Second Chance: A Dark Tale of Urban India

Chapter 211: Tough interrogation

Inside the spacious office, a heavy silence blanketed the room.

At the head of the polished wooden desk sat Ratan Ganguli, the principal of Genesis Anglo Public School. A man in his late forty-somethens, he rested his temples against his crossed thumbs, his elbows planted firmly on the large table as he studied the students before him.

On one side sat Rohit. Opposite him sat Rocky and the rest of the football team.

Although the school nurse had already patched them up, several boys still wore fresh bandages.

One held an ice pack against his swollen jaw, another rubbed his bruised ribs, and Rocky’s cheek had already begun to balloon noticeably. Fortunately, none of the injuries were serious. Ratan had reached the football ground just before the fight spiraled completely out of control.

That, however, wasn’t what troubled him. The real problem was the location.

In broad daylight. Right in the middle of campus. In front of hundreds of students.

Genesis Anglo Public School had never been free of petty fights, rivalries, or bullying. Ratan wasn’t naive enough to believe otherwise.

What he could never tolerate, however, was students openly challenging the school’s authority. A public brawl wasn’t merely indiscipline; it was a direct assault on the school’s reputation.

Parents paid enormous tuition fees believing Genesis offered a premium, disciplined environment. If word spread that students settled disputes through raw violence, years of prestige would collapse overnight.

To make matters worse, a newly admitted transfer student from a prominent family had arrived that very morning with her grandfather to complete admission formalities.

Instead of giving them a welcoming first impression, Ratan had been forced to escort them into the VIP waiting lounge while he personally broke up a riot involving nine students.

It was a massive embarrassment.

He reached for the inhaler lying on his desk, took two slow puffs, closed his eyes for a brief moment, and exhaled. Only then did he open them again.

His voice was calm. Too calm. "I’ll ask this only once."

His gaze swept across the room. "Who was responsible for starting this fight?"

Without a second’s hesitation, all eight football players raised their hands and pointed directly at Rohit.

"He did."

"It was him, sir."

"He attacked us."

Ratan slowly shifted his gaze. Rohit hadn’t even bothered looking at them.

He sat quietly with his arms folded, gazing absentmindedly out of the office window as though the discussion had absolutely nothing to do with him.

For a brief moment, Ratan genuinely wanted to slam his palm across the boy’s face. He restrained himself.

Not because he lacked authority, but because Rohit Singhania’s father happened to be among the school’s largest financial donors.

He inhaled slowly. "Rohit."

Still no response.

"Look at me."

Rohit finally turned his head.

"I hope," Ratan said sternly, "you have something to say."

Rohit felt very irritated at that moment. It was not his arrogance but the disgust that made him give the cold shoulder. If possible, he wanted to ignore that bastard, or else he might lose control and beat him to a pulp.

Last night, from Karishma’s confession, he had learned how vile this guy could be. And now he was playing the role of judge and an honest authoraty. How sick.

But as much as he wanted to ignore him, being silent wouldn’t be in his favor. So he decided to say what he had planned.

Before Rohit could answer—Slam!

The office door swung open, and a woman hurried inside.

Rohit frowned and paid her a quick look. So far he knew the principal had appointed a new peon and she bypassed her so easily. Her identity has to be important.

She wore a neatly pressed professional suit, her makeup pristine despite the obvious panic in her steps. Thin-rimmed spectacles framed her sharp eyes, lending her the strict appearance every student instantly associated with mathematics teacher.

It was Rosalyn Briganza. Rocky’s homeroom teacher. And his mother.

The moment her eyes fell upon Rocky’s bruised face, all professionalism vanished.

She rushed forward. "My baby!"

She cupped his face with both hands, sheer panic flooding her expression. "Are you alright? Where are you hurt?"

Rocky immediately clicked his tongue in burning embarrassment. "Mom..."

He glanced sideways at his teammates, wishing the floor would open up and swallow him whole. "I told you not to call me that in school."

Rosalyn paid him no attention, frantically checking his face, shoulders, and arms for injuries.

