Akansha's piercing gaze didn't waver as she stood in front of Sneha and Aarav, arms crossed tightly. "What voice note? What are you two talking about?"
Sneha exchanged a glance with Aarav before exhaling. "You might want to sit down for this."
Akansha didn't budge. "Just tell me."
Aarav pulled out his phone, scrolling until he found the message from Hamza. He tapped play. Shumaila's voice filled the air.
"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."
The moment it ended, Akansha's expression twisted with disbelief. "This is fake. This has to be fake."
"We know," Sneha said quickly. "But this is what Hamza got, and he believed it."
Akansha's hands clenched. "When did you two find out about this?"
Aarav hesitated. "Two days ago."
Akansha's jaw tightened. "Two days. And you didn't think to tell the rest of us?!"
Sneha ran a hand through her hair. "We didn't want to jump to conclusions. We had to make sure first."
"Make sure?" Akansha scoffed. "Meanwhile, Shumaila is getting destroyed out there, and you two were playing detectives in secret?!"
"We were trying to fix it!" Aarav shot back. "We've spent the last two days trying to find out who sent it. But we have nothing. No leads, no clues."
Akansha let out a frustrated breath. "You guys are idiots. You've been trying to solve this without asking for help from the one person who could've cracked it in minutes."
Sneha and Aarav blinked. "What?"
Akansha rolled her eyes. "Rudra. He's a freaking CS major. He literally lives for this kind of challenge. And you two geniuses didn't even think of asking him?"
Sneha and Aarav exchanged dumbfounded looks before realization hit them like a truck.
"Oh my god," Sneha muttered. "We're actually idiots."
Aarav groaned, rubbing his face. "We need to find him. Now."
The university auditorium buzzed with excitement. Students and professors filled the seats, eager to see the best and brightest minds showcase their innovative business strategies.
Komal and Siddarth sat together, their eyes scanning the room, looking for Shumaila. Hamza was there as well, seated a few rows behind them, arms crossed, watching everything with an unreadable expression.
"Do you see her?" Komal asked, shifting in her seat.
"She'll be fine," Siddarth reassured her. "She's worked too hard for this."
The competition officially started, with teams from various universities stepping up to present their projects. Taniya and her team went midway, showcasing an elaborate pitch on 'Luxury & Sustainability in Modern Business.'
Her voice was smooth, her presentation flawless. The audience nodded in approval, and even some professors looked impressed. As she wrapped up, Taniya cast a smug glance in Shumaila's direction before stepping off the stage.
Then, it was Shumaila's turn.
Shumaila took a deep breath, steadying herself before stepping onto the stage. The murmurs started immediately.
"I can't believe she has the guts to show up."
"Is she going to steal another idea?"
Ignoring them, she exhaled and started her presentation.
"Good afternoon, everyone. My project is centered on a 'Tech-Based Financial Literacy Program for University Students.' Many students struggle with budgeting, investment knowledge, and financial independence. This model integrates an AI-driven app with university financial aid systems to provide tailored advice, spending analysis, and real-time assistance."
She clicked to the next slide, displaying the app's user interface. "This app works in three ways: educational modules, financial goal-setting, and automated savings. The AI generates a financial health score based on a user's expenses and guides them on better spending habits, helping students build better financial futures."
For a moment, the murmurs faded. People listened. Even some professors seemed intrigued.
But just as she finished, the questioning round began.
The first few questions were standard.
"What makes this different from existing financial planning tools?"
"How do you plan to address privacy concerns when collecting user financial data?"
Shumaila answered them with confidence, her research evident in her responses.
Then, the tone shifted.
"Are you sure this is actually your idea?"
"You're known for stealing work, aren't you?"
"Did you copy someone's project again?"
Shumaila's fingers clenched around the podium. "This is my project. I have my research logs and data to prove it."
"That's funny," a voice cut in, loud and mocking. "Because this was my idea first."
The auditorium fell into stunned silence as Nisha stood up, arms crossed, a smug smirk on her lips.
"This business model? This entire pitch? It's mine. I was working on this for months, and somehow, she got her hands on it."
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
The professor in charge frowned. "Do you have any proof, Miss Nisha?"
"Yes," Nisha declared. "I have documented research logs, timestamps of my drafts, and even messages discussing this concept weeks before she submitted it."
The audience erupted.
"I knew she was a fraud!"
"Unbelievable!"
"First Hamza, now this? Does she even have original ideas?"
Shumaila's fingers curled into fists. "I didn't steal anything. This is my project. I have my research logs too!"
"How convenient," Nisha sneered. "You probably fabricated them after you got caught."
The professor sighed, rubbing his temples. "Miss Shumaila, given recent events, this is a very serious accusation. If we find proof that your project was plagiarized, there will be consequences."
Shumaila's throat went dry.
Komal shot up from her seat. "This is ridiculous! You can't just throw accusations like this!"
"She's right," Siddarth added, standing beside her. "You all are just looking for excuses to tear her down. Where's the actual proof?"
But their words were drowned in the chaos of the crowd.
Shumaila swallowed hard, feeling the weight of every stare in the room.
And then, outside the auditorium, three people were running.
"He has to be in his dorm," Akansha said breathlessly as she sprinted alongside Sneha and Aarav.
"He better be," Aarav muttered. "Because we need him now."
Sneha clenched her fists. "If there's one person who can trace where that voice note came from, it's him. And if we can prove someone's framing Shumaila…"
Akansha's eyes burned with determination. "Then we take these bastards down."