The airport buzzed with soft murmurs and rolling trolleys as the boarding call echoed through the terminal. Niharika glanced sideways at Raj as they walked toward their gate. Her curiosity got the better of her.
"Raj... the way you talk about Rishi-it's like there's a whole different person behind what we see now."
Raj gave her a short smile, half nostalgic, half amused. "That's because there was. The Rishi you know is the result of everything that broke him... and everything he chose not to repair.
She raised an eyebrow, and Raj chuckled under his breath. "You're really interested, huh? Okay. Then let me tell you something about the boy he used to be."
The scene blurred back to a morning in Indore, when the sky was still stretching awake. Anuradha Choudhary knocked on her son's bedroom door with the kind of soft firmness only mothers have. "Rishi, get up! Your friends are waiting downstairs."
Wrapped like a burrito in his blanket. Rishi groaned. "Why do people even exist before 10 am.?"
Downstairs. Raj revved his bike dramatically, shouting. "Come on, sleeping beauty! The sun's already bored waiting. for you!"
Eventually. Rishi emerged, groggy and grumpy. Rajiv handed him a bottle of water like it was medicine. "We're going for a van. Don't die on the way."
They headed to the city park, where birds chirped and morning joggers flowed in like lazy streams. After the run and a sel of stretches, the trio sat on a wooden bench under a tall neem tree.
Raj gestured toward the open ground. "Look at the greenery. bro. Feels good, doesn't it?"
Rishi nodded. "Veah... lots of trees. How many do you think ave here?"
Raj nearly fell off the bench. "Wait. What? Trees? Vou're counting trees?!"
Rajiv burst into laughter.
Raj flailed dramatically. "Bro, I meant greenery! Like. girls doing yoga. You're out here counting trunks and leaves?!"
Rishi blinked innocently. "You said greenery.."
Raj slapped his forehead. "This is what happens when you grow up watching Discovery Channel."
Rajiv added, laughing, "You've known him since childhood. Vou're the only one who can fix him."
Raj shook his head. "Forget it. This is why I hang out with older people now. At least they flirt with girls, not oxygen suppliers,
Their laughter softened the morning air, but soon Rishi's expression changed. He looked away. eyes distant.
"I feel... suffocated."
Raj sat up. "Here? in the park?"
"I don't know. Something just feels off. Rishi muttered, standing up.
As he walked away, he added quietly. "And Raj... staring at someone doesn't make you fall in love. You don't need to chase them. If it's real, your eyes are enough."
The silence he left behind was heavier than expected.
Later that morning. Rishi returned home. Anuradha greeted
him with warmth and a plate of food. "You haven't eaten. again. Do you think worrying burns calories?"
Meanwhile. Mohan Choudhary stood at the edge of the hallway, arms crossed. "You're going to be late."
"I know."
"Then go." Mohan said, voice clipped.
No affection. Just a man who didn't know how to show it.
At college, the usual chaos had taken over. Rishi walked. ahead, lost in thought. That's when a group of unfamiliar boys approached.
One sneered. "You the guy from yesterday?"
Before he could react, fists flew. Rishi tried to fight back, but he was outnumbered. A sharp blow landed on his head. The world tilted.
And just before he hit the ground... someone caught him.
Soft hands. A gentle grip. A girl. Her face hidden beneath a scarf, revealing only her eyes warm, sharp, and cerily Jamiliar.
"Careful," she whispered.
And then everything went black.
Back in the canteen, Raj's phone buzzed. He read the message and froze
"Rishi's in the hospital."
Rajiv stood, his face pale. "What happened?"
"I don't know! Someone said a girl brought him in."
They vaced to the hospital. Rishi was conscious but silent, a bandage around his head. Raj burst into the room dramatically. "Idiot! You really want to win the Most Visits to the Hospital' award, don't you?!"
Rajiv sat by the bed. "Who was she?"
"I don't know..." Rishi murmured. "Her face was covered. Only her eyes... they felt like... something I lost."
That night, the boys stayed at Rishi's house. Anuradha sat by him, caressing his hair gently. Mohan stood in the doorway, saying nothing, his silence louder than any scolding.
The next morning, college resumed like nothing had happened. Raj cracked jokes, Rishi walked slower than usual, and Rajiv remained the quiet glue between them.
But Rishi wasn't himself. Something had shifted. He moved through the day like a ghost... haunted not by pain, bat by a pair of unknown eyes.
Back in the present, on the plane. Niharika broke the silence.
"So... did I ever find that girl again?"
This was the question which strike inside Rishi itself.
To be continued....