His words left me speechless.
For a moment, I couldn't process what was happening around me… or what secret he was talking about.
Just then, Rishab walked toward me.
"Who… was he?" he asked, clearly confused.
"A new friend?"
At that moment, those questions felt completely pointless to me.
Suddenly, a strange thought crossed my mind -- maybe entering Saint Aurelius Academy was the worst decision of my life.
I was scared…
What if I ended up discovering secrets my heart would never be able to accept?
Just then, my eyes followed Rakshat Verma. He was walking toward someone, as if he had something important to say.
A little farther away, I noticed Vidyantsh Verma standing there, his arms crossed as he leaned casually against the wall.
Rishab quietly noticed that my attention had shifted toward them.
He spoke softly,
"Do you know… I've heard a lot about both of them."
A sudden look of confusion crossed my face.
I turned to him and asked,
"What do you know about them?"
He answered, surprisingly,
"Don't you know? They're cousins… and the entire school--even the authorities--are afraid of them."
I couldn't process what he had just said.
Why would students--and even the school authorities--fear two boys who were just seventeen?
Rishab continued, his voice lowering into a mysterious tone, as if he were narrating a story. Of course, he had always been good at exaggerating things.
"They belong to the most powerful political family in the city… every single man and woman in their family is a successful politician."
Rishab let out a small laugh, as if my reaction amused him.
"You still don't get it, do you?"
He leaned a little closer, lowering his voice even more.
"Their family doesn't just exist in politics… they control it."
I frowned, not fully convinced.
He continued,
"Ministers, party leaders, policy makers… most of them are either directly related to them or connected through alliances."
My expression slowly changed.
"Even the school…" he added, glancing toward the building of Saint Aurelius Academy,
"…was built on land donated by their family."
My heart skipped a beat.
"And the board members?" he smirked faintly.
"Half of them owe their positions to them."
For a moment, everything around me felt… different.
This wasn't just influence.
This was control.
I didn't say anything after that.
My eyes instinctively drifted back toward them—toward Rakshat Verma and Vidyantsh Verma.
They were still standing at a distance, talking about something I couldn't hear… something I felt I wasn't supposed to hear.
A strange, unsettling feeling settled deep in my chest.
It felt as if I had unknowingly stepped into something far bigger than I had ever imagined.
"Risha?"
I blinked and looked at Rishab.
"Let's go," he said. "It's getting late."
I nodded silently.
We walked out of Saint Aurelius Academy, but the uneasy feeling refused to leave me.
After a few moments of silence, I finally spoke,
"Rishab… should we go to Kiara's house?"
He looked at me, slightly surprised.
"Now?"
I hesitated for a second before nodding.
"I just… want to see Auntie and Uncle. It's been a while."
He studied my face for a moment, as if trying to understand what I wasn't saying out loud.
Then he sighed softly.
"Alright. Let's go."
We walked toward Kiara's house.
A flood of memories came rushing back as we passed through those streets—the same ones where the three of us once walked together, laughing and talking without a care in the world.
Sometimes, I wonder… why am I doing this to myself?
Everyone else had moved on with their lives, yet I was still stuck in the past, holding on to memories that refused to fade.
But my heart never stopped missing her.
It felt as if she hadn't just left us…
She had taken a part of me with her--
a part that was always hers.
We didn't even realize when our steps slowed down…
We were so lost in Kiara's memories--her laughter, her endless conversations, the way she used to fill even silence with comfort--
that before we knew it, we were standing right in front of her house.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
It felt strange…
Everything looked the same--yet nothing was same.
Rishab finally rang the bell.
The door opened, and Aunty's face lit up the moment she saw us.
"Risha! Rishab!" she said warmly, pulling us into a hug.
For a second… it felt normal.
As if Kiara would come running from inside, complaining about something random.
But she didn't.
We sat in the living room, talking about small things. Aunty kept smiling, asking about our studies, our routine… trying to keep the conversation alive.
Uncle joined us quietly, listening more than speaking.
The house still carried Kiara's presence… in every corner.
After a while, I hesitated.
"Aunty… can I ask you something?"
She nodded gently.
I paused for a second before saying,
"Have you ever heard of someone named Rakshat Verma?"
The moment his name left my lips-- everything changed
Aunty's smile faded.
Uncle looked up instantly.
The room fell silent.
"Where did you hear that name?" Uncle asked, his voice calm… but firm.
"He studies in our school," I replied softly.
Aunty glanced at Uncle, something unspoken passing between them.
Then she looked back at me.
"Risha…"
her voice trembled slightly,
"stay away from that boy."
My heart skipped a beat.
I didn't ask anything further…
but something didn't feel right anymore.
I already knew about Ananya's condition.
I had been visiting them with Rishab for a long time now… and every time, she was the same--
silent… distant… almost lifeless.
But she wasn't always like this.
Ananya used to be the complete opposite of Kiara.
If Kiara was calm and composed… Ananya was full of energy—always talking, always laughing, always running around the house.
And yet, no matter how much they fought over the smallest things, one thing was always clear--
Ananya loved Kiara more than anything.
She looked up to her.
Admired her.
She wanted to be like her--kind, calm… perfect in her own way.
I still remember how Rishab and I used to laugh at their silly arguments… and then end up praising their bond the very next moment.
Being single children ourselves, we had somehow started seeing Ananya as our own little sister too.
Maybe that's why…
seeing her like this felt even more unbearable.
We stayed a little longer… talking, pretending everything was normal.
But nothing felt normal anymore.
"I'll just be back," I said softly, excusing myself as I walked toward the washroom.
The hallway felt strangely quiet.
Too quiet.
After a moment, I stepped out, wiping my hands absentmindedly--
and suddenly--
a hand grabbed my wrist
I gasped softly as I was pulled aside.
It was Ananya.
Before I could react, she pulled me into her room and shut the door behind us.
My heart started racing.
"Ananya…?"
She didn't reply.
She just stood there, staring at me.
Her eyes…
They weren't empty anymore.
They were filled with something I couldn't fully understand--
fear… confusion… urgency.
As if she wanted to say something.
As if she needed to say something.
Her lips parted slightly…
but no words came out.
"Ananya, what is it?" I whispered, my voice barely steady.
She shook her head faintly, as if struggling with something inside her.
And then--
her grip on my wrist tightened.
Almost like she was trying to stop me from leaving.
And in that moment…
I knew--
she was trying to warn me