Day 3
13th November
Even these cold night winds cannot calm the flames rising in my heart. The more I try to run away from them, the more it feels like I'm running away from myself...
And you…
"You're really a mess, you know that? Now I'm regretting insisting to stay with Niranjan uncle... For a moment, maybe Saturn, Rahu, Ketu in my horoscope could align properly, but you... never."
"I can't believe you could do something like this... You couldn't even hurt an ant, and today... today you beat up a guy so badly? What's happened to you, Shrey? Why have you changed so much...?"
"And who was that guy with you...? Your friend...? But you never liked making friends... I tried so many times, even got beaten up for it... Maybe you've forgotten me, forgotten the moments we spent together... But how can I forget? Those are the only moments that make me feel alive... maybe even these breaths..."
She took a deep breath.
"But you've moved on... you've already moved ahead... Maybe I'm the only one still stuck there... or maybe I just don't want to move forward..."
Morning
Hey, meri baat, teri baat, zyada baatein buri baatThaali mein katora leke aloo bhaat, muri bhaatMere peeche kisi ne repeat kiyaTo saala, maine tere munh pe maara mukka
Badtameez dil, badtameez dilBadtameez dil maane na, maane na...
Shrey was getting ready in his room, dancing to the song. Meanwhile, Prakhar was watering the plants out on the balcony with headphones on, soft music playing.
(Khud se hi karke guftagu koi kaise jiye,Ishq to laazmi sa hai zindagi ke liye)
(Dil kya kare dil ko agar achha lage koi,Jhootha sahi dil ko magar saccha lage koi...)
"Yahoo...! Today's the fresher's party and today I'm going to become Mr. Fresher!" Shrey said to the mirror and stepped out of the room.
"Hey, diamond-silver! How do I look?" he twirled in front of his pet dog, Diamond.
Diamond gave him a glance and turned his head away.
"Jealous dog...!" Shrey pouted, and Diamond barked. Hearing the noise, Prakhar came into the hall.
"Hey, you tell me... how do I look?" Shrey asked excitedly.
Without thinking, Prakhar said, "Cute...?"
"What...? But I wanted to look handsome...!" Shrey responded, surprised, and then disappointed.
"Why?" Prakhar asked while sitting on the sofa and checking his email on his laptop.
"Don't you know? Girls like handsome guys, not cute ones..." Shrey's face fell.
Prakhar looked at him seriously, as if trying to read his mind through his eyes. After a pause, he asked, "What do you like?"
"What difference does it make..." Shrey said dismissively while putting on his shoes.
Prakhar's eyes were still fixed on him. Just then, Shrey's phone rang. He answered, "I'm ready, just coming..."
Before leaving, he turned and asked, "You never told me your name...?"
Without looking up, Prakhar said, "You never asked."
"Hmm... you're right. So what's your name...?" Shrey asked, and Prakhar answered, "Prakhar... Prakhar Joshi."
Shrey nodded and left.
Just then, Prakhar's phone rang. He saw the caller ID and answered on speaker:
"Talk."
"Show some manners, mister... I'm your senior," a guy's voice said from the other end.
"Say what you have to say," Prakhar replied.
"Your cutie pie... your sweetheart... she's planning to go to the club tonight. And you know him, right? Poor non-drinker, gets drunk just by smelling alcohol..." the voice mocked.
"Shut up or I'll break your face," Prakhar said angrily.
"How...? Through the phone?" came the teasing reply.
Prakhar closed his eyes in frustration.
Downstairs, Pranay picked up Shrey and they both went to college. After roaming around all day, they reached the club in the evening.
"You sure you want to go to the club?" Pranay asked with concern.
"Yeah... how long will I keep hiding from the world like an introvert...? I want to live my life freely now, and this is necessary for that," Shrey replied while looking at the club doors.
"Don't force yourself to change... be who you are. Otherwise, you'll end up burying your own identity," Pranay said.
"Who even wants this personality? I want to be perfect," Shrey said and walked inside.
Pranay followed him, saying, "Shrey, do you think you're not perfect...? That you don't fit into the world's standards...? But the truth is, perfection is just an illusion — a lie created by the world."
Then pulling Shrey toward him and looking into his eyes, he added—
What makes you different is your biggest strength—
Your eyes, witnesses to every moment of your life.Your smile, which shines even through pain.Your voice, which tells your real story.
This is your true beauty.
When you look into the mirror, don't just see a face.Behind it is a heart that knows how to love.A mind that knows how to dream.A soul that's different, unique, and one of a kind.
Your beauty isn't limited to your looks.Your smile can make someone's day.Your words can give someone hope.You are beautiful just the way you're meant to be—unique, real, and truly special.
Love yourself, because the most beautiful thing in the world is a confident person who lives in their true self.
"I'm not in the mood to hear crap," Shrey snapped, brushed off Pranay's hand, and entered the club.
Even though he had stepped in, Shrey started feeling uneasy. His hands were slightly trembling, his voice seemed stuck in his throat. In the midst of hundreds of people, he felt utterly alone.
Pranay, annoyed, sat at the counter.
Shrey sat a little far off with some of his friends, still uncomfortable. He kept adjusting his clothes repeatedly.
