The staffroom was quiet, with the sound of papers shuffling and teachers chatting softly in the background. The bright lights made the room feel a little too clean, and the rows of desks and chairs were perfectly lined up. But I wasn't paying attention to any of that. I was watching the door, waiting for Mayuri teacher to come in.
The door suddenly opened, and there she was. Mayuri teacher walked in quickly, her sharp eyes scanning the room until they landed on me. "Oh! Rahul, what brings you here?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.
I gave her a small smile. "I'm here because of the promise you made me."
Her eyebrows rose in surprise, but she nodded. "Alright, let's talk outside."
We walked down the empty hallway together, the only sound being the light clinking of our lunchboxes as we carried them. She opened the door to an empty classroom, and we stepped inside. The room felt dim and quiet, with the blinds drawn to keep out the bright afternoon sun.
Mayuri teacher sat down on a chair, placing her lunchbox on the desk and opening it. She took a bite of her lunch and looked at me. "So, tell me, what's this help thing about?"
I sat down across from her, opening my own lunchbox but not feeling hungry. "Recently, I found out something upsetting," I began. "My girlfriend, Salina, was fake dating me."
She paused mid-bite, her expression turning serious. "Fake dating? Why?"
I swallowed hard, trying to keep my emotions steady. "Her best friend told me. It was because of a punishment game... but there's more. She was forced into it because of a stalker."
"A stalker?" Mayuri teacher asked, her voice sharp with concern. "That's serious. Are you sure?"
I nodded. "Her friend gathered evidence and asked me to protect Salina while she deals with the stalker. But I can't just depend on her. I need your help."
Mayuri teacher leaned forward, her eyes serious now. "What kind of evidence do you have?"
I handed her a folder. "Here, watch this."
She opened it and looked through the photos and notes. Her face grew more focused with every page. "This guy is in disguise," she said, frowning. "How do we catch him?"
I checked my watch, my heart pounding. "If we go now, he's just two classrooms away. We can catch him in the act."
Her eyes snapped to mine, filled with determination. "Let's go," she said firmly, standing up so fast her chair scraped against the floor.
We rushed out of the classroom, the sound of our footsteps echoing down the hallway. As we approached the other classroom, I could feel my pulse quicken.
The classroom was quiet, too quiet, as I pushed open the door. It creaked loudly, the sound echoing in the stillness. The room was dim, with only a faint strip of sunlight sneaking in through the half-closed blinds. My chest felt tight as I stepped inside.
"Akash?" I called out, my voice breaking the silence. "Where are you?"
Before I could take another step, the door behind me clicked shut. The sharp sound of the lock turning made my heart jump. I spun around and froze.
There he was, standing in the shadows near the door. Akash's face was partly hidden, but his eyes... His eyes gleamed with an intensity that sent a chill down my spine.
"Akash?" I stammered, my voice trembling. "What are you doing? Why did you lock the door?"
He stepped out of the shadows, his lips curling into an unsettling smirk. "I was waiting for you."
The hair on the back of my neck stood on end. His calm tone was more unnerving than if he'd been angry.
"Waiting for me? Why?" I asked, my voice shaking.
He tilted his head, his gaze sharp and piercing. "You think I don't know what you've been up to?"
My stomach dropped. "What are you talking about, Akash?"
"Oh, don't play dumb," he snapped, his voice turning colder. "You thought you could distract me by pushing Salina toward that Rahul guy? You think I didn't notice?"
I felt my pulse quicken. "I—look, Akash, it wasn't like that. I just thought—"
"You thought you could keep her away from me," he interrupted, stepping closer. His eyes were filled with something dark, something dangerous. "You thought you could play games with me."
I swallowed hard, my throat dry. "I just wanted to protect her," I admitted, my voice barely audible.
"Protect her? From me?" he scoffed, his laugh low and bitter. "Do you think I'd hurt her? Is that what you think of me?"
"She was scared, Akash," I said, trying to reason with him. "She felt like she couldn't breathe with you following her everywhere. I thought... I thought if she was with someone else, you'd stop."
He froze for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then his eyes narrowed, and his smirk returned, sharper than before. "You underestimated me," he said softly.
"Akash, please," I said, raising my hands in a calming gesture. "This doesn't have to go any further. Let's just talk."
"Talk?" He chuckled, the sound low and chilling. "You think we're going to have a little chat and everything will be fine?"
He stepped even closer, and I instinctively backed away until my legs hit the edge of a desk. "Akash, don't do this," I said, my voice cracking. "I didn't mean to upset you. I just—"
"You really thought you could manipulate me? And Rahul? Do you know he kissed Salina last evening?" His tone dripped with venom. "You're going to pay for that."
Fear gripped me as the shadows around us seemed to deepen, Akash's presence looming large and oppressive. Then, a knock at the door shattered the silence. I opened my mouth to scream, but Akash's hand clamped over it, stifling my voice.
I struggled, panic overtaking me. This was it.
The realization hit me like a punch to the gut. I was trapped, alone in a locked room with someone whose obsession had taken a dangerous turn. The shadows around us seemed to grow darker, closing in as his presence loomed larger. My chest tightened as I faced the consequences of my choices, the weight of my mistake pressing down on me like a crushing force.