Note: Character interactions and actions are going to feel out of place. I urge you to look past the prejudice. (Is that a P&P nod? Have fun with the chapters! ;))

Timeline of Events: 2008

Karan's POV:

"The die is cast."

Jay's voice cut through the low murmur of the café like a quiet thunder. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, his eyes darting between Arav and me, waiting for a reaction. But none of us spoke, at least not right away.

I glanced out the window, watching the world obliviously move past us. The evening light was beginning to fade, casting a soft orange glow on the street outside.

Arav sat across from me, silent, his fingers tracing the rim of his coffee cup absentmindedly. His usual wit was gone, replaced by a kind of stillness I hadn't seen in him for a long time.

Radhika café had the kind of warmth that wrapped around you the moment you stepped inside—soft amber lights casting a glow on the dark wooden tables, their polished surfaces reflecting the golden hues. The walls were a comforting shade of cream, adorned with framed photographs of streetscapes and old coffee advertisements, lending the place an air of nostalgia. It smelled of roasted coffee beans and fresh bread, the comforting scents intertwining like an old, familiar melody.

Despite the calm, an undercurrent of restlessness that lingered at the edges almost like the space between two breaths. It wasn't something you could name, but it was there, a subtle dissonance beneath the cozy façade of the café.

"You can still choose to back out if you'd like, Arav," I said, gently placing my palms on top of his. He flinched at the gesture but didn't pull away. "It's going to change your life forever, hopefully for the good."

"It's too late to do that, Kan." His voice was barely above a murmur now, his gaze distant and his eyes a hue of red. Did he get any sleep at all?

His hair was a disheveled mess, as if he was still replaying that night in his head.

I could never realize the extent of his scars, but as a friend, probably I could lend him a resting place.

Jay's attempt at easing the tension in the air failed, but his presence provided a sense of comfort and ease that otherwise might have been missed.

Above us, the ceiling fans whirred lazily, casting fleeting shadows over our faces. The scent of freshly brewed coffee and baked pastries filled the room, mingling with the bitter undercurrent of anticipation.

Suresh Sir entered the cafe with a neutral expression, unaware of the tension lingering in the air.

I still wonder how he's connected to Maya, but I suppose we're all about to find out anyway.

"Good evening, sir." Jay broke the silence, and we mumbled our greetings along.

"I guess formalities exist outside of school too, huh?"

"I think they do, sir." I tried to laugh, but it came out more like a sigh instead.

"Well, is anyone going to update me on the details or not?" Suresh sir cut straight to the topic, but before anyone could respond, Maya walked in.

If Arav wasn't already afraid, his expression now screamed terror. He stiffened so suddenly, I half-expected his coffee cup to shatter in his grip. His knuckles were white, his eyes avoiding her entirely, like the sight of her might unravel him right here in this café. And in that moment, I wondered if this was really the right way to do this.

Jay rubbed soothing circles on his shoulders, and I quietly contemplated how this was all going to fold out.

Suresh sir quietly observed us, unsure if he should say something.

"Hey people, I hope you all are good!" Maya greeted us warmly, yet none of us quite returned the greeting.

Arav's gaze was still distant, refusing to meet anyone in the eye.

"Right," Maya began the discussion. "I suppose we are here to discuss QD and my connection to it."

"Yes, but what we actually wanted to discuss concerns you and our friend, Arav." Jay answered her, trying to keep his voice calm and neutral, though I could sense the raging storm in his mind.

"I think I did mention about me not knowing him. Sorry, but which of you is Arav?" She inquired.

"I am Jayant Joshi." He introduced himself, "You met my friend earlier, Karan." He now pointed at me. Across the table, he pointed to Arav, introducing him.

"I still believe you are asking the wrong person here. I have never seen him. In fact, I am seeing him for the first time today."

"What do you say about this, then?" From his bag, Jay pulled out white sheets with colored texts and highlights, which I immediately recognized were the chats we had printed out for reference in case this day were to come.

