★Rihaan's Trauma★

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At the age of eight, Rihaan was too young to understand why his parents had sent him away. Boarding school felt more like punishment than an opportunity. The sprawling, cold stone building loomed before him as his parents waved goodbye, their faces filled with expectation. “You’ll make friends here, Rihaan,” they had said, but deep inside, Rihaan already felt a gnawing emptiness. He was shy, small for his age, and terribly unsure of himself.

The first night in the dormitory was quiet but unsettling. The older boys in the room whispered among themselves, their eyes occasionally flicking toward Rihaan. His tiny bed felt like an island in a hostile sea. The other boys laughed at each other’s jokes, loud and unkind, but no one spoke to him. He stayed silent, holding his stuffed toy tightly under the blanket, pretending not to hear the mocking snickers and remarks tossed his way.

The bullying began almost immediately, as if the older boys had been waiting for someone like Rihaan to appear—a small, defenseless, quiet child they could torment. The next morning, as he walked through the hallways to his class, a boy named Karan, one of the seniors in the dormitory, stood in his path.

“Where do you think you’re going, runt?” Karan sneered, his face twisted into a cruel smirk.

“To class,” Rihaan whispered, his voice barely audible.

“I didn’t say you could go yet,” Karan said, shoving Rihaan back against the wall.

The force of the push sent a sharp pain through Rihaan’s back. He tried to steady himself, but Karan was already yanking his schoolbag off his shoulder. With a malicious grin, Karan dumped the contents of the bag onto the floor—books, pencils, everything.

“Pick it up,” Karan ordered, kicking one of the books across the hallway.

Rihaan’s small hands trembled as he bent down, scrambling to gather his things. His cheeks burned with humiliation. He didn’t dare look up, too afraid to meet the eyes of the other boys who stood watching, laughing.

Days turned into weeks, and the bullying escalated. Rihaan was the smallest in his class, and the other boys took advantage of his vulnerability. It wasn’t just the older boys like Karan anymore; even boys his own age joined in.

During recess, they would corner him by the jungle gym, blocking his way when he tried to escape.

“Where are you going, little baby?” Vikas, one of Karan’s lackeys, said, grabbing Rihaan by his shirt collar.

“I just… I want to go,” Rihaan whimpered, his heart racing in his chest.

“Go where? To cry to your mommy?” Vikas jeered, tightening his grip on Rihaan’s shirt, lifting him off the ground slightly. The other boys laughed, their voices harsh and cutting.

Rihaan’s legs dangled for a moment before Vikas released him with a hard shove, sending him sprawling onto the ground. His knees scraped against the rough dirt, a sharp pain shooting through his legs. Tears welled up in his eyes, but he didn’t let them fall. He knew crying would only make it worse.

“Get up!” another boy demanded, kicking at Rihaan’s side.

Rihaan winced, his small body trembling. He stood up shakily, brushing the dirt off his knees, but the boys weren’t done. One of them grabbed the back of his collar and yanked it so hard that the fabric tore. The group howled with laughter as Rihaan clutched the torn edges of his shirt, trying to hold it together.

“Look at him! He’s crying again!” Karan mocked from the side, his voice loud enough to catch the attention of other students nearby, but no one came to help. No teachers, no other boys. It was as if Rihaan had become invisible to the world around him, except when it came to the bullies.

One evening, after classes, Rihaan was walking back to the dormitory when he felt a sharp push from behind. He stumbled, barely catching himself before falling.

“Hey, loser!” Karan’s voice rang out from behind him. Rihaan turned to see Karan, Vikas, and two other boys approaching with that same familiar sneer. His stomach dropped.

Before he could even react, Karan grabbed him by the back of the neck and shoved him toward the ground. Rihaan’s small frame hit the hard stone floor, his elbows scraping painfully against the rough surface. He bit his lip to keep from crying out. The taste of blood filled his mouth, but he swallowed it back. He couldn’t show weakness. Not again.

“What’s wrong, baby? Can’t walk straight?” Karan mocked, leaning down so his face was level with Rihaan’s.

Rihaan’s hands trembled as he pushed himself up, but before he could stand, one of the other boys kicked his legs out from under him. He fell again, this time hitting his head against the floor. The pain was sharp and dizzying, but all he could do was lie there, hoping they would leave him alone.

But they didn’t.

Karan crouched next to him, grabbing a handful of Rihaan’s hair and yanking his head up. “You’re worthless, you know that? You don’t belong here. No one wants you here.” His voice was cold, filled with disdain.

Vikas stood nearby, laughing. “Maybe he should go cry to his mommy. Oh wait, she’s not here, is she?”

