He doesn’t say anything. Just waits patiently.
I draw in a shaky breath, pressing my palms together as if to gather the courage to speak. “It started almost two years ago when Prakash joined the college as a visiting professor.” My voice falters, shame creeping up my spine. “He was charming, smart, and he had this intense way of drawing you in.” At my words, I catch a flicker of jealousy in Sidharth’s eyes. But I choose to ignore it and continue.
“At first, I didn’t even think of it as anything serious. I mean, I was a student and he was a teacher. But he blurred the lines. He started seeking me out, complimenting me, asking me to stay back after class to ‘discuss’ literature. I was flattered. Stupidly flattered. And eventually… I let myself fall into it.” My voice cracks. I pause, blinking back fresh tears. “He made me feel special, like I mattered. I thought it was love. But I was so, so wrong and stupid.”
Sidharth’s jaw tightens. “You weren’t stupid. That asshole manipulated you. That’s exactly what people like him do.”
I look him in the eye, surprised by the absence of judgment, by the way he doesn’t see me as foolish for falling into the trap. That look is enough to give me the strength to keep going.
“It didn’t take long for the mask to slip. I started noticing things—women he met behind the staff room, whispers about him doing drugs, hanging out in shady places after college hours. At first, I tried to brush it off, telling myself I was just being an overthinking, jealous girlfriend. But something didn’t feel right.” I clasp my hands tighter together.
“I started following him, digging into his life secretly, quietly piecing together the things I had ignored for too long. And then one day, I caught him doing drugs in the college bathroom. That was my breaking point. I told him I was doneand that I was walking away. He didn’t take it well. At first, he laughed, then he threatened me, saying I’d regret it. But I turned a deaf ear to his threats. For once, I chose to listen to the part of me that knew I had to get out before it was too late.”
My voice trembles, and Sidharth gently squeezes my hand.
“Then… Suman,” I whisper. “She just stopped coming to college one day. And I knew something was wrong. That wasn’t like her. Suman never missed a single class.” I pause, the memory cutting deep. “So I went to her house and sat down beside her, holding her hand, pleading with her to tell me what was wrong.” My throat tightens. “And then… she broke down and told me everything.” Tears blur my vision. “She said Prakash had raped her.”
Sidharth goes rigid beside me, his jaw clenched. “Bastard.”
I nod, tears brimming again. “He is. He is a monster.” My voice shakes, but I push through. “I couldn’t sit silent and do nothing. That’s when I… I sneaked into the college late at night and accessed the security room. I knew where the footage was stored. I took it.” A shiver runs through me as the memory resurfaces. “I can’t forget what I saw.” My voice cracks. “I… I wanted to throw up.” I look down, my hands clenched tightly in my lap. “He… he forced himself on her. She begged him to stop.” A sob escapes me before I can stop it. “But he just didn’t.”
Sidharth’s grip on my hand tightens, like he’s trying to hold the pieces of me together when I no longer can. “You went to the police?”
“That was the plan. But I was stupid. I told Prakash first, before I even went to the police. I told him I had the footage and was going to report him. And that’s when it all started. The threats. The blackmail. He said no one would believe me anyway, even with the proof. That people like him always get away with it. And if I tried anything, he’d destroy me.” I swallowhard, trying to steady my racing breath. “He wasn’t wrong. He did destroy my life.”
Sidharth exhales hard. “You tried to do the right thing. You were alone in it, and still, you stood up to him. That takes more courage than most people ever show.”
I shake my head. “It doesn’t feel like courage. Not when I lost my parents and Suman. A part of me feels like it’s because of me that they had to pay the price.” I look away, unable to meet his eyes. “If I hadn’t fallen for him… if I had seen through him sooner… maybe Suman would’ve been safe. Maybe my parents wouldn’t have died in that accident.” My throat tightens. “I keep thinking, what if I had done things differently? What if I hadn’t been so blind?”
I suddenly feel his warm hands on either side of my face, gently tilting my head until my eyes meet his.
“Don’t do that,” he says firmly. “Don’t give yourself such a hard time, Nisha.” His eyes burn, not with anger, not even pity, but something stronger. “You were manipulated. Lied to. Hurt. But you didn’t let it destroy you. You still tried to do the right thing. You still chose to fight your way out. You just didn’t look away when it got ugly. You fucking dared to speak up when most would’ve stayed silent. That’s the strength I’m talking about, which most people don’t have.”
He takes a breath, his voice softer now. “So stop punishing yourself. You don’t get to blame yourself for his sins. And you are also not to be blamed for your parents’ or Suman’s death.” His thumb brushes away a tear that escapes down my cheek. “You didn’t fail them. He did. And I swear to you, I will make that bastard pay.”
And just like that, the crushing weight on my chest begins to ease. The ache doesn’t disappear completely. But in this moment, in his eyes, I find something I haven’t felt in so long.Safe. Protected.
I draw in a shaky breath, gathering myself, and whisper, “There’s something else you need to know. You need to know why I went to meet Prakash today.”
His jaw tenses, but he doesn’t interrupt. He simply nods, his hands still holding my face.
“I…” I pause, my throat tightening again as the words catch on the edge of fear. “I got an email today. An anonymous one.”
Sidharth’s eyes sharpen instantly. I swallow hard. “It said… it’s him, not Prakash, who wants to harm me.”
His entire body goes rigid. The warmth in his eyes vanishes and is replaced by a cold, furious fire. His hands drop from my face, but only so he can clench them into fists at his sides.
“You got a threatening email?” he asks, his voice clipped, controlled, but barely.
“Yes,” I admit, my voice small. “But I didn’t want to drag you into this all over again. You’d already been through it once. You didn’t need a repeat.”
“Don’t,” he says sharply. “Don’t ever say that again. Don’t you dare hide things from me and gamble with your life. And more than anything, stop pushing me away. Stop placing me in some so-called safe zone. I know you’re used to handling everything alone, but that ends now.” He takes my hand and holds it firmly. “You need to know that being a detective isn’t just my job, but it’s what I’m good at. Have enough faith in me to know I’ll get to the bottom of it and find out who this new asshole is,” he says, like it’s not a possibility, but a promise carved in stone.
“But until I get a name, you don’t go anywhere alone. No answering unknown calls. No keeping things from me. You tell meeverything.” His grip tightens just enough to make sure I don’t take his words lightly. “You’ll let me protect you.” A softer tone slips into his voice, and it hits harder than before. “Fromnow on,” he says, stressing each word, “I’m not letting you out of my sight, and I’m sure as hell not taking your safety lightly.”
Something in his eyes makes me believe it’s not just words… it’s a promise.
Chapter 14
