❝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...
The banyan tree's sprawling branches provided a patchy shelter from the midday sun as Jay and I sat in its familiar embrace. A sense of tension lingered between us, fueled by the recent whirl of rumors circulating around the school grounds.
"Why'd you have to vanish like that?" I questioned, my voice a mix of anger and concern.
Jay sighed, his hand running through disheveled hair. "Kan, another joint absence would just add more fuel to the gossip mill. We can't afford that right now."
Though I had overheard the rumors, what perplexed me more was Arav's apparent immunity to the brewing storm. Was he intentionally distancing himself, or was there a deeper undercurrent beneath the surface?
Unspoken questions lingered, weaving another layer into the intricate web of our friendship.
I shrugged off the mounting thoughts and focused my attention back on Jay, who was now waving his hands in front of my face.
"Earth to, Kan," he quipped, and my gaze snapped back to reality.
"Yeah, Jan," I responded, the words slipping out before I could catch them.
A shocked and curious look crossed his face, as though someone had just drenched him in cold water.
A slow smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "Jan, huh?"
I nodded thoughtfully, anxiety brewing about the consequences.
And then it came, a ripple at first, then a full-blown wave of laughter. It started small, a chuckle escaping, then blossomed into a full-on hysteria. Students passing by paused to watch us, two lunatics who seemed to have lost every last brain cell.
Faces flushed red, lungs gasping for breath, we finally managed to rein in our mirth.
"Jan, Kan, Man," Jay managed to say between bouts of laughter, "Looks like we're creating an English version of our patriotic song."
Another fit of laughter ensued, oblivious to the world around us, until an authoritative figure loomed nearby.
Recognizing our PE teacher, Suresh, we looked at each other hesitantly before meeting his annoyed gaze.
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"Straight to the point, what on earth did you think you guys were doing?" Suresh's stern voice filled his office as we sat before him.
Any lingering laughter or humor swiftly evaporated.
"Sir, we were just joking around," Jay explained hesitantly, a rare sight given his usual bold demeanor.
My lips remained pursed, but my legs shook violently beneath the bench.
"And you," Suresh turned his scrutinizing gaze to me, "are you hiding drugs under your sleeve?"
"N-No! Why would I?" I stuttered through gritted teeth.
