Episode 4: Breaking Up Bad

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Night had settled quietly over the city, but inside her room, Pooja’s heart pounded with anxiety. She had been desperately paging Rohan’s phone for what felt like hours. Finally, the ringing on her bedside telephone jolted her awake. With trembling hands, she answered.

“Rohan? Are you okay?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

On the other end, Rohan’s tired voice replied softly, “Yes, Pooja, I’m fine.”

Relief washed over her like a wave, and she sighed deeply. But the relief was short-lived. Rohan’s next words hit her like a cold slap. “But... I have some bad news.”

Pooja’s heart stopped for a moment. “What? What happened?” she pleaded, her voice shaking with fear.

Rohan hesitated before answering, the weight of his earlier encounter pressing down on him. He remembered Kareena’s words, the way she had manipulated and threatened him. “I... I met Kareena again,” he said quietly. “She made me an offer I can’t ignore.”

Four hours Ago*

The city lights blurred as Rohan sat in Kareena’s car. Kareena smiled triumphantly beside him, the power she wielded evident in her eyes. “I’ll get the job and the money for you, Rohan,” she promised sweetly, “but before that, there’s one thing you need to do.”

Rohan looked at her warily. “What is it?”

“I want you to be my boyfriend,” Kareena said, her voice dripping with control and menace. “I want you to come to my school with me, so Pooja will know what she’s lost. She will be hurt.”

Rohan’s heart sank. “No... please, the breakup already hurts enough. I don’t want to hurt Pooja anymore.”

Kareena’s smile turned cold and dangerous. “Have you forgotten who you’re dealing with, Rohan? You’re naïve if you think this ends with Pooja. I know where your family lives. If you don’t do as I say, I’ll hurt them instead.”

Rohan’s face paled, and shock coursed through his body. He had never felt so trapped before. Kareena’s threats were more than empty words—she was a force to be reckoned with, someone who would go to any lengths to get what she wanted.

As the car sped through the night, Rohan’s mind raced. He was caught between two worlds: the love he had for Pooja and the terrifying hold Kareena had over him. The stakes had never been higher, and one wrong move could destroy everything.

*Presently*

Rohan took a deep breath, his voice trembling with hesitation. “Pooja, I can’t be with you anymore.”

Pooja’s heart shattered in an instant. “What? Why?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, her eyes wide with shock.

“It’s nothing personal,” Rohan tried to explain. “I’ve been admitted to your school, and I need to focus on my studies. I have to become the one who knocks—the one who controls his own destiny.”

Tears welled up in Pooja’s eyes as she struggled to hold herself together. “Please don’t do this. I won’t be a burden.”

Rohan softened for a moment, pulling her into a tight embrace. “I know, but I have to focus on one thing right now, and that’s my education. I’m not in danger, Pooja. I am the danger.”

Her sobs grew heavier as the weight of his words sank in.

Meanwhile, elsewhere, Kareena sat with her friend Raghav, discussing their plans to expand their cocaine business. They had recently been introduced to someone who could help them—and to their shock, it was their college lecturer, Aditya.

“Mr. Aditya? You?” Kareena exclaimed, her voice filled with surprise.

Aditya smiled confidently. “I know chemistry, and you know the business. Together, we’re going to cook something pure, something unstoppable.”

Kareena’s mind raced. *This could be the perfect way to hurt Pooja even more—by sabotaging her school performance. Say my name. You’re goddamn right.*

Without another word, Kareena and Aditya shook hands, sealing their dangerous alliance.

---

The morning sun barely pierced through the cold air as Pooja hurried to school, her face hidden beneath a scarf. She tried to avoid attention, but then she saw them—Kareena walking confidently toward her, hand in hand with Rohan. Pooja’s heart sank. Kareena’s voice cut through the silence, sharp and mocking. “Pooja, meet my new boyfriend, Rohan.” The words stung, like a venomous snake ready to strike. Pooja was stunned, her mind reeling with betrayal.

Meanwhile, in a quiet corner of the Ghandhi's mansion, Rajvir Ghandhi was speaking gravely to his eldest son, Raguveer. “How could you let Kareena in on the cocaine business? This isn’t for her,” Rajvir said, his voice heavy with disappointment.

Raguveer sighed, a shadow of worry crossing his face. “Dad, you know how she is when she wants something. She won’t back down.”

In the principal’s office, Pooja’s frustration boiled over. Filled with rage and determination, she went to report Kareena actions from yesterday. But the principal’s response shocked her to the core. “You’re accusing without proof,” he said coldly, suspending her on the spot. As Pooja stepped out, defeated, she saw Kareena, Rohan, Meera, and Kareena’s gang approaching, their laughter ringing in her ears like a cruel echo.

They dragged Pooja to the rooftop of the school, their faces twisted with cruelty. Without warning, Kareena struck her hard across the face. "I thought we were done with you, Pooja," she sneered, her voice cold and merciless. Pooja’s tears welled up as she looked pleadingly at Meera, but Rohan turned his back on her, abandoning her in the storm.

Meera’s voice was low but firm, "I warned you, Pooja." Kareena’s fist came crashing down again, this time striking Pooja’s stomach with a brutal kick. Pain shot through her body, but it only fueled her anger.

“Just kill me instead,” Pooja whispered through clenched teeth, tears streaming down her face. Her voice broke with the weight of her suffering.

Kareena and her gang burst into cruel laughter. “How dare you tell me what to do, you disgusting girl!” Kareena spat, delivering another harsh slap.

But Pooja, despite the pain, found a fire inside her. “By God’s will, you will pay for your crimes, Kareena. You or someone you love will walk in my shoes,” she vowed, her voice shaking but resolute.

Kareena’s anger only grew as she continued to rain punches and slaps on Pooja. Finally, they left her broken, crying in pain on the rooftop. But Pooja stood up, trembling but determined. She walked slowly toward the edge, staring down into the abyss.

“I can’t live like this anymore,” she whispered to herself, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I have to end this suffering... for good.”

Pooja’s voice trembled with pain and determination. “Kareena, you shall lose in life.” She tried to jump from the rooftop, but just then, security arrived, grabbing her before she could fall, quickly reporting the incident.

Later that evening, Kareena introduced Aditya to her father, discussing the business. The conversation soon turned to Pooja.

“Dad, why are we even talking about that girl? How did you find out about her?” Kareena asked, confusion clouding her face.

Rajvir’s gaze was sharp and cold. “Everything you do in that school is under my watch. Aditya will take her to his asylum center, and two days later, we’ll transfer her to Delhi.” Aditya nodded silently and left the room, leaving Kareena stunned.

“So, everything Mr. Aditya did… it was a setup?” Kareena whispered, disbelief in her voice.

Rajvir fixed her with a steely stare. “You’re going to London in two days to finish your studies.” And with that, he left, leaving Kareena overwhelmed with emotion.

Meanwhile, Pooja’s parents and the school board had agreed to take her to the asylum center the next day. As they left, Amit and Suhana began arguing heatedly in front of Pooja.

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