#EXPOSED

CHAPTER - 06

Far away from reality.

Maira

I bite on the straw and scroll on my phone to check Kunal's timeline on his social media handle, filled with condolences. It still has the same image that was clicked a month ago at one of Aagnay's house parties. He seems so happy in the picture, carefree and sexy with me, tucked in his arm beside him. We had so much fun that night—all of us. Ranveer had made some joke on some random guy and all of us cracked. I sigh to the memory and wait for the girls to join me in the bar.

I'd be lying if I don't admit how hard it's been without Kunal. He was always around, sneaking up on me or running into me. It was easy and really good and now...it's just me and I have never felt lonelier than this.

Paradise by Coldplay begins to loom in the air and I check the tagged posts on Kunal's wall. It's a picture of Aagnay and Kunal behind the campus in the alley. Someone must have clicked it in a hurry because the picture is sort of blurred around the edges. I stare at the image where Aagnay seems furious while holding Kunal by the collar of his polo. It's posted by one of the peers I don't know the name of but Kunal seems angry and horrified at the same time. I check the comments only to find people laughing and shading Kunal, all in the glory of Aagnay Bhasin.

You must have done something to piss him off fucker. Stay away from him. One comment reads.

Thank God someone finally is teaching this guy some lesson. He is weird af. Read another comment.

# TeamAagnay always. It's better if he just leaves everyone alone. And the list goes on.

So many hate comments on him and why isn't anyone talking about this? So Ranveer wasn't lying when he said Aagnay had something going on with Kunal. I scroll through other posts and find another picture of them together. Kunal's arm around Aagnay's shoulder as though they are the inseparable buddies everyone worships. Why doesn't any of it add up? If Kunal and Aagnay were indeed tight then why was Aagnay mad at him?

Shit! If these girls don't sort out their fucking issues then I'll never find a lead on Kunal's murder...am I really believing it to be a murder now? Was he really...no wait, of course, he was.

"Oh sweetie you look lonely and sad." Ella's voice makes me jump to my feet and I shut my phone off. "What are you looking at?" she asks nonchalantly and I stare at her flawless face.

"Nothing, just browsing online, it's nothing important." I flick my wrist lightly and she nods. "What's up?"

"Oh you know, it's the same every day," she says as though she is exhausted already. "Wake up, rule over the world, sleep, repeat!"

"Oh, nice," I scoff, and we both laugh. "Anyway, I asked both of them to join us too."

"No!" She removes her jacket to reveal her dove blue crop top. "Seriously now?" she asks and I nod. "But why M? You know Vaanya will pull some stunt and I'm not at all in the mood to deal with her druggie crap."

"Okay you need to stop," I snap and she looks at me challengingly. I've had enough of her nonsense. Her 'druggie crap' is growing a tad old and it's really fucking with my nerves. "Ranveer is the son of the Deputy Inspector. Do you want me to explain to you how that works in your elitist system because you seem to have forgotten that his father is too tight with your father and his business."

She purses her lips and glares at me but I don't stop. "Everyone is powerful in their own way Ella. You have no right to look down on him just because he does substance. Half of this nation is into that. Not everybody wants to be like your so-called perfect boyfriend."