Intrigued, both Maya and Suresh sir picked a few pages, assembling them in order before reading them.

A clandestine of conversation lay bare before their eyes, and Arav was now looking at the floor, perhaps in an attempt to hide himself.

"And this," I pulled out a jar of chits this time, adding to the list of evidence.

My fingers hesitated over the jar for a moment. It felt too real, too raw-like we were about to expose something that should've stayed buried. But there was no turning back now. I placed it on the table, the sound of glass on wood breaking the stillness. Each chit felt like another thread unraveling in this web we were caught in.

I felt that it wasn't linked but I had to present it regardless.

"Was this really you, Maya?" Suresh sir asked; his voice was hitched in his throat, as if unable to believe the truth that was laid in front of him. "I don't think so, no. Who messed with your account?"

Denial. It happens when you're faced with a truth so large you cannot immediately process it.

She didn't answer him but instead directed her question to us, "Wait, where did you find that jar of chits?"

"Tree bench under the banyan tree at school." I answered her as my hands mechanically moved and opened the chits one by one, revealing different names-names of strangers known and unknown-laid in the open. We were detectives, solving a mystery-except this one was unraveling faster than we could keep up.

Maya meant deception. What if there's a bigger game of deception at play here?

Were we all being played by something bigger? Or was Maya just as trapped in this as we were, unaware of how deep it all went?

Suresh sir pressed her for an answer after reading some more chats, his hands trembling as he turned the pages. "Please tell me this isn't you. Or that they're setting you up. I can't believe what I'm reading-what I'm seeing. Is this real? My beloved, please, just answer me."

The word beloved hung in the air like a bitter aftertaste, and Maya's eyes widened in surprise, her breath catching as if the world itself had just tilted off its axis. Was it the word that startled her, or the weight of the possibility behind it?

"Beloved? Me?" She whispered, her voice shaky. It was a mix of shock, disbelief, and something else-something far from happiness. Her face twisted in confusion, like she was wrestling with memories she couldn't quite grasp.

Were they lovers once, long ago? Or had he always called her that, a term of endearment from a past neither of them could forget?

"Eromene, please answer my question." His voice was firm, yet behind his eyes I could see the storm of emotions raging against each other.

Maya's face was unreadable, but I could feel the tension between them. Something unspoken-years of history-was surfacing, and none of us were ready for what it meant.

"This... is me," Maya's voice, barely above a whisper, hung in the air like a dark cloud.

For a moment, silence. The room felt smaller, the walls seeming to close in around us. The slow, rhythmic spin of the ceiling fan mirrored the suffocating anticipation between us, the shadows flickering like the unspoken accusations swirling in the air.

Suresh Sir stood abruptly, his body rigid with disbelief, ready to walk away. But Maya's next words stopped him dead in his tracks.

"But it also isn't."

The room seemed to freeze. Arav's head snapped up, his gaze locking onto her like a lifeline in a storm. His body shook, not with rage but with something deeper-fear, uncertainty, desperation. The effort it took to hold her gaze was palpable, as if meeting her eyes would give him the answers he couldn't grasp.

I placed my hand on Arav's, feeling his pulse hammer beneath my fingertips. I wished I could still his heart, still his pain, but what could mere touch do against the storm raging inside him? He didn't flinch, but his expression remained strained, the tension around his eyes betraying the battle he was fighting to stay grounded. Jay watched him closely, his eyes scanning for signs of distress, prepared for whatever might happen next.

The weight of her confession settled on us like a lead blanket, heavy and suffocating. How could she admit something so life-altering with such detached ease, as if it were just another mundane detail? Outside, the world kept turning, oblivious to the seismic shift that had just taken place within the café walls.

Suresh Sir slowly lowered himself back into his seat, the shock etched deeply into his features. His voice, when he finally spoke, was a broken whisper, trembling with disbelief.

