The next morning, the atmosphere at school felt strange.

Too many whispers.
Too many side glances.

Aaradhya had barely stepped into class when Anvi leaned toward her.

“Did you hear?”

“Hear what?”

Mahima lowered her voice. “She didn’t come today.”

“Who?”

“The new teacher.”

Aaradhya blinked. “Maybe she’s just absent.”

But by second period, the rumors had spread like wildfire.

“She got fired.”
“Principal removed her.”
“Parents complained.”
“She insulted some big family.”

The last line made Aaradhya’s stomach drop.

Her.

Was it because of her?

Her mind immediately went to home.

Her grandfather's temper.
Her father’s quiet influence.
Her uncles’ dramatic threats.

The moment she got home that afternoon, she walked straight into the living room.

“Did any of you talk to the school?” she asked directly.

They all looked at her.

Her father raised a brow. “About what?”

“The teacher. She’s not coming anymore.”

A small pause.

Then her grandfather scoffed lightly. “If someone can’t behave professionally, that’s not our problem.”

“That’s not what I asked,” Aaradhya pressed.

Ahaan leaned back casually. “We didn’t do anything.”

Avik added, “Relax.”

They looked calm.

Too calm.

But none of them admitted anything.

And Aaradhya couldn’t prove otherwise.

Later that Evening

She was sitting on the balcony when her phone buzzed.

Yuvaan.

She hesitated before answering the call.

“Hmm?” she said.

“She got fired,” he said simply.

“So I’ve heard.”

Silence.

Then she said casually, “I thought maybe my family did something.”

A pause.

Then—

“I did.”

Her heart skipped.

“What?”

“I spoke to the principal.”

Aaradhya stood up instantly. “Yuvaan!”

“She crossed a line.”

“You can’t just get someone fired because they yelled at me!”

“She didn’t just yell,” he said calmly. “She insulted you.”

“That doesn’t mean she loses her job!”

His tone didn’t rise. It got colder.

“They questioned your upbringing. Your character. That’s not discipline.”

Aaradhya felt frustrated. Conflicted.

“You had no right,” she said softly. “It was between me and the teacher.”

“It stopped being just yours when they disrespected you.”

The quiet intensity in his voice made her chest tighten.

“You don’t decide punishments,” she muttered.

“I didn’t,” he replied. “I told the truth. The school decided.”

Silence fell between them.

Wind brushed against her face.

Somewhere inside her anger… something else stirred.

He hadn’t done it for drama.
He hadn’t bragged.
He hadn’t even told her until she brought it up.

He had just… acted.

Because he couldn’t tolerate someone hurting her.

“That was extreme,” she said finally.

“Maybe,” he admitted.

Another pause.

Then, quieter—

“I don’t like it when people think they can talk about you like that.”

Her breath caught.

There was no confession.
No romance.

Just something darker.

Possessive. Controlled.

Dangerous.

She didn’t know what to say.

So she said the safest thing.

“Don’t do that again.”

A small pause.

“No promises.”

Her heart skipped again.

And she hated that it didn’t scare her as much as it should have.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Hi Lovlies 🤍
Okayyy… things just got a little intense 👀

I really wanted to show Yuvaan’s protective side in this chapter — but also make it realistic. Do you think he went too far? Or was he justified? I’d genuinely love to know your thoughts!

As always, please share your honest feedback and constructive criticism — it helps me improve so much as a writer. Did you like this chapter? What could I make better?

Thank you for reading and supporting my story 🫶
— Author