The Missing Boy

Shehnaaz and her friends, Lakshya, Dipali, and Vishakha, strolled toward their way to the college canteen, sharing a bag of chips. Dipali, munching loudly, tilted the bag to pour the crumbs into her mouth.

"Seriously, Dipali? Save some dignity," Lakshya teased, dodging when Dipali swatted at him playfully.

"Oh, shut up, Lakshya. Unlike you, I eat properly," Dipali retorted, licking the salt off her fingers.

Shehnaaz laughed at their antics, she somewhere knows Dipali likes Lakshya more than a friend does. This is a part of the reason why she rejected him. But her attention was quickly diverted as they approached near the principal's office and noticed a large crowd gathered outside.

"What's going on here?" Shehnaaz voiced her curiosity, slowing her pace.

"I don't know. We just got here, babe," Dipali said nonchalantly, popping the lollipop into her mouth that Sana had given.

Sidharth had brought some chocolates and lollipops, along with other snacks for Shehnaaz. She shared some with her friends as well.

"Should we check it out? Looks intense," Vishakha suggested, raising an eyebrow while munching on some chips.

"Yeah," Lakshya agreed, finishing the last of the chips. He dusted his hands and wiped his mouth. "Let's go."

The four moved closer to the crowd, weaving through students whispering in hushed tones. As they approached, the scene became clearer. A middle-aged couple stood outside the principal's office, their faces streaked with tears. The mother clutched her husband's arm, sobbing uncontrollably, while the father pleaded desperately with the principal.

"My son, Ronak, has been missing for two days! He hasn't come home since he left for college!" the man cried, his voice breaking.

"Please, help us!" the mother begged, her voice choked with anguish.

The principal, seated behind her desk, appeared unbothered by their distress. Her voice was cold and dismissive as she replied, "This is not a matter for the college to handle. You should go to the police if your son is missing. Don't bring your personal problems here."

"How dare you say that?!" the mother yelled, stepping forward in rage. "Ronak disappeared from this college! Your college. What kind of institution are you running? You're responsible!"

The principal narrowed her eyes. "I've already told you, Mrs. Sharma, that I don't know anything about your son's whereabouts. Yes, I am the principal of this college but not a babysitter. Stop creating a scene and leave my office."

"You heartless woman! You don't even care about your students!" Mrs. Sharma screamed, her hands trembling as she pointed at the principal.

"Enough!" the principal snapped, rising from her chair. "If you continue to disrespect me in my own office, I'll have security escort you out."

Mrs. Sharma's fury boiled over. "You bitch!" she shouted, raising her hand to slap the principal.

Gasps erupted from the onlookers. Lakshya whispered, "Holy shit, is she actually going to hit her?"

"I wish, she does." Vishakha said, glaring at her.

Before her hand could connect, Mr. Sharma grabbed his wife's arm and pulled her back. "Stop it, Meena! This won't help us to find Ronak!" he pleaded, his own voice shaking.

Mrs. Sharma broke down into heart-wrenching sobs as her husband dragged her out of the office. "My son...my baby..." she wailed, her cries echoing down the hallway.

The principal stood rigid, her face red with humiliation. She adjusted her glasses and scanned the crowd. "Get back to your classes! This is not a spectacle!" she barked, slamming her office door shut.

Shehnaaz stood frozen, her mind replaying the scene. Her friends were equally stunned.

"That was intense," Dipali whispered, her lollipop momentarily forgotten.

Shehnaaz finally broke her silence. "I think, I know who Ronak is."

All eyes turned to her. "What? How?" Vishakha asked, her brows furrowing.

Shehnaaz hesitated before answering. "Ronak Sharma. He...he proposed to me a few months ago."

"What?!" Dipali exclaimed, nearly choking on her lollipop. "And you didn't tell us?"

Vishakha crossed her arms, looking both amused and annoyed. "Seriously, Shehnaaz? You kept that juicy gossip from us?"

"It wasn't gossip-worthy!" Shehnaaz defended herself. "He was just a guy from the commerce department. I barely knew him."

"So, what happened?" Lakshya prodded.

"I rejected him, obviously." Shehnaaz said, crossing her arms. "I was polite about it, but he seemed really upset."

Dipali rolled her eyes. "You think?"

Lakshya sighed. "Well, this is awkward. Do you think his disappearance has anything to do with you?"

Shehnaaz frowned, her chest tightening at the thought. "No...at least, I hope not. I don't think he'd do something drastic because of me. He wasn't that serious, I guess?"

"Still, it's weird," Vishakha said, glancing back toward the principal's office. "Something about this feels off."

