UNIVERSITY ARC
Good—all the lights were off, just as I had hoped. The house was dead quiet, the kind of silence that told me everyone was deep asleep. I could feel the weight of my exhaustion as I tiptoed down the hall. My goal was simple: get to my room unnoticed, collapse on my bed, and deal with everything tomorrow. No noise, no interruptions, just sleep.
I slowly opened the door to my room, careful to turn the handle as quietly as possible. The faint creak of the wood under my feet sounded deafening in the stillness, but no one stirred. My bed was just a few steps away now, offering the comfort I desperately needed. I moved toward it, barely making a sound, careful not to knock anything over in the dark. But the moment I lay down, the nightmare began.
Suddenly, I felt hands—cold, firm hands—grabbing me from the shadows. They wrapped around my legs and arms, locking me in place before I had a chance to react. Panic surged through me. I tried to scream, but a hand clamped down over my mouth, stifling the sound before it could escape my throat.
|"Finally, we got him! Don't let him escape. We're ending this tonight."|
It took a moment for the words to register, my mind still reeling from the shock. The lights flicked on, flooding the room with brightness, and my eyes squinted against the sudden glare. Blinking rapidly, I struggled to see who had ambushed me.
Standing over me, I saw Keshava, his expression a mixture of anger and frustration.
|"Keshava!"|
I gasped.
I can't understand what was going on here. He strongly stood on his words.
|"Manoj, we've caught you. You can't run from us anymore."|
Ramu, who had been holding my arms tightly, grinned, his tone teasing but with an edge of frustration.
|"Sir, you've been so busy with your work lately. You think you can just slip in and out of this room without a word? Do you even remember that you have friends?"|
I tried to laugh it off, forcing a weak smile to hide my fear. What was I supposed to say? Oh God, why are they grilling me now? How was I going to explain this?
|"Sorry, guys. I've just been caught up with some things recently. It's not that I've been avoiding you. Surely, you don't need to do all this over something so minor?"|
I noticed Suresh, holding onto my legs with a serious look. Wait—why was Suresh so interested in holding my legs? Did he really like my shoes that much?
Before I could figure it out, Suresh cut me off, his expression turning more serious.
|"Don't try to escape your way out of this. We know you've been avoiding us. Even no one knows when you come and go. So we decided to wait for you today no matter how much time it will take and settle this."|
I looked at each of their faces, hoping for some mercy, but they weren't looking like they do. They were determined to get answers. With no other way out, I told them everything that had happened since this morning. One by one, they let go of me, while listening to my story.
When I finished, they stood there, stunned. I knew if I told them about the slap I gave to Neha—one of the members of that Wild...whatever club it was—it would lead to a whole other mess. So, I conveniently left that part out.
They were stunned when they heard about how Neha tortured Divya in these past days. Keshava was the first to recover from the shock. He crossed his arms, his voice calm but firm.
|"Manoj, if you want to help Divya, that's up to you. But if you're thinking about facing that club, stop that thought right now."|
My curiosity growed by how much he seemed to know.
|"Keshava, you've heard about this club before?"|
He nodded, his eyes narrowing slightly.
|"Yeah, I've heard about them. They're dangerous. They've got a history of criminal activity."|
I wasn't prepared for what came next. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ramu shuddering. His face had gone pale, and his eyes were wide with terror, as though something horrible had come to his mind. He looked like he'd seen a ghost.
|"Ramu, what's going on? Are you alright?"|
I asked, growing more concerned.