Tujhse naaraz nahiin zindagi,
Hairaan hoon main,
O hairaan huun main

Tere masum sawaalon se
Pareshaan hoon main.
O pareshaan hoon main

A classic song that I didn't recognize immediately played in the background. However, the themes and lines seemed to match the gravity of our situation. A black hole could've formed in the room and swallowed us whole, and perhaps even that might not have been as painful as hearing this confession.

What did she mean it's her while it's not being her? What was this double-edged sword?

It made me wonder the extent of the evil that had etched itself in our lives, pulling at us and draining us whole. Yet, we stood.

Make us bleed, we've only been drained.

"I need answers," Arav said at last, his voice shaking as much as his hands. "Please... explain."

Maya sighed and began, "I do admit that the account is mine." She looked around the room, gauging our expressions. "But the person who must've talked to you isn't me."

"This isn't just about talks, Maya." Jay stated, his voice holding a steely resolve to get to the end of this. "There's more."

I took it as a sign to explain the chickens that had been laid on the table for a while now. No one took them up yet, as if afraid by its contents. I was afraid of doing this too. The chits seemed to be mocking me, and I was almost sure the paper would burn my hands at any moment.

"Ramesh Prasad Sampat. Does that name ring a bell?" I questioned as I picked up the chit and showed it to her.

I could see the wheels of her mind working at the question, but for some reason, she refused to answer. Did she recognize him, or was she covering up a larger aspect of the story?

Suresh sir's eyes lit up in recognition. "Wait, wasn't he a student at our school? How is he connected to all this?"

"Sir, it's because he disappeared a year before Arav, but he was back like nothing happened. Of course no one questioned it, perhaps because he wasn't gone too long or perhaps we weren't as close, but the name on the chit made us question if there truly was more to the story than met the eye." Jay explained calmly.

I admired his cold calmness in this storm of chaos building around us. I could sense his rage brewing inside, but the way he managed to hide it and be civil appalled me.

"There's others too, but these were the two cases that stood out." I added, tapping my fingers anxiously on the table.

No answer from her yet. It was surprising for me at this point. She didn't acknowledge being behind them, and she didn't defend herself. What catastrophic underbelly lurked beneath these conversations that we were all terrified to discover?

The waiter came and asked us if we wanted anything else, but since none of us ordered, he took Arav's cup and went away. There was no time limit on how long we could be here as long as the cafe wasn't crowded. Not many people walked in, so the manager allowed us to be there.

Arav spoke this time, and he briefly hinted at the night of the encounter and the consequence of it. He described the way his parents reacted, and it shook the lights out of me.

How can a parent see a wound on their child's skin and then blame them for the injury? It was their choice to withdraw from society, which was perhaps a smart idea to prevent stress, but the method they used to reach this decision was probably not. My father mentioned that they were terrified of the world's opinions. But what difference would that make when your own child was breaking apart, trying to confirm to that worldview?

After he finished, the shock on Suresh sir and Maya's faces was indescribable. We had heard the tale and yet, and I felt as if, each time I heard it, I could feel my gut twisting with horror.

Tears were streaming down Arav's face at this point, and if he was shaking before, he was now trembling. Violently.

I rubbed the heels of my palms on his back, and Jay put his arms over his shoulders too. The tragedy was too much to bear for anyone. Especially him.

"Sache?!" Suresh sir's question cut through the air, and when Arav nodded, he continued, "Bhagvaan na sam?"

"Bhagvaan na sam, sir," Arav managed as more tears flowed. He quickly wiped them with the sleeve of his blue shirt and continued with a more bated breath, "I wouldn't accuse anyone of this. The world would never believe me. Somehow, my friends did, and I am thankful for them, but... the rest? I don't believe anyone cares about what happened, but it's not that I want anyone to care. I could do away with an apology, but... it's the fact that there's people like me who could suffer in silence and yet be blamed that we were the culprits instead of being victims. Our reputation has been tainted by our kind doing vile things, and while that could never be excused, what about those of us who suffered at the hands of another without a reason?"

