The Yellow Ghost

pilot

"Give that red bag to me, it's my lifeline, you wouldn't believe-"
Amar, 24, said bending down from the upper seat of a railway cabin. Just below him was sitting a shy man, named Raghav, who was also 24,
"Have you bought whiskey?"
"Hush!" Amar hissed severely, "tell everyone, would you?"
Raghav handed the bag to him, as he relaxed back, looking outside from his cabin window. They were in Mumbai, and it was slightly drizzling. They were leaving for Delhi in a train.
"Ey, Raghav, tch tch!" Raghav was called by Amar, as he looked up with a tiny regret of having his tranquil thought train derailed by his very clamorous friend.
"What?"
"Oh, you're clear," Amar took a look at Raghav before frantically shuffling through his 'red bag' as he looked tense.
"What happened now?"
"A bottle's gone," he said, pulling out and brandishing two bottles in hand, "what am I supposed to do with these?"
Amar was a whiskey conneisure, he apparently didn't like the two brands he was holding in his hands. He had bought them for his brother and father as travel souvenirs. Raghav hated alcohol more than anything, but Amar was a good guy who drank occasionally and never let his breath stink when he would do so. As much as Raghav didn't care for Amar's lost bottle'o nectar, he was curious who stole it. Or maybe Amar had just forgotten it somewhere, even finished it for he was an impatient man when it came to bottle'o nectar. That beverage was Amar's lifeline, or so he claimed.
"Did you leave your bag somewhere?" Raghav suspected a family of four, sitting in front of their bunk. Those fellers were innocent, the way they were so domestic. Raghav was sceptical anyway since he knew thieves in Indian railways could steal without breaking a sweat. Their deceit prowess was one unparalleled.
"If it's gone, then it's not coming back, I warned you before!" Raghav felt a teensy bit bad for his friend, "check my bags,"
"I am!" Amar said as he was already shuffling through Raghav's bag.
"When did you take it?" Raghav was taken aback. Did Amar not trust him a single bit?
"You might not drink but could sell it in black-"
"Oh nice, " Raghav chuckled, "alcohol's the last thing I'm touching in this life, "
"What?"
"I have never touched a bottle, "
"What?!" Amar was amused, "I thought you meant you just didn't drink!"
Raghav laughed.
Raghav couldn't rely on Amar for the detective work, not like he himself was proficient in the Sherlockian deduction. Raghav wouldn't have lost something as expensive as bottle'O nectar.

"We'll do with these two I guess, " Raghav decided it was best to let the matter die down.

The two friends hadn't come to Mumbai for buying souvenirs or to spend some quality time. A commemoration of the greatest singers in India was held for auditions for the commoners who aspired to become the same, and these two had just given the most decisive performances of their lifetimes. They wanted to become a singing duo, but more so, Raghav wanted money and fame. His dream was to be superior to everyone who had belittled him-friends, relatives, you just name it-he wanted to become a star. Not that he was a great singer, but that's where Amar entered the picture. Raghav had a great voice, but it was Amar who could hit some of the most monstrous notes out there. However, it was mutual from Amar's side too-while he sang the high notes, he promptly needed a vintage feel of Raghav's voice to balance out the very western feel that would otherwise be there if he was to sing without Raghav. Sadly, that was the only, yet unspoken, reason that Raghav was needed by Amar.
Raghav was alive in his field of passion due to his voice and he was determined to use this for fulfilling his hunger of coming out on the top of this world.
It had all started when he had met Amar in a music room in the school which they studied. Capable of putting up a decent performance, they soon grew to be part of all the congregations held in and around their school. International clubs began to recognize their talent, their parents even insisted on going out there, becoming famous!
Here again, Amar never wanted fame, he would have loved to just sing to his heart's content. He often told Raghav that he never preferred an audience for it was too distracting.
Raghav too wasn't in it for the audience-pleasing business and just wanted the former for his master plan. A huge fan base was all they needed, and that was going to be their greatest ally. More so than they were to each other.