---
My eyes flutter open again… in the school's medical room.
I sit up with a jolt and rush toward the door.
I have to find Chhavi.
But before I can make it out, Akshat grabs my hand and stops me.
"Let me go! I need to see Chhavi!
Is she okay? She made it, right?
What did the doctors say?"
I was panicked —
My voice trembling, breath uneven.
And then, Akshat speaks — but not softly this time.
His voice is sharp, angry, heartbroken.
"Where do you think you're going, Riya?
Chhavi…
Chhavi is no more."
I stop.
Frozen.
My body turns to stone.
"She died the moment she hit the ground.
She didn't survive the fall.
Her photo's already up now — beside the other two girls."
"No… no…
That can't be true…"
My voice breaks into a faint whisper.
"I had so much to ask her.
She was going to tell me everything.
She knew the truth.
How can she be gone?
Just like that… no… not like this…"
I burst into tears — loud, heart-wrenching sobs.
Screaming. Shaking.
Unable to breathe.
This world…
What had it become?
In just a few months, it felt like seeing blood had become a normal thing.
Like blood wasn't blood anymore — just red water.
But Akshat…
He slowly calms me down.
Helps me sit.
Brings me a glass of water.
Tells me to breathe.
Outside — everything looks calm.
But inside me, there's a storm.
A violent, terrifying storm.
And then, in the eye of that storm,
Akshat asks me something that shakes the ground beneath my feet—
"Was there something between you five?"
"Tina disappearing.
Isha going into a coma.
Khushi getting murdered.
And now Chhavi's suicide…"
"Are all these things… connected?"
I stare at him, stunned.
Wait—
Did he hear… everything?
My eyes widen.
I stammer.
I try to walk away — pretend I didn't hear his question.
But Akshat steps in front of me.
Blocks my way.
His voice low but steady:
"You're avoiding the question.
You know something, Riya.
You do.
I heard you and Chhavi talking.
Why are you so afraid to tell me the truth?"
I go silent.
Just… still.
And then I speak.
"Yes.
Since you've heard it all already…
I suppose there's no point hiding anything anymore."
I take a deep breath.
And begin.
"Akshat…
There's something I need to tell you.
Actually, a lot of things.
Long, tangled stories.
But I want you to know everything."
He meets my eyes and says softly—
"I have time.
And I'm ready to listen."
---
"You remember that girl who jumped off the upper corridor last semester?
Ritika Shekhawat?
The one whose photo was on the funeral table?"
"Yeah…" I nod.
"She was my… my friend."
Tears begin to fill my eyes.
"Not just a friend — a close one.
But I only found out about her after joining this school.
And Isha…
She was connected to her too."
"Wait—what?"
Akshat's jaw drops.
"She never told me that!"
"Listen… there's more.
You'll be shocked again.
Isha took admission in this school only to find Ritika's killer.
Because she believed Ritika didn't die by suicide.
And I believe that too.
The Ritika I knew…
She would never do that.
It was murder.
And we were trying to find the killer."
"Did you find anything?"
Akshat's expression turned serious.
"Not in the beginning…
But then one day…"
My voice trails off.
"What happened that day?" he asks.
"You remember when you were leaving for training, and Isha didn't come to say goodbye?
We were all talking about it."
"Yes, I remember."
"Right after you left, I saw Isha outside —
standing in the rain…
trembling, eyes swollen.
She was scared. Broken.
When I asked her what happened,
she told me something… something that shattered everything."
"What did she say?"
"That she found out, during the school's night party,
that Ritika…
hadn't killed herself.
She was murdered.
And the one who killed her was…
Chhavi Kapoor."
"Chhavi?"
Akshat froze.
"Yes.
Ritika caught Chhavi doing drugs.
And when she threatened to report her,
Chhavi got furious.
She pushed Ritika off the corridor.
Everyone was convinced it was suicide.
But it wasn't."
"Who told you all this?"
"Tina.
She was Chhavi's friend.
At first, even she didn't know.
But that night, at the party,
Chhavi was drunk… and she confessed everything.
Tina was shocked.
She told Isha the truth."
"And then?"
Akshat whispered.
"Then…
Isha broke down.
She was consumed by revenge.
She got hold of a gun.
I tried to stop her.
Tried so hard.
But one day, she pulled it out —
right in front of Chhavi."
"What?! No way—"
Akshat's face turned pale.
"Yes.
That day in the corridor…
It was Isha, Tina, and Chhavi.
I reached just in time.
Tried to calm Isha down.
But Chhavi…
She started mocking her.
Taunting Tina.
Said, 'You snake… you betrayed me.'
And then…"
"And then what?"
Akshat's voice trembled.
"Chhavi snatched the gun.
There was a struggle…
But in the end…
The gun was in Chhavi's hand.
And she…
She shot Tina."
"What—
No… no way…"
Akshat was stunned, speechless.
"Tina died on the spot.
We couldn't believe what we had just seen.
Isha blamed herself —
Said if she hadn't told Chhavi the truth,
Tina would still be alive.
And in that guilt…
She jumped out the window."
"Oh my god…"
Akshat's lips had gone dry.
"I tried to save her…
But I couldn't reach in time.
Her hand slipped from mine.
And she fell…"
I shut my eyes, holding back tears.
"And then?"
Akshat barely whispered.
"Then…
Someone came up behind me.
Hit me.
Knocked me out.
When I woke up…
Khushi was there.
Alone.
And I had no idea what had happened."
Silence.
Then, Akshat speaks—softly but firmly.
"Why did you hide all this from me?"
"How could I tell you…"
My voice cracked.
"What now?" he asked.
"I don't know.
But one thing's clear —
The real killer… is still out there."
"Someone drove Chhavi to that point.
Who was it?"
"I don't know.
But the janitor —
He hid something.
If he really did kill Khushi…
then he also knew the truth about Tina.
But he never told us."
"So there's still a lot more truth waiting to come out…"
Akshat's eyes were now burning with purpose.
"Yes," I whispered.
"And now… I have to end this."
---