Late at Night…
When Prakhar reached home late at night, he frowned seeing the flat's door left wide open.He rushed inside to find Shrey and Pranay sprawled half-asleep on the couch,Dinner was untouched on the table, and the whole house was a mess.
Prakhar grimaced."What kind of nonsense is this…?"He quietly began tidying up. After organizing everything, his eyes fell on two little bunnies —lying just as messily on the sofa.
"Ugh…" he muttered, approaching them.He gently picked up Pranay and laid him on the bed in Shrey's room.
When he returned, he stopped short —Shrey was awake, and glaring at him like he could burn holes through him.
"What… what happened?" Prakhar asked hesitantly.
"That person was more important than me, huh? You took him to the room first…?"Shrey said with a pout, his eyes never leaving Prakhar's.
"What?" Prakhar fumbled.
"What what? First, you disappear without a word and now suddenly Pranay is more important than me?"Shrey nearly shouted.
"Calm down… I didn't do anything as dramatic as you're making it sound. And as for leaving — you were the one who told me to go…"Prakhar tried to reason.
"Oh, so if I tell you once, you'll go jump into a well? I was angry, so I said it! But you ran off like a sulking wife going to her mother's house!"
"What…?" Prakhar stared at him in disbelief.
Brushing hair away from his face, Shrey climbed over Prakhar a little and growled,"Do you even know where all I searched for you since morning? And your beloved prince — where is he, huh?"
"Who?"
Shrey loomed over him as Prakhar fell back onto the couch.
"You know who — your diamond!"
Shrey said, annoyed.
"Diamond…? He's with a friend. You didn't like him being around, so…"
"So you'll just hand him off to anyone?"Shrey exploded.
Just then, Pranay walked out hearing the noise. He held Shrey back and said,"Dude… what are you doing?"
"Ask him! Where was he since morning? I was losing my mind looking for him!"Prakhar couldn't tear his eyes away from Shrey's furious gaze.Shrey's breathing was heavy, and Pranay stood between them — but things were clearly spiraling.
Shrey's voice trembled now,"Where were you? With whom? Why didn't you say anything?"
"Shrey…"
As soon as Prakhar said his name, Shrey's eyes widened.His heart started pounding — as if someone had suddenly turned up its volume.
Because this was the first time Prakhar had called his name.
He froze in place. His eyes locked on Prakhar, breath caught in his throat.
Pranay nudged him, "Bro… he's calling you…"
"Huh? Yeah…" Shrey jolted, like waking from a deep sleep.
Without looking at him, Prakhar said,"Go to sleep. It's still night. I'll bring Diamond back by morning…"
And without another word, he walked straight into his room.
Shrey stood there watching him leave — caught between a strange sense of peace and restlessness.
Pranay looked from Shrey to Prakhar's closed door.Whatever was happening between them, it wasn't just friendship.
The way Shrey had scolded Prakhar,The worry with which he'd searched for him,And the gentleness with which Prakhar took his anger…
It was something else — something beyond words.
A little later, Shrey stormed into his room.He was still angry — but something inside him was churning.
As soon as he lay down on his bed, he covered himself entirely with the blanket —as if trying to hide from himself… from his own emotions.
But Pranay wasn't about to let it go.
He walked straight into the room, yanked the blanket off and said,"Shrey… what the hell is all this?"
Shrey peeked out just slightly and mumbled,"What do you mean, 'all this'?"
"The way you were talking to Prakhar — what was that?"Pranay stared at him.
"What way?" Shrey snapped, getting irritated.
"Shrey… you're a guy. Prakhar is too.Whatever's going on in your head — you need to get rid of it. Otherwise…"Pranay's eyes turned cold.
Shrey sat up abruptly."Otherwise what, huh? What will you do?"
"I'll tell Bhai everything…" Pranay exhaled sharply.
Shrey stared at him for a long moment without blinking.Then slowly laid back down and muttered,"Whatever you think is happening — it's not.I don't care whether he's here or not…"
"Good." Pranay lay down next to him,but now there was a strange silence between them.
Meanwhile, Prakhar stood in the balcony of his room.The dim glow of his cigarette hid most of his face,but the tension in his eyes flickered through the smoke.
A slow song played in the background —maybe an attempt to soothe the chaos inside him.
🎶 Zara zara behakta hai, mehakta hai...Aaj toh mera tan-badan…Main pyaasa hoon, mujhe bhar le apni baaahon mein…Hai meri kasam tujko sanam, door kahin na jaa…Yeh doori kehti hai, paas mere aaja re… 🎶
Just then, his phone rang.
"Senapati…" came a cold voice on the other end — filled with information.
"I heard the prince was attacked tonight…"
Prakhar's eyes narrowed."So you were there."
"Of course," the voice teased."So you didn't think it was important to save Kunwar Sa?"
"Not at all. Let him die.Besides, I'm not his bodyguard. I'm a spy."
"Though… someone was very restless for you today. Know who?"
The voice was now clearly smirking, deliberately provoking him.
"I don't know. And I don't care to."Prakhar answered in an icy tone and was about to hang up when —
"The king is returning in two days…"
That made Prakhar's eyes widen.
Elsewhere…
Kunwar was fast asleep in his luxurious room.A large portrait hung on the wall — him riding a horse, fierce eyes, looking like a warrior ready for battle.
As the early morning light touched his face, it gleamed like silver.A soft smile played on his lips.
He stirred slightly, eyes still closed.Reaching toward a lamp on the table, he pressed a hidden button underneath —
The large portrait on the wall rotated.
Now in its place was a picture of Prakhar — a faint smile on his lips.
Kunwar opened his eyes slowly —The first thing he saw was Prakhar's face.
And his smile deepened.
"Your face makes my mornings more beautiful…"he whispered toward the picture.
"And now...I don't want to wake up to your photo —I want to wake up to you…"
He reached toward the photo, as if wanting to touch him.
"Very soon… you'll be here yourself…My love."
Kunwar smiled again —but this time, there was obsession in it.A quiet, burning madness.