Aadhya's POV
"Ahh—!" I hissed the moment that king of bastards pressed the ice pack harder against my head.
"Hold it properly," Vivaan snapped, shoving it into my hand and giving me that sharp look like this is your fault.
Jerk.
My whole body was aching. Jumping off that fence like some action heroine was clearly not my best idea.
Luckily… three people caught me.
Nikansh.
Naman.
Vivaan.
Even then, the impact wasn't exactly graceful.
The moment Kaal fell, his group jumped in, but thankfully we had numbers. They lost. Ran away like cowards.
Serves them right.
"Are you alright, Adi?" Naman asked, handing me a water bottle.
I nodded, taking a sip.
"Don't do that next time, Aadhya. You had us scared for a moment," Nikansh said, his voice calm but clearly concerned.
Scared?
I literally jumped like I was jumping on my bed.
"Sorry… I just wanted to break free," I muttered, finally feeling the pain settle in.
My eyes shifted to Dheeraj.
He was staring at me.
Not normal staring.
That intense, thinking kind of stare.
And suddenly—
It clicked.
Their fight.
I need answers.
"Naman… can we talk? Just the two of us?" I asked.
He smiled instantly and nodded.
I glanced at Vivaan and Nikansh, silently telling them to leave.
They got the hint.
Others followed them.
Soon… it was just us.
He sat beside me.
"Naman—"
"Look, Adi… whatever Dheeraj told you… it wasn't my intention," he cut me off quickly.
I frowned.
Why is he so defensive?
I wasn't even asking that yet.
"Look, Naman… it's just that I can't date. I'm sorry. It's not that I don't like you… but I just can't," I said honestly.
He froze.
Like he didn't expect that.
At all.
His expression… shifted.
Shock.
Disbelief.
"I understand… it's early, right? It's okay… take your time. I'll wait," he said, forcing a smile.
Why does he keep saying that?
"Naman… I'm sorry. But I really can't," I repeated softly.
That smile dropped.
"Hmm… okay… I—my friends are waiting. I should go," he said quickly, standing up.
He walked away.
Just like that.
But then—
"Naman…" I called.
He stopped. Turned.
I walked up to him.
"And please… don't fight with Dheeraj again," I said.
He looked at me for a second.
"I can't promise… but I'll try," he replied shortly.
And left.
I stood there… watching him go.
Then suddenly—
Others approached and crowded around like those aunties eager for gossip.
"Did you reject him?" Avi grinned, popping out of nowhere.
Jerk.
I just nodded.
Nikansh had his usual poker face.
Dheeraj… still staring.
And Vivaan—
I couldn't read him at all.
That annoyed me more.
I grabbed my bag, slung it over my shoulder, and started walking.
"Adi, go home straight," Nikansh called out.
"Wait, I'll walk you home," Dheeraj said.
I shook my head.
"No. I'm fine."
I didn't even look back.
I was annoyed.
Really annoyed.
At all of them.
Evening had settled in by the time I neared my house.
And then—
That feeling.
Someone behind me.
I didn't turn.
I already knew.
Dheeraj.
"Adi… we just didn't want you to get hurt," he said.
I kept walking.
Ignored him.
"Adi, I know you're upset about what we did," he admitted.
"Of course you know. It's just me who doesn't know anything," I shot back.
He exhaled.
"You already know about our fight. What more do you want to know?"
"Why," I said, stopping.
Finally turning to face him.
"I know you fought. But why?"
There was a pause.
A long one.
"Okay…" he said finally.
"I'll explain."
Dheeraj's POV
#FLASHBACK
"Vivaan—" we tried to stop him.
He didn't even look at us.
He was clearly out of control again. Not the composed, calculating version of himself… but the reckless one. The one that didn't think about consequences.
They were doing exactly what they were being accused of. Creating chaos. Proving everyone right.
It was embarrassing. Not just for him—for all of us.
"Fuck off. Don't bother me," he snapped, brushing past us.
I clenched my jaw slightly but didn't react. There was no point arguing with him in that state. Logic doesn't work on someone who has already decided to ignore it.
"Leave him alone," Nikansh said quietly.
I looked at him.
He understood too.
In situations like this, pushing Vivaan only makes things worse. You don't stop him—you wait for him to burn out.
I nodded.
We walked back to the classroom.
The atmosphere inside was… off. Everyone had seen what happened. No one was saying it directly, but it was obvious—Section E's reputation was getting worse. Again.
