Misha marched into the lecture hall, her boots clicking sharply against the floor.
She spotted Piya sitting all by herself near the back, lost in deep thought.
But the moment Piya caught sight of Misha approaching, her eyes widened.
She frantically grabbed a pen and leaned over her notebook, scribbling random lines on the page in a desperate bid to act busy and avoid eye contact.
Misha’s jaw tightened.
“Oh, really?” she muttered under her breath, storming right up to Piya’s desk.
Just as Misha was about to confront her, the professor walked through the door, loudly shuffling a stack of papers onto the podium.
“Good morning, class. Settle down immediately.”
Suppressing a glare, Misha moved to slide into the empty seat right beside Piya.
But before she could sit, Piya quickly unslung her heavy backpack and tossed it onto the bench, blocking the spot entirely.
Misha’s eyes flashed with pure fury.
She opened her mouth to snap at her, but the professor cleared his throat pointedly, staring right in their direction.
Gritting her teeth, Misha slammed her notebook down on the very next bench, taking a seat directly beside Piya instead.
She leaned sideways, her voice dropping to a harsh, dangerous whisper.
“You have exactly five minutes after this lecture to tell me what your problem is, Piya—or I swear I’ll drag you out of this classroom myself.”
Piya kept her head down, her heart hammering against her ribs.
She stared blankly at her notebook, torn between the warden’s strict warning and Misha’s fierce, looming confrontation.
The professor had barely written a few lines on the chalkboard when heavy, synchronized footsteps echoed in the hallway.
The door swung open, and two police officers walked straight into the classroom.
The entire lecture hall fell dead silent.
The professor lowered his chalk, looking completely bewildered.
“Excuse me,” the leading officer said, his voice deep and authoritative, cutting through the silence.
“Who is Piya?”
A collective gasp rippled through the room. New chapters come out on g.com first.
Every single head turned.
Misha’s eyes went wide, and she sat up straight, her anger instantly replaced by shock.
Across the room, Kabir gripped the edge of his desk, his relaxed demeanor vanishing.
For a moment, Piya couldn’t breathe.
Her heart hammered against her ribs like a trapped bird.
She looked around in utter confusion before slowly, shakily, standing up from her bench.
“Y-yes,” Piya said, her voice barely a whisper.
“I am Piya.”
The officer’s stern expression didn’t change.
“Please come out of the class with us.”
“But… why? What happened?” she asked, her hands trembling.
“Just step outside, please,” the second officer insisted, gesturing toward the door.
Misha half-stood from her seat, looking like she was about to argue with the cops, but Piya gave her a panicked, subtle shake of her head.
Grabbing her heavy backpack, Piya walked down the aisle, feeling the burning stares of every student in the room.
As she stepped out into the cold hallway and the classroom door clicked shut behind her, the leading officer turned to her.
He pulled out a small notepad.
“Are you a resident of the girls’ hostel on campus?” he asked, his tone grim.
“Yes,” Piya nodded, her mouth dry.
Once they were out in the empty hallway, the heavy classroom door shut behind them.
Piya wrapped her arms around herself, trembling.
“Sir… what happened?” Piya asked again, her voice barely a whisper.
The leading officer looked at her coldly.
“You are under arrest.” This story is hosted at g.com.
‘”What?”‘ Piya froze, all the air leaving her lungs.
The word echoed in her mind, paralyzing her completely.
Suddenly, a loud voice shattered the tense silence of the hallway.
“Under arrest for what?!”
Piya spun around.
Misha had burst out of the classroom, her eyes blazing with fury.
Right behind her, Kabir stepped out into the corridor as well, his usual relaxed expression replaced by a dark, serious scowl.
Misha marched straight over to Piya, inserting herself right between her and the police officers.
She glanced back at Piya, her expression fierce but incredibly loyal.
“You tried your absolute best to ignore me this morning,” Misha said, her voice dropping to a fierce whisper so only Piya could hear.
“But I am Misha.
Once I make someone my friend, I “never” break that friendship.
Not even in death.”
Piya stared at her, her eyes welling up with tears.
The warden had told her Misha was reckless and a bad influence, but right now, Misha was the only shield she had.
Misha turned back to the cops, crossing her arms defensively.
“By the way, what exactly is the problem? What has she supposedly done, and why on earth are you arresting her?”
The officer’s expression didn’t soften.
He held up a clear evidence bag, his voice echoing loudly in the silent hall.
“Because we found a massive stash of drugs hidden in her room.”
‘”What?!”‘ Misha gasped, stepping back in pure shock.
Kabir froze, his eyes darting to Piya.
Piya felt the floor drop out from under her.
Suddenly, a terrifying realization hit her like a physical blow—the metallic, bitter odor in her room last night, and her roommates sitting completely paralyzed in the dark.