DESTINED TO CROSS

Chapter 13: Sisterhood And Secrets

Samaira's POV

I stood there, unable to process what he had just said. I was in shock, staring at him. What? Siddharth likes me? I couldn’t understand any of it. When did this happen? Why? A thousand questions flooded my mind, but all I could manage to say was, "Huh?" He looked at me for a few moments, then patiently repeated everything from the beginning. When he finished, I was still in shock. I didn’t know what to say. He likes me, and he’s waiting for an answer. What am I supposed to say? Do I like him? I mean, I don’t dislike him. He’s a really good friend, and sometimes he does give me butterflies in my stomach. So… do I like him? Ugh, I really don’t know. “Siddharth, I... I just... you...” I stammered, trying to form words, but nothing coherent was coming out. “Hey, it’s okay,” he said gently, reaching for my hand. “I don’t need your answer right away. I kind of figured you’d react like this. I know it all sounds really sudden, but I promise I meant every word. So please, take your time, think about it carefully, and then give me your answer. Okay?” His eyes were so sincere and hopeful, and all I could do was nod. It was the only thing I was capable of at that moment.

We focused on heading back to the beach, and the entire way, no one spoke a word. When we arrived, most of the students had already finished the game. I spotted Mayra and Imaad standing with the others. I really didn’t want them to think something had happened between Siddharth and me, so I forced a smile as I approached them. “Hey, you guys already finished the game?” I asked Mayra, trying to sound casual. “Yeah, both of your partners left us, so we completed it together,” Mayra sighed. “Oh, that’s unfortunate . So, who won?” I asked, desperately trying to keep the conversation going and not let my thoughts distract me. “Ayaan,” Mayra replied, rolling her eyes. “What? Your brother?” I asked, genuinely surprised. “Yup, he ditched Imaad and ran ahead to finish first. And guess what he actually did. So, it’s been decided that he’ll receive the prize alone. Look at him celebrating,” Mayra said, pointing at Ayaan, who looked way too happy, giving high fives and hugs to everyone. “Guys,” a voice called from behind. It was Shanaya, walking toward us with Aurav. Oh no, Aurav knows about me and Siddharth. Did he tell Shanaya everything? Is that why they’re approaching us like they have some big news? “You won’t believe what Aurav and I just witnessed,” Shanaya said as she reached us.

Oh no.

“What?” Imaad asked, curious. Shanaya gathered all of us into a corner where no one else could hear. “We just saw Ashok Sir talking to his son,” she began. “Wow, that’s shocking. Ashok Sir has a son?” Mayra said sarcastically. I let out a sigh of relief, grateful that this wasn’t about us. “Yes, that too, but what’s more shocking is that Ashok Sir’s son is the real culprit,” Aurav added, leaving us all staring at each other in disbelief. “WHAT?” Mayra exclaimed, completely shocked “Yeah, we heard them with our own ears. They were talking about how they manipulated everyone into thinking the culprit was from the second year, but the truth is, the culprit isn’t even from our college. And also how they framed us,” Shanaya explained, leaving us even more stunned. “But why? Why would Ashok Sir risk leaking the question papers? Isn’t he afraid of getting fired?” I asked, trying to wrap my head around it all. “That’s the thing,” Aurav continued. “Ashok Sir wasn’t the one who leaked the papers. It was his son. That’s why it was so easy to access the system. There was no hacker involved. Ashok Sir’s son took the question papers directly from his father’s computer and leaked them. I don’t think Ashok Sir knew at first, but when the management found out through Shekhar’s phone, he had no choice but to help his son avoid getting caught.” We all stood there in disbelief, processing the revelation.

"So, what now? Do we have any proof to show the management?" Siddharth asked beside me. I could barely bring myself to look at him, feeling the tension between us. I noticed Shanaya glancing back and forth between us, her gaze a little too curious for my comfort. Oh God, does she know? "That's the only thing left to do," Aurav replied, his tone serious. "We’ve got just two days. Tomorrow, once we're back at college, we need to do everything we can to gather evidence." We all nodded in agreement, the weight of the situation sinking in.
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