Chapter 215: Urgent Call
Rohit shook his head, immediately dismissing the corporate possibility.
If Abhinav wasn’t the man’s younger brother, there was little reason to stress over it.
Even if they happened to be distant, far-removed cousins, it wasn’t enough to justify paranoia.
"No... it’s nothing," Rohit muttered, letting his suspicion dissolve.
The table’s conversation drifted on naturally for a few minutes. Just then, Abhinav turned toward him again, flashing a friendly, easygoing smile.
"So, Rohit... do you play any sports around here? I’m pretty decent at basketball myself. We actually have a games period during sixth and seventh. Want to shoot some hoops sometime?"
Before Rohit could even formulate a rejection, Subhojeet scoffed loudly.
"Basketball? Man, that’s boring." He pointed his spoon back and forth between Abhinav and Rohit. "You should both come play volleyball instead. You’ve both got the perfect height for it. Come on, Rohit, you should join us."
Rohit simply shook his head, finishing his turn. "No, thanks. I’m not really interested in any sports."
Abhinav laughed good-naturedly, leaning back. "Same here, honestly. I’m not exactly dying to join a team either."
Jignesh grinned, nudging Abhinav. "Don’t mind him. Ever since the accident, our friend here has become a little... different."
Abhinav looked genuinely puzzled. "Accident?"
Jignesh scratched his cheek, leaning in. "Long story. Some thugs cornered him and beat him up pretty badly last week. He actually ended up losing major chunks of his memory."
Seo-yeon’s eyes widened in sheer shock. "...What?" She turned to Rohit, her voice laced with absolute disbelief. "You... you lost your memories?"
Arvind blinked, suddenly realizing something. "Oh, right... you weren’t around when it happened."
He nodded toward Abhinav. "Yeah. He’s changed quite a bit since that day."
Rohit frowned, his tone cooling. "You guys are making it sound a lot worse than it actually is. I’m fine now, just still recovering. That’s all."
Subhojeet smirked, taking a sip of his drink. "He also gets irritated way faster now."
Akhil immediately shot Subhojeet a sharp, warning glare."Can you stop joking about that?" His expression turned dead serious. "It isn’t funny."
Subhojeet rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, looking down at his plate. "...Alright, my bad.
"Sifting for TruthSensing the heavy shift in the atmosphere, Abhinav smoothly steered the conversation back to safety. "So... if you don’t play team sports anymore, Rohit, what do you do to occupy your time these days?"
Rohit studied him for a brief, calculating second. Still probing...
He knew that ignoring the new guy completely would only make Abhinav more suspicious. It was better to answer naturally and satisfy the boy’s curiosity with a surface-level truth.
"I’ve started martial arts training recently," Rohit replied evenly. "Between that and my regular studies, I don’t really have the luxury of time for team sports."
Jignesh’s eyes lit up instantly. "No way!"
He jumped up from his seat, throwing a sequence of hilariously exaggerated, sloppy punches into the empty cafeteria air. "Haiyaa! Man, I am definitely joining too!"
Arvind snorted, shaking his head. "So that’s why you’ve been moving around campus like some action movie protagonist lately. I honestly thought you had developed a split personality."
The entire table burst into a fresh wave of laughter.
While everyone was still joking around, Seo-yeon suddenly leaned forward, looking directly at Rohit. "...Wait. Aren’t you coming to our linguistic classes today?"
Rohit blinked. Right...
In the middle of all the morning chaos, he had completely forgotten about their arrangement.
Arvind immediately grinned mischievously, winking at Jignesh. "Oh? Our resident hero already has ’private extracurricular’ plans with Seo-yeon?"
Subhojit gasped , his voice serious with envy, "And you never even told us? You absolute traitor!"
Even Abhinav smiled at the banter before politely turning his attention toward Seo-yeon. "I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced yet. I’m Abhinav."
But Seo-yeon didn’t seem to hear a single word he said. Her eyes remained completely fixed on Rohit, waiting for his answer with a visible mix of nervousness and desperate hope.
Jignesh leaned close to Rohit’s ear and whispered loudly, "...Brother. You are in serious trouble."
Rohit raised a calm hand, signaling his friends to pipe down.
But before he could utter a word to Seo-yeon, his phone vibrated.
He glanced down at the flashing screen.
[AKANKSHA]
His eyebrows rose slightly. She hadn’t contacted him for almost a week after their last interaction.
"Excuse me," he said, standing up and sliding his chair back. He answered the call as he stepped a few feet away from the noisy table. "...Hello?"
A frantic, hyperventilating voice instantly exploded from the other end of the line."Rohit... please, you need to come to Alka Mall. Right now! Don’t ask me any questions. It’s urgent." Her voice cracked, completely breaking into a sob. "...It’s a matter of life and death."
Rohit’s expression hardened.
The laughter and chatter around the lunch table slowly died down into a tense quiet as his friends noticed the sudden, terrifying shift in his face.
He ended the call with a swift swipe and turned back to the group. "Sorry. I have to leave."
Seo-yeon’s face fell completely. "Right now?"
Shweta looked up, her expression laced with genuine concern. "Is everything okay, Rohit?"
Rohit took the tray and left. "I don’t know yet. I’ll see you guys later. I am going to apply for half day leave. Something urgent came up."
Jignesh stood up halfway, his playful energy vanishing. "Bro, do you want one of us to come with you?"
"No. I’ll handle it." Rohit’s tone left no room for argument.
Abhinav watched the entire exchange quietly from his seat, his expression perfectly calm but intensely observant.
As Rohit turned to leave, Abhinav gave him a small, respectful nod. "Take care, man."
Rohit didn’t bother to reply. He turned on his heel and walked out of the cafeteria with quick, purposeful strides, his mind already racing with dark possibilities.
Back at the table, a suffocating, awkward silence lingered over the group.
Seo-yeon stared blankly at the empty spot where Rohit had been sitting just seconds ago. Her face turned pale worry.
Jignesh scratched the back of his head, slowly trying to lift the awkward mood. "Well... that was incredibly sudden."
Arvind let out a heavy sigh, removing his glasses to wipe them. "Knowing Rohit, if he reacts like that, it must be something seriously urgent."
Subhojit glanced nervously at Seo-yeon, then over at Shweta. The playful vibe was gone replaced by sheer awkwardness.
Abhinav, acutely sensing the massive shift in energy, spoke up in a gentle, reassuring tone. "He seems like the kind of guy who carries an immense amount of weight on his shoulders, doesn’t he?"
Akhil nodded slowly, his eyes still fixed on the cafeteria door. He was perhaps the only person who had truly seen what Rohit was capable of — and yet he couldn’t reveal any of it. He shook his head, voice low.
"You have absolutely no idea..."
Meanwhile, Rohit was already sprinting past the school’s main academic building, heading straight toward the outer gates.
His thoughts were pitch-black and urgent.Akanksha... what the hell have you gotten yourself into now?