The boys howled with laughter again, and Rihaan’s chest tightened with panic. The pain, the fear, the humiliation—it all mixed together until he felt like he couldn’t breathe. His vision blurred with tears, but he refused to let them fall.

They left him there, crumpled on the ground, alone. His body ached from the bruises, and his heart ached even more from the isolation. He wanted to scream, to tell someone—anyone—but he was too scared. What if the teachers didn’t believe him? What if telling only made things worse?

*****

The nights were even worse. In the dormitory, there was no escape from the cruelty. As soon as the lights went out, the whispers started.

“Let’s mess with the baby.”

One night, Rihaan was lying in bed, clutching his blanket tightly around him, trying to block out the sounds of the other boys. But then he felt something cold and wet hit his face. His eyes flew open, and he found himself drenched in icy water.

“What’s the matter? Scared of a little water?” Vikas snickered, standing next to his bed with an empty bucket.

Rihaan’s body trembled as the cold water seeped through his clothes, chilling him to the bone. He sat up, trying to push the wet blanket off, but the boys were already on him. Karan grabbed his pillow and shoved it over Rihaan’s face, pressing down hard enough that Rihaan struggled to breathe.

“Stop! Please!” Rihaan’s muffled cries were barely audible under the pillow, but the boys didn’t care. They laughed, pushing him around as if he were nothing more than a toy.

When they finally let go, Rihaan gasped for air, his body shaking uncontrollably. He curled up in a ball on his bed, too terrified to move. The cold water soaked into his skin, and the laughter of the boys echoed in his ears. He wished he could disappear, wished he could be anywhere but here.

The physical bullying escalated with each passing day. They shoved him into lockers, tripped him in the hallways, and knocked his books out of his hands every chance they got. One afternoon, Rihaan was walking back from class when Karan and his gang cornered him in an empty corridor.

“You’re too slow, baby,” Karan sneered, shoving Rihaan hard against the wall. Rihaan’s back hit the cold stone, knocking the breath out of him.

“Yeah, maybe we should teach you how to move faster,” Vikas added with a wicked grin.

Before Rihaan could react, Karan grabbed him by the front of his shirt and slammed him onto the ground. The impact sent a jolt of pain through his body, but he didn’t have time to register it before Vikas kicked him in the side, knocking the wind out of him.

“Come on, get up!” Vikas taunted, kicking him again.

Rihaan tried to stand, but his legs were weak, and his whole body ached. Tears filled his eyes, but he blinked them back. He couldn’t cry. He couldn’t give them the satisfaction.

But no matter how much he tried to be strong, he was still just an eight-year-old boy, alone and terrified in a place that had become his personal hell. Every day felt like a new nightmare, and he didn’t know how much more he could take.

*****

Rihaan's nightmare of a life at the boarding school continued, with each day blending into the next in a haze of fear, pain, and loneliness. Every morning, as he pulled on his uniform, his small fingers trembled. His heart pounded in his chest, and a lump formed in his throat. He dreaded stepping out of the dormitory, knowing what awaited him. But there was no escape. No way to run. He had nowhere to go, no one to turn to.

One afternoon, during the lunch break, Rihaan sat alone in the corner of the cafeteria, clutching his tray of food. He had stopped trying to sit with anyone else long ago, knowing the rejection would only lead to more bullying. He stared down at the cold, unappetizing meal, his stomach turning with anxiety. His hands shook as he lifted the spoon to his mouth, but he could barely swallow.

Across the room, Karan and his gang spotted him. The moment their eyes met his, Rihaan’s heart sank. He kne was coming. He tried to make himself smaller, hunching over his tray, but it was too late.

“Look who’s all alone again,” Karan’s voice rang out, mocking and loud.

The cafeteria seemed to go silent as the group approached him, their footsteps echoing ominously in the large hall. Rihaan’s fingers tightened around his spoon, his knuckles turning white. He wished he could disappear into the ground, vanish before they reached him, but that was impossible.

“Hey, loser,” Vikas sneered as he sat down across from Rihaan, snatching the spoon from his hand. “You don’t mind if we take this, do you?”

Before Rihaan could respond, Karan grabbed the tray of food and tossed it across the room, sending his lunch splattering against the wall. The other boys laughed, their voices a cacophony of cruelty.

Rihaan’s eyes filled with tears, but he quickly wiped them away, hoping no one saw. He kept his head down, his small body trembling. His throat felt tight, and his chest ached from holding back the sobs that threatened to escape.

“What’s the matter, baby?” Karan taunted, leaning in close to Rihaan’s face. “Why aren’t you saying anything? Too scared to talk?”

