❝ᴍʏ ʙᴏɴᴇs ᴏᴜᴛɢʀᴇᴡ ғʟᴏᴡᴇʀs ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇs ʏᴏᴜ sʜᴇᴅ ʜᴀᴛᴇ❞
What happens when life's bolting thunder causes an inseparable camaraderie to shatter, leaving behind a trail of haunting betrayal?
More so, when fate decides to bring the three former friends...
My room cocooned me in momentary peace as I slept, the tranquility shattered by a hushed conversation in the adjacent room. The words buzzed into my consciousness, jolting me awake.
"Look at this mail that came in now," my mom's voice, still tinged with sleep, reached my ears.
"Why would there be a mail at 4 in the morning?" My dad's voice, groggy and perplexed, responded. "Unless it was marked highly important," his tone shifted, and I could envision him scratching the back of his head in contemplation.
"Can't be too sure until we open it."
"What?!" My dad's sudden exclamation sliced through the otherwise silent halls.
Curiosity gnawed at me, urging me to join the unfolding commotion, but I resisted the impulse, choosing instead to eavesdrop on the revelation.
"What happened?" Mom voiced her profound concern.
"I can't believe what I am reading." Dad's voice quivered, as if rattled by an earth-shattering discovery.
"Read it out, please." Mom said in a steady voice despite the urgency, conveying a deep-seated worry.
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Joshi,
We trust this message reaches you safely. We find ourselves compelled to share a matter of great concern, one that weighs heavy on our hearts.
...
I couldn't hear half of the letter or who it was written by. But as I heard the names Arav and Maya through faint whispers, I instinctively clenched my hands at the shock of the realisation.
Chaos swirled in my head as I attempted to comprehend the ramifications of Arav's choices.
This burden, I decided, I had to bear alone.
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We sat there clueless as our parents seemed tensed about something. Kan looked as confused as me. I didn't know how to frame the revelation of last night. I couldn't remember half the details either.
"So, we understand that you guys have been worried about your friend Arav," my dad started with his hands crossed.
We just nodded in response, trying to understand what was about to come.
"And rightfully so," Mihir, Kan's dad chimed in.
"Well, then in that case, we have some news." my dad continued, "Arav and his family have temporarily chosen to leave the city and stay somewhere else. The reasons are unknown but as much as we care about them, they don't want any of us to contact them."
He paused, looking around the room with contemplation, his eyes scrutinizing our reactions of worry, concern, confusion, and grief.
"But, why?" I tried to ask, hoping to catch some news. Anything to ease the raving storm that grappled my mind.
