Chapter 3 - The Plan for Revenge

He asked her softly, “What kind of people are they? Anything… useful?”

Nina hesitated at first, but the pain she was holding for weeks finally pushed her to speak.

“Riya has a boyfriend,” she said, “but I once saw her behind the college with another guy. I never told anyone because… it was none of my business.”

“Ananya has that doll-keychain she treats like her own child. She won’t let anyone even touch it.”

“And Sahana… she makes that boy buy things for her. She pretends she’s clueless but she knows exactly what she’s doing.”

He listened without judging, without interrupting — just absorbing every detail. And then, with that frightening calm smile, he said,

“Perfect. I know exactly what to do.”

First, he asked Nina, “Where did you see Riya with the other guy?”

“Behind the college. Near the old wall,” she answered.

The next day the whispers started — not about Nina— but about Riya being seen on a bike with someone who wasn’t her boyfriend. A photo began circulating anonymously. Students were talking loud enough for Riya’s own friends to hear.

Then the second strike came. Ananya’s precious doll-keychain suddenly went missing, and a message spread that Sahana threw it away while mocking her for loving a toy like a kid.

And before anyone could breathe, the third blow hit:

Someone told the boy who always bought things for Sahana that she called him “a walking ATM.”

He confronted her in front of the class.

None of it pointed to Nina — because she did the smartest thing.

She tore her notes and left them scattered in the bin, pretending she was also upset and confused. There was nothing linking her to anything.

The plan worked. No one suspected her.

Trying to act normal, she joked lightly to the three girls, “Maybe we get targeted because we four hang out together?”

But they didn’t take it as a joke.

In seconds, the friendship that lasted since high school cracked like glass.

Riya shouted at Sahana for ruining everything;

Ananya screamed about her missing keychain;

Sahana accused both of being jealous of her.

By the end of the day — they weren’t friends anymore.

Three people who once swore they would always stand by each other… were now enemies.

Nina watched quietly — shocked more than satisfied. She thought they were strong. She thought they would never break because of something so small. But they did. And she felt guilty.

She told everything to Vihaan— the boy who helped her, who planned everything.

He only laughed and said gently,

“They deserved it. You didn’t break their friendship, Mira. If a bond can break that easily… it wasn’t real.”

But still she cannot get the guilt out of her and she did think about it all night

The next morning, college felt like a different world.

The rumour about her had died overnight — replaced by the chaos about Riya cheating.

Nina finally felt invisible again… until he walked toward her.

The boy from the original rumour.

He approached in the corridor, eyes locked on her like he wanted to talk — and Nina could feel her heartbeat pounding because she knew…

If he talks to her publicly,

the rumour that finally died

could be born again.