UNIVERSITY ARC
I searched everywhere for Divya, but she seemed to have disappeared. With each step, my worry grew. The campus felt like a maze, and every corner I turned without finding her only deepened my concern. Where are you, Divya? Why won't you answer my calls?
Feeling helpless, I finally sat on a bench in the empty campus ground. I couldn't stop thinking about her. What if something had happened? My mind raced with fear as I scanned the area one last time.
That's when I saw her—a lone figure sitting on a bench across from me. My heart skipped a beat. It was Divya.
But my relief quickly turned into horror. She looked terrible. Blood clung to her lips and nose. Her hair was a mess, like someone had pulled it hard. But the worst sight was her hands—two of her nails were torn off, and fresh blood was still trickling from her fingers. Her clothes were torn, exposing parts of her body in a way that made my stomach twist with anger and sorrow.
I couldn't stand to see her like this. Without thinking, I rushed over, taking off my shirt to cover her. The campus was empty, and I was grateful for the privacy the evening shadows gave us.
|"Divya…"|
My voice shook with a mix of anger and fear.
|"What happened? Who did this to you? Tell me—who hurt you like this?"|
She kept her head down, avoiding my eyes. Her body shook, but she held back her tears.
Her voice was weak.
|"Manoj, what are you doing here? Please... just leave. Go."|
She was hiding something, something she didn't want me to know.
|"No, Divya. Look at you! You're hurt—who did this? You're not telling me the truth."|
I noticed something in her hand, a small bottle and some cotton. I knew right away—it was iodine.
I asked, though I already knew.
|"What's that in your hand?"|
Without waiting for an answer, I gently took the iodine and cotton from her. She tried to resist, but she was too weak to stop me.
|"Manoj, please. I can take care of it myself. I don't want to bother you."|
Her voice was filled with pain and guilt.
Ignoring her, I knelt beside her and carefully looked at her wounds. These weren't just injuries from an accident—someone had hurt her on purpose. The bruises were too precise, the cuts too cruel.
A rage started building inside me, but I kept my voice steady. I needed to know who did this.
|"Divya, who did this to you?"|
She stayed quiet, avoiding my eyes. Blood kept dripping from her face, and seeing it filled me with both sadness and fury. I fought the urge to run off and find whoever had done this to her.
Trying to stay calm, I asked again, my tone softer but full of concern.
|"Divya, please. You don't have to hide this from me. Who hurt you?"|
She hesitated, biting her lip. After taking a deep breath, she finally spoke.
|"It's Neha… my classmate."|
Hearing that name felt like a punch to the gut.
|"Neha? The same girl who bullied you at the restaurant, right? So, you're saying that the same cruel person hurt you again?"|
Tears filled Divya's eyes, and she tried to smile, but the pain was too much.
She confirmed, her voice shaking.
|"Yes, it was Neha… but it's okay, Manoj. I'm used to it now. It doesn't matter."|
Her words stunned me. Used to it? How could she be so calm about this? My hands clenched into fists as I stood up, anger surging through me.
|"What do you mean 'used to it'? This isn't the first time she's hurt you, is it?"|
I stepped forward, my mind already racing with ideas on how to make Neha and her gang pay for what they had done.
|"Just give me an hour, Divya. I'll make sure Neha and her friends regret this."|
I turned to leave, but before I could take another step, Divya's hand grabbed my wrist. Her grip was shaky, but there was desperation in it.
Her voice trembled with fear.
|"Manoj, no! You can't. Neha isn't just like anyone here—she comes from a powerful background. If you go after her, you'll be in serious trouble. Please… don't do this."|
|"Trouble? You want me to just stand by and watch her hurt you again?"|
She looked up at me, her eyes pleading.
|"I'll be careful from now on, I promise. Just… don't get involved, Manoj. I don't want anything to happen to you because of me."|
Even in her pain, even after everything Neha had done to her, Divya was worried about my safety. How could she be so selfless? How could she care about me when she was the one suffering?
I sighed, forcing myself to calm down for her sake.
|"Fine. I'll leave it for now. But you need to see a doctor. You can't treat these wounds by yourself."|
I offered my hand to help her up carefully, but as soon as I mentioned seeing a doctor, her expression changed. She looked anxious and quickly shook her head.
She tried to hide her face in shame. "No, Manoj. I don't need to go to the hospital. I don't have the money for that anyway. It's not the first time this has happened. I've learned to live with this."
Her words broke my heart. I couldn't believe she was thinking about money at a time like this. I knelt in front of her, gently forcing her to look at me.
|"Divya, don't worry about money. I'm here for you. You don't have to go through this alone. Now, come with me. No more arguing."|
– – –
We went to the university clinic, where her wounds were properly treated. I stayed with her the whole time, watching as the nurses cleaned her cuts and bandaged her fingers. After a while, her pain seemed to ease, and a small smile appeared on her face.
Her voice was soft and grateful.
|"Thank you, Manoj. If you hadn't been there today, I don't know what I would have done."|
She hesitated, looking embarrassed.
|"And… I'll pay you back for the medical bills. I promise."|
I cut her off immediately.
|"Divya, did I ask for money? Don't worry about that. Now, let's go get something to eat. You probably haven't eaten all day."|
The mention of food brought a brief smile to her face, but it quickly faded.
|"Manoj, I appreciate it, but there's no need to spend your money on me. The university cafeteria is fine, isn't it?"|
I shook my head, smiling despite everything.
|"No, Divya. I'm taking you somewhere nice."|
I called for a taxi and took her carefully to my favourite restaurant, as usual, The Royal Meridian. When we arrived, her eyes widened in surprise, just like the first time. I booked a table, and after making sure she was comfortable, I went to the washroom.
While waiting for me, the food we ordered was served. But as Divya sat there alone, something unexpected happened. A familiar voice interrupted the brief peace.
|"Divya! Is that really you?"|
Her heart skipped a beat at the sound. Her body stiffened, and her hands began to shake. She didn't need to turn around to know who it was.
Her voice trembled as she whispered the name.
|"Neha…"|