Just when the past seemed behind them… a scream shattered the calm.
The girl who once fought for him had flinched at his touch, cried at echoes of violence. That smile he'd seen just minutes ago felt like a fragile illusion now.
He wanted to ask her—Was it Rohit and his friends?Was there something more? But as he watched her cry in the arms of her mother, he wouldn't do it. Not now. Not when she was struggling to hold herself together.
Aradhya's mother had come to him shortly after.
"Veer," she said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry for what happened. When Aryadhya hears loud shouting or sudden noises… she panics. It's a trauma response."
Veer lowered his gaze, nodding slowly. "It's okay, aunty. I understand."
"She's… trying," her mother added, her voice trembling. "But we should leave for now. Thank you for today."
Veer nodded again, forcing a smile. "Of course. Take care."
But as they walked away, something inside Veer broke. The guilt, the helplessness—it all returned.
The mall incident stayed with Veer long after he left Aryadhya and her mother that evening. He had never seen her like that—so broken, so terrified.
That night, Veer lay on his bed staring at the ceiling fan, his muscles aching from training, his chest heavy from emotions he couldn't name.
Then, his phone buzzed.
It was a message from Aradhya.
Aradhya: I'm sorry for earlier today, VeeR. I didn't mean to push you away. It just… happened. Thank you for staying. I needed that more than I thought.
He stared at the message for a long time before replying.
Veer: Don't apologise. I'm just glad you're okay. I'm here whenever you need me.
He saw her typing… then she stopped typing again. Stop. Then, finally, a message came through.
Aradhya: I've made a list.Things I need to do to get better.
Talk to Veer — Done.
Go outside with Veer — Someday.
Gym again — Soon.
Veer couldn't help but smile, even through the weight of everything. She's trying. And that's enough.
The next morning, Veer walked through the gates of school for the first time in over a week. His suspension was over. But everything still felt different.
He wasn't just "Veer the fat kid" anymore. He had changed. Not just physically, but mentally. His training with the instructor had given him discipline, focus… and quiet rage. But he also had learned control—something he'd need today.
Because today, he was going to confront another part of the problem.
His target? A boy named Kartik Rana—older, taller, and more brutal than Rohit. Rumours said Kartik was the real hand behind the violence.
The gang Rohit belonged to answered to him. He was the kind of person who didn't fight unless he knew he'd win.
And worse, Kartik ran a quiet extortion racket in school—money from weak students for "protection" and silence.
Veer walked to the senior block, his school bag hanging loose off one shoulder.
He knew where Kartik's class was. He'd been told by a few juniors—kids who had whispered about their lunch money disappearing or being slapped in hallways with no one to stop it.
Room 207
Veer stepped in.
Kartik was leaning against a desk, laughing with his group—four boys, all bigger than Veer, all oozing arrogance. He stopped mid-laugh when he saw Veer.
"Well l well, look who's back," Kartik said, tilting his head "Motu 2.0. What brings you here, tiger?"
Veer's jaw clenched. "You take money from the weak. You beat up kids half your size. You sent Rohit to do your dirty work."
Kartik's group burst into laughter.
"And you came here to lecture me?" Kartik smirked. "You should go. Don't make the mistake of thinking those gym muscles make you invincible."
"I came to end this," Veer replied coldly. "Whatever this gang is-is-is-is-whateverr you're running—I'm done watching."
One of the group stood up. "You hear that, bhai? He wants to end us."
Another chuckled. "Someone's been watching too many action movies."
Just as the tension in the room peaked, the door suddenly swung open. A teacher stepped in.
"What's going on here?"
Kartik quickly turned around, face switching to innocence. "Nothing, sir. Just a junior here asking about classes."
The teacher narrowed his eyes, looked at Veer, then walked to his desk without another word.
Veer took that as a cue. He turned and walked away. His hands were shaking, not from fear, but from fury. He wanted to fight—but now wasn't the moment.
He had to be smart. Controlled.
The sun had dipped behind the school walls, casting long shadows across the road as students trickled away. Veer stood silently at the side gate, eyes locked on one person—the tall, cocky figure walking ahead with a slouch of arrogance in every step.
Kartik.
The so-called superior bully. The one who now ran Rohit's former racket—extorting weak students, dealing fear like candy.
Veer stepped forward. "Kartik!"
Kartik turned slowly, eyes narrowing beneath his shades. "Huh? You again?"
"I'm done watching," Veer said, his voice calm, but the tension in his fists said otherwise. "For Aryadhya. For everything. We fight. Now."
Kartik raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Oh-ho. So the 'new Veer' wants to play hero? You think you've changed just because you lost a little fat?"
Veer took a step forward. "This isn't about looks. It's about justice. And I'm not asking. I'm telling."
Kartik cracked his neck, tossing his bag aside. "Fine. Let's do it, Motae Junior."
He walked toward Veer slowly, students stopping in the distance, sensing a storm about to hit.
As they stood face-to-face in the centre of the quiet road, the air grew heavy with the weight of something inevitable. A car horn in the background. A dog barking distantly. But here, only two eyes were locked in fury.
The Veer raised his hand and clenched it into a fist.
Kartik smirked.
Suddenly—
A motorcycle roared in from the side, screeching to a halt near the fight.
A voice called out from the helmet-covered rider, in a cute voice, "Oho!"
Both boys turned their heads, and Veer's heart skipped a beat.
The rider removed his helmet.
A figure dismounted.
Not a man. Not the instructor.
But a girl.
Slender yet toned, she wore black combat cargo pants, a sleeveless tactical vest, and military-style boots. Her long hair was braided tightly and pinned to the side, a few strands whipping in the breeze. A black scarf wrapped loosely around her neck fluttered like a silent threat. Fingerless gloves gripped her helmet as she pulled it off.
Kartik blinked. "What the—"
Veer stepped back slightly, stunned.
She looked no older than them, but the look in her eyes wasn't teenage confusion—it was precision, training, warrior discipline.
She scanned the two boys slowly. Her eyes stopped at Kartik.
Her voice was calm but carried the sharpness of a dagger.
"Who are you, aunty ?" Kartik asked, clearly unsettled for once
She turned slightly, looking at Veer for a second longer..
Then she looked back at Kartik
she smiled hmph
LETS TEACH YOU HOW TO BE LIKE A BULLY
CHAPTER 8 END