(🚨 Long chapter ahead 🚨)

(Warning:- Drugs are mentioned in this chapter)

∆~*~∆

"Yo Ved! You free for a minute?" I asked casually.

"Nope," he said coldly and tried to leave but I stopped him.

"But you look free."

"Bug off."

"I want to talk about something."

"Not interested."

"It is really important."

"I don't care."

"It's about Nikhil...."

"Stay away from him."

"and about Karthik."

"Stay away from him too."

"It is the matter of their lives!"

Ved furrowed his eyebrows and I was glad that I finally got his attention now. I had been trying to talk to him since morning but he was hellbent on ignoring me. He was still pissed off about yesterday and Nikhil was giving me death glares too during lectures.

Well, I thought about it a lot and realised that if I wanted to help Nikhil, I would have to team up with the enemy. Afterall they were best friends. If I told Ved about their hideout I found yesterday, we could bust that place and then, this whole fiasco would come to an end.

I cornered Ved when he was exiting boys' locker room. I pushed him inside-much to my own surprise-and locked the door. There was no way I was letting him go without hearing me out. He was standing a few feet away from me, trying to get out of here. But I was standing guard to the door and had my pepper spray for backup.

He accused me of misusing it and said that I was committing the crime of privacy invasion but whatever. I didn't care. All I wanted was to get him to help me or get some valuable information from him at the most. I had to try everything.

"Ved, you know what I saw yesterday?"

"What did you see?" he asked in frustration.

"I saw the den of the drug lord."

"Wow. What a discovery! I must compliment you."

I was happy he was listening to me finally but why did he sound sarcastic though?

"Yeah, I know. You know who I saw there?" I continued.

"Oh please, tell me. I am dying to hear it."

"Are you making fun of me right now?"

"Absolutely not. Please go ahead."

"Nikhil! I saw Nikhil there."

"Oh no. What could he be doing there?!"

"You are surprised too, right? Well, what else could he be doing? He was buying drugs. And it wasn't just him whom I saw. I saw Karthik too."

"How did you got there?"

"How else? I followed Karthik."

"Oh.... and where was this place you mentioned?"

"It was... um... wait a moment. It was... where the hell was it exactly?"

"You don't know?"

"No, wait. Let me remember it. Radha Nagar...no. Chandani Mahal... um.. I don't think so. Or was it Firoz gulley?"

Ved flicked me on the forehead and I winced. Why would he do that? He crossed his arms across his chest and narrowed his eyes at me.

"How can you say that you saw Nikhil buying drugs if you don't even know the exact place?!" he yelled.

"I know the place but I can't just remember the name," I retorted.

"You are unbelievable. You are making up stories now? Why the hell am I even wasting my time here?"

"Ved, stop. I am not lying. I swear. I need your help. Please."

I couldn't believe I was begging him for help but I had to kick off my ego to the back. It was the only way to get him on the same boat.

"Please, Ved."

"Fuck off!"

He pushed me aside and opened the door. He stopped in his path and looked at me over his shoulder.

"One more thing, Sandhya. Stop stalking. You didn't say but I know you were spying on Mahek too. If I was in your shoes, I would think thousand times before I made my next move."

He warned and stormed out. I stood frozen at my place, shocked at the revelation. How in the hell did he get to know that I was following Mahek?

Who told him? Surbhi? No, she wouldn't have told him. Then, Tanya? She didn't right? But what if she did? It was possible.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts and put the pepper spray back in my pocket. It came to no use. I got too afraid when Ved shouted and my mind-body co-ordination gave up on me. Why did I always get intimidated by him? He was just a boy. I had beaten up boys so why was I so afraid of him?

I was just asking for his help though I didn't want to, but I had no choice. Nikhil and Karthik took his words seriously so I was planning on getting his assistance and was sure that he would believe me if I told him about their secret meeting place.

I didn't realise that he was just acting and playing along to whatever I was telling him. Also, I ended up confessing that I was also keeping an eye on Nikhil and Karthik.

How could you be so stupid, Sandhya? You blew up your own cover! And now he would alert Mahek too.

Fuck! I was so doomed. Couldn't I do anything? There must be a way to solve this mess, right? Argh! Why wasn't anyone on my side?!

Looks like you will have to do it solo, Sandhya.

Yeah, it seems like that to me too.

So what are you waiting for? Get your ass up and get in action. The college is gonna get over in half an hour. Think of a plan already.

You gonna help me, inner voice?

You can bet on me.

Thank you. Don't disappoint me.

Same pinch.

I let out a huge sigh and got up from the bench. I walked out of the boys' locker room and ignored the strange looks my fellow students were giving me. I walked towards the parking lot and saw that Nikhil's bike was gone. I went over my plan in my head and hurried to the bus stop.

~×~

Lakshya bhaiyya smiled at me when he saw me standing outside his house. He welcomed me and I got in. Aunty and uncle were sitting in the living room, going through a photo album. Aunty snapped her head in my direction when Lakshya announced my presence. She gave me a huge smile and motioned for me to come and sit next to her.

