The room was filled with members of The Shield, their faces unreadable. Wick scanned the familiar faces of his closest allies-people he had fought beside countless times. Yet, there was something unsettling about the way they looked at him now.
Nick's voice cut through the silence. "Is everyone here?"
Vivek nodded. "Yes."
Nick took a deep breath. "Today, we gather to deliver punishment to someone who has committed an unforgivable act."
Wick's brows furrowed. "Who? And what happened?"
Nick's eyes darkened as he snapped, "Don't interrupt. Just wait." He turned to Vivek. "You can begin."
Vivek folded his arms. "Wick, last night, you were out, correct?"
Wick sighed. "Yeah, I was."
"Where did you go?" Vivek pressed.
Wick's irritation grew. "Why are you questioning me like this? I don't owe you an explanation. And anyway, Nick knows where I was."
Nick's voice was sharp. "Just answer the question."
Wick clenched his jaw but complied. "I was running an errand for Bhumi's friend, Shristi. I also stopped at the shopping mall."
Vivek's eyes narrowed. "So you weren't at the rival college's party?"
Wick crossed his arms. "I refuse to answer that. And I'm not your damn servant."
Vivek smirked. "Fine. But tell me-were you drunk last night?"
Wick's expression turned incredulous. "What the hell are you saying? Of course not! And you-Nick-you know we made a promise never to drink just for fun or recklessness. How could you even ask me that?
And that was the reason you are out of the team."
Vivek pulled out his phone, turning the screen toward Wick. "Then explain this."
Wick's eyes widened as he saw the photograph. It was him, holding a drink.
"This is bullshit," Wick muttered. "I wasn't drinking. I was just checking if there was alcohol in it or not."
Vivek scoffed. "So you didn't drink, but you tasted it?"
Wick ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "Just get to the point. What the hell are you trying to accuse me of?"
Vivek's voice hardened. "Last night, while you were drunk, you misbehaved with Khusi."
Wick's expression twisted in disbelief. "What?! That's a damn lie! I was furious at her because she was talking nonsense, but I never touched her!"
Vivek gestured toward the entrance. "Khusi, tell them what happened."
Khusi stepped forward, visibly shaking. Tears streamed down her face as she stammered, "L-last night... Wick and I went to pick up Shristi. But he stopped the car in an abandoned road... and tried to force himself on me." She choked on her words, sobbing. "I barely managed to escape. He left me there and drove off."
The room fell into stunned silence.
Wick stared at her, his face a mixture of rage and devastation. "Aryan, you know me. You know I would never-"
Nick's expression was unreadable. His voice was cold. "From now on, Vikram is no longer part of The Shield. He is stripped of his rank and removed from our tournament team. His badge will be taken immediately."
Wick's world seemed to shatter around him. "Aryan... you don't believe this, do you?"
Nick didn't meet his eyes. "I believe in proof."
Vivek strode up to Wick and ruthlessly ripped the badge from his jacket. "You are nothing to us now," he sneered.
Wick stood frozen, absorbing the betrayal. Then, without a word, he turned and walked away.
Just before he reached the door, Vivek called after him. "Wait, Vikram. The shoes you're wearing have our gang symbol."
Wick's hands curled into fists. Without hesitation, he ripped off his shoes and tossed them aside.
Wick stopped in the middle of the empty street, his vision blurring.
His mind screamed. His chest ached.
Then-he punched a wall. Hard.
The skin on his knuckles split. Blood dripped. But he felt nothing.
He punched again. And again. And again.
Until his fist was raw. Until his body screamed in pain.
But nothing hurt more than what Nick had done.
He looked at his trembling, bloodied hands.
"I lost everything."
Then-his phone buzzed.
A message.
Unknown Number: "The war isn't over. It's just begun."
Wick stared at the screen.
Then-he smirked.
"Fine then."
"If they want war... I'll give them war."
---
The air inside the hostel lounge was thick with tension. Whispers filled the dimly lit room as a circle of students gathered, all eyes locked on Khusi, who stood with her arms crossed, a defiant smirk playing on her lips. She had just thrown an accusation at Wick, a false one, and she knew it had stirred the beehive.
Danger Lurks
In the hostel, Bhumi confronted Khusi.
"Tell me the truth. Did my brother really do that?"
Khusi folded her arms. "Ask him yourself."
Before she could say another word, Bhumi slapped her. Hard.
Khusi reeled back, her eyes flashing with fury. She raised a hand to retaliate, but Varsha grabbed her wrist.
"Don't you dare," Varsha hissed.
Bhumi's voice shook with rage. "I may be angry at him, but I know my brother. He has principles. And I will never believe this lie!"
