𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧: 𝐀𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐎𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐢 (𝟏𝟖+) ✅

37

Akshat

I moved back to my apartment holding the muffins in my hand and as I reached the streets, I saw many kids sitting near the street.

"Bhaiya, bahut bhook lagi hai!" one of the kids said, he looked hardly around 6 years old. I crouched down to their level and handed them the muffins, I ruffled his hairs and stood up leaving.

(Brother, I'm very hungry!)

"Bhaiya, aap bahut ache ho" one boy said eating the muffins.

(Brother, you're very nice)

"Shayad nahi" I said smiling bitterly.

(Perhaps not)

"Ise chuppa dete hai, fir jab bhook lagegi or ye achanak se milega to khaa ke bhook shaant kar sakte hai" another boy said to him and I clutched my eyebrows.

(Let's hide this, then when we get hungry and suddenly find it, we can eat it to satisfy our hunger)

"Kyo?"

(Why?)

"Haan?" he asked.

(Yeah?)

"Kyo chupa rahe ho, samne rakh do, bhuk lage to kha lena!"

(Why hide it, keep it in front, when hunger strikes, just eat it!)

"Nahi bhaiya, jab bhuk lagti hai aur khane ko mil jata to thode se mein bhi pet bhar jata hai, par agar saamne rakha ho to thoda sa khaa ke aur khane ka lalach aata hai" the boy said and my eyes widened at his response.

(No brother, when hunger strikes and we get something to eat, even a little fill the stomach, but if it's kept in front, the temptation to eat more increases)

"Ise kha lo, mai aur khareed dunga shaam ke liye"

(Eat this, I'll buy more for the evening.)

"Nahi bhaiya, aap apni aadat mat dalwaiye, fir aap agar nahi denge to hume bura lagega, hum apko acha samajhte hai, hume aapko hero hi samajhna hai" the boy who is not even 11-year-old said.

(No brother, don't get into the habit of giving us, then if you don't give next time, we'll feel bad, we think highly of you, we want to see you as our hero.)

"I-" I had no words what to say, I got up and went to the nearest grocery store, and compelled the owner to give those kids food if ever they don't get their food for the day.

I feel like I'm losing my grip on reality. Nothing seems to make sense anymore, and I'm struggling to keep up with everything happening around me.

Riya's words keep echoing in my mind, over and over again.

The treasure hunt?

Bait?

Things seeing us?

Find the treasure?

But what do they all mean? Why does my mind keep insisting that there's something off, something crucial that I'm missing?

"Neil," I said, dialling him with a sense of urgency. Surely, he'd have tracked down Kunal's location by now.

"Sir, I can't find him," Neil's voice crackled through the phone, and my brows furrowed in frustration.

"What the hell? How difficult is it to find a random boy's location?" I snapped, irritation gripping my voice.

"Sir... sir, I don't know, but it feels like he's nowhere to be found," Neil stammered nervously.