Shades of Bonds - #Book2

10. Shadows of Struggle

Athulya's POV

Now, my main concern is the project. That cursed project has been gnawing at my sanity for months. Creativity has never been my strong suit; the most I can manage is drawing straight line borders with colored pens. It's the extent of my artistic abilities.

Oh God! I need Aarav's Bhai help, somehow.

"Excuse me," I turned around to see a girl with grey eyes and a high ponytail standing behind me.

"Umm, actually, the professor is calling you in room no. 207. You're Athulya, right?" I nodded, feeling a wave of apprehension wash over me as she left the corridor. Had he found out about the prank?

In that moment, I wished someone could just make him disappear, just in case he decided to call home as well. Today was shaping up to be a long day.

Taking a deep breath, I navigated through the corridor, searching for room no. 207. It wasn't too far from the staffroom. Plastering innocent emotions on my face, I entered inside.

"Professor?" I called out, scanning the room, but he was nowhere in sight.

Teachers, always calling you early and then arriving late themselves. Punctuality, my foot!

I glanced around, spotting his belongings—his spectacles and register—on the table. He must be arriving soon.

I sat on a nearby bench, tapping my feet on ground. Daniel must me running out of patience there. So, what? Who cares?

All of a sudden, the door closed with a thud, and I spun around to look at the professor, but he wasn't there. Instead, Siddharth stood in his place, wearing a wicked grin on his face.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded, with a mixture of anger and frustration.

"Calm down, wifey," Siddharth sneered.

"Don't call me that," I shot back.

"Why not? You are still my wife. I can do whatever I want with you. Nothing much, we'll just fulfill each other's desires," he said with a sinister smirk.

"You better stay away before I lose my calm and kill you right here," I warned, pointing a shaky finger at him.

But Siddharth didn't budge. Instead, he started unbuttoning his shirt, revealing a gun tucked into his waistband, his grin widening with each passing moment. My heart raced, and I cursed myself for not having dealt with him sooner.

"What the heck do you think you'll achieve by doing this?" I spat, my voice quivering with anger and fear.

"Revenge, my bird. Do you remember when you slapped me in these same corridors? Now, wait and watch your ruin. You prefer the word 'bitch' for yourself, don't you?" he taunted, his eyes gleaming with malice.

As Siddharth continued to mess up his hair, the door suddenly knocked, and I realized he had locked the door from the inside.

He winked at me mischievously before turning to open the door. Standing on the other side was Professor, accompanied by some students, presumably from this class. My heart raced with panic as I struggled to maintain composure in front of them, all while Siddharth stood there with his wicked grin, reveling in his cruel game.

I fucked up, everything!

All eyes were fixed on Siddharth and me, and before the professor could utter a word, I grabbed my bag and hastily pushed my way through the crowd. Why did I always seem to attract trouble? With a racing heart and a mind full of turmoil, I fled the scene, desperate to escape the suffocating attention and the looming threat Siddharth posed.