Annu stood opposite her, hands clenched into tight fists, her usually composed face marred with barely concealed fury. The weight of responsibility as the hostel's head girl bore down on her, but more than that, it was the sheer audacity of Khusi's lies that made her blood boil.
"Enough!" Annu's voice cut through the murmurs like a blade, silencing everyone. She took a step closer to Khusi, her eyes burning with anger. "You think you can just walk in here and throw baseless accusations at someone like Wick? Do you even understand the consequences of what you've done?"
Khusi let out a small, scoffing laugh. "Oh, come on, Annu. Are you really that blind? Wick isn't some saint. Who knows what he's capable of?" She crossed her arms, feigning innocence. "I only said what I felt was true."
Annu exhaled sharply, her patience hanging by a thread. "You felt it was true? That's your defense? Do you realize what you've done? Do you have any idea what could've happened if people actually believed you?" Her voice trembled with rage. "You didn't just attack Wick with your lies. You insulted all of us-every single person who trusts him, who stands by him."
Khusi's smirk faltered for a moment, but she quickly masked it with indifference. "So what now? You gonna give me a lecture on morality?" she taunted.
Annu took another step forward, her presence overwhelming. "No. I'm not wasting another second on you. Pack your things. You're out of this hostel. Now."
A collective gasp rippled through the room. Even Khusi's confidence wavered. "You can't do that!" she shot back, her voice rising in panic. "You don't have that authority!"
Annu didn't even blink. "I do. And even if I didn't, do you really think anyone here would stand up for you?" She turned slightly, addressing the crowd. "Anyone here willing to vouch for Khusi after what she's done?"
Silence.
Khusi's eyes darted around, but every face she looked at was either turned away or glaring at her. Her breath hitched. For the first time, real fear seeped into her expression.
"Annu, please-" she started, but Annu cut her off.
"No," Annu said, her tone final. "You lied. You tried to ruin someone's life. And for what? Your own twisted sense of satisfaction? There's no place for you here."
Khusi swallowed, but Annu was relentless.
"I'll give you ten minutes to clear out your belongings. If you're not gone by then, I'll personally make sure you are."
Khusi clenched her jaw, her face pale. She knew there was no way out. With one last glance at the crowd, she turned on her heel and stormed off toward the staircase, her footsteps echoing through the silent corridor.
As the tension lifted, murmurs resumed, but Annu simply exhaled, closing her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, she found Shristi standing nearby, a look of admiration on her face.
"You handled that well," Shristi murmured.
Annu sighed. "I just did what needed to be done. No one messes with my brother and walks away unscathed."
As Khusi's presence faded from the hostel, an unspoken sense of unity settled over the room. Annu had done more than just expel a liar-she had sent a message.
Loyalty wasn't just expected. It was demanded.
Khusi glared at them before storming out.
---
Later...
Annu leaned against the bookshelf, arms crossed, staring at Vishal.
"Tell me the truth."
Vishal shifted uncomfortably. "What truth?"
She took a step closer, lowering her voice. "I saw you talking to Vivek the night before the meeting. You knew what was coming, didn't you?"
Vishal hesitated. "Annu, I-"
Her eyes flashed. "Don't bullshit me. Wick has saved your ass more times than I can count. And now you're just letting them frame him?"
Vishal exhaled, rubbing his neck. "It's not that simple. They had evidence-"
"Fake evidence," Annu shot back. "And you know it."
Vishal looked away.
"If you don't talk now," Annu said, voice razor-sharp, "I'll make sure everyone knows you were involved."
A long pause.
Then Vishal sighed. "It was planned. Vivek set it up. He got Khusi to lie."
Annu clenched her fists. She knew it.
"You're going to fix this," she ordered. "Because if you don't, I will."
She turned on her heel, already planning her next move.
Vishal swallowed hard. Annu wasn't someone you wanted to be on the wrong side of.
A Conspiracy Unfolds
That night, Khusi met in secret with two men-Rayn, the leader of The Dominators, and Riyaz, the leader of Wallahak.
Rayn smirked. "I never expected it to be this easy."
Riyaz chuckled. "The Ghost Brothers-Nick and Wick-have been undefeated for years. But this time, we outplayed them with our minds."
Khusi's lips curled into a smirk. "And I'm not done yet. I want Bhumi, Varsha,Annu and Shristi to suffer too."
Rayn's grin widened. "Consider it done but can't do anything to Annu because if anything happens to her then things might turn against us she is the one who everyone obeys and loves and besides she is sworn sister of Wick,we can manage to indulge with her cousin but not Annu."
---
To be continued...