Abhimanyu looked up — and found Meera already looking at him.
For a brief second, time felt strangely quiet. Then Meera gently turned away and walked toward the balcony of the ballroom. The glass doors slid open behind her, letting in the cool night air.
Abhimanyu stayed where he was for a moment, finishing his conversation with his friends. He smiled, said his goodbyes, but his mind was already somewhere else.
With steady steps, he followed her.
The balcony overlooked the city lights. The night breeze moved softly, carrying distant sounds of traffic and laughter from inside the hall. Meera stood by the railing, her fingers lightly resting on the cool metal.
Abhimanyu stood beside her.For a moment, neither of them said anything.
Just silence.
Then Meera spoke first, without looking at him.
"I thought you wouldn't come."
"I wasn't going to," Abhimanyu replied softly. "But… something pulled me
here."
She smiled faintly. "Some things never change."
He looked at her
"You still love watching the moon," abhimanyu said.
"And you still come looking when I do," meera whispered.
A long pause.
"How have you been, Abhimanyu?"
He exhaled slowly."I've been… fine. Busy, mostly."
She nodded, looking out at the city."What did you do after graduation?" he asked gently.
Meera smiled faintly."I joined my family's business. Stayed there… learned a lot." She paused, then added calmly, "And later… my marriage was arranged with Leonard. He's a business partner. He's… a good man. Kind. He knows how to treat people well."
Her tone was simple — not defensive, not proud — just honest.
Abhimanyu felt a quiet relief in his chest, but he hid it behind a polite nod.
"That's good," he said softly.
"And you? Where did life take you? How are uncle and aunty?"
His face brightened slightly."They're good. Still arguing about small things," he chuckled.
"And I'm working as a senior manager now. Long hours, but I like it."
Meera smiled warmly and gave his shoulder a light pat."I'm happy for you."
The tension between them softened. For a moment, they were just two old friends catching up.
Inside the hall, Leonard noticed them talking. Instead of discomfort, a gentle smile crossed his face like he knows everything . He seemed glad they could speak openly.
When their conversation naturally faded, they returned to the hall together.
The party atmosphere wrapped around them again — music, laughter, voices overlapping.
"Abhi!" Aarav appeared instantly. "Where did you disappear? Everyone was looking—"
He stopped mid-sentence when he noticed Meera beside him. His eyes lit up with understanding, and a wide grin spread across his face.
"Ohhh," he said knowingly.
Both Abhimanyu and Meera looked slightly embarrassed.
Rhea jumped in. "Don't tease them! Let them breathe!"
Carlos laughed. "Too late. We all saw."
Léa folded her arms dramatically. "This is better than television."
Naina added softly, "Some stories never really end, huh?"
Everyone laughed, and the mood stayed light.
Suddenly—
BANG!
The ballroom doors slammed open.
Five boys strode in loudly, their presence immediately souring the atmosphere.
Leading them was Mason Jones — tall, sharp-featured, carrying an arrogant confidence. Behind him were Ryan Carter, loid Benze, Oliver Reed, and Ethan Cole.
They were known troublemakers — wealthy, loud, and disliked by nearly everyone.
A French student named Julien stepped forward."Hey, this is a reunion. Calm down."
Mason scoffed and shoved him aside.
Julien stumbled — but before he could fall, Abhimanyu caught him.
Abhimanyu straightened and faced them calmly."This is a party," he said evenly. "Not a playground."
The five exchanged glances — then burst into mocking laughter.
"A guy like you telling us what to do?" Ryan sneered.
Then their eyes landed on Meera beside him.
Jealousy flickered instantly.
Mason smirked."Look at this. We have money, status — and you? No background, no power. Even your girl dumped you on."
The room went quiet.
Abhimanyu stepped forward slightly, voice steady.
"Money makes noise," he said calmly. "Character makes silence. And right now… you're barking like a dog and beheaving like a mental patient."
The insult landed.
Their expressions tightened with anger — but the crowd's attention was against them. With irritated looks, they backed off.
Abhimanyu turned to the room with an easy smile."Don't let five clowns ruin the show. Let's enjoy the party."
The tension melted. Laughter returned.
Meera nudged him lightly."You handled that well."
He grinned."Thank you, my lady."
Leonard walked over, mock jealousy in his voice."Hey — step away from my wife."
"Nope," Abhimanyu shot back playfully.
Leonard lunged jokingly, and the two pretended to wrestle. The room erupted in laughter, friends cheering and teasing them.
For a while, everything felt warm and alive.
Hours passed in laughter and music.
Then—
A low rumble trembled through the air.
The music stopped.
The floor shook.
Someone screamed.
Outside, the sky… cracked.
A glowing fracture spread across the heavens like broken glass. The ground lurched violently.
People panicked.
"Earthquake!" someone shouted.
The building shook harder.
Phones buzzed with emergency alerts.
Reports flooded in:
Massive sea disturbances.Water levels rising.Tsunami warnings.
Through the windows, distant waves could already be seen swelling unnaturally high.
Fear spread like wildfire.
Abhimanyu grabbed his friends."Move! Stay together!"
The world outside was changing.
And this was only the beginning.