He nodded, but anyone could tell he was lying. His whole body trembled with fear, and his eyes darted nervously around the room. Something was wrong, and I wasn't going to let him hide it.
|"Ramu, you know something about this club, don't you?"|
His hesitation gave him away. After a long pause, his voice cracked as he spoke.
|"The Wild Shadows. Who hasn't heard of them? They're unpopular all around the city. A gang that runs on fear and violence, preying on the weak."|
He stopped speaking and looked at me, gauging my reaction. I listened closely, the gravity of his words sinking in.
|"Manoj, the Neha you mentioned, she's not just any member. She's one of the top enforcers in the Wild Shadows. If you're thinking about going up against her, forget it. She's not someone you want to mess with."|
His words increased interest on them. I wasn't just surprised by the club's reach—I was taken aback by how much Ramu knew. Where had he heard all of this? No, I was probably just overthinking it. He might have picked it up from the rumours around town or by someone.
We discussed it a little more before finally heading to bed, though sleep didn't come easily that night.
– – –
The next morning, the sun rose earlier today. Divya awoke with a heavy head. Her mind felt clouded. She blinked several times, trying to clear her vision, but the world around her remained blurry. She reached out for her phone, but her hand met nothing but cold air. Panic quickly gripped her. Suddenly it triggered a wave of panic in her.
|'Where am I?'|
She whispered to herself, her heart started to race.
She looked around, but nothing was familiar. The walls were bare, no familiar furniture in sight. It felt like she was trapped in a dream, or worse, a nightmare she couldn't wake from. The silence around her was thick, as though the room itself was holding its breath.
Then, she heard it—a soft creaking noise. It started slowly, like the floorboards groaning under the weight of someone's footsteps. Her entire body tensed. Each step was deliberate, growing louder, closer. Her pulse quickened, and cold sweat formed on her forehead.
The shadows in the room seemed to move, as though something—or someone—was lurking just beyond her line of sight. She wanted to move, to scream, to do anything, but fear held her in place. She was frozen, her eyes locked on the door.
The footsteps stopped. The silence that followed was deafening.
Then… **the door creaked open**. A voice, low and chilling, drifted into the room.
|"Good. You're finally awake."|
A figure stepped inside and flipped on the lights. The brightness was overwhelming after the darkness, and Divya instinctively covered her eyes with her hands, trying to adjust her vision. Her heart raced faster, and her voice came out in desperate sobs.
|"Please…please don't hurt me. Who are you? Where am I? Just let me go!"|
The figure ignored her pleas and calmly pulled out a phone, dialing a number as though nothing was out of the ordinary.
– – –
Meanwhile, I was still fast asleep. After everything that had happened the previous day, I had no desire to wake up early. My body was heavy with exhaustion, and I welcomed the comfort of my bed. But that peace was shattered by the sharp ring of my phone.
Groggily, I grabbed the phone and answered without checking the caller ID.
|"Brother! You're going to be so proud of me. I've already done it!"|
The voice on the other end was filled with excitement.
Still half-asleep, I mumbled.
|"What are you talking about, Raksha? Why should I admire you?"|
She was a little bit disappointed.
|"Don't tell me you've already forgotten! I brought her here, just like you said."|
The fog of sleep lifted instantly. My eyes shot open, and my heart skipped a beat.
|"What? Are you crazy? That's not what I meant at all! Let her go—now!"|
I practically shouted into the phone. The excitement in Raksha's voice faltered. I had been so careful with my instructions, and yet she had misunderstood everything. What was I going to do with her? But first, I needed to make sure Divya was alright.
|"Raksha, is Divya okay? What is she doing now?"|
Raksha's tone was full of regret.
|"She…she's crying. But don't worry, she's safe. I didn't do anything to hurt her."|
For a moment, my mind went blank. My heart had nearly stopped, imagining the worst. This girl, she always found a way to get me into trouble. At least she had the sense to call me before things got worse. If something had happened to Divya, I didn't know how I would have handled it. Because she already faced a lot yesterday.
|"Raksha, hand the phone to Divya. I need to talk to her."|
Raksha quickly nodded and handed over the phone. On the other end, I could hear Divya crying softly, her breaths shaky and uneven. Every sob told me how scared and confused she was. It was like I could feel her fear through the phone—her tears were real, and the tension was thick in her voice.
