**The Next Morning — Dawn**
**5:12 AM**
A single ray of sunlight slipped through the cracked window, entering the room.
The night's chill still lingered in the air, but the warmth of the light slowly began to fill the space.
A handful of morning rays fell across Sneha's face through the broken glass.
Sneha slowly opened her eyes.
Her body ached and felt numb, but as she lifted her head slightly, she realized—
Anurag Sir was still lying behind her.
Sir hadn't slept all night.
Half his body lay outside the blanket, frozen in the cold—but he hadn't moved an inch, determined to keep Sneha warm.
Before Sneha could say anything, Sir spoke in a very calm voice—
"You're awake? How's the pain?"
Sneha replied in a weak, pained tone,
"The pain has lessened, Sir…"
Anurag Sir:
"Good. I'm here. Don't be afraid. The rescue team will find us very soon."
Sneha noticed—
Sir's eyes were red, his lips cracked from the cold.
Her chest tightened painfully.
—Had Sir stayed awake the entire night?
—In this freezing cold, Sir had stayed up all night… for her…
Sir rose from the bed and sat up.
Then he lit a small fire and warmed some water for Sneha.
Afterward, he climbed back onto the bed and carefully helped her drink the warm water.
As soon as Sneha tried to move a little, her face twisted in pain.
Anurag Sir immediately leaned down.
"Where does it hurt? Tell me."
Sneha pointed toward her knee.
Through the torn fabric, the wound was visible.
Sir took out the ointment from his bag and once again began gently applying it to her injury.
Sneha winced and instinctively clutched Sir's shirt.
Sir looked at her.
For a long moment, the two of them gazed silently into each other's eyes.
Sir asked softly,
"Sneha, are you okay?"
Sneha gave no answer.
She simply stared at Sir's handsome face, still gripping his shirt tightly.
Sir slowly lowered his face and placed the gentlest kiss on her lips.
Just for a second—but it sent an electric current through Sneha's body.
Sir softly stroked her hair and said,
"I'll take you to the hospital very soon. Don't worry, alright?"
Not a single word escaped Sneha's lips.
She simply kept staring at Sir's face, unblinking.
A little while later, they both prepared to leave the forest.
Sir asked gently,
"Can you walk?"
Sneha nodded slowly.
The moment she put weight on her foot, pain contorted her face.
Sir immediately stepped forward and supported her.
"Slowly… slowly. I'm here."
---
The mist was thinning.
Anurag Sir walked with his fingers wrapped around Sneha's waist—
giving her support with every single step.
Sneha's face flushed with shyness, yet she also felt good.
Sir held her firmly as they walked, making sure she didn't feel any pain.
In his mind, he kept wondering—Was Sneha thinking about last night's touch?
The thought made Sir's own face turn red.
Finally, Anurag Sir and Sneha spotted a mountain ranger.
Sir called out loudly—
"Hello! Help! She is injured!"
The ranger ran over, saw Sneha's wounds, and immediately began first aid.
Anurag Sir introduced himself and Sneha, and explained how he had come searching for her.
The ranger asked,
"Where were you last night?"
Sneha glanced at Sir.
Sir answered calmly—
"In an old house deep inside the forest."
The ranger was stunned.
A teacher and his student had spent the night in this terrifying jungle!
The ranger shook his head and said,
"If you hadn't been there, this girl wouldn't have survived."
Gratitude and admiration filled Sneha's eyes.
Her gaze remained fixed on Sir.
---
**Back at Hotel Himalay Bliss**
Word spread that Sneha had been found.
The news reached the room of Medha, Atreyee, Rupasi, and Tanushree as well.
The moment they heard, panic set in.
Atreyee (frantic):
"Oh no! They found that girl! What's going to happen to us now!"
Tanushree:
"She fell from the hill and still didn't die! What kind of luck is that!"
Rupasi:
"She won't let us go. She'll definitely tell the Sirs and Ma'ams everything."
Medha sat silently, lost in thought.
Atreyee (shouting):
"Everything happened because of that psycho girl!"
Atreyee grabbed Medha by the collar, yanked her forward, and slapped her hard across the face.
Tanushree and Rupasi stared in shock.
Medha touched her cheek. She said nothing.
Atreyee, fuming with rage:
"If we hadn't followed your plan, we wouldn't be in this mess today."
---
**At the Hospital**
Sneha lay on the bed.
Many teachers from both Pratapnagar Girls' High School and Meghmala Girls' High School had rushed to see her.
Sirs and Ma'ams crowded around, asking what happened, where she had been, how she got lost.
After a moment's thought, Sneha said,
"I took the wrong path… I lost my way."
Her voice trembled slightly, but her face remained calm.
Anurag Sir stood quietly beside her.
