"Finally," Arjun said, breathless with excitement, "the time we've been waiting for… we're here."
Before anyone could answer, he ran forward and leapt into the sea.
The cold water rushed around him as he surfaced, laughing.
"We're here!" he shouted. "Let's go!"
Imran followed, wiping salty water from his mouth.
"I was exhausted when we got here," he said, catching his breath, "but now… that doesn't matter at all."
Aman stepped into the water more cautiously.
"Remember," he said, "we should get out before the authorities notice us."
From the shore, Raghav laughed.
"Authorities aren't going to do anything to us."
Aman looked back at him, uncertain.
"Why take the risk?"
A splash hit Aman in the face.
"There's nothing to worry about," Arjun said, laughing. "Just have fun."
Aman wiped his eyes, clearly irritated.
"I'm getting out," he said, turning toward the shore.
"Hey, wait!" Imran called, running after him.
Aman quickened his pace.
"No."
But Arjun and Imran caught up to him.
"Why aren't you enjoying this?" Arjun asked.
Aman let out a frustrated laugh.
"I just don't like being in the water."
Raghav waded forward and shoved him playfully.
"Come on, stay a little longer."
"Stop," Aman protested, trying to pull away. "Don't force me."
The teasing escalated. In the chaos, Imran grabbed Aman's shorts and ran deeper into the water, laughing.
"Imran!" Aman shouted, shocked and furious. "Give that back! This isn't funny!"
Imran waved the shorts like a flag, laughing as the others joined in.
Aman, now angry, rushed toward him.
"Give it back," he warned.
Imran let him get close—then tossed the shorts toward Arjun.
"Catch!"
Arjun stepped forward… then stepped back deliberately.
"I'm not catching that," he said with a grin.
The shorts splashed into the water and began drifting away with the waves.
Arjun walked off laughing.
Aman swore under his breath and ran after them, but the current was already pulling the cloth farther out.
Seeing this, Imran dove forward.
"Wait, I'll get it!"
He swam after the drifting cloth as the water deepened.
From behind, Raghav shouted,
"Careful! You're getting close to the warning zone—leave it!"
Imran slowed. The sea beneath him dropped suddenly, the water darkening. The current was stronger here.
The shorts were already too far.
Imran turned back, shaking his head, disappointment written on his face.
"I can't reach it," he said.
The waves rolled on, carrying the cloth farther into the open sea.
Aman splashed water over his face, breathing heavily. Everyone could see how angry he was.
Raghav turned toward him.
"I'll get you a new pair," he said quietly.
Imran stepped forward.
"I'm sorry, man. That wasn't what I meant to do."
Aman closed his eyes, his jaw tight.
"No," he said sharply. "Don't say a word. Just stay silent."
It was clear he was struggling to control his anger.
Imran understood and stepped back, saying nothing.
Aman opened his eyes again.
"You shouldn't have done this," he said, his voice shaking with frustration. "When I said I didn't want to go in the water, why did you force me?"
He took a breath, still angry.
"This wouldn't have happened if I hadn't come on this trip at all."
Arjun walked closer.
"Don't say that," he said softly.
Aman looked straight at him.
"Why didn't you catch it?" he demanded. "If you weren't sure you could catch it, why did you pretend?"
Arjun lowered his eyes.
"I'm sorry."
Aman let out a bitter laugh.
"Do you really think 'sorry' fixes everything?"
Arjun said nothing. After a moment, he repeated quietly,
"Sorry."
Aman shook his head.
"What if I threw your medicine away like that?" he said. "What if, when you needed it most, it just drifted away in the ocean?"
Imran stepped in quickly.
"Alright, guys… calm down. It was my fault, Aman."
Aman turned toward him.
"I said I don't want to hear it."
Just then, Raghav returned and handed Aman a new pair of shorts.
No one spoke.
Aman took them, turned, and walked back toward the hotel without another word.
The sound of the waves filled the silence he left behind.
Hours later.
Aman moods lighten up. The tension wave off.
Arjun walk "let's go Havelock for ferry guysssssss" in the excitement he says this trying to convince everyone.
Raghav thought about it instead of staying here alone. He says "I am in".
Watching raghav for agree imran also says "me too let's go"
Arjun looks to Aman. Aman is no longer angry on anyone therefore he agreed and nods.
The sun stood high above them as the ferry moved slowly across the water.
Aman noticed Arjun taking his afternoon pills. He glanced at him for a moment but said nothing.
The guide at the front of the ferry was explaining the history of the island, speaking enthusiastically, but none of them were really listening. Most of the group was distracted—looking at the sea, the sky, or simply lost in their own thoughts.
Imran and Raghav were talking quietly, joking with each other.
Arjun stood near the railing, staring out at the water.
Aman sat silently, waiting for the ride to end.
Raghav leaned toward Imran.
"Are you actually enjoying this?"
Imran shook his head.
"Hell no. Even Arjun looks bored. I think he wants to go home now."
Raghav smirked.
"You think? I know he does."
Imran chuckled.
"If he still doesn't… then I don't know what he's thinking."
Arjun turned slightly. He could tell they were talking about him, but he couldn't hear enough to be sure.
Aman spoke up, joining them.
"I didn't want to come on this trip either."
Imran looked at him.
"Then why are you here?"
Aman gave a faint, dry smile.
"Because he asked me to."
Raghav exaggerated the words mockingly.
"Because he asked me to," he repeated, shaking his head. "That's the most unemployed statement I've ever heard."
Imran laughed.
"He has a job, man. He's not unemployed."
Aman nodded.
"Yeah."
Raghav smiled sarcastically.
"If I were earning fifteen thousand a month after engineering, I'd think twice before calling myself employed."
Aman shot back calmly,
"At least I don't live off my father's money with all my so-called capabilities."
Imran laughed, clearly enjoying the argument more than taking sides.
Just then Arjun walked over to them.
"Guys," he said quietly, "I need to tell you something."
They all looked at him.
Arjun took a breath.
"We've run out of money."
Silence fell between them, heavy and immediate.
The sun was setting outside as all of them sat in their hotel room.
No one spoke. The air felt heavy. Everyone looked confused, tense, still trying to understand what they had just heard.
Raghav finally broke the silence.
"You said everything was calculated," he said, his voice tight. "You said everything was planned. So how did we run out of money?"
Arjun felt the weight of their eyes on him. Guilt pressed hard on his chest.
"I know… I know," he said quietly. "But nothing went the way I planned. It's not my fault, guys."
Raghav let out a sharp laugh.
"Not your fault? Then whose fault is it? You told us everything was under control, and now you're saying this? What is wrong with you?"
"I'm sorry," Arjun said quickly. "I'm sorry… I just…"
The words stopped. He didn't know how to finish the sentence.
Aman stepped forward, anger visible on his face.
"I want to see everything," he said. "Bills, payments—everything. I want to know where the money went."
"Exactly," Raghav added. "Tell us. Where did it all go?"
Arjun stayed silent.
Imran walked toward him slowly.
"Okay, Arjun," he said in a calmer voice. "Just tell me one thing. How did this happen?"
Everyone was staring at him now.
Arjun swallowed.
"You see… we spent a lot just getting here."
Aman frowned.
"Oh, so we spent one lakh twenty thousand just on tickets?"
Arjun shook his head quickly.
"No… not just that. We spent a lot in other places too. Remember that shop… the old woman's shop? We spent a lot there."
Imran nodded slightly.
"Yeah, we spent money there," he said, "but that alone can't explain this."
Arjun felt the pressure rising again.
He took a deep breath.
"Coming this far with just thirty thousand each… it wasn't realistic," he admitted quietly. "Not in this season. I knew it would be difficult… but I just wanted us to enjoy at least one day."
Aman stared at him.
"So you used us?"
"No," Arjun said immediately, shaking his head. "No. If I had told you the truth at the start, none of you would have come."
No one spoke. They looked at each other, frustration and anger still visible on their faces.
Imran finally asked, quietly,
"Do we at least have enough moey to go home?"
"Yes," Arjun said quickly. "Yes. I already bought return tickets."
Silence settled again.
Imran exhaled slowly.
"Fine," he said. "We're going home. We'll talk about this later. For now… let's eat and sleep."
No one argued.
One by one, they drifted back to their own corners of the room, each lost in their own thoughts.
Evening settled slowly over the hotel. The light outside faded, and the room grew dim.
Everyone sat in silence, scrolling through their phones, each trying to distract themselves from the argument earlier.
"Ahh… my phone lost signal," Raghav said irritably, staring at the screen. "How does that even happen?"
Imran checked his phone.
"You know what? Mine's gone too."
Aman looked at his screen and sighed.
