Avneet watched Siddharth’s back as he strode away from the café, his movements rigid, controlled, every step  the weight of that anger and pain she had provoked.

A faint, almost imperceptible tug of pity stirred inside her chest. Poor boy… so rigid, so serious… so consumed by his own righteousness.

She shook it off immediately. No one could see her weak. Pride was her weapon, and she wielded it perfectly. She wouldn’t let anyone, not him, not the world, see anything other than Avneet Kaur, untouchable, untamed, untouchable queen bee.

She thought, 'look at him! So righteous, so furious. I suppose I underestimated how much weight a man can carry in silence’

With a soft exhale, she straightened her shoulders and smirked. She would not let him think he had power over her. Pride snapped her back to the present. He doesn’t get to see me sweat. He doesn’t get to win this, either.

Sliding the money back into his account, she left no note, no words, no signs of hesitation. She wasn’t apologizing. She wasn’t admitting anything. She wasn’t vulnerable.

Her smirk widened as she imagined him checking his phone, realizing she had returned it, and yet wouldn’t know why or how. Untouchable. Always untouchable.

Avneet leaned back against the wall for a moment, one hand in her pocket, the other smoothing her hair, perfectly composed, as if the last half-hour had been nothing more than a casual stroll.

Siddharth’s fingers hovered over his phone for a moment, staring at the notification: the money had been returned. He stared at the screen as if it were a mirror, reflecting all the anger, humiliation, and helplessness he had swallowed over the past hours.

Everyone around him seemed to blur. The noise, the whispers, the lingering stares of students faded into nothing. All that remained was a burning, raw sensation deep in his chest- a mix of betrayal, rage, and something else he couldn’t quite name.

A hard, bitter laugh escaped him, but it sounded hollow even to his own ears. Every nerve in his body was vibrating with a fury that went beyond anger, it was a need to reclaim control over his own life, over his own body, over his own destiny.

The streets outside blurred as he walked fast, his mind replaying every indignity.

---

He stopped outside a familiar café where Faisu waited, nervously scrolling through his phone. The moment Faisu looked up, his face lit with that easy, boyish smile, Siddharth felt a flicker of something, guilt? maybe! for keeping the truth from him so long.

“Faisu,” Siddharth said, voice low, tight, carrying a gravity that made Faisu sit straighter.

“Bro, what’s...” Faisu started, but the look in Siddharth’s eyes stopped him.

“Sit. And listen.” Siddharth’s tone low. Faisu, sensing the storm behind those eyes, nodded silently.

Siddharth drew a deep breath, fingers gripping the edge of the table. “It’s about Avneet. Everything you think you know about her… it’s not true. I need you to understand what she really is.”

Faisu frowned, confusion crossing his face. “What do you mean? Bro, she… we... what are you talking about?”

“I’ll tell you everything,” Siddharth said, voice rising, each word deliberate. “That night, at the party…  She drugged me. She left me no choice. And she used it... used me... to prove something for her stupid bet with Ritika. I didn’t… she... She violated me... humiliated me, She made me helpless.”

Faisu’s mouth opened, closed, words failing him. His eyes flicked to Siddharth, searching for disbelief, for a joke — but found only stone-cold truth.

“You’re saying…” Faisu started, voice shaking, “she… she took advantage of you?”

Siddharth leaned in, his gaze fierce, every syllable burning. “Took advantage of me?Yes, Faisu, she raped me, she took my choice, my dignity, all to win her stupid bet. And you need to know this because… because she’s your girl, and you deserve to know the truth before she makes you look like a fool too.”

Faisu’s face went pale, fists tightening on the table. “Avneet… she… she would never…”

Siddharth’s voice dropped lower, deadly calm now. “Would never? Faisu, open your eyes. Look at her the way she plays people, everyone around her know who she is. She bullies people, she is so arrogant, bitchy, acts like no one can touch her and everyone is beneath her, she has already cheated on you multiple times, But she hides behind that mask in front of you, She doesn’t care about you. She doesn’t care about anyone except herself. And if you think you can trust her, you’re wrong.”

The café seemed to shrink around them. Faisu’s breaths came faster, his fingers trembling. Siddharth’s gaze softened just slightly, not in vulnerability, but in the sharp clarity of truth. “I didn’t want to tell you like this. I wanted to protect you, maybe even myself. But now… I can’t. I’m telling you because you need to know. She’s dangerous, Faisu. And she’ll destroy you.”

