Rain never scared Riya.
But that night… it did.
The thunder cracked across the sky like something breaking
inside the world itself. The streets of Kolkata were half empty,
water reflecting broken neon lights from roadside shops. Riya walked faster, clutching her bag tightly.
She felt it again.
That presence.
Someone behind her.
Not close enough to see.
But close enough to feel.
She didn't turn around.
Because she already knew.
It was him.
Arjun.
Her best friend.
Or at least… that's what everyone believed.
Arjun wasn't normal.
But he wasn't obviously dangerous either.
That's what made him terrifying.
He smiled too much.
He listened too carefully.
He remembered everything.
The first time Riya met Arjun was in college orientation.
He was quiet. Polite. Observant. The kind of boy teachers liked.
But Riya noticed something others didn't.
His eyes.
They never blinked normally.
They studied.
Measured.
Calculated.
Yet when he spoke to her, his voice was soft. Protective. Almost warm.
"Friends?" he had asked.
She smiled.
"Friends."
And that single word changed both their lives forever.
"Back to the rain"
Riya finally turned around.
No one.
Empty street.
But her phone vibrated.
Message from Arjun.
"You walk too fast when you're scared."
Her heart stopped.
She slowly typed:
"Where are you?"
Three dots appeared instantly.
"Close enough."
Thunder exploded again.
She ran.
Arjun watched from the rooftop.
He wasn't smiling now.
He was breathing slowly, controlling his pulse.
He hated when she was scared.
But he loved when she needed him.
Love and control were the same thing to him.
And Riya didn't understand that yet.
Six months earlier…
Riya had a boyfriend.
Kabir.
Funny. Confident. Popular.
Everything Arjun wasn't.
Arjun pretended to like him.
Pretended to support her happiness.
Pretended.
But every time Kabir touched her hand…
Arjun's fingers twitched.
Not from jealousy.
From rage.
He told himself:
"She doesn't know what's good for her."
"She doesn't know how the world works."
"She doesn't know people like Kabir destroy girls like her."
He convinced himself he was protecting her.
Protection is the purest form of love.
At least… that's what he believed.
"One night, Kabir didn't come home"
Police searched.
Friends panicked.
Riya cried for days.
Arjun stayed by her side the entire time.
Holding her hand.
Letting her cry on his shoulder.
Whispering:
"I'm here."
Always here.
Kabir was never found.
The case slowly died.
Life moved on.
But something changed in Riya.
She stopped trusting easily.
Except Arjun.
She trusted him more.
And that made him dangerous.
Back to present night.
Riya reached her apartment building and slammed the gate shut.
Her breathing was wild.
Phone vibrated again.
Arjun calling.
She hesitated… then answered.
"Why are you doing this?" she whispered.
His voice was calm.
"I just wanted to make sure you're safe."
"Stop following me."
Silence.
Then softly:
"I wasn't following you."
Pause.
"I was protecting you."
Her blood ran cold.
"From what?"
Another pause.
"From what's coming."
Call disconnected.
Inside his room, Arjun stared at a wall covered with photographs.
Riya laughing.
Riya studying.
Riya crying.
Riya with Kabir.
That last photo had a red X over it.
Underneath, a single word written in black marker:
MISTAKE
Arjun touched the wall gently.
"I fix mistakes."
But what Riya didn't know…
She wasn't the only one being watched.
There was someone else.
Someone who knew about Kabir.
Someone who had seen something the night Kabir disappeared.
And that person was coming back to Kolkata.
Not for justice.
For revenge.
And Arjun… was about to meet someone more dangerous than himself.
Riya sat on her bed, shaking.
Something inside her finally whispered a truth she had been ignoring.
Kabir didn't just disappear.
He was removed.
And the only person who benefited…
Was Arjun.
Tears filled her eyes.
"No… he wouldn't…"
But the memory hit her suddenly.
The night Kabir vanished.
Arjun had called her.
At 2:17 AM.
Asking if she was okay.
Before she even knew anything was wrong.
How did he know?
Meanwhile…
At the city train station…
A tall figure stepped off the platform.
Hood over head.
Cold eyes.
Holding an old photo of Kabir.
And another photo…
Of Arjun.
The figure whispered:
"Psycho."
And smiled.
To be continued…...