Chapter 12 : "The mask falls"
As Poorvi glanced at Rajesh from the corner of her eye, she noticed a sly smirk playing on his face.
“He doesn’t look scared at all,” she thought uneasily. “Is he that confident? Doesn’t he fear getting caught? And Harsha… I thought she was my best friend, but when I asked her for help, she left me alone. What do I do now? Everything’s falling apart…” her mind spiraled with worry.
The principal stood up and said, “Alright, let’s go. But not everyone needs to come. A few of us will go check.”
One of the boys from Rajesh’s group immediately interrupted, “Sir, how is that possible? We need to know what exactly happened. Who knows what might go on if we’re not there?”
All the boys echoed in agreement. “We’ll come too, sir!”
Surya : stepped forward, calm but firm. “Sir, the truth never changes. Let everyone see what really happened. Then they’ll know that JK did nothing wrong. We’ll come with you.”
The principal nodded. “Alright, let’s go,” he said, and the group began heading toward the principal’s office.
As they entered, Poorvi couldn’t stop observing Rajesh. His face remained cool, without a trace of fear.
“Why is he acting like none of this concerns him?” she wondered. “Is he trying to turn my own plan against me? God… please save me,” she whispered internally.
The principal accessed the CCTV footage. Everyone leaned in to see.
JK : stood silently, his heartbeat audibly pounding in his chest. Professor Guru began checking all the footage carefully.
But something wasn’t right.
“The only camera footage working is from the computer lab,” he said, his brow furrowing. “The rest stopped working after 11 AM. All four cameras have no data beyond that.”
JK : stepped closer, checking for himself. “This is strange. Everything was working fine before 11… and now nothing. Feels like something's being hidden.”
Karthik, Praveen, Surya, and Swathi exchanged worried glances.
Poorvi, however, was in complete shock.
One look at Rajesh’s calm expression was enough. “This… this is his doing,” she realized. “No wonder he was acting so relaxed when they mentioned the cameras. I underestimated him. If I’m not careful, he might expose me…”
The principal called the maintenance staff and snapped angrily, “What’s wrong with all of you? The CCTV isn’t working! Go immediately and find out what happened!”
Poorvi stood frozen, saying nothing.
JK turned to the principal. “Sir, please don’t let this escalate further. Call the police. Let them handle this.”
He glanced meaningfully at Poorvi as he spoke.
Swathi added quickly, “Yes, that’s the right step.”
Suddenly, Rajesh’s confident face began to lose color.
The principal nodded. “Alright. Let’s call JK’s brother—the Sub Inspector. He’ll come and investigate properly.”
Poorvi and Rajesh looked at each other, panic etched across their faces.
“JK’s brother? A police officer? No! That man is dangerous… even the smallest clue and he’ll unravel everything,” Poorvi’s thoughts raced.
Rajesh’s fear mirrored hers.
“Oh no… jail? I can’t go to jail. Poorvi… you dragged me into this mess,” he thought bitterly.
Poorvi, unable to bear the rising pressure, suddenly broke down in tears.
The principal stared at her. “Now what happened to you?”
Through sobs, Poorvi said, “There’s no need to call the police. I’ll tell you the truth.”
JK looked at her, his voice low but steady. “I already knew you were acting. But I’m not interested in why. Just tell the truth now.”
Poorvi began, “I… all of this was—”
Rajesh interrupted in his mind, “Is she about to take my name?”
Aloud, he scoffed, “Another drama?”
Poorvi snapped, “Shut up, Rajesh! Sir, he is the reason behind everything!”
Gasps rippled through the room.
Rajesh’s face turned pale. “What… what nonsense! You’re blaming me now? Just because I exposed your game with JK, you’re making false accusations?”
The principal’s voice rose sharply. “Poorvi! You didn’t speak a word until now. The moment we said ‘police station,’ you gave us his name?”
Poorvi pleaded, “Sir, I’m telling the truth. Rajesh blackmailed me and made me do all this.”
JK folded his arms. “Oh really? And you couldn’t say this earlier? I know you both planned this together.”
“No, JK, please believe me. I’m telling the truth!” Poorvi insisted, tears flowing again.
Swathi stepped forward. “I always knew Poorvi was a good girl. Rajesh took advantage of her innocence. He’s hated JK from the start. Poorvi, don’t cry. At least now you’ve spoken up.”
Poorvi wiped her eyes. “Swathi… even if only you believe me, that’s enough for me.”
The principal narrowed his eyes. “Are you saying everything you just said is the truth?”
