The convoy of cars sped along the winding roads that led to Munnar. The serene greenery outside clashed sharply with the tension simmering within the girls. Angshi, Madhu, and Kajal sat in silence in their vehicle, their minds clouded with worry and unease. Following closely behind in their sleek black SUV, the Rawal brothers kept their watchful gaze on the girls, their plan unfolding exactly as they intended.

Inside the girls' car, Kajal broke the silence. "Tum logon ko yeh nahi lagta ki yeh tino kuch zyada hi chipak rahe hain humse?" (Don’t you think these guys are getting too clingy?) she asked, fidgeting with her bracelet.

Madhu exhaled sharply. "Bas chipak nahi rahe balki control karna chahte hain. Main Vikram ka face seriously dekh-dekh kar thak gayi hoon." (Not just clingy—they want control. I’m tired of seeing Vikram’s face all the time seriously )

Angshi tightened her grip on the steering wheel, her knuckles white. "Woh log jitne friendly dikhte hain, utne hi chhupay huye bhi lagte hain. Mujhe bilkul acha nahi lag raha." (The friendlier they act, the more secretive they seem. I don’t like this at all.)

Behind them, in the Rawal brothers’ car, Angshuman glanced at the girls’ car through the windshield and smirked. “Lagta hai abhi tak vishwas jitne mein kami reh gayi hai.” (It seems we still haven’t won their trust.) Vikram, seated beside him, adjusted his sunglasses and replied, “Woh vishwas bhi kya jo ek din mein hi jeet liya jaye. Aage kaam pura karna hoga.” (Trust isn’t built in a day. We need to keep working on it.)

By the time the group stopped for lunch, the tension had become almost palpable. The Rawal brothers took the opportunity to hover around the girls, offering help wherever possible.

"Angshi, tumhe juice chahiye? Maine dekha tumne kuch nahi order kiya." (Angshi, do you want juice? I noticed you didn’t order anything,) Angshuman asked, placing a glass of orange juice on the table in front of her.

Angshi looked up from her plate, her voice sharp. “Mujhe jo order karna hoga main wo khud kar sakti hu. Tumhe itni takleef karme ki koi bhi zarurat nahi hai. Angshuman Rawal” (Whatever I want to order I can order it myself. You need to have so much worry Angshuman Rawal.)

Madhu chimed in, her voice dripping with sarcasm, looking towards Angshi "Woh juice tumhare liye tha, ya humein dikhane ke liye? Samajh nahi aa raha. Dilon dimag jeetne ka acha tareeka hai, par.. humare dilon ko kaise jeetoge tumlog huh..? Kyuki dhundne toh hum yaha hum apne dilon ko hi aaye hai." (Was that juice for you, or was it just to show off? Im not getting it. By the way the trick for winning hearts is nice... But how will you guys win our hearts, huh...? Because we are here only to find our hearts back.) She shot a pointed look at him, making sure her words stung.

Vikram, caught off guard, struggled to maintain his composure. “Madhu, hum sirf aapki madad kar rahe hain. Aap galat samajh rahi hai.” (Madhu, we’re just trying to help you. You are taking it in a wrong way.)

Madhu grinned devilishly. "Help? Haan, tumhare help ki zaroorat hume bilkul nahi hai. Humari madad ke liye hai insaan jinhe hum chahate hai. Tumlogo se na umeed hai na hi koi chahat." (Help? Yeah, we don’t need your help at all. We have those from whom we want help. From you guys we dont have expectation neither any wants)

Kajal, seeing Vikram getting visibly flustered, couldn’t resist joining in. “Madhu bilkul sahi keh rahi hai. Tum log humare liye sirf ‘acquaintances’ ho, yeh mat bhoolna.” (Madhu is absolutely right. You guys are just ‘acquaintances’ to us, don’t forget that.)

Vikram clenched his jaw, but Angshuman remained composed, though his eyes flickered with frustration. Utkarsh popped up from seat, "Yeh sab zaroori nahi hai, Kajal. Tumhe samajhna hoga ki hum sirf tumhare bhale ke liye keh rahe aur kar rahe hai." (This is unnecessary, Kajal. You need to understand we’re just here and doing for your good.)

Kajal’s voice was sharp. "Humare bhale se pehle apne bhale ki chinta karo. Ohh sorry wo toh pehle se hi karke aaye ho. Continue...." (Before thinking of our good please think of yours. Ohh sorry you guys have already done that before coming. Continue...)

Utkarsh was going to cross fire her, but Angshuman signaled him to stop and suppress. And they left the places in their cars again for the reach of their destination.

The black SUV roared ahead of the girls’ car, its tires screeching as Angshuman took a sharp turn on the uphill road. Inside the car, the air was heavy with tension, and the brothers were anything but calm after the sharp words thrown at them during lunch.

Vikram removed his sunglasses and rubbed his temples in frustration. “I’m seriously done with their taunts,” Vikram muttered, his voice low but simmering with anger. “Madhu ki zubaan toh talwar se bhi tez hai aur uski nigaahein bhi. Agar abhi humne apna plan fast-track nahi kiya na, toh ye hamari band baja dengi.” (Madhu’s tongue and eyes both are sharper than a sword. If we don’t fast-track our plan now, they’ll completely humiliate us.)

