2800+ words

Jab bhi tum nazar aati ho,
dil bas tumhara ho jaata hai,
aise hi tumhare bina zindagi ka rang kho jaata hai.

Author's pov:

In the dimly lit room where Ashwin and Vikram were tied up, the atmosphere was thick with tension. The silence was heavy, punctuated only by the faint sounds of movement from the men in black who had left them briefly alone. As they struggled against their restraints, their minds were racing, each trying to piece together the fragments of their shattered reality.

Finally, Vikram broke the silence, his voice low and strained. "Ashwin, we need to talk. We need to figure out what really happened on that day—the farewell party and the accident."

Ashwin looked at Vikram, his expression one of frustration and confusion. "I agree. There's something we're missing, something that doesn't add up. We've been manipulated, and it's clear that there's more to this than we originally thought."

Vikram took a deep breath, trying to steady his voice. "Let's start with the farewell party. I remember that day vividly. Tanaya and I were supposed to meet there. I wanted to confront her about what had happened between us. But when I arrived at the party, I couldn't find her."

Ashwin nodded, his mind racing as he recalled his own memories. "I remember being at the party too. I saw you leave with Tanaya, but I didn't know what had happened after that. I went looking for you both, but you were already gone."

Vikram's face tightened with anger. "When I found Tanaya, she was with someone else. It was clear that she was in distress, and when I confronted her, she told me that you had taken advantage of her."

Ashwin's eyes widened in shock. "I never—"

Vikram cut him off. "That's what I thought. But when I saw you and Tanaya together, I couldn't just stand by. I confronted you, and then... well, everything went haywire. I was angry and hurt, and I couldn't think straight."

Ashwin's expression was a mix of hurt and confusion. "I didn't know. I didn't know what was happening. All I remember was trying to find you both. But when I got to the party, I didn't see Tanaya or you but then she popped out from a corner and threw me to a room and started kissing my whole face."

Anshika interrupted in her weak tone "She kissed you?"

Ashwin knew that she felt weird but he nodded and said "Yes, She did."

With that Anshika again went silent and closed her eyes.

Vikram looked pained. "What the fuck? But why? I don't know why Tanaya said what she did. All I know is that it drove a wedge between us, and everything spiraled out of control."

Ashwin leaned back, trying to piece together the fragmented memories. "And the accident... it was supposed to be just a normal day. I was with my family, and then we heard about the accident. I thought it was a random tragedy."

Vikram's face darkened. "It was the same day that Tanaya died. It felt like everything was falling apart at once. I didn't know what to think. But now, with everything that's happened, I can't help but wonder if there was more to it."

Ashwin's mind was racing. "You think the accident was somehow connected to Tanaya's death?"

Vikram nodded slowly. "Yes. I don't believe in coincidences anymore. The timing was too perfect. It's almost as if someone orchestrated it all to make sure that everything fell apart at once."

Ashwin was silent for a moment, his eyes narrowed in thought. "But who would have had the motive to do something like that? Why would anyone want to hurt us so much?"

Vikram's expression was grim. "I don't know. But it's clear that someone wanted to destroy everything we cared about. They wanted to make sure that we were left with nothing but pain and confusion."

Ashwin nodded, trying to process the new information. "It's all starting to make sense now. The pieces are falling into place, but there's still a lot we don't understand. We need to figure out who's behind all this and why."

Vikram's gaze was determined. "Agreed. We need to get out of here and find out the truth. We can't let them get away with this. We need to find out who's been manipulating us and make them pay for what they've done."

As they continued to talk, their minds raced with the possibilities and the questions that remained unanswered. They knew that they were up against something far bigger than they had initially realized, and they needed to uncover the truth before it was too late. Their bond, though strained by the circumstances, was strengthened by their shared resolve to bring justice and find the answers they so desperately sought.

As the room remained tense and the air heavy with silence, a soft, pained sound broke through. Anshika groaned in pain, her head hanging low as blood trickled down the side of her face. Vikram looked over at her, his expression wavering. The strength and anger he had felt moments ago seemed to flicker, replaced by something softer, something close to regret.

"Vikram..." Anshika's voice was hoarse, filled with both physical pain and emotional exhaustion. She raised her head slightly, wincing from the movement. Her eyes locked onto his, and for a moment, the room felt smaller, as if it were just the two of them. "Why did you do all this to me? What did I ever do to you?"

Vikram clenched his fists, his jaw tightening as her words struck him harder than any physical blow could. He looked away, the weight of his actions finally crashing down on him. "Anshika..." His voice was rough, but there was a tremble in it now, an uncertainty that hadn't been there before. "I... I didn't mean for it to go this far. I thought—no, I convinced myself I had to hurt them to get back at Ashwin, to make him feel what I felt. But you... you didn't deserve this."

