The past two months had gone by in a blur. With the semester nearing its end, everyone was buried under assignments, projects, and upcoming competitions. The group had fallen into their own rhythms—hanging out, attending classes, and navigating university life. But amidst it all, an invisible thread of tension had started weaving itself between Hamza and Shumaila, one that neither of them fully understood yet.
It had started subtly. Offhand comments that felt sharper than usual. Small arguments that seemed to last longer than necessary. They had always thrown sarcastic remarks at each other, but lately, the air between them had shifted from playful to something else—something colder.
And that was exactly what Taniya and Karan had planned.
The Manipulation Begins
"You know, Hamza, I always thought Shumaila respected you," Nisha mused as she sat across from him in the library. "But I guess I was wrong."
Hamza barely glanced up from his notes. "What are you talking about?"
Nisha leaned in slightly, lowering her voice as if she were reluctant to say it. "I overheard her talking to some business majors the other day. She was laughing about how CS students just steal each other's ideas because they lack originality."
Hamza frowned. "That doesn't sound like her."
"That's what I thought, too!" Nisha gasped, acting surprised. "But then Priya mentioned hearing her joke that some people in the CS talent competition would 'crash and burn'—and honestly, who else could she be talking about?"
Hamza didn't respond, but the words stuck with him.
Meanwhile, on the other side of campus, Priya was feeding similar poison into Shumaila's mind.
"Hamza's been acting smug lately, huh?" Priya asked, stirring her coffee as they sat outside the business department.
Shumaila rolled her eyes. "What else is new? The guy thinks he's the Einstein of coding."
Priya smirked. "Yeah, well, it makes sense now. I overheard him telling Aarav that you always 'act like you know everything' but wouldn't last a day in his field."
Shumaila's grip on her cup tightened. "He said that?"
Priya nodded. "Mmhmm. He was laughing about how business majors just 'memorize theories and pretend to be important.' It was kinda brutal."
Shumaila scoffed, her irritation growing. "Of course he'd say something like that. Arrogant bastard."
And just like that, Taniya's plan had begun to take shape.
For weeks, subtle comments and half-truths chipped away at the already fragile truce between Shumaila and Hamza. The more they heard, the more they started believing that the other had been belittling them behind their back.
Until the real storm hit.
The Competition & The Ultimate Betrayal
The university's annual CS talent competition was a prestigious event, one that showcased the best tech projects students had to offer. Hamza had been working on his app idea for months—a groundbreaking concept that could streamline student resources and enhance networking within the university.
One week before the competition, he had casually discussed the final stages of his project with the group, excited yet guarded about the details. What he didn't expect was to see his exact concept being presented by none other than Karan Malhotra on the day of the event.
The moment Karan stepped onto the stage and introduced his 'original' idea, Hamza felt the ground shift beneath him. His jaw clenched, fists tightening as he watched Karan proudly explain every single feature that had come from his mind.
Shumaila, sitting a few rows behind him with the group, immediately noticed the way Hamza's entire demeanor changed. His usually calm expression was blank, unreadable—but she knew better. He was furious.
"What the hell?" Rudra whispered beside him. "This is your project. How did he—?"
Hamza's fingers dug into his palms as he whispered back, "I don't know. But someone leaked it."
His mind reeled. Only a few people had known about his idea—his CS classmates, Rudra, and…
His eyes flickered toward Shumaila.
He didn't say anything. Not yet. But the suspicion was there, creeping in.
Two days later, an anonymous message landed in Hamza's inbox.
A voice recording.
"Honestly, it wasn't that hard to get my hands on Hamza's project. He acts all smart, but in the end, he's just like the rest. Too easy to manipulate."
Shumaila's voice.
Hamza's blood boiled as the recording continued.
"I mean, I didn't think Karan would actually pull it off, but hey, at least now we know who's the better strategist, right?"
Hamza's hands clenched into fists.
The cafeteria was filled with the usual chatter, but it all came to a halt when Hamza's voice rang out.
"Hope you're proud of yourself, Shumaila."
Shumaila looked up, confused. "What are you talking about?"
"Don't act innocent," Hamza sneered, stepping closer. "You sold me out to Karan."
The entire group turned silent, their eyes darting between the two.
Shumaila frowned. "That's insane. Our majors aren't even the same! What would I even gain from sabotaging you?"
"Oh, I don't know, maybe the satisfaction of proving you're smarter than me? Or maybe you just enjoy watching others fail," Hamza spat.
Sneha and Rudra exchanged a worried glance. "Hamza, maybe you should—"
"Stay out of this," he snapped, never taking his eyes off Shumaila.
Shumaila stood, anger bubbling. "I can't believe you're accusing me of this."
"Oh, spare me the fake shock. I don't believe you." His voice was razor-sharp. "You're nothing but a lying, manipulative—"
"I DIDN'T DO IT!" she shouted, her voice cracking. "Why won't you listen to me?!"
Hamza let out a cold laugh. "Because for once, you don't get to talk your way out of this. You disgust me."
Komal gasped. "Hamza, that's too far—"
Shumaila's hands trembled before she let out a sharp, humorless laugh. "You know what? Go to hell, Hamza."
The cafeteria remained silent as Hamza turned and walked away, his anger still simmering. Shumaila stood frozen, her chest heaving with fury and heartbreak.
And just like that, whatever truce they had was shattered beyond repair.