Chapter 3: Digital Erasure
Priya’s fingers curled into fists, her nails biting into her palms. The word admire hung between them like a bad joke.
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Rohan gasped as water dripped from his eyelashes onto his stained t-shirt. Priya didn't wait for him to recover - her palm cracked across Manny's face with enough force to snap his head sideways.
"What the fuck, Priya?" His voice cracked like a teenager's, one hand flying to the reddening mark on his cheek.
She grabbed his wrist, her bangles clattering violently as she dragged him toward the blinking laptop. "You think I'm stupid?"
Priya's fingers dug into Manny's wrist hard enough to leave crescent moons in his skin. The laptop screen reflected in her dilated pupils as she shoved him toward it. "Delete every fucking one."
Rohan wiped water from his stubble with the back of his hand. "Bitch, you don't just—"
Priya spun toward him, the silk of her saree hissing against her thighs. "Try me, chutiya." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I'll break more than your nose."
Manny's hands shook over the keyboard. The cursor blinked accusingly.
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"Password." Priya's breath came in short bursts, her perfume mixing with the stench of male sweat in the cramped room. When Manny hesitated, she grabbed a handful of his greasy hair. "Now."
"P-priya123," he stammered, tears making his glasses fog up.
The desktop loaded—wallpaper of some anime girl with ridiculous proportions. Priya's stomach turned when she spotted the folder with her name.
Rohan edged closer, his cheap cologne making her eyes water. "Listen, beti, let's talk about—"
She drove her elbow into his solar plexus without looking. He folded like a bad poker hand.
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The folder opened with a click.
Hundreds of images.