Silence hung between them. Faisu’s mind raced, piecing together the moments, the subtle manipulations, the lies. The betrayal cut deep — not just from Avneet, but from the world he thought he understood.

Finally, Faisu looked up, voice tight. “What do I do now?”

Siddharth’s lips curled into the faintest smile. He thought Faisu will not believe him maybe fight him. But he trusted him.

“You will do what she never expected. You will not let her use you.”

Faisu nodded slowly, a mix of anger, shock, and newfound resolve settling in him.

Even though he was not in love with Avneet. They started dating as their parents were in same circle and they were friends since long time... They just wanted to see if they can be something more as it would have been beneficial for both parties.

But this was betrayel. He was always loyal to her and he had always respected thier relationship.

He would not let her walk all over him and betray him behind his back.

......

The college auditorium was alive with noise — laughter, music, and the buzz.
Avneet, standing near the center with her usual aura of effortless dominance, noticed him immediately. Her smile stretched wider as she saw Faisu, she tilted her head cutely.

“Avneet,” Faisu called, his voice carried the weight of restrained anger.

Avneet’s smile never wavered. “Faisu? What’s—” she was about to hug him... But the sharpness in his gaze made her pause, just slightly.

“I know everything,” Faisu said, each word deliberate, burning. “Everything! Siddharth told me everything. The way you toy with people, the way you humiliate them… Bully them... Use them... including me.”

For a second she froze like hell broke over. But she composed herself soon enough.

Avneet’s laughter rang out, soft, teasing, but it carried a cutting edge. “Oh? Really?” she said, voice light, mocking, letting her eyes sweep the gathering crowd. “Do tell us, Faisu. Enlighten everyone here about your sudden… realisation”

The whispers among the crowd grew louder, curious and tense.

“I trusted you,” he said, voice raw with hurt now, eyes locked on hers. “I believed in you. And I’m done. I can’t be with someone who uses people, who manipulates them, who… who treats everything like a game. I’m breaking up with you. Here. Now.”

Gasps rippled across the room. A few students whispered, a couple of friends moved closer to watch, and all eyes were on Avneet.

She tilted her head, letting the silence hang for a heartbeat, savoring the drama. Then her laugh came — low, melodic, dripping with mockery. “Faisu…” she said, voice soft but cutting, “you really think That you can just… break up with me and walk away like that?”

Her smirk widened as she stepped closer “You’re… so naive. So unbearably naive. How adorable. Truly.”

The words stung Faisu, sharper than he expected. He felt the weight of every eye in the room on him, waiting, judging. But he refused to falter. His fists clenched, knuckles whitening, and he straightened his back, meeting her gaze.

“I’m not naive,” he said, voice firmer, low, dangerous. “I trusted you. And you broke that trust. I’m done being a pawn in your games. You can laugh, you can mock, you can parade your queen-bee act in front of everyone, but I won’t be part of it anymore. And this...” he gestured between them, “this ends today. With me walking away.”

Avneet’s smirk faltered for a split second, just enough that he noticed it, but she quickly recovered, masking any hint of vulnerability. “Oh, darling,” she whispered.

“Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic. You think you’re walking away from me? Everyone’s watching, and Everyone knows I am the one who chose you... You should be proud to be called as Avneet Kaur's boyfriend! Who the fuck are you??? Just because your father attended our parties once or twice you think you are something? Your family is nothing without my family's support! You are Nothing...! I will consider this as naive mistake and not tell my father anything if you get on your knees right now and beg for forgiveness. Or else I will ruin your entire family!”

Faisu’s chest burned, not just with embarrassment but with the fury of being manipulated and used. Little scared. He drew in a deep, steadying breath, forcing his rage into control.

“I am not scared of you Avneet. You can do whatever you want... you think you are so high and mighty right? But, I know Mr.Oberoi, he is good person... he will not do something wrong just for your little tactics of bullying and controlling others. I bet your father doesn't even know what shit you are pulling here at college... I’m not here for your amusement. I’m here for myself. You can keep your act, Avneet. I won’t bow to your games. Stay away from me and Siddharth. If you try to hurt him again... I will tell everything to Mr. Oberoi.”