And like always… it traced back to Vivaan.
I sat down, thinking.
Nikansh gave me a small signal.
I understood.
"Guys," I said, standing up, "the rule Nikansh and Vivaan applied earlier… it's now official."
Immediate reactions.
Of course.
Murmurs. Complaints. Frustration.
Even when I was the president, I couldn't completely oppose Vivaan. He didn't need authority—he had influence. People followed him even when they disagreed.
And I… let that happen.
At that time, I told myself it was for stability. That keeping things from escalating mattered more than control.
But looking back…
That was a mistake.
After months of enforcing the "no Section E in cafeteria" rule, people slowly stopped taking me seriously.
Not directly.
But I could see it.
Less listening. More hesitation.
And when Reyansh found out, he made it official.
A ban.
Because Vivaan and Nikansh escalated things further by confronting him.
A problem… turned into a bigger problem.
Now we were here.
Hungry. Restricted. Frustrated.
"I'm hungry," Avi said, dragging the word.
"Me too," I replied quietly.
But there wasn't much we could do.
Nikansh and I brought food sometimes, but it wasn't enough for everyone. And relying on that wasn't sustainable.
The situation was getting worse. Slowly… but steadily.
"Dheeraj—Dheeraj…"
I turned. Devit was running towards me, slightly out of breath.
"It's Bhavik and Neel… cafeteria…"
That was enough.
I didn't wait. I ran.
The moment I reached—
I assessed everything in seconds.
Bhavik was being held by Manik.
Neel—by Naman. Headlock. Arm twisted behind.
Control positions. Not random fighting.
"Look who's here… President of Section E," Manik announced.
Laughter.
They were making a scene on purpose.
I stepped forward, steady.
"Leave them. Let's talk. I don't want trouble."
It wasn't weakness.
It was control.
Fights escalate fast. One wrong move and it turns into something bigger than intended.
They laughed.
"Are you sure you're in Section E? You're the only one who doesn't fight," Naman said, clearly mocking me.
I ignored the tone.
"I don't want any trouble," I repeated.
That was the goal.
Not ego. Not pride. Outcome.
"Just call Vivaan if you can't handle them!" Neel snapped, struggling.
"No. I'll handle it," I said calmly.
Calling Vivaan would make this worse. That wasn't an option.
"I'll face you. Just let them go," I told Naman directly.
He studied me for a second… then smirked.
He let go.
Manik followed.
Good.
Step one—de-escalation—done.
Now came negotiation.
"Where do you want to settle this?" he asked.
Not if.
Where.
That meant the fight was unavoidable.
"Where do you want it?" I asked back.
Let them choose. It gives them a sense of control. Reduces unpredictability.
They exchanged glances. I didn't miss that.
Then—
"Abandoned factory. Nearby. One-on-one."
I nodded.
Clear terms.
We walked away.
Back in class, everyone surrounded me immediately.
"Should we call Vivaan?"
I shook my head.
"It's handled."
Short. Direct.
"What did you do? Don't tell me you begged," Neel snapped.
I stayed silent.
"Yeah… probably. That's what you're good at. Begging… or talking."
There was anger in his voice.
Not just at me.
At the situation.
At everything.
"Why don't you answer? Because it's true?"
Still, I didn't react.
Reacting would shift focus.
This wasn't about my ego.
"What are you doing here? We're Section E. Fighters. Gamblers. How did you even end up here?"
I listened.
"Did you even fight? Or were you dumped here because you're useless?"
That one… hit.
Not because it was true.
But because part of me remembered why I was here.
"His class caused trouble. He took the blame and ended up here. Is that even a story?" Bhavik added.
"I've never seen you fight even once—are you even Section E?"
"THE FUCK—"
I slammed my desk.
Enough.
There's a limit to ignoring.
"I'm the class president," I said, voice steady but firm.
"And you'll follow my orders. That's how Section E works."
Silence.
Neel and Bhavik stepped back slightly.
Not convinced.
But they stopped.
And that's what mattered for now.
Because the real problem wasn't them.
It never was.
It was Vivaan.
It's been a year since Yuvika left.
And he still hasn't moved on.
Not emotionally. Not mentally.
Everything he does… traces back to that.
Control. Anger. Defiance.
He wants her back.
At any cost.
Even if it means fighting everyone.
Even if it means dragging Section E into it.
And the worst part?
We let it happen.
Because we owe him.
Because no one wants to stand against him.
And right now—
Section E is paying for it.