Chapter 1

Ruhaan Joshi stared at his phone, the screen illuminating his worried expression in the dim light of his room. He had called Sarah for the nth time, but the call went straight to voicemail again. Each time he pressed the button, a flicker of hope ignited in his chest, only to be extinguished by the same monotonous tone. It felt wrong, so utterly wrong that she wasn't picking up.

She had gone to a party without him and Abhimayu, and the unease had settled in the moment she mentioned it. He remembered the way her eyes sparkled with excitement, but that excitement had transformed into a knot of anxiety in his stomach. What if something went wrong? What if she was feeling lonely in a crowd, missing their usual banter? He couldn't shake the worry that clung to him like a shadow.

He glanced at the clock, each tick echoing louder than the last. They had always been a trio, and now he felt incomplete. Abhimayu had sent a few texts in their WhatsApp group, joking about how they should crash the party, but Ruhaan couldn't bring himself to laugh. Neither Sarah responded to it.

With each unanswered call, his mind spiraled into dark thoughts. What if she was in trouble? What if she was hurt? Ruhaan pushed his phone aside, his heart racing. He couldn't just sit and wait. He had to do something. He needed to see if she was okay. He grabbed his jacket and slipped out of the room, entering Abhimanyu's.

As he slowly emerged from the depths of sleep, Abhimanyu could hear the distant sound of Ruhaan's voice cutting through the haze. He blinked a few times, trying to shake off the grogginess.

"Abhimanyu, wake up!" Ruhaan's tone was insistent, tinged with a hint of urgency.

Abhimanyu rubbed his eyes, trying to focus on him as he stood there, concerned.

"What happened?" he mumbled, still half-draped in the warmth of my blankets. The tail ends of a dream danced at the edges of his memory, but they slipped away as he sat up, pushing his hair back from his face.

"Did you meet to spoke to Sarah?" he asked.

"No. I tried calling her but she didn't pick. I thought she might be enjoying the party. Why, What happened? Did you try calling her?" he asked, fumbling for his phone on the bedside table, his fingers still numb from sleep.

Ruhaan nodded, running a hand through his hair.

"I tried for million times, she is still not picking. We need to see her, Abhimanyu."

Abhimanyu didn't take another second to pick his car keys and they moved towards the main gate.

As he drove, a sense of unease settled in Abhimanyu's gut.

"What if something's wrong?" Ruhaan asked, his voice tinged with concern. He was scanning the sidewalks, as if hoping to spot her walking by.

Abhimanyu tightened his grip on the steering wheel, fighting the urge to let his mind spiral. "Let's just keep looking. She can't be far." Abhimanyu replied, glancing at his phone again, half-expecting a message. Nothing.

With each passing minute, his worry deepened. What if she was feeling overwhelmed? What if she had gotten into a situation she couldn't handle? He didn't want to think about the 'what ifs', but they loomed over him like dark clouds.

__________________________

They rang the bell and waited impatiently for someone to open the door. After a minute, Jenny opened it.

"Rroohan, Ah-bimayu?" she said sleepily in her American accent. "What are you doing here at 2 in the night?"

"Why is she not picking the hell phone?" Ruhaan said and moved towards Sarah's room.

"Is she fine?" Abhimanyu asked Jenny.

When they entered the room, it took no longer for them to realize that it was mess. Their concern was right that something was wrong.

Abhimanyu, Sarah and Ruhaan were friends from the 9th standard. It was quite strange that even after years in the same class, they did not know each other well, and when they bonded, it was a farewell party for the seniors. They were volunteering. The moment they started working together, they knew they were going to be best of friends. One meeting and another, few more coffees, few more parties, few more movies, few street shopping, some college admissions issues, further study tensions, one day picnic's, exams and they had each other. They were so close that they fought with their parents to join the same college and here they are; studying in the most popular college in London. While Abhimanyu and Ruhaan stayed together, Sarah lived in rented flat with her roommate Jenny.

Every Saturday after college, they would meet at their favorite café without fail. Over steaming mugs of coffee, they would discuss everything from their coursework to their dreams and aspirations.

Evenings were often spent at Sarah's flat, where she would invite Abhimanyu and Ruhaan over for homemade dinners. The walls of the flat echoed with laughter, teasing banter, and the occasional debate over which movie to watch. It was here that they discovered new facets of each other—Sarah's love for classic films, Abhimanyu's obsession with science fiction, and Ruhaan's penchant for thrillers. Movie nights became a ritual, each one leaving them with memories that would last a lifetime.

Their shared adventures weren't limited to the four walls of their college. They explored the vibrant streets of Willow together, from bustling markets to serene parks. Each weekend was an opportunity for discovery—be it attending art exhibits, trying out new cuisines, or visiting historical landmarks. They would often find themselves lost in the city, but instead of panicking, they would laugh it off, turning it into a spontaneous exploration that always ended with ice cream and heartfelt conversations.

They moved towards her room only to find her sitting on the bed, lost in her thoughts.

"Sarah?" they called in unison and she came out of her stupor.

They tried to move closer to her but stopped listening to her words.

"Can you just go away, guys? Please. I don't want to talk about it," Sarah said. She was crawled up in a ball on her bed, wearing a tight black party dress with sky high heels. Tears started streaming down her face - her mascara and eyeliner running. She looked like a mess.

"But Sarah-" Abhimanyu started, but was stopped by Sarah again.

"Abhimanyu, please. Just leave me alone. Please," Sarah sobbed, looking away from her best friends.

They didn't speak after that but didn't leave her alone. Abhimanyu sat on the couch, while Ruhaan lied on the other side of the bed.

"WHY??" Sarah yelled through her tears after a while. "Why did you do this to me, Nick?? WHY??!!"

They moved towards her and sat on the bed. They didn't speak anything, just put their hand on her head, caressing her hair.

"Everything changed tonight, guys. We went to this nightclub. And what did I see there? Nick. Making out with that Russian chick! No one loves me!" she screamed. "No one."

Her bedsheet and pillows were stained with tears and makeup.

"Stop wasting your tears for him Sarah," