Chapter 8: Quiet Before the Next Storm

10

Rage surged up, almost choking me.

I immediately called Priya again.

But after three calls, she rejected all of them.

On the fourth try, she blocked me.

My face grew darker and darker. I was considering asking Secretary Rao to bring her in for a talk when—

My roommate suddenly messaged:

'Yashu, check Insta. Priya is dragging you again.'

My eyelid twitched.

I re-downloaded Insta, and as soon as I logged in, another flood of insults poured in.

I ignored them and went straight to Priya’s page. Just two minutes ago, she’d posted a new update.

It was a screenshot of our call log.

'So scary. People are so vindictive these days. I don’t know what I did wrong, but she managed to get my phone number and kept harassing and threatening me. Fans, protect your privacy. Don’t follow in my footsteps.'

In the screenshot, my number was masked, but tech-savvy folks easily cracked it.

Then my phone blew up—calls, texts, nonstop.

'Bully, you dare threaten Priya di? Go die!'

'How disgusting are you? You did something dirty and still have the nerve to harass Priya!'

'If you dare call Priya again, I’ll find your address and beat you at your door!'

'……'

Countless insults poured in.

Expressionless, I pulled out my SIM card and tossed it in the dustbin.

Perfect.

Priya.

Let that fake empathy rot in hell.

Somewhere in the hostel, the power flickered and the distant call of a chaiwala echoed through the window. For the first time in days, the silence in my room felt like relief. I sat back, letting the darkness settle, a strange calm blooming inside me. Let the world scream. For now, I would rest, my battered hands wrapped in ointment, my mind sharper than ever. Tomorrow would be another battle... But tonight, in the hush between power cuts, I made a silent vow—Priya di would regret ever picking this fight.