One of his friends, Tina, placed a glass in front of him. "Hey, you haven't had anything..."
"I don't drink," Shrey said softly.
Everyone looked at him strangely, which made him feel even more awkward.
"Okay, but do you dance? Come on, let's dance!" Tina pulled him to the floor.
He forced a smile and danced with her, but his eyes were searching for Pranay—for help. That's when he saw that face—and froze.
He gasped, "Prakhar...!"
Prakhar was wearing a black shirt with the same silver chain around his neck.
"What?" Tina asked loudly over the music.
"Nothing..." Shrey said quickly and tried to get out of the crowd, but it was too packed and he stumbled.
Thud!
He bumped into a guy. The guy's drink spilled, and he glared at Shrey angrily.
"Can't you watch where you're going?" he shouted.
"Sorry... I just..." Shrey stammered, but the guy wasn't calming down.
"Sorry? You think sorry will bring back my drink?" He grabbed Shrey by the collar.
Shrey's heart pounded. His hands were still trembling. He didn't want to be in this situation.
"Let me go," Shrey tried to sound firm, but his fear was obvious.
"Oh really?" the guy got closer.
Shrey looked around desperately. Prakhar was still at the counter. He had noticed, but didn't react.
"You—" the guy was about to hit when Shrey, in panic, grabbed a bottle nearby and smashed it on the guy's head.
Crash!
The guy stumbled back, and the club erupted into chaos. People backed away in fear. Pranay ran over, hearing the noise.
"Siyapa started..." he muttered, holding his head.
Shrey, now panicked, started shaking badly—out of fear, maybe regret.
Pranay grabbed him and whispered, "What the hell did you do, Gadadhari Bheem?"
"I... I didn't mean to... it was a mistake..." Shrey stuttered.
Then his eyes met Prakhar's.
Prakhar was standing silently—his eyes intense, as if evaluating Shrey's every move.
Shrey's breathing quickened. He stepped back and nearly fell—
"Careful!" Pranay caught him.
And just then—
"Police!" someone shouted.
The club manager entered with the police, and chaos broke out.
"Run!" Pranay grabbed Shrey and rushed him out.
Shrey's mind was numb, but his legs followed Pranay on their own.
After a while, they stopped at a bridge.
Pranay sat on the railing, exhaling deeply, "We're safe... or else there'd be a police case!"
Shrey leaned on the railing too, still breathless.
Pranay muttered, "Thank god... wonder what happened to that guy... what the club told the cops... why the hell did you hit him? Do you even know how to hit?"
He kept ranting, but Shrey wasn't listening.
One thought kept echoing in his head—
What would he say to Prakhar once he got home...?If Prakhar asked anything, what would he reply...?
Pranay nudged him. "What's wrong with you?"
Shrey was about to speak, but the words stuck in his throat.
"That... Prakhar..."
"Who's Prakhar?" Pranay asked, confused.
Shrey paused. Then looked down.
"No one..." he mumbled and stared at the rippling water.
But a storm had begun inside him.And Pranay went silent—he knew, unless Shrey wanted to talk, he wouldn't learn a thing.
Pranay dropped Shrey outside his flat.
"You okay? Want me to stay?" he asked, seeing Shrey's face.
"No, I'm fine... you go home, or aunty will be mad..." Shrey replied quickly and went inside.
Pranay looked at him, shook his head, and walked away.
At Home...
"Why do I even want to explain...?"
"What do I think he is to me...?"
"Wherever I go, whatever I do, why do I need to explain it to him...?"
"Why...?"
Shrey entered the hall, questioning himself.
The hall light was dim.Prakhar was sitting on the couch, his back toward him, the soft blue glow of his laptop the only light—he was clearly still awake.
Shrey cleared his throat.Somewhere inside, he was scared—like Prakhar was his guardian, and he'd have to answer him now.
"Hehehe... you didn't sleep...?"
Trying to make pointless conversation, he forced a fake laugh. Even to himself, it sounded hollow.
Prakhar looked up and gave him a sharp, piercing stare.
Shrey stepped back, startled.
"This is the time to come home...?"
"Who was that guy at the party...?"
"Do you even realize what you've done...?"
"You hit a guy on the head with a bottle...? That could've led to a police case... ruined your career...!"
Shrey had imagined all these questions...
But Prakhar was silent.
A moment later, he got up and started walking to his room.
Shrey hesitantly asked, "Aren't you going to ask anything...?"
Without turning, in a cold tone, Prakhar said, "Do you want me to ask?"
Shrey didn't know what hurt more—this biting silence or Prakhar's coldness.
"No... I mean, nothing... I'll go sleep now..."
He turned toward his room, head down.
For the first time, Prakhar not asking anything felt worse than being scolded.
Suddenly, Prakhar's voice came—
"Wait."
Shrey froze.
His heartbeat quickened.
"I... I didn't do it on purpose... he hit me first..."
He began explaining in a rush, but Prakhar ignored his words.
"Dinner's ready."
And he walked into his room.
Shrey stood there.Frozen.
Prakhar didn't ask anything.And maybe that's what was bothering him the most.
Prakhar closed his diary and called someone.
"That boy... I don't want to see him safe tomorrow…"
Don't get confused here...The last line above is from Prakhar's diary—something he writes every night...