Rihaan didn’t answer. He couldn’t. His voice had abandoned him long ago. All he could do was sit there, frozen, hoping that if he didn’t react, they would eventually get bored and leave him alone. But they never did.

Karan grabbed the collar of Rihaan’s shirt, pulling him to his feet. “I asked you a question!”

Rihaan whimpered, his feet barely touching the ground as Karan lifted him up by his shirt. The fabric dug into his neck, making it hard to breathe. His small fists clenched, but he didn’t dare fight back.

“Let him go,” one of the boys said, laughing. “He’s just a baby. He’s probably going to cry again.”

Karan shoved Rihaan back into his chair with enough force to knock the wind out of him. He fell back, hitting the edge of the table with his side. Pain shot through his ribs, but he didn’t cry. He couldn’t. He had learned long ago that tears only made things worse.

The boys left him there, laughing as they walked away, their cruel words still echoing in Rihaan’s ears. He sat there for a long time, staring at the mess of his food on the floor, his body aching from the bruises, his heart heavy with despair.

The physical abuse didn’t stop there. In the dormitory, the older boys would wait until the lights went out, knowing there was no one around to stop them. They would sneak over to Rihaan’s bed, pulling the covers off him and yanking him onto the floor. His small body hit the ground with a painful thud each time, but no one cared.

One night, Rihaan was woken up by a sharp kick to his ribs. He curled up in a ball, trying to protect himself, but the kicks kept coming. He could barely see through the tears in his eyes, the darkness of the room making everything feel even more terrifying.

“Get up!” Karan’s voice hissed through the darkness. “You’re not allowed to sleep yet.”

Rihaan whimpered, his body shaking from the pain. He didn’t know what he had done to deserve this, why they hated him so much. He just wanted it to stop. He wanted to go home, back to his parents, back to a place where he felt safe. But that seemed like a distant dream now.

Karan yanked him to his feet, pushing him toward the door. “Go stand outside until we say you can come back in.”

Rihaan stumbled forward, his legs weak and wobbly. He was so tired, so scared, but he did as he was told. He shuffled to the door and stepped outside into the cold hallway, the chill of the night air biting into his skin. His bare feet felt like ice against the stone floor.

He stood there, shivering, for what felt like hours. His body ached from the beatings, and his mind was a whirl of fear and confusion. Why was this happening to him? Why didn’t anyone help him? His parents had told him that boarding school would be fun, that he would make friends and learn new things. But all he had learned was pain.

The worst moments were when the bullying became physical in ways that went beyond shoving and kicking. One day, after gym class, Rihaan was changing in the locker room when Karan and his gang approached him. He immediately felt his stomach churn with fear.

“Look at him,” Karan sneered, glancing around at the other boys. “He’s such a little weakling. I bet he can’t even fight back.”

Rihaan tried to pull on his shirt as quickly as possible, but before he could finish, Vikas grabbed him from behind, yanking the shirt off him. Rihaan gasped, struggling to cover himself, but the boys just laughed.

“What’s the matter, Rihaan?” Vikram mocked, shoving him into a locker. “Too scared to show your muscles?”

The other boys roared with laughter as Vikas shoved him again, harder this time, until Rihaan was backed against the cold metal of the lockers. His heart raced in his chest, and his mind was screaming for him to run, but his feet wouldn’t move.

“You’re such a freak,” Karan said, stepping closer to him. “I bet no one even likes you.”

Rihaan’s throat tightened, and his breath came in ragged gasps. He could feel the panic rising inside him, but there was nowhere to go. The boys were too close, and the door was too far.

Without warning, Karan grabbed a towel and whipped it hard against Rihaan’s bare back. The sharp sting made Rihaan cry out in pain, and tears instantly filled his eyes. His body jerked with each hit, but he couldn’t get away.

“Stop!” Rihaan finally managed to scream, but the boys just laughed louder, enjoying his fear and pain.

They didn’t stop until Rihaan was curled up on the ground, clutching his chest, his body trembling with sobs. When they finally left, he stayed there for a long time, too scared and broken to move.

Rihaan’s days blurred together in a cycle of bullying and torment. The physical pain was one thing, but it was the emotional scars that hurt the most. He felt like a ghost, invisible to everyone except his tormentors. His teachers barely noticed him, and when they did, they scolded him for not paying attention in class. How could he pay attention when he spent every moment in fear?

He was terrified to even speak. His voice had shrunk into a quiet whisper, barely audible, because every time he tried to stand up for himself, it only made things worse. He didn’t know how much longer he could take it.

Each night, he cried silently into his pillow, praying for the nightmare to end. But it never did. His heart ached with loneliness, with the desperate longing for someone to notice, someone to save him from this never-ending torment.

But no one came.

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