I reached her and sat down beside her. Lakshya also sat beside Uncle and laughed at one of the pictures in which he was dressed up as a police officer and was pointing a toy gun at Nikhil who was cosplaying as a thief. Aunty told me that this picture was taken when Nikhil was 7 years old.

Then she picked up another album from the table and we both looked through the old memories. It was of the time when Uncle was serving in the Army. She showed me the pictures of Uncle posing in the snow with fellow soldiers and how difficult it was for her to contact him during those days.

She explained the backstory of every frame and I didn't fail to notice how her face glowed when she talked about her younger days. Since Uncle was posted to extreme locations, she had to stay back and take care of the boys all alone. She was such a strong lady.

Uncle showed me an embarrassing photo of Nikhil and I clicked a pic of it to use it against him someday. We all laughed till our eyes teared up and I was glad that aunty was having a good time.

I knew she missed Nikhil right now but wasn't voicing out her concern. Not only her, but uncle and Lakshya were also continuously looking at the door waiting for him to return any moment.

I knew asking them about why they wouldn't just call him would be of no use. I knew Nikhil used to switch off his phone or even block them temporarily whenever he was outside the house. That jerk!

I was so angry at him. His brother was here after so long and he was only thinking about himself. I will beat his ass once I get my hands on him. I checked the timing and informed Lakshya and his parents that I should leave. They insisted me to go after I had dinner. I would have stayed but dinner time was still five hours away and I had a really important job at hand.

I refused their requests politely and got up to leave. As I got out of the threshold of their home, Lakshya called me. He asked me for my number and I gladly gave it. He thanked me and went back to his parents. I smiled at the three of them and got on my own business.

I could have asked Lakshya bhaiyya for help but they looked so happy and peaceful that I didn't want to ruin it. Uncle and aunty needed someone by their side and since he was here, I didn't have to worry about them.

I walked towards the bus stop and after half an hour, reached my destination. Yeah, I had finally remembered it. I am not that dumb, guys. I am just a little forgetful sometimes. Can't blame me for it.

After manouvering through some streets, I entered a small alley and reached the den. I hid behind a rusted car just a few metres away from the house and waited for my targets to arrive.

Nikhil and Karthik arrived on Nikhil's bike and parked the vehicle outside a small Pan shop. Karthik handed some cash to the shopkeeper and that shopkeeper gave him a cover which he used to cover up the Nikhil's bike. So smart.

Nikhil was already at the door of the house from where he got drugs yesterday. He waited for Karthik to arrive and knocked on the door. The same man appeared on the other side and asked them for password.

Why would they ask it if they already knew the person?

Both guys got in without any trouble and I waited for few more minutes before I got in too. I saw some more people arrive, most of them about my age, and they also entered the den. There were girls too. Damn. I noticed that the man who was allowing them entry was checking some of the kids too.

I got out of my hiding spot when I saw a big group standing outside the door. I got behind them and pulled my hoodie cap to cover more of my face. The guy in the front knocked on the door and the same procedure was followed with him too. I confirmed the password once more and waited for my turn.

The security man stopped me when I tried to enter along with the gang. He told me to show my face and I just revealed it a tiny bit. He looked at me in suspicion but when I told him the password, he relaxed and let me in. Wow. Awful security.

I took a deep breath as the door closed behind me and I heard the click of the lock setting in. I had to adjust my vision to see properly in the dimly lit area. The place was so huge. Everyone would be fooled with its exterior. The inside was like a high-class pub and there was even a pool table in the right corner.

Upbeat music was playing on a very high volume but since the place was sound proofed, the outsiders wouldn't even know what was going on here. Some kids were dancing around and I saw a girl get on the pub counter and dance seductively. She was pretty high since she fell down after her foot slipped but she again got up and began dancing like nothing happened.

I scrunched up my nose as someone went past me, blowing all the smoke on my face. There was so much crowd that it was becoming difficult for me to spot Nikhil and Karthik. Some guys were lying on the floor, completely wasted, empty bottles rolling beside them while their friends made their videos. Then some were smoking hukkah and weed in the left corner.

The whole place was filled with druggies. Who owned this place? The guy must be really smart to open his drug centre in such a remote corner which looked like a small abandoned tin house from the outside. Or it could be a girl too. Who knows?

I tried to blend in with others and got myself a drink though I wasn't going to drink it. Everything here had some sort of drug in it. So I was just roaming around with a glass in my right hand and casually chatting with my fellow beings as I searched for my friends.

Some random girl stopped me and started a rapid fire questionnaire with me. I was able to answer a few of her questions but then I realised that she was going on and on without a break on loop. I excused myself and refused a guy who tried to give me a joint.

I was glad that no one was doubting me but I had to get out of here soon before I got busted. Or got drugged at the worst. Rajeev would kill me if he got to know that I was here. Maybe Surbhi would do that before him.

I went to a secluded spot and sat on one of the chairs. I dumped the drink in someone else's hand and took out my phone. I secretly clicked some pics and put the phone back in my pocket.

Where the hell were they? Restroom?