Dipali nodded, her expression uncharacteristically serious. "Yeah, like the principal. Did you see her? She wasn't worried at all. Something is fishy."

"Maybe," Shehnaaz murmured, her thoughts racing. She couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in her chest.

The group stood in silence for a moment before Lakshya clapped his hands together. "Alright, let's not get too paranoid. It's probably just a coincidence. Let's go get lunch before Dipali eats her fourth lollipop."

Dipali huffed but followed the group as they made their way to the canteen. Shehnaaz, however, couldn't shake the weight of what she had just witnessed. Her thoughts kept drifting back to Ronak and his parents' desperate cries.

---

"Don't overthink it, Shehnaaz," Lakshya said as they settled into their seats in the classroom after lunch.

"Yeah, maybe," Shehnaaz mumbled, resting her chin on her hand as she stared at the desk in front of her.

"I'm sure it has nothing to do with you," Vishakha reassured her with a comforting side hug. "Chill, yah?"

"Yeah," Shehnaaz nodded, offering a small smile. "Let's just concentrate on the next class."

"Speaking of which..." Vishakha smirked mischievously. "It's your Sidharth's class next."

Shehnaaz rolled her eyes, feigning annoyance, even though her heart skipped a beat at the mention of him. She couldn't stop herself from recalling their last interaction-the car ride home, the ice cream he bought her, the snacks she still enjoyed while bingeing Netflix. And then, that moment outside her house. That kiss. That freaking forehead kiss. It had been two days, and she still couldn't stop thinking about it.

"First of all, he's not mine," Shehnaaz said firmly, narrowing her eyes at Vishakha. "And secondly, he'll probably just kick me out of the class again." She pouted, crossing her arms.

"Why does he hate me so much?" she wondered, pouting.

"Exactly!" Lakshya chimed in, grinning. "Because Shehnaaz is mine, not Sidharth sir's!"

"Ew, Lakshya!" Dipali made a face, her nose wrinkling in disgust. "Stop it. You sound ridiculous."

"Lakshya, just get over it, man," Vishakha teased, smirking. "Or else, you'll meet the same fate as Ronak-vanishing into thin air!"

"Shut up, Vishakha!" Lakshya snapped, glaring at her.

"Lakshya, don't do this, please," Shehnaaz said softly, turning to face him. "Don't ruin our friendship over something like this. I've already told you-I don't like you that way."

Lakshya sighed, his expression dropping into something sad and resigned. "Shehnaaz..."

"Please?" Shehnaaz added, her voice gentle yet firm.

"Okay, fine. I'll try," Lakshya relented, though his voice was heavy with defeat.

"Good," Shehnaaz said, offering him a small smile before turning to Vishakha. "And you! That wasn't funny. You're just making me feel guilty for something I didn't even do."

"Sorry, babe," Vishakha apologized instantly, holding her ears and making an exaggerated puppy face. "Won't repeat it, promise."

Shehnaaz sighed, her irritation melting as she smiled and pulled Vishakha's hands down. "You don't need to do all that."

"Are we cool?" Vishakha asked hopefully.

"Yes," Shehnaaz replied with a nod, her smile growing wider.

"And...us?" Lakshya asked hesitantly.

"Yes, we're good too," Shehnaaz reassured him with a nod.

Dipali glanced at the clock on the wall and frowned. "Wait, guys. Where's Professor Sidharth? He's already ten minutes late."

"Yeah, where is he?" Vishakha wondered aloud. "He's never late."

Shehnaaz blinked in surprise. "He's late?"

"Yeah, ten whole minutes!" Dipali confirmed, leaning back in her chair.

"Do you think he's not coming today?" Vishakha asked, tilting her head curiously.

"Won't he come today?" Shehnaaz murmured, her brows furrowing in confusion as she glanced at the empty professor's desk. It wasn't like Sidharth to be late.

Before her friends could respond, the classroom door creaked open, and another professor walked in, holding a file in one hand and adjusting his glasses with the other.

"Good afternoon, class," the professor greeted, scanning the room. "Professor Sidharth won't be taking your lecture today. He had some urgent work, so I'll be filling in for him."

A murmur rippled through the classroom as the students exchanged glances, some disappointed, others relieved.

Shehnaaz's heart sank.

"He's not coming today?" she thought, a twinge of disappointment settling in her chest.

She bit her lip, trying to suppress the strange feeling of loss that bubbled up inside her.

"Why am I so upset about this?" she muttered under her breath, resting her chin in her palm.

"Who is he to me? No one," she told herself, though the small pout on her lips betrayed her true feelings.