Utkarsh, seated in the back, leaned forward, his fists clenched. “Kajal ne jo kaha… usne mujhe publicly insult kar diya. Kaise bardasht karte ho tum log? Lekin jo bhi bolo himmat hai. Aur issi himmat pe main fida hu.” (What Kajal said… she insulted me publicly. How do you guys tolerate this? but anyway she has guts. And I fall for her due to this only.) His voice was brimming with irritation and proud in same time.

Angshuman, who had remained unnervingly calm throughout the lunch debacle, kept his eyes on the road but spoke firmly. “Shut up, Utkarsh. Tum dono emotions mein beh rahe ho, aur yahi problem hai. Hume apne plan pe focus karna hoga, na ki unki bakwas pe. Tabhi wo milengi hum logon ko.” (Shut up, Utkarsh. You both are getting carried away by your emotions, and that’s the problem. We need to focus on our plan, not their nonsense. Then only we will get them.)

Vikram snapped his head toward Angshuman. “Focus? Bhai, woh toh humein apni nazar ke saamne bhi nahi aane dekhna chahti. Yeh sab kaise hoga? Mujhe toh lagta hai plan flop hone wala hai.” (Focus? Bro, they don’t even want to see us. How will this work? I feel like this plan is going to flop.)

Angshuman’s lips curled into a smirk as he maneuvered the car around another bend. “Flop tab hota hai jab khel khatam ho jaye. Aur yeh khel abhi shuru hua hai, Vikram. Tum dono ko samajhna hoga, yeh ladkiyan bas ziddi hain. Unhe todna padega, unhe itna confuse karna padega ki woh samajh na paaye ki woh kya chahte hain. Unhe dikhana padega ki hum hain unke liye wo log nahi.” (It flops only when the game is over. And this game has just begun, Vikram. You both need to understand that these girls are just stubborn. We’ll have to break them, confuse them so much they don’t even know what they want. We have to show them that we are only for not those guys.)

Utkarsh raised an eyebrow. “Aur yeh kaise hoga? Unhone toh clearly kaha ki unhe humare upar na vishwas hai na hi interest. Toh pyar kaha se karengi?” (And how will that happen? They’ve clearly said they don’t trust us or have any interest in us. Then how will they love us.)

Angshuman’s smirk deepened. “Sab kuch vishwas aur interest ka khel hai, Utkarsh. Agar unhe hum par vishwas nahi hai, toh hum woh vishwas banayenge, chahe jhooth ka hi sahara lena pade.” (It’s all a game of trust and interest, Utkarsh. If they don’t trust us, we’ll create that trust, even if it means relying on lies.)

Vikram frowned. “Aur Jin, Taehyung aur Jungkook ka kya? Tumhe pata hai ki yeh ladkiyan unka peechha chhodengi nahi. Because they love them. ” (And what about Jin, Taehyung, and Jungkook? You know these girls won’t give up on them. Because they love them.)

Angshuman’s eyes darkened, his hands tightening on the steering wheel. “Isiliye toh hum yaha hain, Vikram. Jin, Taehyung, aur Jungkook unke hero hain na? Ya Madhu ki bhasha me kahe toh so called Dil...lekin jab tak hum apne har chal ko sahi se khelte hain, woh heroes villains ban jayenge. Ya fir rahe hi na...” (That’s why we’re here, Vikram. Jin, Taehyung, and Jungkook are their heroes, right? Or in Madhu's language their so called hearts....but if we play our cards right, those heroes will become villains. Or can be even disappear.)

Utkarsh leaned back, his expression skeptical. “Tumhara matlab kya hai?” (What do you mean?)

Angshuman’s voice dropped to a cold whisper. “Mera matlab hai ki hume unke pyaar ko unke khilaf istemal karna hoga. Unki woh log kamzori hai toh us kamzori ko aur kamzor karna hoga jisse woh humare paas aane ke liye majboor ho jayein. Ya keh sake hum hi unke liye akhri chara bach jaye jo unhe pyar kare unki tarah” (I mean we’ll have to use their love against them. They are their weakness so we must weaken them more so that they’re left with no option rather to come to us. Or we will be inly their to love them like them.)

The car fell silent, the weight of Angshuman’s words settling over them like a storm cloud. The Rawal brothers exchanged uneasy glances, but none of them dared to question him further.

“Top station door nahi hai,” Angshuman added after a pause. “Jahan jaa rahe hain, wahan sirf hamari chal chalegi. Sab kuch humare control mein mein chahiye. Yeh ladkiyan ab tak sirf ek mohra thi hamare game mein lekin ye bhulna mat ki ab ye hi humari rani bhi banengi” (Top station isn’t far. Where we’re headed, only our moves will matter. These girls are now just pawns in our game but dont forget that they are going to be our queen.)

Inside the girls' car, the atmosphere was thick with tension. Angshi gripped the steering wheel, her jaw clenched as she navigated the winding roads. Madhu sat in the passenger seat, staring out of the window, her lips pressed into a thin line. Kajal sat quietly in the back, her head resting against the window, her eyes distant and brimming with unshed tears.