A few students in the crowd exchanged glances,  Avneet laughed again, sharper now,“Oh, Faisu… look at you. Standing here, trying to look brave, trying to act like you’re in control. But everyone sees it. Everyone knows. You think my dad will believe you?? How utterly… naive.”

The words hit him, but instead of faltering, he felt a spark ignite inside him — anger, He straightened, chin high, voice steady and unyielding. “Naive? Maybe. But I’m done letting people like you play me, manipulate me, or anyone else. This ends now. I will do anything and everything to ruin you.”

With that, he turned sharply and walked away, each step Whispers and murmurs followed him.

Avneet watched him go, heels clicking softly on the floor, the queen-bee act perfectly maintained. But as she smoothed her hair and adjusted her posture, she felt a flicker of something she refused to name.

Her smirk returned, sharper, colder. Untouchable. Untamed. Unbroken. “Enjoy your little moral victory, Faisu,” she whispered to herself. “But remember… I always win in the end.”

So naive, so hopelessly predictable… she had thought at the moment.

For just a heartbeat, her smirk faltered. A tiny spark of something she refused to name flickered inside her chest. I actually liked him. And now she had lost him.

The thought made her straighten instantly, forcing the smirk wider, tilting her head, smoothing her hair, every motion deliberate, rehearsed, perfect. Pride was her armor, and she tightened it around herself. She could not... would not, let anyone, not even herself, see the flicker of vulnerability.

She let the moment pass quickly, suppressing the sting of something resembling regret. There would be no softness here, not now, not ever. Her public face had to remain perfect. Untouchable. Queenly. Ruthless.

And then Jannat appeared.

She stopped directly in front of Avneet, her expression tight, jaw clenched.

“Avneet,” Jannat began, voice low but with controlled anger, “Enough. This isn’t a game anymore. You humiliated Faisu. You have hurt everyone in this room. And you… you don’t even see it, do you?”

Avneet’s smirk didn’t falter. Not even a twitch. “Oh? What's your point? Tell me, Jannat, what exactly are you so offended by?” she said, voice playful, teasing. Her eyes glimmered with amusement.

“My point,” Jannat said, stepping closer, her voice sharp now, piercing through Avneet’s performance, “is that you’re selfish. Completely selfish. You don’t care who you hurt... Faisu, Siddharth, anyone. I can’t… I can’t be friends with someone who treats people like they’re disposable pieces on her chessboard Anymore!!!”

Avneet’s smirk faded she straightened her shoulders. “Selfish? Yes I am. Darling, don’t flatter yourself. I don’t play by anyone’s rules but my own. I don't care about anyone anymore, If someone thinks they can control me, manipulate me, or shame me- well, that’s delusional. Survival isn’t selfishness. It’s skill.”

Jannat’s voice rose slightly, shaking with anger now. “No, Avneet. It’s not survival. It’s cruelty. It’s manipulation for your amusement. You don’t even care about the people who care about you, and I can’t stand by and watch anymore.”

Avneet’s eyes flicked toward the crowd, then back at Jannat. She could feel the tension, the curiosity, the judgment surrounding her. A part of her wanted to throw it all away, to admit the smallest fraction of truth, but pride, habit, instinct, and survival wouldn’t let her.

“Tell me, Jannat, do you even know me? Or did you just see a reflection of your own disappointment? I do what I want. I win because I have to. That’s all there is to it. If that makes me cruel, fine. But I don’t owe anyone pity.”

Jannat shook her head, her face hardening with finality. “I don’t need to understand you. I don’t need to excuse your behavior. I just know I can’t be your friend anymore. Not after this. You’re too selfish, too blind, too toxic... too… dangerous for people who care about you.”

A murmur ran through the crowd. Some students shifted uncomfortably, impressed by the confrontation. Others exchanged glances, surprised by Jannat’s courage to speak out.

Avneet’s smirk returned, sharper, colder, untouchable as ever. Outwardly, she was perfectly composed, untamed, unbroken. “Goodbye, Jannat,” she said lightly, voice smooth and confident, dripping with practiced charm. “Go ahead. Walk away. That’s your choice. I never needed anyone anyway. Untouchable, remember?”

And yet, even as she straightened, adjusted her bag, and walked away with her usual grace, a flicker of something stubborn lingered, a memory of Faisu, the hurt in his eyes. The disappointment in Jannat's eyes... And fury in Siddharth's eyes.