**The Next Day — "Deep in the Evergreen Forest"**
From morning, thick mist clung to the mountain slopes.
Birds called out, and faint sunlight flickered through the leaves.
Students from both schools had set out for a forest excursion today —
the final day of the joint project between Pratapnagar Girls' High School and Meghmala Girls' High School.
Everyone was singing with joy, laughing, taking photos.
But Medha's face carried a strange emptiness.
Faint red lines rimmed her eyes — traces of a sleepless night.
Anirban Sir walked ahead, supervising the girls' safety.
He paused now and then to warn them:
"Walk carefully, everyone — the path is rocky."
Sneha walked quietly a little behind the group.
Medha, Atreyee, Rupasi, and Tanushree — the four of them exchanged glances as they looked at Sneha.
A strange, unspoken plan glinted in their eyes.
Medha whispered,
"Today I'm going to punish her."
Tanushree trembled slightly.
"What are you planning to do, Medha?"
Medha replied in a cold voice,
"She needs to be taught a lesson. Today she'll understand what it means to toy with my love."
Rupasi hesitated.
"You're serious? If we do anything to her, we'll get caught."
Medha's voice turned icy.
"We won't get caught. Don't worry. Girls like her bring punishment upon themselves."
Atreyee stared wide-eyed.
"What exactly are you planning, Medha?"
Medha spoke in a low, venomous tone.
"Today she'll understand the pain I've endured all this time.
She's my cousin, yes — but she's taken away everyone close to me: my parents, Anirban Sir… everyone.
Today she'll realize not every man belongs to her.
I'm going to take her deep into the forest."
A flash of hatred burned in her eyes.
Tanushree's voice shook.
"Your plan sounds dangerous, Medha… what if something happens to her?"
Medha looked at her with eerie determination.
"Don't be afraid. I'll handle everything."
Gradually, the four of them drifted away from the main group.
Medha began moving according to her plan.
---
Suddenly Medha appeared beside Sneha.
She called out sweetly,
"Didi."
Sneha turned, startled to see Medha.
Medha continued,
"Come na, let's go that way for a bit. My friends want to talk to you — Tanushree, Atreyee, and Rupasi.
They really like you. They said they have something to say."
Sneha hesitated at first, but Medha's voice carried such insistent pleading that she couldn't refuse.
Medha gently pulled her along a different path.
Rupasi, Tanushree, and Atreyee came forward with smiling faces.
"Hey Sneha, you're from Pratapnagar Girls', right? We want to be your friends!"
Sneha was a little surprised but didn't think much of it.
They walked beside her, chatting about all sorts of things. Sneha listened quietly.
Suddenly —
Rupasi said,
"Can I say something? You won't get angry, right?"
Sneha replied,
"No, go ahead."
Rupasi winked.
"We've decided to take a group selfie today — there's this spot we know, up on the hill. The view is absolutely amazing!"
Sneha asked, surprised,
"Better than the viewpoint?"
Atreyee chimed in,
"Yes! It's like something out of a movie."
Sneha said,
"But what if we get lost?"
They reassured her,
"No, no — we won't get lost. Nothing will happen. Don't be scared.
Come with us."
The four of them pulled Sneha along.
They slipped onto a narrow, rocky path to the right of the hill — hidden from the main trail.
All around: trees thick and enclosing, sun veiled in mist, the air heavy with the scent of wet leaves.
Dry leaves crunched underfoot.
Sneha said uneasily,
"This path is going the other way… everyone else went in the opposite direction…"
Medha came close and spoke softly,
"Hey, don't worry. I know this path ahead. Our school has come here before."
They kept moving deeper, slipping away from the main group into the narrow forest trails.
The crunch of leaves, the smell of damp earth.
Sneha grew restless — as though she could sense danger ahead.
"This path feels really scary… let's go back. What if we run into trouble in the forest?"
Medha smiled.
"Are you scared? Don't worry — I'm here."
Atreyee added,
"Yes, yes — you're just overthinking."
They went deeper still — rocky crevices, the distant roar of a gorge below.
Then Medha stopped.
A brief, heavy silence fell.
But Sneha's heart was pounding strangely.
Anirban Sir's face flashed in her mind — "Always stay where I can see you, Sneha, understand?"
Sneha said, startled,
"This place? But it doesn't look beautiful — it looks terrifying."
Medha's lips trembled.
In her eyes — rage, jealousy, and tears all mixed together in a strange storm.
"You can't even imagine, Sneha, how much I hate you."
Sneha stared, stunned.
"What are you saying?"
Medha spat,
"You stole Anirban Sir from me!
You wrap everyone around your finger with your charm — my parents, even him!
You're a slut! Girls like you don't deserve to live!"
Sneha stepped back in fear.
"Medha, you're misunderstanding! I haven't taken anything from you!"
Medha was almost unhinged now.
In a surge of fury, she shoved Sneha hard.
Sneha's foot slipped — she fell backward.
A piercing scream tore through the forest —
"Aaa—aaa—aaaa!!"
Her cry shattered the silence of the jungle.
---
At the edge of the cliff.
Medha stood panting, rage and terror on her face.
Atreyee screamed first,
"Are you insane, Medha! She fell!"
Tanushree, trembling, said,
"Is she alive? We'll go to jail!"
Rupasi whispered in horror,
"She… she fell! She's going to die!"
Atreyee shouted,
"This is all your fault, Medha!"
Medha, eyes filled with tears, whispered,
"I didn't mean to… she was cheating me… she deserved this…"
Rupasi, shaking, asked,
"What do we do now?"
Medha's voice hardened.
"Shut up! No one says anything. No one knows anything.
If anyone asks, say she suddenly wandered off. Everyone saw her walking alone."
There was such fear in her tone that the others fell silent.
Slowly, they slipped back down and rejoined the main group, acting as though nothing had happened.
---
Suddenly Anirban Sir's heart lurched.
"Sneha — where is she?"
Everyone looked around at each other.
One girl said shakily,
"Sir… maybe she went ahead… we didn't notice."
Anirban Sir's face turned pale.
"No! I kept her right in front of my eyes!"
He ran toward the forest, other teachers and some students following behind.
Everyone called out —
"Sneha! Where are you?"
The forest light was dim, mist thick.
---
Despite searching for some time, Sneha was nowhere to be found.
Anirban Sir was gripped with panic.
What would he tell Anurag Sir?
He had promised no harm would come to her — yet the living, breathing girl had vanished into the forest, where danger lurked at every turn.
Anirban Sir searched frantically, running with the guides —
"Look over there too! And that side!"
To be continued...