He understood—Sneha had deliberately hidden the truth.
She didn't want her cousin to be punished.
While the other teachers and Ma'ams surrounded Sneha, asking questions, Anurag Sir quietly stepped outside.
But Sneha's heart wanted only one Sir—Anurag Sir.
After the others had spoken at length and finally left the room, Sneha lay silently on the hospital bed.
She kept wondering—Where had Anurag Sir gone?
Why did he walk away when all the other Sirs and Ma'ams crowded around her?
She only wanted him.
Suddenly Anirban Sir entered the room.
"Sneha, are you alright?"
Sneha tried to sit up, but winced in pain.
Sir immediately supported her.
"Slowly… you're still weak."
Anirban Sir spoke with deep remorse,
"Forgive me, Sneha. Because of my carelessness, this happened to you!"
Sneha replied,
"No, Sir. This wasn't your fault at all."
Anirban Sir:
"But how did you get lost?"
Once again the memory of that incident flashed through Sneha's mind.
She hadn't told any teacher about what Medha and the others had done.
And she didn't want to tell Anirban Sir either—because she knew how much Medha liked him.
If he learned the truth, he would hate Medha even more.
Just then Anurag Sir entered the room.
As soon as he stepped in, both Sneha and Anirban Sir turned to look at him.
Anurag Sir said:
"Her cousin pushed her off the hill."
The moment the words left his mouth, it was as if the sky had fallen on Anirban Sir's head.
Anirban Sir:
"What! What did you say! Medha did that?!"
Anurag Sir nodded.
"Yes. And she wasn't alone. Three of her friends were with her."
Anirban Sir's heart shattered.
How could Medha do something like this—to her own cousin!
How could she stoop so low!
Beneath that innocent face hid a monster!
Sneha could see how devastated Anirban Sir was.
Sneha said,
"Sir… she didn't realize what she was doing. Please forgive her."
Anirban Sir looked at Sneha's face.
"Why did Medha do this?"
Sneha lowered her eyes, swallowed hard, and said,
"She thought… you liked me. That's why—"
Anirban Sir's heart twisted painfully.
No—this was beyond endurance!
He had never even imagined Medha could think such things.
The idea of liking Sneha—the girl who was the beloved of his closest friend—had never once crossed his mind, not even in dreams.
To him, Sneha had been nothing more than a responsibility entrusted by his best friend.
Yet in just a few days, Medha had thought such twisted things about him and ultimately made such an inhuman decision!
In the end, the guilt circled back to Anirban Sir himself.
He should have understood Medha's state of mind.
He had grossly underestimated her.
She was truly dangerous.
Seeing Anirban Sir fall silent, both Sneha and Anurag Sir grew concerned.
Anurag Sir:
"Anirban… are you alright?"
Anirban Sir looked at Anurag Sir and said,
"Forgive me. Because of me, that girl did this."
Anurag Sir:
"Why are you asking for forgiveness? This isn't your fault at all."
Anirban Sir spoke in a voice thick with emotion,
"No… it is my fault.
I should have understood Medha's state of mind.
She… she's truly mad…"
Anurag Sir watched Anirban Sir's face with worry.
Sneha looked anxious.
Anirban Sir stood up and began walking out.
Anurag Sir called after him,
"Anirban! Anirban! Where are you going?"
---
**In Medha's Room**
Medha, Atreyee, Rupasi, Tanushree—the four of them sat with terror in their eyes.
Tanushree came running back with the news:
Sneha had been taken to the hospital. She would return to the hotel tonight.
Rupasi, panting,
"She didn't tell the Sirs and Ma'ams anything, right?"
Tanushree swallowed hard in fear,
"I don't think so. Otherwise someone would have come to our room by now."
Rupasi said,
"But if she does tell…
If she says we pushed her… what will happen to us?"
Atreyee burst out,
"No—it's not our fault at all!
If anyone asks, we'll say Medha pushed her.
And she threatened us to keep quiet."
They acted as though they bore no responsibility at all.
Yet the truth was—they had all agreed to the act.
They had even tried to cover it up themselves.
Medha listened to every word.
They were all trying to pin the blame solely on her—to push her into danger alone.
But even hearing their words, Medha's face showed no reaction.
It was as though nothing mattered to her anymore.
Even if she got caught, it didn't matter.
Because she knew Sneha would definitely tell Anirban Sir everything.
And once he knew the truth, he would hate her deeply.
Whatever the school said, whatever punishment she received—none of it mattered.
But if Anirban Sir hated her, the pain would be unbearable.
And Medha already knew—he had learned the truth.
All her hopes, dreams, and desires had turned to dust in an instant.
She had no more wishes, no more longings.
She was completely shattered.
She no longer feared anything.
To be continued...