It was evening when Kaliyug arrived at school and spotted Pankhudi sitting in a corner surrounded by her classmates. As soon as they noticed Kaliyug, everyone moved aside, giving him a clear view of Pankhudi. His eyes fell on her, and he felt a slight sting on his elbow.
"What happened, Pankhudi?" Kaliyug asked, glancing at his arm.
"Nothing much," Pankhudi replied, dabbing at a scratch on her elbow. "Some boys from the neighboring school tried to bother me. I ignored them and came back. Powerful people often think the weak are theirs to bully."
The girls exchanged uneasy glances, silently acknowledging Kaliyug's past reputation.
"You're right," Kaliyug said, avoiding their stares. "The strong should respect the weak."
Determined, he added, "Let me go talk to those boys." He turned to leave.
"No need, Kaliyug," Pankhudi said, stopping him by grabbing his hand. "I'm fine." She led him to another room, her touch soft but firm.
Kaliyug's heart swelled. His affection for Pankhudi grew stronger, but a deep anger simmered within him toward those boys.
"Look, Kaliyug, I brought you a cake!" Pankhudi said, pulling out a small box.
"For me?" Kaliyug's eyes welled up with tears.
"Why are you crying? When I went to buy this, those boys teased me again. They even said, 'Hey, madam, save some cake for us.' I ignored them, but one grabbed my hand. That's how I got this scratch."
Pankhudi smiled and fed him a piece of cake.
"You're amazing, Pankhudi," Kaliyug said, smiling through his tears.
"Okay, I'm heading home. See you tomorrow!" she said, leaving the room.
Kaliyug placed the cake back in the box, walked out of the school, and headed straight to the neighboring school.
The schoolyard was crowded with students who looked on curiously as Kaliyug approached.
"Whoever harassed a girl from my school, come forward now," he announced, his voice loud and commanding. "Or I'll deal with all of you."
Laughter erupted from the group.
"What are you gonna do, big guy?" one boy jeered.
Kaliyug's eyes narrowed. "You'll find out."
As the boys approached him, one transformed into a ferocious wolf and lunged. Kaliyug's body morphed into a lion, and with one swipe of his paw, the wolf was flung aside.
The boys surrounded him, creating a whirlwind of air to trap him. But Kaliyug leapt onto the whirlwind, turning it against them. The vortex scattered them like leaves, leaving the students sprawled across the ground.
"Who's next?" Kaliyug challenged.
One boy stepped forward and sneered. "Yeah, we teased her. Next time, we'll do worse!"
Kaliyug's eyes glowed green as he charged forward, transforming into a massive dragon. He breathed fire, scattering the group. One boy spat acid toward him, but Kaliyug dodged and retaliated, forcing him to flee.
Finally, Kaliyug caught the boy who had grabbed Pankhudi's hand. Dragging him to a tree, he tied a noose around his neck. "If anyone dares touch Pankhudi again, this will be their fate. She's my love. Remember my name—Kaliyug."
The Next Day
It was a cool morning, and the school was buzzing with excitement. An audition for the annual dance competition was taking place, and everyone was gathered in the canteen or auditorium.
Kaliyug searched for Pankhudi but couldn't find her. Eventually, he spotted her practicing alone in a room.
"Pankhudi?" he called out softly.
"Kaliyug, what are you doing here?" she asked, smiling.
"Nothing, just watching you prepare. You'll be amazing—you don't even need practice," Kaliyug said, returning her smile.
"Thanks! I hope you're right," Pankhudi replied as the announcement for her turn echoed through the halls. She hurried to the auditorium, leaving Kaliyug behind.
Kaliyug watched her performance from the audience. Her graceful movements captivated everyone, and the auditorium fell silent when she finished. Then Kaliyug stood and clapped, leading the entire room to cheer for her. Pankhudi was selected for the dance team.
Later, she found Kaliyug waiting for her outside.
"Oh, Kaliyug, I got in! Thank you for believing in me!" She hugged him tightly.
Kaliyug was taken aback. "Because of me?"
"Yes, your encouragement gave me confidence!" Pankhudi said cheerfully.
"Oh, right," Kaliyug replied with a nervous laugh.
"Come on, let's celebrate with some ice cream!" Pankhudi said, pulling him along.
At the ice cream parlor, they bumped into a boy.
"Watch where you're going!" the boy snapped before realizing who was standing in front of him. His face turned pale.
"Oh, it's you," Pankhudi said angrily. "You're the one who bothered me!"
"S-sorry, ma'am!" the boy stammered before running away.
Pankhudi rolled her eyes. "Strange guy."
Days Later
Kaliyug noticed Pankhudi spending more time with Raghu, a classmate he didn't trust. While Kaliyug waited in the canteen or outside the auditorium, Pankhudi seemed oblivious to his presence. Raghu and Pankhudi grew closer, spending time together even outside school.
One morning, Kaliyug's father sat him down.
"You seem troubled, son. Is it about a girl?"
Kaliyug hesitated but nodded. "I like her, but I don't think she feels the same."
"Be yourself, Kaliyug. If you've made mistakes, fix them. That's how you win someone's heart."
Kaliyug smiled. "Thanks, Dad. I'll work on becoming a better person."
Meanwhile, Raghu was scheming with his friends outside the school.
"Stay away from Pankhudi. She belongs to Kaliyug!" one boy teased.
"She doesn't belong to anyone," Raghu snapped. "I'll show her the real Kaliyug tomorrow."
With a devilish grin, he laughed, his plan already in motion.