AKSHAT SINGHANIA - A literature professor in Singania Institute of Arts and Commerce. He is soft and caring person
with a tough exterior, who doesn't believe in love or marriage because of his parent's broken relationship and his ex wife's betrayal...
The word pierced straight through him, sharper than any blade. That voice... that face... His chest caved in as if someone had pulled the air out of the room. The warmth in her tone didn't matter, the smile on her lips didn't matter. All Akshat could see was the shadow of that one night, the monster who had stolen pieces of him he had never gotten back.
His throat went dry, eyes widening, not in surprise but in raw horror. His body froze,utterly still,like prey caught in the hunter's gaze. A ringing sound filled his ears, drowning out everything else. He couldn't even hear Vedant's voice, Vishakha's laugh, or Amrit's breath beside him. Just the memory. Just her.
And then the heavens cracked outside,thunder, lightning, rain pouring heavily against the windows. The sound of rain always clawed at him, dragging him mercilessly back into the nightmare of that night. The smell of wet earth that drifted in through the open windows mixed with the fear choking his lungs. It was too much.
He staggered back a step, then another. His chest heaved violently, breaths short and broken, but he couldn't stop. The walls felt like they were closing in, the hall shrinking, everyone's eyes piercing through his skin. His trembling fingers fisted at his shirt, clutching the fabric like it could hold him together.
And then,he ran.
Without a word, without a second thought, his legs carried him upstairs, fast, desperate, unthinking. Everyone in the hall froze in stunned silence at his sudden, wild retreat.
"Akshat!!" Amrit called, her voice desperate as she rushed behind him, but he couldn't hear her properly. The world was muffled, his ears filled with that pounding thunder and the screaming inside his own head.
He didn't know where he was running, just that he had to get away. Away from her. Away from the rain. Away from everything. His breath tore from his chest as he stumbled into his room and then darted straight into the adjoining library. His hands shook violently as he shoved the door shut and twisted the lock, then another, then another, as if multiple locks could keep the past out.
And then,everything collapsed.
He slid down against the wooden shelves, his back hitting the books, body curling in on itself. His breaths came out ragged, sharp, uneven, like he was choking on nothing but air. His chest rose and fell frantically, every inhale shallow, every exhale broken. His hands trembled uncontrollably, clutching his hair, tugging at the strands as if he could pull the memories out of his head.
No, no, no... not her... why here... why now... The words echoed soundlessly on his lips.
His vision blurred,not from tears at first, but from the dizziness of panic. His heartbeat thundered louder than the storm outside, erratic, painful, slamming against his ribs like it wanted to break free. He rocked back and forth without realizing, muttering fragments of words, his voice hoarse and trembling.