No one answered. The air in the room was so thick, the tension could be cut with a knife. Our expressions were grim, waiting for someone to break the silence.

"Crime isn't gender specific, Arav." Suresh sir spoke at last, his voice shaky, "And morality isn't victim-specific, either."

When Arav didn't respond, he continued, "I find it truly difficult to believe that out of all people, she could do something like that, and if I hadn't made it clear yet, she was my college friend, and we were quite close, though, not in the romantic sense. Somehow, the intensity of the moment brought the words out of me. I am sorry for that."

He turned to Maya, and her expression softened. "I had a friend during that time, Nikhil. He went through something terrible too, and while he never talked much about it, I knew a few who teased him and even called him 'lucky' for having the chance to get laid. This isn't about getting a 'chance'; this is about respect and consent. I believe your words, Arav, even when I am so shaken by them, yet at the same time, I believe Maya. She's been an anchor through some of my toughest times, so I am very confident that she could never do something like that. I do not know where to draw the line of justice here; forgive me."

Maya sat there in stunned silence. She attempted to speak, but somehow the words failed her.

"I understand the gravity of the situation here..." She said, "But I hope you allow me a chance to explain myself, too."

Suresh sir nodded, and the rest of us straightened our backs to listen keenly to her story. It was the only fair thing to do, after all. There's always two sides to a coin.

"I still stand by the statement that I have never met you, Arav." She directed her gaze to him; he hesitated but looked at her in a daze. "And I am truly sorry for what you went through. But my apology would do nothing. I would never hurt anyone, especially not in this way. Suresh sir has already mentioned that. However, I do believe it would be my responsibility, now that the truth has been laid bare, to get to the bottom of this truth."

I collected my thoughts and presented my view: "It's pretty much clear now, isn't it? The texts and the company, even your account, all lead to the evidence that it is you. I am sorry, but I don't understand how there's a difference. It's not even about being a prime suspect in a case; it's about being the one behind it all."

Her expression tensed, but before she could say anything, Jay mediated the situation: "Alright, alright, let's take it this way. Let's say we agree you're innocent, but you'll still need to explain your side of the story. Evidence can only lead so far, and the context matters more. So, please explain to us where you were on the said night."

She recounted the events of the night when she met up with some of her ex-colleagues from QD. They mentioned that QD had now undergone one way too many changes and was beyond saving, so they were letting go of any employees that didn't agree to the new terms.

"I never got to see the new terms, but from what I heard, it was quite stricter." She said and continued, "We were chilling, and someone mentioned drinks. I don't remember which one of us suggested we have a drink, but we all agreed. Reluctantly, I had a shot too. I was feeling so queasy after that, I excused myself, and I don't know where I ended up. But I do remember my back being against a wall of an abandoned building."

We listened to her patiently as she continued. "I do remember going home in my car when I felt slightly sober, though. I don't remember how long I was there, but I certainly didn't interact with anyone, and I certainly didn't harm anyone."

A number of theories ran through my head, and when I looked around, I was sure that everyone was still processing the details of this story in their way.

Suresh sir broke the silence. "I never thought you'd drink, but that's fine. Since you were drunk, is it possible that you didn't know what you did?"

"What?!" Maya turned to him, feeling surprised at the question. "That might have been the first time I drank, Suresh, but that certainly didn't mean I would forget what I did while being drunk"

"I agree." He rubbed the back of his head, "I have no idea what being drunk must feel like. You met me first time at Grub Hub, but none of us were interested in the drinks, and you bribed me with your samosas." A smile formed on his lips despite himself. "Well, there's a lot to unravel here, but I certainly don't know which side to lean on. Regardless of if it was you or not, Arav has been hurt, and none of us could erase his scars, but... there needs to be a solution out of this now, whether any of us like it or not."

An awkward silence draped the room and Arav asked to be excused from the conversation, so he, me, and Jay decided to step outside, leaving them both at the table.

We put one of our arms around his shoulders and walked out of the cafe, deciding to take a stroll.

"You did great, Arav!" Jay said to him, "You seriously did great. I am proud of you."

Feeling a smile bubbling through me, I added, "Your courage will not be forgotten. Perhaps none of us would be Amir tonight. Hassan deserved his justice."

"Kite Runner?" Jay asked me enthusiastically, "I have been waiting to get my hands on that book! When did you read it?"

"Mr. Vikram, our grammar teacher," I shrugged casually. "He has given me many books to read so far from his collection, and it's a new release in town, so..."

A small smile played on Arav's lips, relieved at the lighthearted conversation. "You've always been a nerd, Kan, but I didn't know you were that deep into it."

For some reason, I felt a surge of happiness course through me at his quip, so I did what earned me the title of an idiot-I hugged him, squishing him hard under my grasp. Jay chuckled and joined in too, and for a moment, nothing else mattered-just us.

Sawan Ka Mahina, Pawan Kare Sor
Jiyara Re Jhume Aise, Jaise Banama Naache Mor.

The lines of a song greeted us when we returned back to the café. I couldn't recognize it immediately, but after a few beats, I realized it was the song that often played on the radio at home-Sawan ka Mahina.

Before we could get to our seats, the scene in front of us stopped us in our tracks. Suresh sir was lost in his world, enjoying the rhythm of the song. The silver strands of his hair reflected the lights in different directions. Maya was missing from the table, and I assumed she was on a break as well.

"Man! I have never seen Suresh sir being so cheerful! Did we really know him that well?" Jay prompted the question with a large smile.

Arav beamed, and his expressions were definitely more relaxed than before.

I chuckled. "Looks like he still has a heart beneath all those robotic moves."

"Oh, sure he does!" Jay responded, "Want to go and tease him?"

"Sure, we'll end up in detention the next day!" Arav mused.

I shot back with a lopsided grin. "I think it's going to be worth it, though."

Jay was too far ahead of us and was already close to Suresh's back.

Out of instinct, I held Arav's hands, waiting with a bated breath about the scene that was about to unfold.

Jay let out a cough, but he must've already felt his presence because Suresh sir pulled him to the front by his ears, which led him to let out low grunts.

"Ouch!" He said as Suresh sir let go of his ears, a playful smile still playing on his lips.

"I might be old and my hair might be graying, but I sure won't let a prank slip through my fingers. I teach you all physical training, remember?"

Jay stifled a laugh; we joined behind him, this time standing near the table. I was almost sure he was going to lecture us today and cancel two of our classes tomorrow. I hoped that was not the case.

He surprised us by gesturing to the seats, and we quietly sat in anticipation.

"She's on a break, but in the mean time, I want to talk. Does anyone have an issue with that?"

We shook our heads. He looked to his right, where Arav was seated, and put a hand on his shoulders.

"First of all, I would like to say thank you for confiding in me and us all your story. I am sorry for what you went through, and I know an apology would never cut it, but I would still like to try." His voice was warm and soothing, and it felt so unlike him that I truly wondered if we had known him at all.

In that moment, I remembered my own father, whose soothing voice comforted me through the dark times, or the voice of Jay when the critic in my head was too loud and he was my only anchor, and the brief memories of my mom before it all changed.

The realization settled on us like a soft blanket, cocooning us in its embrace that he was our anchor, guiding us through this sea of life that was filled with pain and uncertainty.

Arav gave him a small smile and nodded. "Thank you for trusting me, sir, and my friends too, even when I wasn't at my best."

He took a sip of water as he said that, and instinctively, everyone picked up the glass of water in front of them. It was really random, but somehow, I felt as if it was a sign that we were together in this. That, no one was going to be left behind.

"I haven't been the most helpful person as I should've been to them, but I'll take it. As I mentioned earlier, I had a friend who went through some similar circumstances. It wasn't even like he was chatting with someone online or he trusted someone he shouldn't have. It was his own home, nine. And it shatters my heart to even think of it." His expression turned grim, and I could see he was thinking back to that moment, to that inaction, complacency.

