After leaving school, Rohit drove back home in silence.
The road blurred past him as his mind remained elsewhere.
Aisha tried to speak to him once, twice, then a third time, but when she received no response, she quietly retreated into her phone, leaving him to his thoughts.
In his mind, Rohit was deeply disappointed with Akhil. He kept recalculating his plans, adjusting the variables around the boy.
Earlier, he had believed his resolve might bring about real change, but now he realized Akhil was still too amateur, too unreliable to factor into his larger schemes.
The harsh treatment he had given Akhil would undoubtedly leave a scar, yet Rohit felt no regret. It had been necessary. What remained now was the anticipation—whether Akhil would finally crawl out of his shell and abandon that toxic hellhole, or cling to it even after such a brutal reality check.