"Thank God he's not coming," Lakshya said grinning, stretching his legs out under the desk. "It's like a free pass today!"

"Lakshya!" Shehnaaz snapped, glaring at him.

"What? I don't like that guy," Lakshya said, raising his hands defensively. "He gives me bad vibes. Like, I don't know, he might eat me alive or something."

"Seriously, Lakshya?" Shehnaaz asked incredulously.

"No, I'm with Lakshya on this," Vishakha chimed in, crossing her arms.

"Vishakha! Not you also?"

"Babe, there's something really mysterious about him. Like, have you noticed he always wears black? Black is the color of danger, darkness, and evil."

"Black is a classy color," Shehnaaz said in defense. "and he looks hot in black," she thought pouting.

"Yeah, definitely evil," Dipali added, nodding emphatically.

"What is wrong with you all?" Shehnaaz asked, her irritation rising.

"I'm serious," Lakshya said, his tone firm. "The way he sometimes looks at me...I swear, if I ever go missing, you'll know who to blame."

"Noted," Vishakha said with a grin, miming taking notes in the air.

"I can't believe you guys!" Shehnaaz huffed, standing up abruptly. "You're all so negative. I'm feeling sick. Excuse me," she muttered, walking up to the professor and asking to leave the class.

As soon as Shehnaaz exited the room, Lakshya turned to the others with a baffled expression. "What's wrong with her? Why'd she get so annoyed?"

"She likes him, you dumbo. That's why," Dipali said, rolling her eyes as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Exactly," Vishakha chimed in, a knowing smirk playing on her lips.

Lakshya's jaw dropped, his eyes widening in shock. "No way!"

Dipali and Vishakha exchanged amused glances, their smiles growing wider.

"Wait a second..." Lakshya said, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. "Don't tell me you two were just agreeing with me earlier to test your theory about her liking him?"

"Duh," Dipali replied, shrugging nonchalantly.

"Obviously," Vishakha added, grinning.

Lakshya groaned, running a hand through his hair. "You guys are unbelievable."

"And so are you," Dipali teased, smirking.

"Okay, okay, enough," Vishakha interjected, waving her hand. "Let's focus on the lecture before we all get called out for not paying attention."

With that, the three settled down, their teasing smiles fading as they turned their attention back to the class.

Shehnaaz wandered aimlessly through the college grounds, her mind restless. Eventually, she found herself in the garden area and sat on an empty bench. Her mood was still sour. First, she was upset that she couldn't see him today, and now her friends were calling him evil.

"What's wrong with them? Why would they even think that?" she muttered to herself, her gaze fixed on the tree of red roses nearby.

The roses were large and a dark, almost bloody red-a striking, beautiful sight.

"Do you guys think he's evil? Huh?" she asked the roses, as if expecting a response.

She sighed softly. "Yes, he looks mysterious, but that doesn't make him evil."

Leaning back on the bench, she let out a deep breath. "I don't understand why people are so judgmental. Why can't they just let someone live the way they want? What if black is his favorite color, that's why he wears black? Right?" she asked again, her eyes still on the roses.

"You know, you guys are lucky," she murmured after a pause. "You're flowers. Beautiful, admired, loved. No one judges a flower. Everyone loves flowers."

Shehnaaz lowered her gaze, her voice quieter. "I don't know why I'm so upset about not seeing him today."

Her fingers played with the edge of her dupatta as she continued, "Something's happening to me. Something's... wrong. Ever since that kiss... it's like..." She stopped, searching for the right words.

"It's like his kiss cast a spell on me," she admitted, her frustration evident. "I can't stop thinking about him. What he's doing, who he's with... Is he meeting some girl? Is he... sleeping with someone?!" She shook her head, exasperated. "All these stupid, unrealistic thoughts!"

She let out a huff of irritation. "This isn't right. It's not healthy, is it? He's my professor, for God's sake! Then why am I thinking all these things?"

Her voice softened, a trace of sadness creeping in. "Why does he have to be my professor?" she whispered, her lips forming a small pout.

After spending some time in the garden talking to the roses, Shehnaaz finally got to her feet, ready to head home. As she made her way out of the campus, she spotted him-and her steps instinctively halted a few feet away.

Sidharth was standing in the corridor, engrossed in a heated conversation with the principal. His face was cold, his expression sharp, and his voice carried a quiet but unmistakable fury. The principal, on the other hand, looked terrified-like she wanted to sink into the floor.

"Why does she look so scared of him?" Shehnaaz wondered, her curiosity piqued.

She found herself moving closer, unable to stop her legs from taking her toward him. As she neared, fragments of their conversation reached her ears.

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