Just A Friend?

Chapter Thirty

The road stretched out like a serpent, winding through the city with an ominous hiss. The rain fell in relentless sheets, a torrent that blurred the boundaries between heaven and earth, turning the world into a bleak and desolate place.

The traffic moved like an angry snake, its scales glistening in the wet, the tires of the vehicles hissing against the drenched pavement as though echoing the simmering tension in the air.

Rakesh gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles white as his mind raced, flipping through the list of places he had already searched, desperately trying to think of where else he could look.

The sky above mirrored his turmoil, the icy gray clouds heavy with the weight of their burden. They grumbled restlessly, as if the heavens themselves were on the verge of breaking under the strain.

And then, with a roar that shook the very foundations of the city, the clouds gave way, releasing their deluge with an almost violent force. The rain pounded against the windshield, turning the world outside into a distorted, chaotic blur.

Rakesh's heart hammered in his chest, the urgency of the situation driving him forward even as the storm threatened to overwhelm him. His eyes darted from side to side, scanning the streets, the sidewalks, the desolate corners of the city, searching for any sign of him. He refused to give up—he couldn't give up. Not now. Not when he knew what was at stake.

And then, as if by some cruel twist of fate, he saw him.

Prabhas.

He was there, near the beach, standing in the downpour as if he were made of stone, completely oblivious to the storm raging around him. The sight of him stopped Rakesh's heart, a cold wave of dread washing over him as he pressed down hard on the brake, the car skidding slightly as it came to a halt.

Without a second thought, Rakesh flung the door open and bolted out into the rain, his steps frantic as he rushed toward the figure he recognized all too well.

The rain showed no mercy, drenching him to the bone within seconds, but he didn't care. His heart ached with every step, the pain intensifying as he drew closer, as he saw the hollow look in Prabhas's eyes, the brokenness that clung to him like a shroud.

"Prabhas!" Rakesh called out, his voice barely audible over the roar of the storm. But there was no response. It was as if Prabhas hadn't even heard him, as if he were dead to the world, a soulless shell standing there in the rain, shattered beyond repair.

Rakesh's heart twisted painfully at the sight—his worst nightmare come true. The last time he had seen Prabhas like this was four years ago, when Sweety had left without a word, vanishing from his life and taking with her every last shred of hope and happiness that Prabhas had ever known. And now, here he was again, broken and lost, as if those four years had never passed, as if the wound had been ripped open all over again.

"Prabhas," Rakesh murmured, his voice softening as he slowed his steps, approaching him with the same caution one might use when dealing with a wounded animal. He knelt down beside him, his heart breaking all over again as he placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. But Prabhas didn't move, didn't react. His eyes were swollen and puffy, a telltale sign of the tears he had shed tears that the rain had tried to wash away, but that had left their mark all the same.

Prabhas's face was a mask of emptiness, devoid of any emotion, as though he had been hollowed out from the inside. He looked at Rakesh for a moment, his eyes empty, before turning back to his previous position, as if the world had nothing left to offer him.

"Let's go home, Prabhas," Rakesh urged, his voice trembling with the effort to keep it steady. "Come on. Let's go home." He tried to pull him to his feet, to drag him away from the beach, away from the pain that threatened to consume him, but it was as if Prabhas were made of stone. He didn't move, didn't budge an inch.