𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑹𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒐𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑹𝒊𝒅𝒆

PART-9

Bewafa = Betrayer

The two friends stood there outside Siddharth's house with helplessness etched on their faces. And Rudraksh was speeding further away by minutes in his fragile state.

Siddharth grasped karan's hand and started dragging him along. "C'mon, Karan! We can't just stand here. We need to follow him, make sure he's okay."

Karan stumbled after Siddharth, his eyes widened in concern. "But how? We can't just run after him!"

Siddharth's face set in determination, their footsteps stomping heavily against the pavement. "We'll find a way! We'll get an auto or taxi or something! We can't just let him go off on his own like this!" Siddharth's  voice came out between his raspy breathings.

Karan kept pace behind him, his breaths coming in short gasp. "Siddharth, slow...slow down. We'll find him, I'm sure."

Siddharth continued chasing in the unknown, his heart pounded in the chest, as he scanned the crowded street for a glimpse of Karan's car, or Rudraksh's familiar figure.

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The evening sun dripped into the horizon, casting a warm orange glow over the beach where Siddharth and Karan finally arrived, exhausted and breathless. Their eyes scouring the vast expanse of golden sand for a familiar figure where the dawn's warm light casted long shadows of the people wandering there.

Wiping the sweats off his forehead, Karan said in a voice that was laced with both annoyance and concern, "Siddharth, if he doesn't listen to us, I'll beat him senseless. What's so special about that Sanam Bewafa anyway!?"

Siddharth's stifled chuckle filled the air. He put hands on either sides of his waist, and said releasing a deep breath, "Nice one, Karan! But it's Sanam Grover, not Sanam Bewafa!"

Karan threw up his hands in air, exasperated. "Yeah, yeah, whatever! She's clearly not worth this much trouble."

Siddharth's eyes scanned the beach, his heart racing with worry. "Karan, c'mon, let's just find him first. We can deal with the rest later."

Karan's expressions softened slightly, his voice gentling. "Yeah, you're right. Let just find him."

Their feets roamed on the beach, fueled by a growing sense of unease and a deepening fear of what they might find or not.

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Rudraksh was standing alone at the edge of the sea, his gaze lost in the vast expanse of the orange sky. The wind whipped his hair into a frenzy, and his clothes fluttered in the breeze. The crashing waves against the shore echoed the turmoil within him like a haunted melody.

Scattered around him was an empty wine bottle, a sign of his attempts to drown his sorrow. One bottle was still clutched in his hand, half-filled with the amber liquid seemed to be his only solace. The setting sun bathed the scene in golden light, but his heart remained shrouded in darkness, untouched by its warmth.

"Rudraksh! Rudraksh, buddy, please turn around!" Siddharth and Karan called out to him, their voices filled with concern. But Rudraksh remained oblivious, his eyes fixed on some distant point, and his mind consumed by the ghost of his past.

As they drew closer, Siddharth's voice took on a gentle, coaxing tone. "Rudraksh, come on, man. Let's talk about this. We're here for you." But Rudraksh's silence was deafening, his shoulder hunched in defeat.

Karan's eyebrow furrowed in concern as he approached Rudraksh with fastened steps. "Rudraksh, snap out of it, dude! You're scaring us!"

Siddharth's face contorted in worry. His voice was like a plea. "Rudraksh, please... please don't do this. We're your friends, your brothers. We want to help you. Please, let us in, Rudraksh!"