Rajesh barked, “No, sir! She’s lying! This was all her plan! She offered me one lakh to help her!”
Professor Guru frowned. “Enough, Rajesh. From the beginning, you’ve had issues with JK. I never expected you to fall to this level.”
Professor Rajeshwari added, “Sir, I’ve watched Rajesh in class—always making trouble. Poorvi, on the other hand, has always been a quiet, decent girl.”
Other professors nodded in agreement.
The principal shook his head. “Look at this, Rajesh. Every professor has lost faith in you. Was this necessary?”
Rajesh shouted, “Sir, she’s not the good girl you think she is!”
Surya stepped in, disgusted. “I never knew you were this cheap. Framing a girl and playing with her emotions? Shame on you.”
JK’s classmates began criticizing Rajesh one by one.
Rajesh turned desperately to JK. “Please… listen to me. I only helped her. It was her plan. Ask our friends!”
Most of Rajesh’s friends stepped forward and admitted, “Yes, sir, she planned it. We just helped her.”
But Varun, Rajesh’s close friend, stood silently in the back, not saying a word.
JK walked up to Rajesh. Rajesh began trembling the moment he saw JK’s expression.
JK said coldly, “Relax. I won’t hurt you. I’m not interested in this drama. But if you ever drag me into your games again… it won’t end well.”
The principal turned to Rajesh and his group. “You won’t be allowed to appear for the lab exams. This is serious misconduct.”
Rajesh begged, “Sir, please don’t do this. Everyone will find out. They’ll ruin me. JK, please… say something to the principal. I promise I won’t bother you again.”
Even his friends pleaded for forgiveness.
JK finally said, “Sir, it’s better we end this here. They’ve admitted their mistake. The college term is over anyway. There’s no point dragging this further.”
The principal nodded. “Very well. Poorvi admitted the truth. JK, you’ve done nothing wrong. On behalf of everyone, I apologize.”
JK smiled faintly. “Sir, please… don’t apologize. You’re our elders. Just treat us fairly. That’s all we ask.”
The principal turned serious again. “Now go. It’s getting late. Rajesh, focus on your studies instead of these tricks. And Poorvi, if you face any problems, come and talk to us directly.”
With that, the principal and professors left, followed by the rest of the students.
Poorvi hesitated, then said softly, “JK… I’m sorry. I know you won’t forgive me, but…”
JK didn’t respond. He turned to Swathi and Karthik. “Let’s go. It’s getting late.”
Without a single glance back, he walked away with his friends.
Poorvi slowly walked out of the room, lost in thought.
Swathi approached her. “Poorvi, I know you feel terrible. But if you had told us the truth earlier, no one would’ve doubted JK. This whole thing wouldn’t have blown up like it did. Still, he’s just angry now. Don’t overthink it, okay? Let it go.”
Poorvi hugged her. “Swathi… thank you so much.”
Swathi smiled. “Real friendship doesn’t include all this mess. Take care. Bye.”
As she left, Rajesh appeared again, his eyes burning with rage.
“I thought you were a good girl,” he said through gritted teeth. “But you humiliated me in front of everyone. Called me a blackmailer? Ruined my image?”
Poorvi replied coldly, “Rajesh, calm down. College is over. In a few days, everyone will forget about this. So don’t worry.”
“Forget? I’ll make sure JK knows what you did. Don’t think I’ll let this go,” he snapped.
“Oh, you’ve suddenly become the good guy now?” Poorvi smirked. “I heard your father is very strict. How do you think he’d react if he found out about you and… what was her name? Shreya?”
Rajesh froze. “How do you know that? That’s my personal matter. If you interfere…”
Poorvi stepped away. “Do what you want. I don’t have time for this. And don’t worry—your one lakh will be transferred to your account. Just remember… if JK finds out, you know what will happen.”
She left.
Outside, Varun was waiting for her.
Poorvi walked up to him. “Did you capture the photos properly?”
Varun nodded. “Yes. All done. Here’s your phone.”
She checked the amount and said, “I’ve transferred the money. Check it.”
Varun confirmed. “Yes, received.”
“Good,” Poorvi replied. “No one should ever know about this. Especially not Rajesh.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll handle it.”
With that, she walked away.
Meanwhile, JK’s plan to propose to Swathi—will it still happen? What will unfold next?
To be continued...
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🌸Author’s Note🌸:
Truth always finds its way. In this chapter, masks drop and hidden intentions come to light. Stay with the story—more twists await!
Don’t forget to follow for the next chapters and drop your thoughts in the comments—I’d love to hear from you!
