UNIVERSITY ARC
|"Alright, Keshava. We'll visit them tomorrow and see what we can do to help."|
Everyone nodded in agreement. We all knew that the path ahead wouldn't be easy, but abandoning Geetha now was out of the question. She was one of our classmates.
The following day, my friends and I, along with Raksha, made our way to Geetha's house. Geetha had been discharged from the hospital, but we were all anxious about her condition. Raksha insisted on coming along—she felt the need to see Geetha herself, to offer her support.
It didn't take long to reach Geetha's place—just a brief fifteen-minute drive. As we entered the house, the atmosphere was thick with tension. Geetha looked frail, her skin almost ghostly pale, with a weariness in her eyes that pierced through me. Her mother was by her side, her voice trembling with worry.
|"Geetha, why are you refusing to eat? What happened? You already look so pale and sick. Please, just take a few bites, dear."|
But Geetha's response was heartbreaking, her voice barely more than a whisper, laced with despair.
|"Why, Mom? Why am I still alive? I don't want to live. Please, just let me die… kill me now."|
The rawness of her words stunned us all. It didn't take long for Keshava to try and intervene, his voice gentle but urgent.
|"Geetha, what happened? Please, tell us. We can't help you if you don't tell us what's going on."|
But she refused to speak, her sobs the only answer she gave.
|"Please, just let me die… leave me alone. I said leave me alone!"|
Her cries were filled with a pain that tore at my heart. The Geetha we knew, the one who had always been strong, was now crumbling before us.
Raksha stepped forward, trying her best to soothe her.
|"Geetha, please… tell us what happened between you and Raghava."|
But Geetha remained silent, still crying, lost in her torment. Raksha's patience snapped, and her voice hardened.
|"It's your choice, Geetha. But we can't help you unless you let us in. If you keep shutting us out, you're only going to suffer more."|
Something in Raksha's words broke through, and at last, Geetha relented, her voice barely audible.
|"A few days ago… my father reviewed CCTV footage from a mall… that's where it all began."|
*Flashback*
Geetha's story unfolded like a nightmare. She had gone shopping at a well-known mall, and everything seemed normal at first. While browsing, she came across a perfume that caught her eye—a top brand she had always wanted to try.
She asked the staff member, who handed her the bottle with a smile.
|"Excuse me, can I try this one?"|
As she tested the perfume, a man noticed her, his gaze lingering far too long. He must have thought she was beautiful because he began following her from floor to floor. Geetha soon noticed his shadow, felt his eyes on her, and tried to stay cautious.
After picking out all her items, she made her way to the billing counter. But when she reached into her handbag for her card, it was gone. Panic set in as she frantically searched her bag.
That's when the man approached her, wearing a black suit and sunglasses, his voice smooth and concerned.
|"Excuse me, is something wrong? You seem troubled."|
Geetha turned to face him, wary but unsure of his intentions.
|"Who are you, sir? Do I know you?"|
|"No, but I noticed you looked tense. Is there something I can help you with?"|
His words seemed kind, but there was something unsettling in his gaze. Geetha hesitated, but the stress of the moment made her consider his offer.
|"Yes… my card is missing. I can't pay for my things."|
|"Oh, that's unfortunate, Perhaps I can help."|
But as he spoke, his demeanour changed. He moved closer, brushing his hand against her cheek, then suddenly his hand slid down to her waist. The touch made Geetha's skin crawl as if a cold serpent had slithered across her body.
|"What are you doing? Get away from me!"|
Geetha's voice shook with both fear and anger. The man's smile twisted into something sinister.
|"Oh, don't be like that. Come with me, and I'll give you whatever you want. I can't wait."|
Disgust and rage boiled within Geetha, and before she knew it, her hand flew out, slapping him across the face.
|"You filthy scumbag! Leave me alone!"|
She slapped with fury and fear. But, the man's eyes darkened with fury.
|"How dare you slap me! I'll make you pay for this."|
In the next moment, mall security rushed in and restrained him, but he didn't leave without throwing a final threat over his shoulder.
|"Don't worry. You'll come crawling to me, begging for mercy. Just wait. You'll see."|
His words were laced with venom, leaving Geetha shaken to her core. She ran out of the mall, terrified and ashamed. When she finally made it home, she kept the incident a secret, too frightened to tell her parents.
Later, she learned who the man was—Raghava, the son of Kubera, a ruthless businessman with no scruples. Kubera had already been targeting her father's company, trying to destroy it to seize their projects. Her father's company had won numerous contracts, and Kubera saw them as a threat.
*End of Flashback*
Geetha whispered, her voice trembling with guilt.
|"It's my fault, if I had told my parents sooner, maybe we could have avoided all this. But by the time I realized it, it was too late."|
She paused, taking a shuddering breath before continuing.
|"Raghava's family started attacking our business. They blocked all our bank transactions; we can't access any of our funds. Our business partners are abandoning us, and anyone who tries to stay loyal is threatened. Kubera told my father to send me to Raghava's guest house for a night, promising to spare us if we comply."|
Geetha's voice cracked as she spoke the next words, tears streaming down her face.
|"But my father couldn't agree to such a demand. What father could? He had a heart attack from the stress."|
After a brief recovery, Geetha's father, desperate to save his family, proposed an alternative—marriage. He thought it might be better than the original demand. But to Geetha, it felt like a death sentence.
|"My father wants me to marry that monster. But how can I? He's vile, disgusting… a beast. I can't do it. I'd rather die."|
Geetha broke down completely, her sobs filling the room.
|"I'm sorry, Dad… I'm so sorry for everything. This is all my fault."|
The sight of her crushed spirit tore at all of us. Her eyes were bloodshot from crying, and her once beautiful hair was tangled and unkempt. She looked broken, a shadow of the person she once was.
I couldn't bear it anymore. I stepped out of the room, signaling Raksha to follow. As soon as we were alone, I turned to her, my voice filled with regret.
|"Raksha… this is all my fault. You knew about this, didn't you?"|
She nodded solemnly.
|"Yes, brother. I tried to tell you that day, but you didn't want to listen."|
I sighed deeply, guilt weighing heavy on my chest.
|"If I had acted sooner… maybe things wouldn't have gotten this bad."|
|"Don't blame yourself, brother. What's done is done. Now, we need to focus on what we can do."|
I looked at her, determination building within me.
|"You're right. It's time to see what I can really do. I won't let Geetha suffer any longer. Let's see what I can do with my power.