Chapter -12 Unmasking the Silence

When she chose action over accusation.

Janani went to the Head’s office with calm steps but a storm in her chest. She looked him in the eye and said plainly,

> “Sir, I did not send any email. I was on leave that day. I want this investigated properly.”

She didn’t beg. She didn’t plead. She offered facts — her leave records, her messages, names of those present that evening — and then she added, firmly,

> “If needed, I am ready to file a complaint with cyber crime. Let them trace the sender. I want the truth to come out.”

The room filled with a tense quiet. Some faces shifted; others were still. Janani spoke again, voice steady now from the strain of holding herself together for so long,

> “What hurts most is not the blame — it’s that people hide behind masks. They create messes and leave others to suffer. If you meant well, show your face. If you did wrong, own it. But don’t make someone who wasn’t there pay the price.”

Her words were simple but cutting. She named the injustice — masked accounts, anonymous emails, and the careless cruelty of watching someone be blamed while the real hands stayed hidden.

She felt anger, yes — but it was not wild. It was the controlled fire of someone reclaiming agency.

After the meeting, Janani felt both drained and a little lighter. Action had shifted the weight from her shoulders. She had asked for investigation; she had refused to be the silent scapegoat. That choice itself was healing.

Psychological note:

This scene marks a move from helplessness to assertive agency. Janani’s readiness to involve cyber crime shows growing self-efficacy — a belief that she can use systems of justice rather than only personal pleading. Her anger is transformed into purposeful action, which reduces rumination and restores a sense of control. Still, anger left unchecked can burn — so she balances it with grounding: breathing, speaking truth calmly, and leaning on Ajith for steady support.

✨ Reflection:

Those who hide behind masks may start the storm — but truth has a way of finding faces.