ABLAZE.✔️

Chapter 16. 𝑷𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 & 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏.

Third Person POV.
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Location: School Courtyard → Behind the Library → School Corridor

The bell rang, slicing through the murmurs of the campus. Students spilled out of their classes, flooding the courtyard with noise. Falak walked beside Deep, her soft laughter echoing like a forbidden melody to the one pair of eyes always watching.

Saksham.

Leaning against the stone pillar on the top floor balcony, school blazer unbuttoned, black shirt clinging to his body like second skin — he wasn't watching the school.

He was watching her.

His jaw clenched when he saw Falak touch Deep's arm while laughing, her fingers lingering a second too long. She tilted her head back innocently, unaware of how Saksham's fists curled around the railing like he wanted to snap something in half.

Behind him, Karan and Nikhil stood like statues.

Nikhil (darkly):
"He's pushing it again. You want us to remind him like last time?"

Saksham didn't reply. His gaze remained glued to Falak, expression unreadable — except for the fire burning in his eyes.

𝑺𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒆 𝑺𝒉𝒊𝒇𝒕: 𝑩𝒆𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒊𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒚 – 10 𝑴𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒕𝒆𝒔 𝑳𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓

Falak had gone to the library. Deep followed with an excuse to get some books. What he didn't expect was to be shoved hard against the stone wall just behind the secluded path.

Deep (startled):
"What the fu—"

Saksham's voice was low, venomous.
"Do you enjoy breathing, Deep?"

Deep looked into Saksham's eyes — dark, stormy, manic.

Deep (gritting teeth):
"She's not your property, Saksham. You don't own her—"

Saksham grabbed his collar, slamming him against the wall again.

Saksham (whispering with a cruel smile):
"No, I don't own her... yet. But she was never yours to touch."

Karan and Nikhil appeared behind him like hounds, cornering Deep.

Karan (mocking):
"You've got guts. Or a death wish. Want to find out which?"

Deep (through clenched teeth):
"You think she'll ever love a monster like you?"

Saksham froze. For a beat. Then leaned in, his voice nothing but fire:

Saksham:
"She doesn't need to love me. She just needs to feel something when I'm around. And she does... fear, hatred, anger. It's all the same, Deep. It means I'm under her skin. You? You're background noise."

He pushed Deep one last time, letting him stagger away.

𝑺𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒆 𝑺𝒉𝒊𝒇𝒕: 𝑺𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒍 𝑪𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒐𝒓 – 𝑨𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒐𝒐𝒏

Falak was walking toward the lockers when suddenly she was yanked into a narrow corridor. She gasped, only to find herself pinned gently — yet firmly — between the wall and the shadow she feared most.

Saksham.

Falak (nervously):
"Let me go, Saksham—"

Saksham (quiet, intense):
"Why do you keep laughing with him?"

Falak:
"What?"

Saksham:
"Deep. Why do you let him sit next to you, touch your hand, whisper things? Do you think he can protect you from me?"

Falak (angrily):
"You don't scare me anymore."

Saksham (chuckling darkly):
"Then why are you trembling, Falak?"

He leaned closer, his breath brushing her cheek. His eyes burned through her soul.

Saksham:
"You think I didn't see your eyes in the canteen when Pari touched me? You hate it. You feel it. That's all I want."

Falak (broken whisper):
"I feel disgust."

Saksham (smiling softly):
"Lies don't suit you."

For a moment, silence hung between them. Her back against the wall, his fingers just brushing her wrist — not to hold her, but to feel her pulse. Her racing heart.

Saksham (low):
"You can hate me, Falak. But don't ignore me. Don't pretend I don't exist. Because if you try to erase me..."

His voice dropped to a chilling whisper.

Saksham:
"...I'll erase everyone around you."

And just like that — he stepped back, leaving her shaken, tears blurring her vision.

Shubh had seen her walk away shaken. Naina held his hand tightly.

Shubh (serious):
"He's back in her head again. This... this isn't over."

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"𝘏𝘦𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘴! 𝘐'𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐'𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨! 𝘎𝘦𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘰𝘯! 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘦𝘥!