Karan's POV:

The familiar scent of home welcomed me as I stepped through the doorway, my dad's jovial voice resonating through the living room. "And how was your day, Kan?"

A broad smile tugged at my lips as I replied, "It was fantastic. Thanks for those tickets!"

"That's amazing! You deserve a break from the usual routine," my dad said, patting me on the head.

I nodded, still enthralled by the memory of the sanctuary's captivating beauty. "It was much needed. Oh, by the way, Jay loved it too," I added, genuinely grateful for Dad's gesture of kindness.

After much insistence and careful concealment of my true intentions, my dad had agreed to procure tickets for me and Jay to the bird sanctuary.

The mission was still shrouded in secrecy; any hint of suspicion could spell trouble, and we didn't want to risk our parents discovering our investigation.

I couldn't shake the feeling that our parents were protective for a reason, but their refusal to divulge the complete truth left us in a perpetual state of uncertainty.

The weight of Jayant's discovery about Maya lingered in my mind. I was relieved that he had finally confided in me, but the enigmatic identity of this person continued to baffle me.

Could Maya have been a predator preying on unsuspecting teenagers, manipulating and exploiting them? What could possibly have transpired between her and Arav?

My thoughts whirled as I attempted to push these troubling questions aside, allowing sleep to claim me at last.

"Gay boy caught on a date, ooooh!" someone bellowed in the corridor as I made my way past the jeering crowd.

I brushed off the name-calling and bullying, but my mind still mired in the day's chaos. I despised them. Why couldn't they just leave us alone?

"Aye pagal, joi ne haal!" Arav's familiar voice cut through the commotion.

I squinted; my perspective on him altered somehow.

How had he fallen so far? I longed for simpler times, when we could fly kites and cut our worries away. But everything had changed.

He took a re-admission, and within a few days, he had forged friendships with the school bullies, joining them in their relentless antics.

'The only reason he played with you is because he had no choice. Now he has much cooler friends than you. Don't be jealous; you can never be as cool as them,' my mind berated me.

I sighed, making my way to class 306.

The morning lecture commenced with Aarti mam's sharp gaze scanning the room. "Did everyone do their homework?"

I shifted uncomfortably, my mind drawing blanks. Homework? What homework? Yesterday was a blur of vibrant birds and laughter with Jay at the Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary. I shook my head, hoping to evade any unwanted attention.

Beside me, Jay exuded a casual air, his nonchalant nod seemingly concealing a world of secrets. Aarti Mam's gaze lingered on him for a moment before moving on. I couldn't help but wonder how he managed to remain composed in situations like these.

"Um, well, I'm sorry, Aarti mam. I couldn't complete it due to, uh, unforeseen circumstances," I stuttered, my voice barely audible over the rising anxiety in my chest.

Aarti Mam's disappointment was palpable as she scolded us for our uninformed absence and incomplete work, emphasizing the importance of responsibility.

Although I had seen Jay vulnerable, it was difficult to reconcile that with his current cool façade.

What else did he really hide behind his masquerade? I wondered.

'Ways to get rid of you,' my mind whispered.

But he seemed so comfortable with me yesterday!

'Bold of you to assume it meant something, anything at all.'

He's my friend; of course it meant a lot.

'What in the world ever convinced you that the world was capable of empathy—sympathy even?'

It hit me like a wave. Jay was probably only keeping me around because he didn't want to embark on this journey alone, using me as a cover if he ever got caught in his escapades.

But why would he do that? We had been close for as long as I could remember.

'Only because you're convenient to keep around,' my mind retorted.

At least he cared enough to pretend.

I thought, trying to quell my frustration.

Spent with inner turmoil, I glanced at Jay, who had now slumped into a doze on his desk. Great, now I was alone.

Throughout the day, the weight of Aarti mam's reprimands and the relentless bullying bore down on me, amplifying the throbbing ache in my temples.

Jay's composed demeanor offered some solace, but the mystery surrounding Arav's online confidante, Maya, continued to gnaw at my consciousness like a persistent itch.

During the lunch break, as Jay and I sat beneath the banyan tree in our school garden, the day's tumult faded into the background.

"You okay, Kan?" Jay inquired with concern.

I forced a small smile. "I'm trying, Jay. But everything seems to be spiraling out of control," I confessed, the familiar tremor of unease trembling through my voice.

"We'll find a way, Kan. We always do," he assured me, his gaze unwavering despite the shadows that dimmed his usual spark.

As we huddled in the school library during a free period, the glow of the computer screens cast an ethereal hue over our determined expressions. Our fervent attempts to unravel the enigma only served to deepen the mystery that veiled Maya's true identity.

"This is getting us nowhere," I muttered, my frustration bubbling beneath the surface. "There's no trace of Maya anywhere, as if she's vanished into thin air."

We scoured social media platforms, delved into obscure forums and chat rooms, and attempted to trace Maya's digital footprint, but each endeavor proved fruitless, thwarted by a labyrinth of digital complexities that obscured our path.

Jay's furrowed brow mirrored my growing apprehension as he navigated the intricate web of clues before us. "I know, Kan. It's as if she never existed."

"But we can't give up now. There has to be a way to connect the dots," I said, my voice tinged with a hesitant determination.

"We'll just have to dig deeper, no matter how convoluted it gets. For Arav's sake," he responded, a flicker of resolve burning bright in his eyes.

❛a truth can kill you,
but so can a lie.
choose your poison wisely
before it consumes you whole. ❜

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word glossary:
Aye paagal, joi ne haal!- hey idiot, watch where you're walking

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A/N:
DUN DUN DUNNNNN

Why are they so eager to search about Arav? And more importantly, who's this Maya that Arav was so caught up with?

Jay and Kan didn't take the disappearance as seriously before, even when their parents holding away information was sketchy because it could've been anything at all! They started it out of fun, trying to see what he could've hid from his friends — especially, its after a fight that he AND hie family disappeared, but, things just got thicker! Our Jay was able to get a minor lead regarding his connection to someone named Maya and they're freaking out! Who could be this Maya whom they're not able to trace out just yet.

Keep reading to find out more ;)

Next chapter will be a flashback sort of, going to a year back when things happened. Slowly the plot will be revealed, and before you know it, there's a curve coming right up 😱 Scary and frightening at the same time, but don't worry, it will balance out in the end... hopefully 👀