"I don't want to be that same person anymore. If I have the chance to be just to even one person about this matter, I am willing to take the shot."

When Maya returned, the air seemed to grow heavier, pressing down on us like the thick humidity outside, though the ceiling fans still spun lazily overhead. The faint chatter of other people carried on, oblivious to the undercurrent of tension that had crept into our corner of the café.

It was as though two worlds existed within the same space-ours, where every breath felt fragile, weighed down by secrets; and theirs, where time moved in cheerful ignorance, unhindered by the darkness swirling at our table. The café bustled with the usual crowd, baristas tapping out orders on the espresso machine, cups clinking as servers moved between tables, the hum of conversations blending into a steady background noise.

She slid into her seat with a quiet composure that seemed out of place, as if she had walked out of the storm while the rest of us were still caught in its eye. The corners of her mouth tugged into something that resembled a smile-almost, but not quite. Her gaze swept the room, lingering briefly on the couple by the window, deep in conversation. They were laughing and leaning toward each other as though the rest of the world didn't exist.

A child at a nearby table giggled loudly, waving his arms as his mother tried to wrangle him into his seat. The sound cut through the tension like a jarring note in an otherwise somber song.

Around us, people carried on with their lives, sipping coffee, scrolling through their phones, and discussing weekend plans as though the world wasn't tilting on its axis in our midst.

The contrast was almost painful—how could everything feel so normal when nothing was?

The light from the window cast shadows across her face, accentuating the tired lines around her eyes and the heaviness she had brought back with her. Even as she sat still, there was something coiled beneath her composure—something fragile and ready to break.

"I'm back," she said softly, her voice barely louder than the hum of the air conditioning.

Suresh sir stretched his hands forward and cracked his knuckles; the small sound felt like a thunderclap in the stillness that had settled over our group.

"Let's settle this once and for all," he began as he addressed us. "There needs to be a definitive course of action out of this, and while I am still conflicted about a few things, let's take it from the top. What is the evidence we currently have?"

I shifted in my seat with arms folded tightly across my chest. The corner of Jay's lips twitched, but he didn't say anything.

When prompted to go ahead, Jay began, "Well, we have the story from Arav, the texts, Maya was in the same city, and the 'named' location, if you will, is the same. She said that she walked by an abandoned building, and Arav mentioned things happening near an abandoned building. What doesn't add up is, if she claims she wasn't the one who texted or interacted with Arav, who did and why?"

"I never used my account as much," she began. "My friend Riddhi did, sometimes. However, it was always in front of me. So, I don't see how she might be the one behind this. Regardless, I stand by my statement that I did not either, but there's more to this that we yet haven't figured out."

Arav spoke, feeling unsure of himself, "If the texts were far and wide, probably the theory that it was your friend could likely work, but... it was frequent. Though not in the beginning, it still was, as time went by."

"That would make sense," Jay said, "but that still doesn't justify anything here."

Suresh sir leaned forward on his chair and pitched in. "If it were up to me, there would practically be only one way to solve this, and I don't think any of us is going to like it—a trial."

The die was cast and there was no turning back.

You don't love someone because they're perfect, you
love them in spite of the fact that they're not.
― Jodi Picoult

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Word Glossary:

Bhagwaan na sam— god promise
Sache— really?

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Songs in the chapter:

🎵 Tujhse Naraaz Nahi Hai Zindagi from Sanam
🎵 Sawan Ka Mahina from Milan

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a/n: chapters 44 and 45 are interlinked as it was a single chapter divided by two. i'll dive into the detailed author's note at the end of it but for now, i wanted to give a shoutout to lostlovefairy for the wonderful cover for Second Chances. It really suits so well 🫶

i chose the left one since it felt more suiting. might try adding the tagline of "life is all about second chances..." later on but for now, this is perfect and i couldn't have asked for a better cover. thank you so much, precious this means a lot <3

Cheers,
Sara