Timeline of Events: 2008

Karan's POV:

The die was cast and there was no turning back.

The weight of his words hung in the air, as if time had stopped for us. We had thought about it before, but when he stated it out, it became stifling. A pin might have been dropped from a mere 2 inches above the ground, and it may have been the loudest noise in the room now.

We all knew what it meant, but no one wanted to acknowledge it. A trial. An official examination of everything that had brought us to this point. And though it was a suggestion, it felt more like an ultimatum. A fate we couldn't escape.

My heart thudded in my chest. I glanced around the table, reading the tension in everyone's faces. Jay's expression remained tight, focused, already calculating the next steps in his mind. Arav's hands trembled slightly, though he quickly hid them under the table. Maya's face was a mask of careful composure, but her eyes flickered with something unspoken, something she wasn't ready to let us see.

Suresh sir leaned back in his chair, the exhaustion heavy in his posture. His voice, when he finally spoke, was laced with regret. "And it needs to be an official one."

"I thought we were trying to avoid this," Arav muttered, his voice barely audible. He rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes downcast. "An official trial... it's going to make things worse for all of us."

There was something in his voice-fear, maybe, or the lingering sting of his father's disbelief. Arav had never fully healed from that wound, and I could tell the thought of an official trial scared him more than he was willing to admit. It's almost like he's afraid that if he steps into the light, he'll be burned again. But not this time; we had his back, didn't we?

Jay shook his head, his voice firm. "No, it's going to make things clear. Look, Arav, I know it's hard, but the longer we sit here debating what happened, the more confusing it gets. If Maya didn't, then we need to find out who did. And we can't keep dancing around the truth."

But beneath the tough exterior, he was vulnerable and breaking just like the others. He had been the keen one about the trial, but unraveling the secrets felt like stepping into a forbidden cave, and the consequences were far greater than we could pay.

Maya's eyes darted to Jay, her lips tightening. "I told you already; I didn't send those messages!" Her voice wavered, not with defensiveness but with something that sounded almost like frustration. "I don't know who did it or why this is happening. I've said everything I can."

She got up from her seat, almost in an attempt to leave, but was stopped by Suresh sir.

I could see the weight he carried for Maya-a mixture of care, hurt, and something deeper that he would never voice out in front of us. His hands gripped her hand and his knuckles turned white. It almost felt like a desperation, a prayer he sent to the heavens above, pleading for the one person he cared for beyond bounds, to not leave him alone in this battle.

"Maya," he said quietly, "I want to believe you. More than anything, I do. But we can't ignore the facts. This isn't about pointing fingers-this is about justice. For Arav, for everyone involved." He paused, his eyes tearing at this point. "Sometimes we have to do things we don't want to. Because it's the right thing."

Maya met his gaze, and for the briefest moment, her composure cracked. There was a flicker of vulnerability in her eyes-regret, maybe, or a sadness she couldn't say out loud. But she said nothing of it.

A steady streak of tears now ran down Suresh sir's face, and I could feel his heartbreak. He was put in a place he never wanted to be, and it showed that he truly cared for her. Was life always cruel like this?

It's a tragedy, not just of love or betrayal or injustice, but of human frailty, of the cruelty of life, of the choices we make and the consequences we have to face as a result.

Life is all about second chances they say, but how long can you break before you're finally shattered?

She struggled with her own emotions, but a tear slid down her cheeks despite herself. She quickly wiped it away. Perhaps, she felt a guilt far greater than any of us could imagine—the guilt, perhaps that she was not worth being saved or a severance of the soul that she was put in a place where she never wanted to be.

I couldn't fathom being in her position. What did it feel like to be in a place where you're accused of something you never did but can't prove your innocence? And what held her back? She wasn't a person who showed much emotion, and given my assumption of her age, she probably saw a lot to life, but nothing could top this off. I had no hate towards her; perhaps none of us did, but it was perhaps the lack of truth that stirred such a deep turmoil in all of us.

The scene was so evocative, it sent shivers down my spine. There is, I believe, in every disposition a tendency to some particular evil, a natural defect, which not even the best education can overcome. But the evil here was far beyond us, wasn't it? A group of innocent people were forced to face a world that was nothing but cruel to them, to suffer a heartbreak far beyond their own and a tragedy that would never heal. A question lingered in the air, however:

Was it really the right choice?

Looking at Arav's troubled expressions, I knew we had taken the right step. I spoke hesitantly, trying to measure my tone. "The longer we avoid it, the more we're going to hurt ourselves. And Arav deserves this. The truth, justice, and healing. It's going to be a step towards healing and reconciliation, not just for him but even for Maya. I believe there's no reason for hatred among us, even when the consequences are so much larger than our lives."

Suresh sir was deep in thought and although, they both looked like they were processing things in a different way, he spoke first. "I still think I need something more solid than just the evidences provided here to really be able to decide the course of actions. Look, regardless of if she's proven innocent or guilty, I want all of us here to always, always respect her. She's a human first and I'd not tolerate any sort of hate towards her."