"Great. Me too. What else could go wrong today?"
Arjun glanced at his phone.
"…Me too. No network."
Imran leaned back.
"Well… I guess we could talk to each other to pass the time."
No one answered. Aman and Raghav clearly weren't in the mood.
Half an hour passed in near silence.
Arjun sat looking down, stress written across his face.
Imran finally broke the quiet.
"So," he said, "why did you really want to come here so badly, Arjun?"
Arjun looked up slowly.
"I'm sorry."
Imran shook his head.
"I don't need your sorry. I need the truth."
Everyone's eyes turned to Arjun.
He hesitated, then spoke quietly.
"It hasn't even been a year… since her death. The pressure… it's been too much. I thought if I went somewhere far, it might help. But I didn't want to go alone."
Aman's expression softened.
"You could've told us that," he said. "We would've helped you. You didn't have to do all this."
Imran raised a hand slightly.
"Let it go, Aman," he said quietly. "That's not the point now."
He looked back at Arjun.
"Why didn't you tell your parents?"
Arjun looked down again.
"They don't like to talk about it," he said. "So I hid it… from everyone. I thought you'd laugh."
No one laughed.
The room fell silent again, heavier than before.
After a moment, Arjun stood up.
"I'm going to get some air," he said quietly.
He walked out toward the main gate.
Just as he stepped outside, a heavy siren began to echo in the distance, cutting through the evening air.
Arjun turned back toward the others.
"Hey… do you hear that?"
Imran stood up, listening carefully. Seeing him react, Raghav and Aman also rose to their feet.
The sound was distant at first—a deep, unnatural roar echoing through the air.
Arjun stepped outside the hotel room and looking around himself.
Everyone came out from their hotel room looking confused. Arjun looks around himself but just as he look at the sky.
He froze.
Everyone followed him out, and one by one, their expressions changed to shock.
The sky was streaked with light.
Arjun stared, unable to process what he was seeing.
"What… is happening?" he whispered.
Imran's voice came sharply, urgent now.
"We need to run."
Raghav shouted,
"RUN!"
Missiles tore through the sky, descending toward the ground.
Then the first impact came.
A deafening explosion shook the earth. Buildings shattered. Cars flipped. The road cracked as shockwaves rolled outward.
People screamed. Smoke and fire rose everywhere.
Arjun ran, his heart pounding, the noise overwhelming, the air thick with dust.
Another missile struck nearby.
A building beside him exploded, and a massive section of wall collapsed.
It fell directly toward him.
"NO—!"
The impact hit.
Everything went black.
Night — Anuj's Residence
The rain had stopped, but the air still smelled of smoke.
In the courtyard of his residence, Anuj stood beside a small pool.
The water inside it was no longer calm. Flames burned across its surface, consuming whatever was thrown into it. The fire reflected in Anuj's eyes as he watched in silence.
Footsteps approached behind him.
His junior walked in, carrying a bundle of documents. He stopped when he saw the fire.
"What the hell, sir?" he asked, unable to hide his shock. "Why are we doing this?"
Anuj didn't turn around.
"I don't care about explaining it," he said calmly. "And you don't need to know what's happening. Just follow orders."
The junior swallowed.
"…Yes, sir."
He handed the documents to Anuj.
Anuj took them, glanced at the pages briefly, and then threw them into the fire. The papers curled, blackened, and disappeared within seconds.
"The order from Headquarters," Anuj said quietly. "Erase everything."
The junior hesitated.
"But sir… the documents said something else."
Anuj's voice sharpened slightly.
"Which documents?"
"The ones on your desk earlier," the junior said, nervous now. "The fax. I… I read it."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Anuj watched the flames, his expression unreadable.
"Oh," he said finally. "So you know more than you should."
The junior felt a chill run through him but said nothing.
"The order is clear," Anuj continued. "Erase the evidence."
He paused, then added softly,
"And don't become evidence yourself."
The meaning was unmistakable.
The junior lowered his head.
"Go," Anuj said. "Bring the rest. There are thousands of pages remaining."
"Sir… we could finish this in the morning," the junior suggested cautiously.
Anuj turned at last, looking straight at him.
"I don't know what will happen in the next moment," he said. "I'm not promising there will be a morning."
The junior said nothing.
"Now go," Anuj ordered.
The junior turned and left, the fire crackling behind him.
Anuj remained standing by the burning pool, watching the flames consume the past.
-END-