Rishab's POV
Risha's expression was… strange.
Too strange.
The moment I introduced her to Ira, something in her face shifted--something I couldn't quite explain.
A few weeks ago, when we first joined Saint Aurelius Academy, things weren't like this.
But now…
Risha had changed.
She noticed everything--every small detail--as if each one of them led to something much bigger.
Something bitter.
Something dangerous.
And sometimes…
I regretted it.
I regretted how much Kiara's death had affected her.
I still remember that day.
It was bright.
Peaceful.
The kind of day no one would ever associate with something tragic.
The sun was warm, the sky was clear, and the sound of birds filled the air.
Everything felt… perfect.
But beneath that calm--
beneath that beautiful, quiet moment--
something else existed.
A storm.
One that was already beginning to destroy everything.
And I knew it ...
But I said nothing.
Maybe I should have.
Maybe things would have been different.
But some truths…
are never meant to be spoken out loud.
I remember the way Kiara smiled that day.
It wasn't forced.
It wasn't broken.
It was real.
And that's what made it worse.
Because nothing about what happened next…
felt like an accident.
My grip tightened slightly as the memory threatened to pull me deeper.
I could still hear it.
That sound.
The one that never really left me.
I shut my eyes for a brief second.
No.
Not now.
I couldn't let myself go back there.
Not when everything was already falling into place… just the way it was meant to.
Present day
The tension between Ira and Risha felt real.
Almost suffocating.
Slowly, the cafeteria began to empty as the lunch break came to an end.
Students picked up their bags and left, their voices fading into the distance.
But the silence at our table…
felt heavier than the noise.
I let out a small breath and forced a casual smile.
"Let's go, guys."
I leaned back slightly, trying to lighten the mood.
"Don't you want to study? I can already tell from your faces…"
As soon as we stepped out of the cafeteria, the air felt lighter--
but something still felt off.
"I'm going to the washroom," Ira said casually.
And before I could respond, she walked away.
Something slipped from her hand.
A small piece of paper.
I didn't pay much attention to it and kept walking ahead.
But Risha stopped.
I noticed it only when she bent down slightly, picking something up from the floor.
"Risha?" I called out, slowing my steps.
She didn't respond immediately.
For a second, her expression changed--
barely noticeable…
but enough.
And then, just as quickly, she folded whatever it was and slipped it into her hand.
"Coming," she said, her voice a little too normal.
I frowned slightly.
Something about that didn't sit right with me.
And I knew Ira wasn't just a normal friend of mine.
She knew something--
something that could ruin the very motive I had been working towards.
And that was a risk…
I couldn't afford.
Risha's POV
The moment we stepped out of the cafeteria, I felt it again.
That same uneasy feeling-- crawling under my skin .
I tried to ignore it.
Tried to convince myself that it was nothing.
But then--
something slipped from Ira's hand.
A small piece of paper.
It fell so quietly that no one else noticed.
No one… except me.
I slowed down, my steps faltering for just a second.
Rishabh kept walking ahead, completely unaware.
I bent down slightly, picking it up before anyone else could see.
My fingers tightened around it.
For a moment, I hesitated.
I shouldn't.
I really shouldn't.
But something inside me refused to listen.
Slowly, I unfolded the paper.
Meet me there
My breath hitched.
I didn't need an explanation.
I knew exactly what she meant.
The same place--
where everything had started.
Where I had met Lavanya.
My grip tightened.
This wasn't a coincidence.
My mind told me to ignore it.
To walk away.
To stay out of something that clearly wasn't safe.
But my heart-- refused.
Because this wasn't just about me anymore.
It was about her.
And the truth she deserved.
The path felt longer than usual.
Or maybe… it was just me.
Every step I took towards that place made my heartbeat louder.
I shouldn't be here.
And yet--
I didn't stop.
The moment I reached, everything felt… still.
Too still.
And then I saw her.
Standing on the other side.
Waiting.
Ira.
She didn't move.
Neither did I.
For a moment-- we just stood there .
Looking at each other.
Her expression was calm.
As if she had been expecting me.
As if she already knew…
I would come.
A strange feeling settled in my chest.
Not fear.
Not exactly.
Something else.
Something I couldn't namebut couldn't ignore either.
"You came."
Her voice was calm.
Almost… certain.
Like there was never a doubt in her mind that I would.
I didn't respond immediately.
My eyes stayed fixed on hers.
"You dropped that note on purpose," I said finally, my voice steady.
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
Not warm.
Not friendly.
"Of course I did."
Silence stretched between us again.
But this time--
it felt heavier..
"You shouldn't be here," she added quietly.
My grip tightened.
"Then why did you call me?"Her expression didn't change.
"Because," she said, taking a slow step forward,
"you're already involved… whether you realise it or not.
"Tell me, Risha…"
"How much do you actually know about the people around you?"
Her questions were twisted and i wasn't able to untangle it .
I was there to ask her about lavanya but not to answer her questions.
"I know what you did to Lavanya."
My voice didn't shake.
Not this time.
For a moment, Ira said nothing.
Her expression didn't change.
"Why does Lavanya matter to you this much?" she asked instead.
The question caught me off guard.
But before I could respond--
she continued.
"Let me remind you, Risha…"
Her voice dropped, quieter now.
Colder.
"No one here is your friend."
"You can't trust anyone."
She took a slow step closer.
"And certainly not the ones who are closest to you."
My breath hitched--just for a second.
"If you still don't understand…"
she said, her eyes locking onto mine,
"Your situation won't be any different from Lavanya's."
A pause.
Just long enough to make it worse.
"The only difference is…"
Her lips curved into the faintest smile.
"She was betrayed by people she never trusted."
She leaned in slightly.
"And you…"
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"will be betrayed by the ones you do."