It's happening now. The disciplinary meeting is happening right now inside the principal's office while I pace in tight circles around our empty classroom. Doing absolutely nothing. My hands are shaking, stuffed into my hoodie pockets like I can keep myself from unravelling if I just press hard enough. Every time I glance at Shlok, leaning against a desk like he has nothing better to do, my stomach twists.

'He's still not traceable, is he?' I blurt, the words sharp, too loud, cutting through the thick silence. My brain is caught on one loop, one answer: Vatsal. He has to show up. That's the only way this ends.

Shlok shrugs, crossing his legs at the ankles, casual, like I've asked about the weather instead of how to stop a wrecking ball from destroying someone's life.

'Look,' he says, too calm, too Shlok, 'I don't totally understand it, but I get it. You care about her. You love her, and all that shit. But none of that's gonna fix anything now.'

I stop pacing and turn sharply toward him, my jaw so tight it feels like it might snap. 'What the hell are you saying I should do, then?

Shlok lifts one shoulder in a lazy shrug, like this whole thing is just mildly inconvenient. 'Do what you do best,' he says, like it's obvious. 'Study. Pre-boards are coming up. IIM isn't gonna wait just because you're all twisted up over this.'

The words sting, and he doesn't even have the decency to flinch.

'I should've done that,' I mutter, nodding. 'I should've just focused on that instead of—' I stop myself, feeling my throat tighten. 'Instead of ruining someone's life.' The words come out quieter than I intend, barely above a whisper.

Shlok straightens a little, like my guilt is some kind of personal affront. 'You didn't ruin her life. Vatsal did. He made sure your face was blurred so it'd all fall on her—'

'But wasn't this our plan?' The words snap out of me before I can stop them. They hang in the air, accusing, and I can't even tell if I'm talking to him or myself.

Shlok doesn't flinch, but I do, the memory of his voice slicing through my thoughts. How he'd made it sound so simple, so logical. Like this was the only way. Like success wasn't just about working hard but about stepping on whoever was in the way. Like pulling someone else down was just another rung on the ladder.

And worse—how it took me so long to stop believing him.

But who knew I will fall in love with the person he wanted me to destroy? The person I wanted to pull behind?

I'm hit with the memory of Vatsal standing in front of me, asking when I was finally going to break up with her and "follow through with the plan."

'There is no plan,' I'd told him back then, my tone clipped, dismissing the whole conversation before it could even begin. I thought that would be enough. I thought saying it out loud would somehow end whatever twisted fantasy he was carrying in his head. But I was wrong.

The look on his face that day... it's burned into my mind. His expression didn't shift, not even a flicker of surprise or disappointment. Just this blank neutrality, like he'd been expecting it. Like he'd already decided what he was going to do the second I said no.

It wasn't the face of the funny, loud-mouthed kid I met in fourth grade when his section switched to mine. It was something colder. Detached.

And then there was that moment—just days ago, when I was searching for Maithili in the classroom. I'd caught a glimpse of him when he passed me as soon as he opened the door, his face a mask of calm. But for a split second, there it was again. That same blank expression.

Like he knew. Like he'd already won.

And now, standing here, the pieces fall into place too late. Too fucking late.

Shlok's still talking, his voice sharp but distant, like static in my ears. 'It's not your fault! Half our classmates have hooked up in worse places than the library. It's not like—'

I tune him out. The words don't even register. All I know is that as far as anyone else cares, this is my fault. Whatever is happening to her—whatever hell she's being dragged through—it's on me.

Shlok keeps going, throwing out words like they'll fix something. 'No one cares unless you get caught. It's all cool until. Then, it's body count and bragging rights.'

His words keep coming, pointless and hollow, filling the silence like he thinks sheer noise will keep me from doing what I know I need to.

'Calm down, bro,' he says and finally something registers.

'Calm down?' I scoff.

Calm down? Me? Like I'm the one who's spewing nonsense, like it's not Maithili sitting behind the principal's closed door, like her whole future isn't balancing on some razor-thin edge because of me.

Shlok shakes his head like I'm a petulant kid throwing a tantrum. It only pisses me off more.

And then it clicks. I stop pacing.

'I'm going,' I say, the decision hitting me as suddenly as the words hit him.

Shlok straightens, confused. 'Going where?'

'To the principal's office. I'm going to tell them the truth. That I'm the one in the video.'

'What the—no, you're not!' Shlok lurches forward.

His hand grabs the back of my hoodie, yanking me hard enough that I stumble, my shoulder slamming into the edge of a desk. I whirl around, shoving him off me.

I jerk my arm away. 'Let go.'

'No,' he snaps, stepping in front of me. 'Romil, think for a second. You're not helping her by ruining yourself. You'll only make it worse—'

'Get out of my way, Shlok,' I growl, but he doesn't budge.

'I'm serious, Romil. Don't be stupid. This is bigger than you feeling guilty. You don't get to throw your future away because—'

'Because what?' I cut him off, my voice rising. 'Because it's my fault? Because I'm the one who thought this was a good idea? That faking a relationship with her would somehow fix my grades?!'

Shlok stares at me, stunned, but I can't stop. The words pour out like a dam breaking.

'I trapped her in this, don't you get that? I made her part of this sick, twisted game, and now look where she is. Behind that door. Alone. While we're out here arguing about who deserves to feel worse.' My throat tightens, and I swallow hard, trying to keep it together. 'I ruined her.'

'You didn't ruin her,' Shlok says, his voice softer now. 'I didn't plan this to happen. None of this—'

'You planned enough!' I cut him off, the anger boiling over again. 'You're the one who said if I faked the relationship and broke her heart, she'd go running to Vatsal. You promised him, didn't you? That's why he did this. Because it didn't happen the way you said it would.'

Shlok's face hardens. 'I didn't promise him anything! You're acting like this was some master plan, but it wasn't. I just wanted her to fall a few grades behind, that's it. So, you could be back on top. That's all. I didn't—'

'You didn't think,' I snap. 'You never think, Shlok. And now she's paying for it.'

His jaw tightens, and for a moment, I think he's going to shove me. Instead, he throws up his hands, his voice sharp and exhausted. 'You're not a child, Romil. Stop acting like you are. You were just as responsible for this as I was. You knew what you were doing!'

The words sting, but before I can respond, his eyes flick toward the door. His whole body goes stiff, his face draining of colour.

I follow his gaze, and my stomach plummets.

Maithili is standing in the doorway.

Her cheek is red, a perfect handprint blooming against her skin, and there's a small bruise on her forehead, the same place she bruised before.

'Maithili—' I start, my voice cracking, but she's already moving.

She closes the distance between us in five long, deliberate strides, her steps echoing like thunder in my chest.

I don't see the slap coming. I barely feel it when it lands.

But I feel the silence that follows.

And then, nothing.