The silence was deafening until Kajal finally spoke, her voice laced with irritation. “Yeh Rawal brothers hume pagal kar denge. Har waqt chipakne ki koshish karte hain, aur woh Utkarsh toh...” She paused, exhaling sharply, “...uski smile tak fake lagti hai.” (These Rawal brothers will drive us crazy. They’re always trying to stick around, and that Utkarsh.... even his smile seems fake.)

Angshi’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. “Mujhe yeh sab bilkul acha nahi lag raha, Kajal. Woh log hume kisi trap mein na fasa  de, aur hum kuch na kar paaye Lekin…” Her voice cracked slightly. “...main yeh sab bardaasht kar rahi hoon, kyunki hum Jin, Jungkook, aur Taehyung ko wapas lana chahte hain.” (I don’t like any of this, Kajal. They’re leading us into some kind of trap, and we can’t do anything. But… I’m enduring all this because we want Jin, Jungkook, and Taehyung back.)

Madhu, who had been silent, suddenly sat up. Her voice trembled as she spoke, “Yeh sab meri galti hai.” (This is all my fault.) Both Kajal and Angshi turned to look at her, startled.

Madhu continued, her voice breaking. “Mujhe hi wo stupid plan nahi karna chahiye tha ki hum top station mein night stay karenge. Agar man woh plan nahi banati, toh hum sab ab tak safe hote. Jin, Taehyung, aur Jungkook ko kuch nahi hota.” (I was the one who gave that stupid idea that we should stay overnight at the top station. If I hadn’t made that plan, we’d all be safe by now. Jin, Taehyung, and Jungkook wouldn’t be in danger.)

Tears began streaming down her face as she clutched her chest, her voice rising in anguish. “Woh mere liye sab kuch hain. Jungkook ko agar kuch bhi hua, toh, main apne aap ko maaf nahi kar paungi.” (He mean everything to me. If anything happens to Jungkook—I’ll never forgive myself.)

Angshi immediately turned in her seat and placed a hand on Madhu’s knee. “Bas karo, Madhu! Yeh tumhari galti bilkul nahi hai.  Tum akeli kyun apne aap ko iska zimmedari bana rahi ho?” (Stop, Madhu! This isn’t your fault at all.  Why are you taking the blame on yourself?)

Angshi glanced at Kajal through the rearview mirror, her own eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “Kajal, tumhe lagta hai yeh sirf tumhara dard hai? Main Taehyung  ke bina jeene ka soch bhi nahi sakti. Uska har smile, uski har baat, woh sab meri zindagi hai. Aur jinhone bhi...Mahadev ki kasam unko zinda nahi chodungi main. .” (Kajal, do you think this pain is only yours? I can’t even imagine living without Taehyung. His every smile, every words—they’re my life. and whomever has..whomever has taken him away I swear on Mahadev ill kill them.)

Kajal’s voice quivered as she added, “Jin meri duniya hai. Uski care, uska innocence, woh sab mujhe jeene ki wajah dete hain. Lekin ab woh yaha nahi hai, aur mujhe lagta hai ki meri zindagi ek khaali khwaab ban gayi hai.” (Jin is my world. His care, his innocence—they give me a reason to live. But now he’s not here, and I feel like my life has become an empty dream.)

Madhu shook her head, her tears falling freely. “Phir bhi, agar main woh plan nahi karti...  main sab cheez ki wajah hu...” (Even then, if I hadn’t planned it… if I’d been more responsible… im the only reason for all this misery)

Angshi abruptly pulled the car to the side of the road, turning around in her seat to face Madhu. Her voice was firm yet gentle. “Bas, Madhu! Yeh blame game abhi yahi khatam hota hai. Tum responsible ho, hum sab responsible hain. Aur hum sab milke unhe wapas laayenge. Woh Rawal brothers jitni bhi koshish kar lein” (Enough, Madhu! This blame game ends here. You’re responsible, we’re all responsible. And together, we’ll bring them back. No matter how hard the Rawal brothers try)

Kajal nodded, her voice soft but determined. “Hum apne Taehyung, Jungkook, aur Jin ko wapas laayenge. Chahe kuch bhi ho jaye. Yeh dard sirf tumhara nahi hai, Madhu. Yeh hum sabka hai.” (We’ll bring Taehyung, Jungkook, and Jin back. No matter what. This pain isn’t just yours, Madhu. It’s all of ours.)

Madhu sniffled, wiping her tears as her friends reached out to hold her hands. In that moment, despite their shared anguish, the three girls felt an unbreakable bond of love and determination. No matter what the Rawal brothers had planned, they wouldn’t let them win. They were going to fight for their love, for their boys, and for the happiness they so desperately needed to reclaim.

The hours passed, and the group finally reached the outskirts of Munnar as dusk began to settle. The air turned cooler, and the faint mist curling over the mountains added an eerie charm. The girls stared out of their windows, their minds drifting to the friends they were desperate to find.

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See you guys in next chapter
Till then love u guys...
💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