Ratan finally cleared his throat. Loudly.

Only then did Rosalyn seem to remember where she was.

She stood up straight and turned toward the principal, her voice trembling but controlled. "Sir... this is absolutely unacceptable. A student has viciously assaulted another student inside school premises—and not just any student, but a member of our football team. I expect a proper investigation and immediate, strict disciplinary action."

Before Ratan could respond, Rocky pointed a trembling finger at Rohit. "Mom, it was him. He beat all of us."

Rosalyn’s eyes snapped directly toward Rohit.

For a second, she simply stared. She vaguely recognized him as one of the seniors but had never paid him any attention before. Now, she looked him over again. This quiet-looking boy? He had done all this?

Her expression hardened into a scowl. She pointed directly at him. "You. What is your name?"

"Enough!" Ratan’s voice exploded through the room.

His palm struck the desk with a sharp, echoing crack.

Everyone fell dead silent.

He looked directly at Rosalyn, his tone firm and unyielding. "Mrs. Briganza. This is my office. And while you are inside it, you are here as a member of my faculty—not as Rocky’s mother."

A tense silence followed.

Rosalyn lowered her gaze."...You’re right," she said, taking a slow breath. "My apologies, sir."

She stepped away from Rocky and assumed a professional posture, smoothing her blazer. "I allowed my emotions to get the better of me."

Ratan gave a small nod. "Thank you."

Only after the room had settled did he look back toward Rohit. "So... you’ve heard what everyone has accused you of."

He leaned slightly forward, his eyes narrowing. "Do you have anything to say in your defense? Or should I assume that you accept full responsibility for this incident and whatever disciplinary action follows?"

Rohit finally unfolded his arms. He looked directly into the principal’s eyes and calmly shook his head. "Absolutely not. I acted in self-defense."

The room went dead quiet.

Rosalyn let out a sharp, sarcastic laugh. "Self-defense? My son and seven others are visibly injured, yet you are claiming self-defense?"

Rohit remained entirely unbothered. "They threatened me. They surrounded me. They attempted to stop me from leaving. I defended myself."

Rosalyn scoffed, crossing her arms. "Then why are they the ones lying there injured?"

"Because I won,"Rohit said.

The simple answer stunned everyone in the room.

It wasn’t spoken with arrogance, nor was it fueled by emotion. It was stated as a cold, undeniable fact.

Ratan frowned. "Winning a fight doesn’t automatically make you innocent."

"I know."

"Then explain."

Rohit nodded calmly. "They called me over. I went. They abused me and they challenged me. When I attempted to take Rocky to your office after he publicly insulted a senior, his teammate threw the first punch."

He shifted his gaze directly onto Rocky. "It simply landed on the wrong face."

Rocky’s cheeks burned bright red.

Ratan narrowed his eyes. "Are you saying you never threw the first punch?"

"No," Rohit replied. "I grabbed his collar because I intended to drag him here. The first actual strike came from his teammate."

Rosalyn immediately interrupted. "That’s ridiculous! You expect us to believe one student defeated eight athletes because he was defending himself?"

Rohit answered without even looking in her direction. "No. I expect you to verify it."

Ratan leaned back in his leather chair. "Verify how?"

"There were over a hundred students watching," Rohit stated evenly. "And at least fifty phones recording. So, either everyone fabricated identical videos... or someone here isn’t telling the truth."

The office became dead silent once more.

Rosalyn’s confidence visibly weakened. She hadn’t expected the boy to answer so methodically, completely turning the crowd of witnesses into his own shield.

Before Ratan could respond—Knock. Knock.

The office door cracked open, and the school peon stepped inside. "Sir... there are two students insisting on speaking with you."

Ratan’s brow furrowed in frustration. "I’m busy."

"They said..." The peon hesitated, glancing at Rohit. "...they said they’re eyewitnesses."

Ratan let out a heavy sigh, waving his hand. "Send them in."

A moment later, the door opened completely, and the entire atmosphere inside the room shifted immediately.