WE & MONSOON : Love vs Promise

|| IN SEARCH OF GREEN NURSERY LAKE ||

(A WEEK LATER)

Smaran glances at Zaid, a determined look on his face. "Are you ready?"

Zaid, catching his breath and flashing a wide grin, replies, "Puff... since childhood."

"Then let's show these bots who's the boss here," Smaran says, his enthusiasm brightening his face.

With a shared nod, both of them dive into the game, their fingers flying over the joysticks. The room quickly fills with the rapid sound of gunfire and the intense clicks of the controllers, the virtual battlefield coming alive as they immerse themselves in the action.

I have been coming to Zaid's house for about 8 years, but even then, I didn't get used to the lifestyle here or perhaps I never wanted to get accustomed to it. Maybe because I have never been so rich, and a life of ease like this was never a part of my life. In his house, he has everything that you would find in a typical rich household. He has a grand aquarium, sparkling chandelier, and a polished wooden Foosball table, not to mention this latest digital addition—a Sonny PlayStation.

Zaid's phone suddenly rings, the familiar tune of ♫♫--Bheegi bheegiin raaton me by Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar--♫♫ filling the room.

Smaran glances at the screen, curiosity piqued. "Did you change your phone ringtone?"

Zaid, eyes locked on the game as he takes down another wave of bots, replies, "Nope, it's actually a new feature that automatically changes my ringtone based on the situation and my mood."

"That's pretty cool," Smaran says, his attention divided between Zaid and the game.

"It costs 129 rupees per month," Zaid adds, pulling out his phone and stepping out of the room as the call continues.

Smaran keeps his focus on the screen, immersed in the game's intense action. A few moments later, Zaid returns and collapses onto the bed behind Smaran.

"What's this book?" Zaid asks, flipping through the pages of a book lying on the bed. "Happy Birthday Kirti?"

Smaran, startled, pauses the game and turns around to snatch the book from Zaid's hands. "I borrowed this from the library."

"But there's no library stamp on it," Zaid observes, his curiosity piqued.

Smaran meets Zaid's gaze with a hint of warning. Zaid, catching the unspoken message, raises his hands in surrender. "Fine, fine, I'm not asking."

"It's nothing like that, bro," Smaran reassures him, taking a deep breath. He grabs the controller again, adding with a grin, "And I do remember our vow of celibacy." He returns to the game, the room echoing with the sounds of controllers clattering and virtual explosions.

After a while, Smaran pauses the game and asks, "By the way, do you know where Green Nursery Lake is?"

Zaid, lounging on the bed and scrolling through his phone, responds, "Green Nursery Lake? No, I've never heard of it."

Smaran raises an eyebrow, "Oh, okay." He doesn't know either, does this place even exist?

"You should check it on Google," Zaid suggests.

"Yeah, I'll do that," Smaran replies, still lost in thought about the enigmatic lake.

The next evening, Smaran starts his scooter and sets the destination on his phone's map. After navigating through winding roads and distant stretches, he finally arrives at a serene lake far from the city's hustle. He parks his scooter, squinting at the map on his phone.