I moved my head towards the direction where washrooms were located and bingo! There they were. Nikhil and Karthik were talking to some guys and exchanging cigarettes. They had some girls with them too. All were busy flirting with each other and having the time of their lives.

Did none of them realise that they were harming themselves only? What could be their reasons to come here? I could even see some elder persons among the youngsters. Looks like every generation got some issues.

I got up from my seat and began walking towards Nikhil. On my way, someone tried to grab me for a dance but I shoved him off. Poor guy didn't even realise that I was cursing him since he was so drunk. He was just smiling like a loon and then he got someone else to dance with him.

I finally reached Nikhil but he didn't notice me, neither did Karthik. I made sure to ignore Karthik since he was pretty busy in a heavy make out session with a girl. Nikhil was chatting with another girl who was struggling to keep her balance.

I tapped his shoulder but he didn't pay me any attention. Then I tapped again but still no response. Then, I kicked him. He yelped in pain and turned back with a furious expression on his face. But the moment he saw me, his face paled and I flicked him on the forehead.

"What was that for?" he yelled.

"You deserved that," I said nonchalantly.

"What are you doing here?" he shouted in bewilderment.

"What does it look like to you? I am here to take you home. And that friend of yours too." I put my hands in my jeans pocket and waited for his response.

"Are you high?" he asked.

"I should be asking the questions here but we can do it later. Come on, let's go."

I grabbed his left hand and hit Karthik behind his head. I might as well take him along with me since I was here. Karthik turned around to look at me and cursed under his breath.

"What is she doing here?" he asked Nikhil who shrugged his shoulders.

"Did you tell her that we were coming here? Bro, how could you do that? You know how she is like! She must have already called others too. What if our parents found out?" Karthik ran a hand through his hair and glanced around him nervously.

"I didn't tell her! She must have followed us," Nikhil spat and snatched his hand away from my grip.

"We can fight later but now, we need to go," I ordered.

"Sorry mom, but we are not going with you," Karthik said angrily.

"If I was your mom, I would have beaten you up black and blue for even thinking about coming here," I replied with a cold voice.

We stared at each other and Karthik broke the staring contest first. Nikhil asked me if I had informed his parents about it and I shook my head. I asked him why he wasn't picking up his phone and he told me that he had left it at his home so that no one disturbed him.

"You are an idiot. How could you worry your parents sick? You were always talking about your brother and now that he is finally home, you are running away? Why? What are you so afraid of?" I asked Nikhil and he ducked his head down.

Karthik grabbed my arm and started pulling me out forcefully but I punched him in the stomach and when he tried to grab me again, I punched him across the face. The girls shrieked and I told them to run away if they didn't want to get in trouble too.

Karthik fell down on the floor and Nikhil went beside him to pull him up. He started yelling at me and told me that I shouldn't be here. He didn't need my help or anyone's. I bent down and stared at Karthik who was clutching his jaw.

"I have no intention of hurting you Karthik, but you also know that what you are doing is not right. So, you better come with me since Nikhil won't leave without you or I might have to call the police," I warned.

At the mention of police, both guys' faces paled and they got up hurriedly. I felt bad for taking advantage of the situation but there was no other way around it. I was alone and they didn't listen when I asked them politely.

"You are my friend Nikhil. I am here to help you. You won't believe but I even asked Ved to help me but he didn't believe me and told me that I was just falsely framing you both. Come on guys, why can't you see? All of this," I waved my hands around, "is not good."

Both of them looked at me in confusion and started mumbling to each other. I assured them that I didn't inform anyone else and if they came with me right now, they wouldn't have to worry about getting in trouble. I even pinky promised.

After contemplating for few minutes, they agreed. Great. Finally, they came to their senses. I walked behind them to ensure they didn't run away and when we got out of the drug den, I took a breath of relief. Karthik threatened me that if I told anyone about this place, I would be getting in a big trouble, not only for myself but for them too.

Whatever. I told them that I would be keeping a close eye on them so they better behave themselves. I wasn't doing this for myself. What would I get out of it?

I could just ignore them and carry on with my own business. But how can you sleep in peace knowing that one of your friends was struggling and you could have helped them, even a tiny bit but you didn't?

I told Karthik that if he wanted to share his problems, he could do it with me. I wasn't his friend but I could lend an ear to whatever he had to say. As a fellow human being, I could atleast do that. He scratched his chin and thought over it for sometime.

Nikhil got on his bike and called up Karthik. Karthik went and sat on the pillion seat while I waited for them to drive out. I would have to take an auto and they better be going home because if they didn't, then they knew what would happen.

I had promised them I wouldn't blow their cover only on one condition. That, they would have to stop doing drugs and spend more time with their family. I also told them that it was best to talk with their parents and if not them, then a counselor about their personal problems.

And if also not that, then they could count on me. I didn't know if my methods were right or maybe I should have done this in a different way, but I knew that what mattered the most right now, was for them to get to their homes where their families were waiting for them.

I smiled when Nikhil started his bike and turned it around to get out of the alley but his path was blocked by a jeep. Nikhil turned around to look at me and we both shared a shocked expression. It wasn't any normal jeep. It was an Army jeep.

Holy fuck!