ZINDAGI

Chapter 6: The First Encounter

Chapter 6: The First Encounter

Days had passed since Aditya's cryptic conversation with the online stranger, Vikram. The boy who had once been defined by his curiosity and kindness was now driven by a darker force. Aditya felt like he had finally found someone who understood his anger, his sense of injustice. His late-night exchanges with Vikram had become his escape, his solace—a world separate from the life Rahman and Saad tried to nurture around him.

But Vikram's words weren’t soothing; they were fuel, intensifying Aditya’s hatred for those who walked free despite the harm they caused. Vikram encouraged him to look beyond his sorrow and envision what justice could look like if it was in his own hands.

One evening, as Aditya sat alone in his room, he received another message from Vikram:

*"It's time for you to see the world from a different perspective, Aditya. Meet me at the old industrial warehouse off the highway at midnight tomorrow. I’ll show you how to take control."*

Aditya’s heart pounded. There was a thrill, a fear, but also an overwhelming sense of purpose in the message. He quickly typed a response: *"I'll be there."*

---

The next night, as the house lay silent, Aditya quietly slipped out of bed, dressed in dark clothes, and made his way to the front door. He moved with caution, careful not to wake Saad or Rahman. His palms were sweaty, and his mind raced with questions. Who was Vikram, really? And what could he offer that Aditya didn’t already know?

He took a deep breath, steeling himself, and stepped outside into the night.

The journey to the warehouse was tense. Aditya's mind wavered between doubt and determination, but the thought of avenging his family’s death kept him moving forward. As he approached the warehouse, he saw a single figure standing under the flickering streetlight, smoking a cigarette.

"Aditya, I presume?" the man called out, his voice smooth, almost mocking.

Aditya nodded, stepping closer. Vikram was in his mid-thirties, with a wiry build and an air of quiet menace. His eyes held a strange mix of confidence and calculation, as if he could see right through Aditya.

"Nice to finally meet you, kid," Vikram said, dropping his cigarette and grinding it under his heel. "You want justice, and I'm here to help you get it."

Aditya looked at him, feeling the weight of Vikram’s gaze. “What can you teach me?”

Vikram smiled slightly, almost as if he had been waiting for this question. "Justice isn’t given. It’s taken. The system doesn’t care about us. If you want revenge, you need to be ready to step outside the rules, outside the boundaries society has placed on us."

Aditya felt a chill run down his spine, but he pushed down his fear. "Tell me what I need to do."

Vikram gave a slight nod. "Tonight, we’re just going to start small. You’re going to help me with a little… test. Nothing too risky, just enough to see if you’ve got the guts."

They entered the warehouse, and Vikram led him to a back room where a small group of men sat around, talking in hushed tones. They looked up as Vikram entered, and their faces twisted into curious expressions as they took in the sight of Aditya, clearly the youngest among them.

"This is Aditya," Vikram announced to the room, a hint of pride in his voice. "He’s here because he wants to learn how to handle justice on his own terms. And I told him we could help."

One of the men, a burly figure with tattoos snaking up his arms, chuckled. "Kid looks like he just got out of school."

"School’s where you learn things you’ll never need. Here, you’ll learn survival,” Vikram shot back, silencing the laughter.