When I Met Him Again

Aanya sat quietly in the classroom, staring at her desk, lost in thought. Her friends had already left, and the day's events were weighing heavily on her heart.

Rhea and her friends walked up to Aanya with smirks.

"You look so sad," Rhea said, pretending to be concerned.

Aanya glanced at them, then turned away without replying.

"Looks like something bad happened," one of Rhea's friends said mockingly.

Aanya, tired and low, said softly, "Can you please leave me alone?"

Rhea chuckled. "It's time for you to go. Why are you still here?"

"Fine, I'll leave."

"Wait. Where are you going?"

"I don't want to talk to you guys," Aanya said firmly.

Rhea grinned. "But I want to talk."

Aanya grabbing her bag. And was about to leave.

But just then, one of the girls suddenly snatched her bag, opened the zip, and dumped all its contents onto the floor.

"What are you doing?" Aanya shouted.

"Oh no, I dropped everything," she said sarcastically. You pick it up.

Furious, Aanya bent down to pick up her things — but one of the girls placed her foot on Aanya's book.

"Remove your leg," Aanya said sharply.

"Or what?" Rhea challenged.

Aanya stood up, furious.

Rhea shoved Aanya back and said, "Pick up your stuff."

Aanya glared at her. "I won't."

"You won't?" Rhea's voice rose. "Let's see."

She and her friends suddenly rushed out of the room, locking the door from the outside.

"Hey! What are you doing? Please open the door!" Aanya banged on it, panic rising in her chest.

"Please… don't do this…"

Rhea smirked. "Let's go girls."

Meanwhile, Aryan waited outside the college, glancing at the time.

Did she go home by herself? he wondered.

As they walked out, they bumped into someone. Aryan.

He stepped toward them. "Excuse me?

Rhea froze for a second. He was handsome—and unexpectedly there.

"Hi… can I help you?" she asked sweetly.

"Are you final year students?" Aryan asked firmly.

"Yes, we are," she replied.

"Do you know if Aanya has already left?

Rhea exchanged nervous glances with her group.

One of them answered quickly, "Yeah, she left long ago. It's almost 6. No one stays this long.

Aryan paused, nodded slightly, and turned to leave.

One of Rhea's friend whispered, "Do you think we'll get caught?"

''Don't worry," Rhea replied. "We won't."

Back in the locked room, Aanya paced nervously. "What should I do? Should I call Mr. Aryan?"

She hesitated.

"No… I told him I wouldn't call again.

Why should I".

But… how will he know I'm still here?"

Wait, I will call prerna.

She checked her phone—dead.

"Seriously?! Right now?!" she panicked, biting her lip in frustration.

Tears welled in her eyes.

---

Meanwhile, Aryan reached home.

His mother noticed immediately. "Aryan, where's Aanya?"

He blinked. "She's not here yet?"

Didn't she come with you?" Prerna asked.

"What?" Prerna gasped. "You didn't bring her? But she always comes with you!"

Aryan's heart raced. "She wasn't there when I went back".

His mother's voice grew anxious. "Aryan, you dropped her at college, right? So where is she now?"

Prerna added, "Did you at least call her?"

He shook his head. Prerna grabbed her phone. "I'll try."

But the call didn't connect.

"It's switched off."

Meanwhile, she heard footsteps outside. Her eyes lit up.

She ran to the door. "Hello?! Is anyone there?! Please open the door!!"

It was the watchman, but… he had headphones in his ears.

Oblivious to her cries, he passed by without even glancing at the room.

Aanya watched in shock as he walked away.

Her shoulders slumped. "No one's going to find me…"

At Aryan's house,

"Where could she be then?" Aryan's mother asked, now fully panicked. "We can't even call her parents… they'll be devastated."

Aryan thought deeply, retracing everything—Aanya's words about a gang that bullies students, the strange behavior of the girls outside the college…

His eyes widened.

He turned and ran out the door.

"Aryan! Where are you going?!" His mother called.

"To find her!"

---

At college, Aanya banged on the door. Her throat was sore from crying, but still, no one came.

She slumped to the ground, whispering, "No one cares… not even him."

---

Aryan arrived at the campus and rushed to the gate.

The watchman stopped him. "Sir, you need permission to enter after hours."

"I'm not here for a hosteler. Aanya—she's a day scholar. She didn't come home."

The watchman scratched his head. "I already checked. No one's there now."

"Did you try calling her?"

"Her phone is off.", Aryan snapped.

The watchman chuckled. "Maybe she went out with her boyfriend. Girls these days…"

That was it. Aryan clenched his jaw. Grabbed the watchman's collar.

"She's not like that! Open the gate—or I'm calling the police!"

"Okay okay, sir! No need for police!" the watchman said, frightened.

"Come with me."

They both started checking each room using Aryan's phone flashlight.

Aryan's heart pounded until—

He spotted one classroom door locked from the outside.

"Why is this one locked?" he demanded.

"I—I don't know…"the watchman stuttered.

Aryan forced the lock open and pushed the door.

The flashlight beam fell directly on a teary-eyed Aanya, curled in the corner.

End of Chapter 8.