Anshika's lips trembled, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "You ruined my life, Vikram. You took me away from everything I love... from my family." Her voice broke as she continued. "You made me a pawn in your war against Ashwin. Do you even know how scared I was?"

Vikram's face twisted in anguish. "I was wrong. I see that now. I'm sorry. I thought I was punishing Ashwin, but I—" He stopped, his voice catching. "I destroyed you instead."

Tears fell from Anshika's eyes, and she struggled to find the strength to speak again. "I trusted you once, Vikram. I trusted that you were a good person, but now..." She shook her head, unable to finish. Her body slumped in the chair, her energy spent.

Vikram looked at her, his heart heavy with remorse. The guilt, the regret—it all felt too much to bear. The revenge he had pursued had cost him everything, and he could now see the horror he had wrought. "Anshika, I'm so sorry," he whispered, his voice breaking. "I lost myself in all this... and I hurt you. I wish I could take it all back."

Before more words could be exchanged, Viyaan's voice cut through the tension, filled with emotion as he knelt beside his sister-in-law. "Bhabhi," he said softly, his voice shaking with suppressed guilt and sorrow. "We missed you so much. We looked everywhere for you, every day. Please, forgive us for not being there when you needed us the most."

Anshika turned her head slightly, looking at Viyaan through blurry eyes. The pain was clear in her expression, but so was the love she had for her family. "Viyaan..." she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I missed you all too. I never stopped thinking about you... but I was so scared."

Viyaan gently took her hand, his grip firm yet comforting. "We won't let anything happen to you now, Bhabhi. We'll get out of here together. I promise, we'll never leave you alone again."

Ashwin, who had been silently observing, finally spoke, his voice heavy with emotion. "Anshika... I'm sorry. I should've been there. I should've protected you, but I—" He couldn't finish the sentence. The guilt weighed on him like a thousand stones. He looked at her, his heart aching. "I swear I'll make this right. I'll bring you back home."

Anshika's breathing was shallow, her strength fading with each passing moment. "I just want to go home... I want this nightmare to end."

Vikram watched the scene unfold, his mind torn between the past and the present. His eyes lingered on Ashwin and Anshika, the weight of his guilt crushing him from the inside. He had caused all of this—the suffering, the betrayal, the pain. And now, as he sat there in silence, bound by more than just the ropes around his wrists, he realized he could never undo what had been done.

As the minutes ticked by, the sound of footsteps echoed in the hallway again. The door creaked open, and a shadowy figure stepped inside. Vikram's eyes darted to the doorway, tension rippling through his body. But this time, it wasn't one of the faceless men in black.

It was Uncle Bhatra.

His presence sent a cold chill down Vikram's spine. He had always been a trusted figure, a confidant of his father, a man Vikram had looked up to. But now, seeing him walk into this room, his face unreadable, Vikram realized something terrible.

Uncle Bhatra wasn't just a passive observer. He was part of this.

Vikram's heart dropped, and everything he thought he knew shifted. "Uncle... what are you doing here?" he asked, his voice barely more than a whisper.

Uncle Bhatra's eyes met his, a strange mix of regret and cold calculation in his gaze. He walked further into the room, his hands clasped behind his back, saying nothing at first. The silence stretched uncomfortably until he finally spoke.

"You were always meant to be a pawn, Vikram. Just like your father was before you."

Vikram's breath hitched as the realization settled in. "You... you were behind everything?"

Uncle Bhatra gave a slow nod, his expression devoid of the warmth Vikram had once known. "It was never about you, boy. It was about power, control. Your father's accident, the Singhania feud, Tanaya—it was all necessary to shape you into the man you are today."

Ashwin, Viyaan, and Anshika all looked at Uncle Bhatra in shock. Ashwin spoke up, his voice sharp. "You used Vikram? His family? All of this... for what?"

Uncle Bhatra gave a small, cruel smile. "For legacy. For control of everything your families built together. Vikram's father was too idealistic, too soft. And so were you, Ashwin. But Vikram... he was my tool to burn it all down and rebuild in my image."

Vikram's blood boiled as he struggled against his restraints. "You killed my parents. You destroyed my life!"

Uncle Bhatra leaned down, his face inches from Vikram's. "I gave you purpose."

Ashwin, now fuming, spat out, "You're a monster."

Uncle Bhatra stood straight, turning away with a nonchalant wave. "Call me whatever you like. The game is already in motion. And none of you can stop it."

