Back in their classroom the next morning, the girls sat in a circle during break. Anushka had hidden Niyati Sharma's diary safely in her backpack. They all looked serious—even Akshada, who usually joked around.
"No one else should know about this yet," Swara said, flipping through the pages carefully.
"I agree," Prajwal nodded. "If Niyati was pushed, then that person might still be around… maybe even a teacher."
Swarali and Apurva looked at each other. "There's a mention of a 'she' in the diary," Apurva said, "Someone who threatened Niyati."
"Maybe a classmate?" Akshara asked.
"Could be," Rutuja replied. "But wouldn't her classmates have said something when she died?"
"They didn't," Swara said, "Because the incident was hushed up. Everyone was told she slipped and fell. End of story."
Srushti leaned back in her chair. "But why push her? There has to be a reason."
They sat quietly for a while. Then Anushka spoke up, "There's a part in the diary where Niyati mentions a 'competition'."
"Competition?" Srushti raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah," Anushka continued, "Listen to this—'She got angry when I was selected. Said I stole her chance. But it wasn't my fault. I studied hard. Why can't she just be happy for me?'"
"That sounds like jealousy," Akshada said. "Pure jealousy."
"And dangerous jealousy," Prajwal added.
"Who was the second topper in her batch?" Apurva asked thoughtfully.
"Wait, I think Miss Varsha once said Niyati was the topper of Class 9A before she died," Swarali recalled.
"And who was second?" Swara asked again, this time more firmly.
They all thought hard.
Then Akshara snapped her fingers. "It was Meenal!"
"Yes!" Rutuja confirmed. "I remember now! Meenal Sirsat. She was in the news for scoring well, but only after Niyati died."
"Do you think…" Apurva hesitated.
"That Meenal had something to do with it?" Srushti finished for her.
Prajwal frowned. "It's a strong possibility. But we need more proof."
Just then, Miss Savita walked into the class. "Girls, back to your seats. The extra maths period is starting."
They all quickly returned to their benches, hiding the diary.
But even during class, none of them could concentrate. Their minds were busy connecting dots, flipping through memories and moments, wondering what Meenal was like back then.
After the period ended, they met again near the library.
"Tomorrow is Saturday," Swarali said. "Let's meet early in the morning. We'll try checking old school files… maybe attendance registers or anything about Niyati's class."
"Good idea," Swara said. "We'll find something."
Before leaving, Prajwal looked at her friends. "We've come this far. Now we have to find out the full truth—for Niyati."
They all nodded, a little nervous, but ready.
The haunting had brought them together. But now, it wasn't about fear. It was about justice.
For a girl who never got to tell her story.
---