It was the final day of the shoot. The cameras were off, the laughter dimmed, and only post-production remained. The footage was ready, and now it was all on Saisha—the edits, the transitions, the magic. But little did she know, the real edit happening was in her life, not the film.
The skies had broken open into a relentless rain, as if the heavens themselves were mourning what was about to happen to her.
Aman had booked two cars for their return journey from the hills—everything was supposed to be smooth. But nothing about this day was meant to be.
Angel had a plan. A perfect, cruel, carefully plotted plan.
She handed Saisha a glass of juice, laced with a sedative—the kind that drags you into darkness before you realize you're slipping. "Just a quick nap, and I'll finish packing later," Saisha mumbled to herself as she walked toward her room, unaware of the storm—both outside and inside.
She lay on the bed for what she thought would be half an hour of rest. But she never woke up.
And Angel? Angel executed her script flawlessly.
With innocent eyes and sweet lies, she told everyone, "Saisha's boyfriend is coming to pick her up. He'll take her down from the hills. She insisted she'll leave separately."
No one questioned it. After all, Angel always wore a convincing mask. And no one had reason to doubt the golden girl of the group.
But fate, as always, had its own lines to deliver.
Outside, the rain fell in sheets. The cars were honking. People were saying their goodbyes in a hurry, drenched and distracted.
Angel sat inside the first car, her lips curved in satisfaction. Her plan had worked.
Almost.
"Where's Aman?" she asked, glancing around, pretending to be casual.
"He's in the second car. He'll follow." someone said.
She nodded and turned her face to the window, unaware that Aman wasn't in the second car.
Aman was somewhere else—following something his gut couldn't ignore.
Just minutes before, as everyone scrambled in the confusion of departure, Aman stood frozen in the hallway.
Something wasn't right.
Saisha… with her boyfriend? Why didn't she even say goodbye? And who even is this boyfriend?
Aman didn't have all the answers. But he had questions. And they were louder than logic.
So, instead of getting into his car, he turned around. His shoes splashed against the wet ground as he rushed back toward the Airbnb.
Inside, silence hung heavy. The rain whispered against the windows. He moved through the house like a ghost chasing a memory.
"Saisha?" he called out once.
No answer. His heart raced. He thought she really left without answers
He sat on the couch, picking up his laptop. Without thinking, he clicked open the raw footage folder from the shoot. One by one, clips began to play. Saisha's voice, her eyes, her laughter—all dancing on the screen like a ghost he wasn't ready to let go of.
And then, suddenly—
"Aman…"
A weak voice. From behind.
He turned around sharply.
His heart stopped.
"Saisha…?"
She stood in the hallway, barely holding herself upright, one hand clutching her head, her face pale like she had been drained of color, of time, of everything.
"When are we leaving?" she whispered, confused, lost.
Aman shot up from the couch.
"What the hell—? You're here?" His voice trembled slightly. "You… I thought you left… with your boyfriend?"
Saisha blinked. "Boyfriend? What are you even talking about?" She winced in pain, clutching her temple tighter. "Aman, my head is… it's really hurting…"
Aman stepped forward, gently holding her shoulders.
"Wait—sit here, please. Just sit." He guided her slowly to the couch. "You're burning up—what happened to you?"
She closed her eyes, struggling to piece anything together. "I just… had that juice Angel gave me… and I thought I was just tired from packing… I just laid down for a bit…"
Aman's jaw clenched.
Angel. Again.
"Stay here. Don't move," he said, his voice now sharp and focused. "I'll get water."
He ran to the kitchen, heart pounding—not just with concern, but rage.
She wasn't supposed to be here. She wasn't supposed to wake up like this. She wasn't supposed to be left behind if she didn't matter.
But she was. And now he knew—Someone lied. And someone's going to pay for it.
Saisha slowly sipped the water Aman brought her. Her hands still trembled, and her mind—foggy and fractured—searched for answers she didn't have.
"What time is it?" she asked softly, her voice still fragile. "Where is everyone?"
Aman looked at her, his jaw tightening again."They all left."
Her eyes widened."What?"
"Yeah. Angel told everyone that your boyfriend had come to pick you up, so they assumed you were leaving separately."
Saisha sat upright, blinking hard."My boyfriend? Aman… I don't even have a boyfriend here."
He sighed, sitting beside her. "I know."
She looked at him, puzzled."Then… why did you stay back?"
He paused. A long silence.
"Because…" he stopped himself, then smiled lightly. "Forget it. Are you okay now?"
She nodded faintly."Yeah… better. But I think we should leave. The rain is getting worse."
He glanced outside. Thunder rolled through the skies like distant drums."Yeah. Let's go."
Meanwhile, inside a speeding car downhill…
Angel cursed under her breath. Aman's phone was not reachable.
She tried again. "Damn it, pick up!"
No answer.
Panicking, she quickly called one of Aman's close friends in the second car.
"Hey—give the phone to Aman."
"Huh?" the friend replied, confused."Isn't he with you?"
Angel froze.
"What? No! He was supposed to be in your car!"
"He's not. He didn't come with us."
The atmosphere in both cars changed in an instant.
Both vehicles screeched to a stop.
Everyone pulled out their phones, desperately trying to reach Aman.
Panic spread.
But no one was more shaken than Angel.
Her hands were cold. Her lips were trembling.If Aman meets Saisha… and if Saisha remembers everything… if she tells him the truth—
Her breath caught in her throat.
"No. No, no, no… this can't happen."
She was losing control.
"We have to go back! We HAVE to go back!" she shouted.
Everyone agreed. The engines roared to life, tires spinning in the muddy road as both cars turned around.
But fate… had other plans.
A loud rumble echoed through the hills.
And then—CRACK.
A massive landslide.
The road split in two, rocks collapsing down like the wrath of the heavens themselves.
There was no way back.
It was as if the universe finally stepped in and said:
"Enough. No more games, Angel. No more manipulation. I'm protecting them now."