The Principal's Office: A Threat That Shook the College
Shristi stood in the principal's office, her hands clenched into tight fists as Principal Sinha's furious voice echoed through the walls. His rage-filled words were loud enough to draw a crowd of students outside, their whispers blending into the tense atmosphere.
"How dare you bring disgrace to this college!" he bellowed. "Do you think you can get away with everything just because of your connections?"
Shristi flinched but refused to break under his glare.
Outside, Wick had just arrived on campus when he noticed the unusually large gathering near the office. His sharp eyes scanned the area until he spotted Annu.
"What's going on?" he asked, already sensing something was wrong.
Annu hesitated, but before she could answer, Wick heard a familiar name through the half-open office door.
"Shristi."
That was all it took. Without a second thought, Wick strode toward the office and kicked the door open with a force that silenced the entire room.
The principal turned in shock. "What the hell-"
Wick's piercing gaze landed on Shristi, who stood frozen, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. His expression darkened instantly.
Mr. Sinha straightened, regaining his composure. "Get out, Vikram! This doesn't concern you!"
But Wick wasn't listening. He stepped forward, his entire presence radiating danger. He locked eyes with the principal, his voice chillingly calm.
"Mr. Sinha," Wick began, "I heard you live a happy life. I pray that continues... but if you keep licking the boots of politicians instead of protecting your own students, I'll have no choice but to do my job."
The room went deathly silent. Wick leaned in slightly, his voice dropping into something almost inhumanly cold.
"Today, you only yelled at her. That's why you're still standing here. If you had touched her... you wouldn't be."
Principal Sinha's face drained of color. Before he could react, Wick grabbed Shristi's hand and walked out, dragging her with him through the stunned crowd.
Shristi, still shaken, stared at Wick as they exited the building. And in that moment, she finally understood something-
This was why Nick never told him when the principal had scolded him.
This was what Wick was capable of.
---
The Confession
That night, unable to shake the weight of everything that had happened, Shristi paced inside her hostel room. Wick had warned her, yet she hadn't listened. And today, he had stood up for her-against their own principal, no less.
She owed him both an apology and a thank you.
Meanwhile, at Wick's apartment, Nick and Annu sat across from Wick, their faces filled with concern.
"You threatened the principal today," Nick sighed, rubbing his temples. "Not just a warning, Wick. You literally threatened murder."
Wick remained silent, leaning back against the couch, lost in thought.
Nick continued, "And all of this... for her? She's not even the most beautiful girl in college. Hell, Tara is miles ahead of her. You could have her easily. So why?"
Annu chimed in, "It's just attraction, Wick. You're going too far for something temporary. She doesn't even feel the same way about you."
Wick exhaled, then finally spoke. His voice was raw, stripped of all the usual sarcasm or coldness.
"I love everything about her. And I'm not a guy who says that lightly."
Nick and Annu stilled.
"I spent my whole life faking love. I thought it was just something fools believed in. But this girl... she has a hold on my heart that I couldn't break even if I wanted to."
His gaze dropped for a second, as if admitting the truth hurt more than anything.
"And trust me, there have been times when I wanted to. But I can't stop loving her any more than I could stop breathing." His voice grew softer. "I'm hopelessly, irretrievably in love with her. More than anyone will ever know."
Annu and Deep exchanged a glance, stunned into silence.
Then, a small movement by the door.
Unbeknownst to them, Shristi had been standing outside. She had heard everything.
Heart pounding, she turned and left without a word.
Back inside, Nick exhaled, shaking his head with a small, relieved smile. "Well, damn. Finally, he admits it."
Annu smirked. "Never thought we'd get this love story in a situation like this."
Nick chuckled. "What do you expect? It's the love story of Vikram Kashyap."
---
A Deadly Trap
The next day, a shocking rumor spread through the college-Wick had pulled out of some major sports events.
But the real storm was yet to come.
During class, a professor stormed inside and yanked Wick up by his collar, dragging him out of his seat.
The classroom fell into stunned silence.
"What the hell?" Wick asked, keeping his voice composed.
The professor's palm met his face with a loud crack.
Students gasped.
"You think you can dominate everyone here, don't you?" the professor sneered. "You have a tendency to fight, to intimidate. But you don't know me. I was a black belt champion in my time."
Wick clenched his fists, eyes flickering with barely restrained rage. But just as he was about to act, his gaze caught onto something.
Shristi.
She was staring at him, shaking her head slightly.
Wick took a deep breath. Not now.
But the professor didn't stop. He continued provoking him, pushing him further.
Finally, something inside Wick snapped.
Without a word, he landed a single, brutal slap across the professor's face, sending him crashing to the floor.
The silence was deafening.
Wick turned and walked away.
There was something more important to handle.
---
The Farmhouse Trap
That night, Wick and Nick planned to kidnap Hamza's younger brother, Sam.
But it was a trap.
As soon as they stepped into the farmhouse, the doors locked behind them.
Sam stood outside, laughing. "You idiots just walked into a lion's den."
Wick's sharp eyes scanned the surroundings. Something was off.
Sam smirked. "This place will be your grave. Maybe a bomb will take care of you, or the poison gas I arranged. Or maybe some snakes will finish the job."
With that, Sam walked away, leaving them trapped.
At the same time, Shristi was being taken out of town for safety.
But then she got the call.
Vivaan was kidnapped.
Wick and Nick were about to die.
She had to choose.
Sanjol turned to her. "I can take you back to Lalit, or I can keep driving to Wick and Nick. They aren't even in town. The farmhouse is far away. You decide."
Shristi hesitated, her heart pounding.
She called Wick.
The phone rang once. Twice.
Then he picked up.
"Lemme guess," Wick's voice came, darkly amused. "Calling to check if the Grim Reaper has paid a visit?"
"Have you heard any ticking? A bomb?" Shristi asked, trying to keep her voice steady.
"Not yet. But if we survive this, we'll laugh about it. Or maybe Sam's just a terrible liar."
Shristi clenched her fists.
Wick paused. "...Where are you?"
She hesitated.
"Sanjol is taking me back," she lied.
Wick chuckled. "Yeah, back to Lalit."
Shristi's throat tightened.
"Let me ask you something," Wick's voice lowered. "If it was just down to him and me, and you had to say goodbye to one of us... who would it be?"
She swallowed hard.
"I love him, Wick." Her voice was barely above a whisper.
Wick went silent.
"...Yeah. I get it. Vivaan. It's always gonna be Lalit."
Shristi closed her eyes. "I can't think about always. I just-" She exhaled. "I care about you, Wick. Which is why I have to let you go."
A pause.
Shristi's voice softened.
"Maybe if we had met first."
Wick's voice broke. "Maybe."
"Don't worry," Wick said lightly. "I'll see you real soon."
Shristi clutched the phone. "Real soon."
And the call ended.
To be continued...