

Her chest rose and fell as she took a long breath.

She didn't feel weak anymore.

She didn't feel broken.

She felt... free.

Divya placed a hand on her shoulder.

"That's enough," she said quietly. "You've said everything you needed to say."

Vaibhav stepped forward and wrapped his sister in his arms.

Ishani finally let herself cry not tears of fear this time, but of release.

The crowd didn't cheer.

They stood in respect.

Because they weren't watching violence.

They were witnessing courage.

And Raj Thakur, standing there stripped of his power, finally.

Divya turned away from Raj and faced the crowd.

Her gaze moved slowly across the sea of faces girls, boys, students who had stayed silent for too long.

Her voice rose, clear and fearless.

"If there is anyone here," she said,

"anyone who has been harassed by Raj Thakur... anyone whose fear he treated like his right step forward."

A pause.

The kind that feels endless.

Then one girl moved.

Then another.

A boy stepped out too, jaw clenched, eyes burning with truth.

Slowly, one by one, students began to come forward some trembling, some furious, some barely holding themselves together.

The crowd shifted.

Divya continued, her voice unwavering."And not just him," she added, pointing toward Raj's friends.

"Anyone who stood beside him. Anyone who laughed. Anyone who stayed silent and protected him."

Raj's friends stiffened.

Fear spread across their faces as they realized something terrifying-

They were outnumbered.

And the truth had found them.

No one rushed.

No one screamed.

The students stood there close, united, unafraid.

Raj backed away instinctively, his confidence completely shattered.

"This... this is madness," he muttered. "You can't do this."

Divya stepped forward.

"No," she said calmly. "This is what happens when silence ends."

The students surrounded them not with chaos, but with certainty.

Hands grabbed collars, wrists holding them still, stopping escape.

Not to destroy, but to expose.

Someone shouted,

"We want justice!"

Another voice followed,

"We want safety!"

And then many voices became one.

Raj Thakur stood trapped not by fists, but by the truth he had tried to bury.

His friends lowered their heads.

They understood now being silent had made them guilty too.

Divya looked back at Ishani, then at the crowd.

"This is not about revenge," she said.

"This is about making sure no one ever feels alone again."

For the first time, Raj felt what his victims had felt for years.

But with faces that carried stories of fear, of silence, of nights spent questioning themselves.

Each student raised a hand.

A single slap.

Sharp, echoing, final.

Every sound landed heavier than the last not on Raj's skin alone, but on his shattered arrogance.

With every strike, another truth surfaced you were not alone.

You were never imagining it. What happened to you mattered.

Raj staggered, no longer the confident boy he once was.

His eyes darted around, searching for escape but there was none.

The campus that had once ignored everything was now standing tall, watching him face what he had done.

Then a female professor stepped forward.

The crowd fell silent.

She looked at Raj with disappointment far deeper than anger.

"This," she said firmly, "is for every time a student feels unsafe under our watch."

Her hand came down swiftly, controlled, resolute.

Raj lowered his head. For the first time, shame burned brighter than fear.

Behind him, his friends tried to step back but students surrounded them too.

Those who had laughed.

Those who had stayed silent.

Those who had enabled him.

They were stopped.

Held accountable.

The students didn't act out of cruelty.

They acted out of unity making sure no one ran, no one escaped responsibility.

Divya stood watching, her heart pounding not with anger now, but with relief.

Ishani stood beside her brother, breathing deeply, as if the air itself felt lighter.

For the first time since it all began, her shoulders were no longer tense.

The campus had changed.

What began as fear had turned into strength.

What was once silence had become a voice.

And Raj Thakur surrounded, exposed, stripped of power finally understood the truth he had ignored for far too long.

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