We nodded, agreeing with him. There was only one way out of it and that was compassion, despite the hurt.

It was probably his words or the way he framed his statement that I thought of one aspect that we had not yet uncovered clearly.

"I think we're missing something very crucial and important here," I said, my voice a shaky stutter. They looked at me in anticipation, wondering what we had missed all along. "We have a physical copy of the chats but what if we tried to cross-reference with her account if it still exists. That could tell us something, right?"

A collective gasp of surprise was heard from everyone at the table. How had none of us considered this before? Maybe, if by some odd chance, it could be proved that it truly wasn't her, then maybe we wouldn't even need the trial in the first place.

"Genius!" Maya exclaimed and pulled out her phone. I recognized the phone model to be Nokia N8 and although the internet was just catching pace among people, it was one of the more futuristic models.

But when she enthusiastically entered her ID and hit enter, the expression on her face darkened. Something must be off about it. Did it not work or did she forget her password?

"This is really odd..." She trailed off, still unsure about her response. Holding her phone up to show us her screen, she continued, "I am sure I had this account. Why does it now say that there's no account under this email?"

She meticulously closed and opened a number of apps, the screen flashing and fading with different colors. "I checked even my notes app which had the login information and somehow... even when all the details are correct, I keep getting the message that there's no such account."

Jay's gaze piqued up curiously. "That's definitely odd. There must be some case of hacking going on in the background. Is there something that happened in the past that seemed out of place?"

"There was a period of time I had to shift places because of a suspicious activity. It ended as quickly as it started and I didn't give it much thought. Do you think that might be linked to what happened with this?"

"Maybe," He responded, "When did you last use your account?"

She contemplated on it for a moment. "It feels like it was long ago. I do not use social media as much and I never found it very interesting."

Jay tapped his fingers on the table, still deep in thought. "And we'd need more investigation regarding the matter to be truly able to say what happened, either, but we can only go so far with our limited resources..."

"So, you're implying that a trial might be unavoidable, after all?" Arav asked as he fiddled with his fingers, linking and unlinking them without much attention, his nervousness palpable.

"It looks like it," Suresh sir pitched in with a hoarse voice, "I am truly sorry for what's going to come ahead. But, if we tried to take matters into our own hands, it might be long before we reach a conclusion. It's been two years since the incident and I don't believe delaying it any more than it already has would be a good idea."

"It's almost inevitable then," I said cautiously, lowering my gaze and gauging everyone's expressions.

Maya let out a long breath, her shoulders slumping ever so slightly. She stared down at her hands, the tension in her fingers betraying the calm she tried to project. "Fine," she said softly, "If that's what it takes... I'll do it."

There was no relief in her voice, only resignation. And I knew, in that moment, that whatever truths we were about to uncover, none of us would walk away from this unscathed.

Suresh sir stood up, pushing back his chair slowly. He took a deep breath and looked at all of us, his eyes lingering a little too long on Maya, though she didn't look up at him. "I'll make the arrangements," he said, his voice now steady. "And don't forget, we're in this together."

Maya stood up to leave and I caught a glimpse of the sadness in her eyes, the guilt she carried for feeling trapped in an unimaginable place. She was trying to choose justice, yes, but it wasn't without its cost. Suresh sir walked with her out of the cafe and as the door swung shut behind them, the room felt emptier than before.

"I am proud of you for noticing the quiet details, Kan," Jay said as he plopped his chin on the palms of his hands, supporting his elbows on the table. His eyes expressed the exhaustion and pain he had been tried to hide. Oh, the agony. How it trapped us all?

I decide to say something back, "And I am proud of us for getting through this. I am proud of you too, Jay. Don't think we don't notice your efforts. You've been singlehandedly the only support through both of our rough times. Yet, somehow... you never seem to ask anything in return."

His lips twitched to form a lopsided grin. "Too good to be true? You just haven't known me yet."

Suresh sir returned at that moment, wiping his tears with his palm, his eyes were a deep hue of red. I had never seen him cry, he was such a tough man and I certainly could never understand the grief and agony that crossed his heart as he made these tough decisions. I wish I could comfort him in some way and tell him it was going to be alright.

"Alright folks," He stated as he walked towards our table but didn't sit. "Don't worry about paying the bill for your food, I have already done that and I think it's time to part. We've been here for around two hours now and I am glad we could discuss things openly." He turned his gaze to Arav before continuing, "Arav, please tell your parents to meet me tomorrow. I think they might believe me since you mentioned you tried but they didn't understand. Sorry once again, I truly regret pushing us all down this path but I think we can all agree it is necessary."

With waiting for a response, he stormed out of the cafe.

