Falling Into Oblivion

Chapter 2: Confrontation and Complications

The next morning, Banhi walked to her locker with a sense of dread. Her mind was racing with the events of the previous day, and she hoped for a fresh start. As she approached her locker, she noticed a small crowd gathered around, whispering and pointing. Ignoring them, she opened her locker and her heart sank. Pages were torn, and notes were scribbled all over her textbooks. Some of the notes were offensive, mocking her and her sister. She felt a lump form in her throat.

Banhi's heart dropped as these books were expensive and she felt like crying.

"Banhi, dekho yeh kya kiya inhone!" Dhriti exclaimed, her voice shaking as she tried to keep her composure. She pulled out a handful of crumpled papers and candy wrappers from her locker, her eyes widening in disbelief.

Banhi shook her head, tears brimming in her eyes.

Dhriti wiping away a stray tear from Banhi's cheek.

As they began to clean up the mess, their resolve grew stronger. Banhi tried to restore the books as much as she could. Dhriti sorted through the garbage, her face set in a hard line.

While cleaning, Banhi noticed some other students watching them, whispering among themselves and giggling. She overheard snippets of their conversation.

"Yeh sab kisne kiya hoga?"

"Shayad Danish aur uske doston ne."

"Tch, bechari ladkiyan. This will be fun."

These whispers only fueled Banhi's anger.

When Banhi went to put her bag in the locker, she found an anonymous note at the very back:

_"Stay in your place or face the consequences. This is not your place."_

Banhi read the note again and again, her confusion turning into anger and then into a steely resolve. "Yeh Danish ka hi kaam hoga," she muttered to herself.

Dhriti looked over Banhi's shoulder, reading the note. "Banhi, yeh log kitne gir sakte hain?"

Banhi nodded, her jaw set. "Haan, Dhriti. Hum inhe dikha denge."

As they finished cleaning, Rina, a girl from their class, approached them. "Tum log theek ho?" she asked, her voice filled with fake concern.

Banhi gave her a small fake smile. "Haan, hum theek hain. Thank you, Rina."

Rina shook her head. "Yeh sab dekh ke bohot bura laga. Agar tumhe kisi help ki zaroorat ho, toh mujhe batana."

Dhriti also gave a fake smile. "Thank you, Rina. Tumhara support humare liye bohot maayne rakhta hai."

As Rina walked away, Banhi turned to Dhriti. "Dhriti, humara mission clear hai. Hum yahan sirf padhne aaye hain, aur hum apne sapne pure karke rahenge."

Dhriti nodded, her resolve matching Banhi's. "Haan, Banhi."

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.

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Banhi sat at her desk, trying to focus on the lecture, but she could feel the eyes of her classmates on her. She noticed students passing notes and giggling, their glances darting her way. Her heart pounded in her chest, but she tried to ignore it and concentrate on the professor's words.

"Kya problem hai in logon ki? Why can't they just leave me alone?" she thought, feeling the familiar sting of isolation.

Suddenly, a folded piece of paper landed on her desk. Banhi hesitated before opening it, her curiosity overcoming her caution. As she unfolded the note, her eyes widened in shock and hurt. The note was filled with cruel comments about her appearance and background, mocking her in the most heartless ways.