Nandini Verma was 18 when she penned her first story, a tale of passion, betrayal, and revenge. It was a masterpiece, poised for publication. But on the night she was to share her brilliance with the world, tragedy struck. Her abusive father, a figu...
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I should’ve known. I should’ve known that trusting Nitu’s idea of a “safe and fun” night out would land us right in the middle of chaos. It was never as simple as she made it sound. But did that stop me? No. And now, here I was, living out the consequences of my curiosity.
The plan was simple enough. We were supposed to watch the illegal race from a distance, far from the action, just as silent spectators. I wasn’t entirely sold on the idea to begin with, but Nitu, being her usual persuasive self, had me tagging along.
After what felt like hours of driving through winding roads, we finally arrived at the location. It was an abandoned industrial area—dark, grimy, and buzzing with energy. Cars of all shapes and sizes were parked everywhere, and the air was thick with the scent of burning rubber, gasoline, and adrenaline. The sound of roaring engines echoed through the night.
I parked the car in a relatively safe spot, far enough from the track to ensure we’d stay out of trouble. Or so I thought.
“See? I told you this would be exciting,” Nitu said, grinning from ear to ear as she looked out the window, her eyes wide with curiosity.
“Exciting, sure. But also insane,” I muttered, my eyes scanning the crowd. There were groups of people huddled around the racecars, some making bets, others prepping for the race. The atmosphere was electric, and I could feel my heart pounding in sync with the rumble of the engines.
We both stepped out of the car, cautiously making our way toward a vantage point. My instincts told me to stay low-key and blend into the background, but Nitu—being Nitu—had other ideas.
“Let’s go a bit closer,” she urged, tugging on my arm. “We can’t see anything from back here.”
I sighed, already feeling the stirrings of regret. “Nitu, we’re supposed to watch from a distance, remember? We can’t get involved in—”
“Oh, come on! Don’t be such a buzzkill. Just a little closer, okay?”
I gave her a look, but she was already pulling me through the crowd before I could protest. We weaved between groups of people, the excitement of the race palpable in the air. The deeper we ventured into the crowd, the more I realized just how out of place we were.
“Just a little closer, huh?” I muttered sarcastically as we ended up right near the starting line of the race. Cars were lined up, their engines revving, and I could feel the ground trembling beneath my feet.
Nitu flashed me a grin. “See? Perfect view.”
But before I could roll my eyes, something felt off. There were a few people nearby who kept glancing at us, their eyes narrowing as if trying to place who we were. It was subtle at first, but the glances turned into stares. My skin prickled with unease.
“Uh, Nitu… I think we’ve gotten a bit too close for comfort,” I whispered, nudging her. “People are staring.”
Nitu shrugged, seemingly unfazed. “We’re probably the only ones not betting on something. It’s fine.”