|"Divya, are you alright? It's me, Manoj."|
There was a pause, like she couldn't believe what she was hearing. For a moment, all I could hear was her sharp intake of breath. Then, it was as if all the fear left her at once. Her sobbing stopped, and I could almost sense the relief wash over her. When she spoke, her voice was lighter, with a hint of a smile.
|"Manoj! Who is this girl? Why am I here? Why did she call you? Everything is so confusing! I don't understand what's going on!"|
I couldn't blame her. I didn't even understand everything either. I didn't even know how to explain this mess to her without making things worse. But I needed to calm her down first.
|"Divya, listen. Just relax. You're safe. She won't do anything to you, I promise. I'm coming right now, and I'll explain everything once I get there, okay?"|
I hung up, feeling a mix of relief and anxiety. Divya wasn't hurt, but Raksha had seriously messed things up. I had to fix this. I got ready as fast as I could, my mind racing as I tried to figure out how to handle the situation once I got there. I rushed to freshen up. After a few minutes, I was ready and heading out the door, determined to sort everything out.
– – –
When I arrived, what I found was completely unexpected. Instead of the tense scene I had imagined, Divya and Raksha were sitting together, laughing. The sound of their giggles filled the room, breaking the silence that I had braced myself for.
I stopped in my tracks, confused. What were they laughing about? I slowly moved closer, curious but cautious, trying to overhear their conversation.
|"Do you know, Divya?"|
Raksha giggled, leaning in as if she were sharing a deep secret
|"He's terrified of insects! One morning, he woke up, and this tiny butterfly showed up out of nowhere. You won't believe what I'm about to tell you—he refused to sleep for days after that!"|
I felt my cheeks burn with embarrassment. What was this girl talking about? How could she be sharing something so ridiculous—and in front of Divya! This was not the conversation I expected to walk in on. Before I could stop myself, I blurted out from the doorway.
|"Raksha! Stop!"|
The laughter died instantly. Raksha's eyes widened in fear, and I could see the realization hit her. She already knew what was coming next. She knew she was in trouble. Without wasting a second, she jumped up from her seat and darted out of the room, moving so fast I didn't even bother chasing her.
Divya, however, couldn't hold back a soft chuckle. Her light laughter filled the awkward silence, easing some of my embarrassment. It was strange seeing her so calm after what had just happened.
I sat down next to her, still confused by the shift in mood. Wasn't she just crying a little while ago? I glanced at her, but she looked relaxed now, as if the panic from earlier had never happened.
A moment later, Raksha returned, carrying a tray of coffee. She set it down in front of us, trying her best to act like nothing had happened. We all sipped the coffee in silence for a few minutes, but I couldn't shake the unease. Divya and Raksha were talking and laughing like everything was normal, making jokes at my expense.
As I watched them, I tried to make sense of it all. How had things calmed down so quickly? Divya had been crying and scared, but now she was laughing as if she hadn't been terrified just moments ago. It didn't add up.
I needed answers. So I quietly motioned for Raksha to follow me a little farther from Divya. I didn't want to have this conversation in front of her.
Once we were far enough away, I turned to Raksha, my voice serious.
|"Raksha, what's going on? I was so worried earlier. I thought Divya would be freaking out after what you did. I imagined her crying or scared out of her mind. But when I got here, you two were sitting together, laughing. What happened?"|
Raksha's playful smile disappeared, and she looked down at the floor, biting her lip nervously. It was clear she was trying to figure out how to respond. The lightheartedness from earlier was gone, replaced by the weight of the situation.
I wasn't in the mood to be patient. The worry and stress I had been feeling hadn't left me. If anything, it was growing stronger.
|"Raksha!"|
I snapped, my voice sharper than I intended.
|"Please, take this seriously. How much did you reveal about me? How much does Divya know about my real identity? Answer me."|
Raksha's eyes flickered with hesitation. She was holding something back, and I could see the struggle in her expression. She knew I was waiting for an answer, but I think whatever she had to say wasn't going to be simple.