Paayal - His Scarred Butterfly ✅

29 - HER GUILTY

உன்னை பெண்ணென்று
கேலி செய்த கூட்டம் ஒரு நாள்
உன்னை வணங்கிடும் உயர்ந்து நில்லு!
(Those who mocked you because you are a girl,
will bow down in front of you one day.
Raise above!)

Time flowed like a steady stream, uninterrupted. The students were heading towards half yearly exams by now. After Paayal's birthday, Krishna and Paayal literally didn't spend any time in their personal chats. Amidst the busy academic schedule, their personal conversations became rare. Though they missed each other so much, they got used to it. They were literally waiting for their exams to end and to return to the unhurried tranquil moments they once shared.

When the lunch bell chimed, setting the mentally pressurized students into a brief rest from the academics, Paayal, Saanvi and Krishna settled under the familiar banyan tree to have their lunch.

"Why is Ajay absent today??" Saanvi asked, opening her tiffin box.

Before Krishna could reply to her, Ajay's voice interrupted them. "Hi....,"

They drifted his eyes up at him, surprised.

Krishna inquired, "Hey, You are coming in the afternoon! Where did you go in the morning?"

Ajay settled himself on the ground while replying casually, "A small problem in our bus. Me and some other busmates went to the police station. I met Saanvi's father too in the station."

The trio widened their eyes. "What?? Police station?!! Why did you go there? What is the problem?" They stacked their questions with a mix of shock and concern.

Ajay explained, "That is.. When we were travelling on the bus, a rascal harassed a college going sister physically. That sister voiced it out, slapped him and wanted to file a complaint against him. The bus was redirected to the police station. They asked other passengers to get down. But, As our Saanvi's father is the police inspector in this area, I know him, right? So, I too went with that sister for a support."

Saanvi teased, "Did you go with that sister for support? Or did you go to bunk our classes?"

"For both," Ajay giggled. Krishna let out an exasperated look, shaking his head as if he wanted to say, "You can never change."

Amidst their banther, Paayal was lost in her own thoughts, on hearing this, a flood of questions swirling inside her.

After a moment, she uttered her words, her eyes simply staring at the food, "Physically harassed means? What did he do?"

"What? Don't you know, what is physical harassment? Are you that much innocent?" Saanvi passed a puzzled look at her.

Ignoring her remark, Paayal yelled at Ajay, getting restless to know what exactly happened to that sister. "Tell me. What exactly did that rascal do with that sister?"

All of them looked at her incredulously. Ajay answered with a little hesitance, "He...He touched her waist, it seems."

"That's it?" She questioned, raising her eyebrows in surprise.

Krishna intervened, furrowing his eyebrows with a little disappointment with her expression, "Why does your expression seem as if it is nothing. Even touching one's hair without their wish is wrong. That's why she voiced it out. Why are you talking like this? Are you thinking that touching the waist is not a big crime?"

Paayal forced a smile before responding, "No...Not like that. But won't they humiliate that sister by asking unnecessary questions? How will she be able to answer those questions? Is it all needed for her?"