Riddhiman yanked the collar of her frock lower. The mark became even clearer. He pressed his finger hard against it. Sneha flinched in pain.
"Who? Tell me! Some boy from school? Who had the guts to do this?"
Sneha's eyes widened in fear, but she said nothing. She only cried.
Riddhiman's anger flared even hotter.
"Why are you silent? Do you think I won't find out? That innocent face, that shy act — it's all fake! You've gone far behind my back. But I won't let you go. You are mine. And whoever touched you… I will destroy him."
He grabbed her shoulders and shook her hard.
"I want to know who! How many times! Where! Tell me everything!"
Sneha couldn't take it anymore. She screamed,
"Aunty! Aunty!"
There was pounding on the door. Aunty Nitu came running. The moment she opened the door and stepped inside, she saw Riddhiman holding Sneha while the girl cried.
"Riddhiman! Let her go! What are you doing?!"
Riddhiman's eyes were still blazing with fury.
"Your girl… your girl has become too bold…"
Aunty kept pleading to Riddhiman to let Sneha go.
Riddhiman didn't even seem to hear Aunty's words. His hand remained clamped tightly on Sneha's shoulder, fingers digging in so hard that red marks were already forming on her skin.
His eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging in his neck. He turned toward Aunty, but there was no respect in his gaze — only hatred and arrogance.
"Shut up," he shouted, each word slicing like a sharp knife. "Are you all trying to make a fool of me? Do you think I don't understand anything? This girl has another man's bite mark on her neck, and you're coming here to stop me?"
Aunty Nitu said in a trembling voice,
"Riddhiman, please… let her go. She's terrified."
Riddhiman ignored her completely.
Instead, he shook Sneha's shoulders even harder. Her body trembled, but she stayed silent, eyes tightly shut.
"Who did this? Tell me!" Riddhiman's voice was heavy and shaking with rage.
He pressed his finger hard against the mark on her neck. Sneha cried out in pain, "Aah!" Tears streamed down her face.
"I want to know right now! Which bastard bit you? Tell me, or I'll kill you right here today!"
Aunty Nitu rushed forward and tried to pull Riddhiman's hand away.
"Riddhiman! Let her go! I said let her go! Have you gone mad?"
Riddhiman jerked his hand free from Aunty's grip, his eyes filled with disgust.
"You stay quiet! Your daughter has another man's mark on her body, and you're trying to stop me? She better tell me who did it right now! Otherwise, no one will be worse than me. I'll do something to her that she'll remember for the rest of her life!"
Sneha kept crying with her eyes closed. Her lips trembled, but no words came out. No matter what happened, she would not speak about Sir.
Riddhiman grabbed a fistful of Sneha's hair and yanked her face up. Sneha winced in pain.
"Tell me! Who was it? Some boy from school? Or was it one of your teachers? Speak!"
Seeing that Sneha still refused to say anything, Riddhiman became extremely irritated.
His patience had run out. He released Sneha and snatched her phone from the bed.
"Fine. If you won't tell me, I'll find out myself."
Aunty couldn't take it anymore. She sat beside Sneha, pulled the girl's head into her lap, and gently stroked her hair. Her voice grew heavy with emotion.
"Sneha… my child… I'm your Aunty. I'm the closest person to you. Please… just tell me who did this. I won't scold you. Just tell me, sweetheart… who left that mark on you? I'll do everything for you. Please, my dear… tell me…"
There was love in Aunty's voice, but her eyes were filled with fear and helplessness. Sneha continued crying and shook her head.
"No, Aunty… I can't say… please…"
Aunty kissed Sneha's forehead, tears in her own eyes.
"Sneha… my baby… please… tell me. I'll protect you. If you don't tell me now… things will only get worse. Please, sweetheart… just say the name. I'll handle everything."
But not a single word escaped Sneha's lips.
At that moment, Riddhiman suddenly noticed the messages from Sir on Sneha's phone.
"Anurag Sir… who is this?"
Aunty replied in a shaky voice—
"He's her tuition teacher."
Riddhiman:
"Her tuition teacher? So that's what's going on! Very good. Excellent. So you've been messing around with your tuition teacher! You filthy girl!"
Sneha finally spoke up,
"And you think you're such a good person? You're the filthy one! A disgusting man! Forcing a girl against her will! Threatening her family to marry her!"
Riddhiman was stunned by Sneha's bold words.
This girl had learned to talk back!
He lunged toward her.
"What did you just say?"
Sneha's Aunty wrapped her arms protectively around the girl.
"Riddhiman, you will not touch her!"
Furious, Riddhiman hurled the phone toward Sneha.
He looked at Aunty and said,
"See? Look at what your daughter has done. And now I won't spare that Anurag Sir. He will lose his job. His life will be ruined. And Sneha… you will marry me. Otherwise, I'll tell everyone what kind of family you are."
He walked toward the door. Before leaving, he turned back one last time.
"Oh, and yes… forget about your Sir. From now on, no other man will ever touch you. Because next time, I'll personally put my own mark on your body."
Sneha burst into loud sobs.
The door slammed shut.
Sneha continued crying bitterly in Aunty's lap, her whole body shaking.
Aunty Nitu said with pain in her voice,
"What have you done, Sneha!"
_
_
_
Even after leaving the house and getting into his car, Riddhiman's rage did not subside. In fact, it burned even hotter.
Leaning back in his seat, he kept replaying the chat history between Sneha and Anurag Sir — especially Sneha's words: "I really liked it, Sir. Very much." The memory made unbearable anger surge through his veins.
"Anurag Sir…" he growled through gritted teeth. Just saying the name felt like poison entering his blood.
The driver could clearly sense that Riddhiman was in a terrible mood.
But then again, when was his mood ever good? Today, however, it seemed exceptionally bad.
"Sir," the driver called hesitantly.
"Drive to Pratapnagar Girls' High School," Riddhiman ordered in a threatening tone. "Right now!!!!"
The poor driver swallowed hard and started the car.
**To be continued…**