The café had thinned out, the evening light casting long shadows across the tables. The usual buzz of chatter had dulled, and only a few people remained, engrossed in their own worlds. We sat in silence, the weight of the decision pressing down on us, thick like the humid air outside.

Jay was the first to break the silence, his voice steady, but quieter than usual. "That seals our fates, doesn't it?"

Arav didn't meet his eyes. He was staring down at his hands, his fingers tracing the patterns on the table absentmindedly. "I guess it does," he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. The words sounded hollow, as if he was still struggling to accept them.

"We've tried everything else. If we don't go through with this, it'll keep eating away at us." I stated with a cautious voice.

Arav's voice cracked as he finally looked up. His eyes were wide, brimming with the fear he'd been holding back all evening. "What if the truth doesn't even matter?"

"It's not going to be easy," I explained, "But it's the only way to put this behind us. We can't keep living like this, stuck in this... this fog."

His shoulders slumped, the exhaustion evident in the way he carried himself. He looked like he hadn't slept in days. "I don't know if I'm ready," he admitted quietly. "I keep thinking... maybe I should just let it go. Maybe it's not worth it."

Jay leaned forward, his expression hardening. "None of us can back out now. This tragedy is bigger than any person's guilt or innocence. It's about the larger human struggle for truth, for understanding."

Arav glanced at me, his eyes searching mine for something—reassurance, maybe, or just the strength to keep going. "You really think this will end it? That we'll get... closure?"

I hesitated. I wanted to tell him yes, that everything would be fine once the trial was over. But I wasn't sure anymore. Closure was a complicated thing. "I don't know," I admitted. "But at least we'll have done everything we could. At least we'll know the truth."

As we decided to finally leave the café, I could feel the tension between us, the unspoken fears, the doubts none of us wanted to voice. But beneath all of that, there was something else too—a shared understanding that this was bigger than any of us individually.

Arav didn't say anything throughout the way, but I could see the tension ease out of his shoulders, just a little. He nodded, swallowing hard. "Thanks," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "I... I don't think I could do this without you guys."

Jay gave him a small smile and put his arms around his shoulders. "Well, lucky for you, you won't have to."

The road ahead was uncertain, and we all knew it was going to get harder before it got better. But for the first time in a long time, it felt like we were moving forward—together.

The evening traffic was starting to buzz out. Various vehicles passed by us, each lost in their own world and their own problems, oblivious of our world collapsing under our feet.

The more I see of the world, the more am I dissatisfied with it; and every day confirms my belief of the inconsistency of all human characters, and of the little dependence that can be placed on the appearance of either merit or sense.

Arav lingered by the curve of the road, glancing back at us. "You think... you think this will change anything?"

I looked at him and forced myself to give him the only answer that felt honest. "I don't know. But at least we'll know we tried."

❛Lights will guide you home,
And ignite your bones,
And I will try to fix you.❜

A/N: this is the LONGEST chapter in the history of SC with 7.3k words and also in general... I don't write too long chapters. Wew, initially, I was planning to post it as one big chapter of 44 but... it might be feel very long read so I thought, why not divide it?

credits for the line "the die is cast" — Julius Caesar

There's so much to talk about but not enough words for it, go out all in the comments and tell me everything you'd like to share about the progress.

Highlighting a few comments from a beta reader:

Regarding Suresh Sir using love terms: He's the last person I expected to be using these terms, to be so emotionally raw and vulnerable. It's like he's baring his soul in that café, pleading with Maya to tell him that it's all a misunderstanding. The depth of his feelings for her, the intensity of his emotions—it's both heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time. I feel like I need a tissue or a stiff drink to cope with this scene!

A bit of the reflection on the tragedy [though, i managed to slip in a few comments in the narrative]: It's a tragedy not only of love, betrayal, or injustice, but also of our fragility, the severity of life, the decisions we make, and the repercussions we must confront. This is more than just one person's guilt or innocence; it is about the wider human fight for truth and understanding. It's like witnessing a slow-motion tragedy develop, knowing there's nothing you can do but observe and be there with the characters as they experience pain and injustice.

Regarding the trio's moment of levity: But in this moment, in the midst of all this uncertainty and pain, it's a reminder that they're still the same friends, the same mischief-makers at heart.

Pride and Prejudice fans, did you notice the few quotes from the work that I added to the tale? I think it suits aptly for Suresh Sir's and Maya's... care for each other, and even love, if you will.

the Eromene part was really inspired by Ancilla but I don't know how that little tornado is going to turn out ;)

They've not yet said it out loud to each other, but it's there... the depth of their love, their commitment to each other, it's just so powerful and moving. It's like they're caught in this emotional tug-of-war, pulled in different directions by the demands of the investigation, but still finding a way to hold on to each other, to find that balance between love and justice.

I think I want to pass out on couch, just to process the tragedy of what I wrote here.... it was so painful to write, and all the yet more necessary.

With tissues and hugs,
Sara