RAGGING??

Rudra's Point of View

The shrill beeping of my phone ripped through the peaceful, pre-dawn silence. It was five in the morning. All I truly wanted was to sink back into the soft sheets; my body felt heavy and exhausted after working until past 3:30 a.m. But I forced my eyelids open. The one thing I would never compromise on was my discipline.

I stretched my stiff muscles until I felt a satisfying pull, then rolled smoothly out of the warm bed. Thirty minutes later, I was ready, dressed in a simple black vest and shorts-my uniform for the gym. I walked briskly down the hall to my private fitness room.

Inside, I attacked my workout with furious energy: a punishing cycle of push-ups, boxing with the heavy bag, intense weight lifting, and pull-ups. My muscles began to scream in protest, a deep, throbbing burn, but I drove myself relentlessly through the pain. After a solid hour of this torture, I returned to my room for a shower. The cold water hit my skin like a powerful shock, an incredible sensation that immediately relaxed my tired, knotted muscles.

Another half-hour passed, and I was dressed for the day: a crisp, sharp black three-piece suit. Every fold, every line, was perfect.

Soon after, a maid arrived with a message: Dadu wanted to see me. I always made a point of visiting him before heading to the office, but he had never called me this early. I knew instantly that something important, or perhaps serious, must be happening.

I walked quickly to his room and found him sitting comfortably on the sofa, his feet casually propped up on a small table. He looked up, and a faint, knowing smile touched his lips. I offered my greeting, then bent down respectfully to touch his feet. As he requested, I settled beside him on the sofa.

"Rudra, I found out you're heading to SCB college," Dadu stated, his eyes sharp and observant. The smile on his face grew slightly, telling me he was watching my reaction closely.

I nodded, maintaining a calm facade, pretending it was just a regular part of my schedule. "Yes, Dadu. Right after breakfast."

"Hmm... and why is that?" he prodded softly, the smile widening.

"Oh, nothing important," I lied smoothly, the words coming easily. "I just have to attend some kind of function there. Got the invite this morning."

"Try again," he challenged, and this time, the smile dissolved into a gentle chuckle. He had known I was lying before the words were even finished.

"Come on, Dadu, that was a good one!" I said, dropping my serious, corporate mask. "How do you always know when I'm lying?"

He let out a hearty, rumbling laugh. "Really? Think again, my boy," he teased.

He leaned in closer, lowering his voice in a conspiratorial whisper. "The Rudra Pratap Ranawat who avoids every unnecessary business event like the plague is going to a college function? And at the very college where his bodyguard reported a ragging complaint about his PA's daughter, Ayisha, this morning?"

His smile now turned into a knowing smirk, full of mischief and proud approval. "You're not going for a function. You're going to make sure those kids get a very special welcome ceremony.

I didn't bother to deny it. He saw right through everything I did. Instead, a look of grim, cold determination settled on my face. "I'll make sure they beg Ayisha for their lives."

Dadu nodded, his expression softening with deep satisfaction. "I'm proud of you, my boy. Now, let's go get some breakfast." He stood up, and I followed, the promise of swift, silent revenge firm in my mind.

Meera's Point of View

It was lunchtime, and my friends and I-Adiya, Sara, Aadarsh, and I-were gathered in our usual spot, enjoying the shade cast by the unfinished academic block. The air smelled of dust and concrete, but under the large trees, it felt peaceful.

"Yaar, ab tu 15 din nahi ayegi college." Aadarsh sighed dramatically. "Tu aise hi baag ke aa jana na rooz." He leaned closer, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Aur agar na a paye to bata tujhe baga lunga mai phir tu ayeo college aram se."

(So, you're not coming to college for fifteen days, huh? You could just run away like you did today. Or if you can't, tell me, and I'll help you escape. Then you can come to college peacefully.)

Aadarsh was always like that-the kind of person who could effortlessly make everyone burst into laughter, no matter how serious the mood. His presence alone was enough to lift our spirits. He seemed so carefree, but I knew his happiness was a carefully constructed mask. He had carried more suffering than any of us realized. His mother died giving birth to him, and his father was killed in a car crash when he was just four. His cruel aunt and uncle had sent him to an orphanage, where he was badly bullied by the older kids. He finally ran away when he was sixteen and now lived completely alone in a rented apartment. He kept all his sadness deeply hidden, never letting anyone see the true extent of his pain

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

About ten minutes later, the lunch break was winding down, and we decided to head back to class. As we started walking, my hand instinctively went to my pocket, and a wave of nausea hit me.

"Oh no," I groaned aloud.

"I left it at the construction site. My phone! I have to go back. Ugh!"

"Listen, you guys go on to class," I told them quickly. "I'll run back, grab my phone, and be there in five minutes."

"I'll go with you," Avi offered instantly.

"No, that's okay," I replied, perhaps too quickly. I just wanted to get it over with.

Avi was about to argue, but Adiya smoothly intervened.

"She'll be fine. It will only take her five minutes. We'll see you in class, Meeru. Come on, Avi, Sara."

Sara opened her mouth, ready to object, but I gave her a sharp, meaningful look that told her to drop it immediately. They finally relented and left, and I quickly turned and headed back toward the hollow skeleton of the construction site.

As I neared the abandoned building, I heard a strange, loud thud coming from the second floor. That was incredibly odd. The structure had been completely empty and unused for a whole month. A sudden, sharp wave of curiosity completely overcame my caution, and I started climbing the unfinished, dusty concrete stairs.

That was my first mistake.

What I saw when I reached the second floor was the most horrible thing I had ever witnessed. The sight was so shocking, so utterly terrifying, it felt as though my blood had turned to ice in my veins.

In my sheer terror, I completely missed a step. My foot scraped violently against the rough, cold concrete edge of the stair, and a loud, screaming, scraping sound echoed sharply through the quiet, empty building. I caught my balance just in time, stumbling forward, but the piercing noise had already been made. I had drawn attention to myself.