As he walked out of the room, Vikram's entire world crumbled. Everything he had done, all the hatred and revenge—it had been manipulated by the one man he had trusted most.

Now, as the four of them sat bound and bruised, the only thing left to do was escape. And, somehow, stop the monster they had never seen coming.

Vikram, still shaking from the revelations, lowered his head. His breathing was shallow, his eyes full of regret as he looked at Ashwin. For a long moment, he couldn't speak—couldn't find the words to express the weight that had been crushing him for years. But now, after everything, there was no escaping the truth anymore. The anger, the revenge, the betrayal—it had all been manipulated, twisted by the very person he trusted most.

"Ashwin..." Vikram's voice broke the silence, shaky and raw. "I'm... sorry. I'm so sorry."

Ashwin, still reeling from everything, stared at him. The fury that had burned between them for years was still there, but it was flickering now, dimming as the truth settled in. He looked into Vikram's eyes, and for the first time in years, he saw not his enemy, but the best friend he had once known—the one he had lost.

"I was wrong," Vikram continued, his voice choked with emotion. "I let my anger and grief consume me. I blamed you for everything. I thought you'd betrayed me... taken Tanaya from me, ruined my life. But it wasn't you. It was never you."

Ashwin swallowed hard, his own emotions threatening to spill over. "Vikram... we could've worked through it. I tried to tell you that day... after Tanaya—" He paused, the pain of that memory still fresh. "But you didn't listen. You shut me out. You let that hatred grow between us."

Vikram clenched his fists, his whole body trembling. "I know. I know I did. I was blinded by what I thought I saw. I let Uncle Bhatra feed my hatred, push me further into this darkness. I thought I was avenging my parents, avenging Tanaya, but I was just a pawn in his game. And in the process, I broke everything... our friendship, my family, everything I held dear."

He looked up, his eyes red and wet with tears that he could no longer hold back. "I don't expect you to forgive me, Ashwin. I don't deserve it. But I need you to know... I never wanted this. I never wanted to destroy us."

Ashwin's chest tightened as he listened, the anger he had harbored for so long slowly dissolving into sadness. Their friendship had been unbreakable once, the kind that people dream of, the kind where they were more like brothers than friends. And in that moment, he remembered all the good times—the laughter, the loyalty, the bond they shared. All of it, shattered by lies and manipulation.

"I... I never stopped caring about you, Vikram," Ashwin said softly, his voice thick with emotion. "Even after everything. You were like a brother to me. And losing you... it hurt more than anything else."

Vikram wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, the shame of his actions now fully sinking in. "I ruined everything, Ashwin. I can never take that back. I even spent night with Riya just to make you feel the way I felt that certain day."

There was a long silence between them, both men lost in their own pain, until finally, Ashwin let out a long, heavy sigh. "I don't really care about that now as I am married now. Maybe we can't go back to what we were," he said quietly. "But maybe we can start again. If we get out of this alive, we have to fix what's left. For Anshika, for Viyaan... and for us."

Vikram's breath hitched, a sense of relief washing over him, though it was bittersweet. "I don't deserve that chance, but I'll do anything to make things right. I swear."

Just then, Anshika stirred, her voice weak and pained as she spoke up. "Vikram..." Her tone was soft, filled with both hurt and confusion. "Get settled man! and where is dadu?."

Vikram turned to her, his heart heavy with guilt. "I-... He is safe! As he was once my dadu too."

Anshika's eyes filled with tears as she looked at him, the pain of the past years etched into her face. "I was terrified every day, not knowing if I'd ever see my family again. How could you do that?"

Vikram bowed his head, the shame and regret overwhelming him. "I was lost, Anshika. I didn't know how to deal with my grief, and I let myself become something I never should have been. I can never undo the pain I caused you, but I swear, I'll spend the rest of my life trying to make up for it."

Viyaan looked at Anshika as she was sitting next to her ropes binding her to chair meanwhile her hairs were wet due to sweat and blood all over her face. He firmly said "Bhabhi it was our fault. Because of us you ended up here!"

Anshika looked at Viyaan, her lips trembling as tears rolled down her cheeks. Despite everything she had endured, she still held love for her family. "It wasn't your fault," she whispered. "I know you all did your best. I just... I just want to go home."

As the room fell into a heavy silence again, the four of them—bound by ropes and by the tangled web of betrayal, pain, and love—sat in the stillness, each lost in their own thoughts. There was so much to process, so many wounds to heal, but for the first time in what felt like years, there was a glimmer of hope.

Vikram glanced at Ashwin, his heart heavy but lighter than it had been in years. "We'll get through this," he repeated quietly, more to himself than anyone else.

And in that moment, for the first time in years, he believed it.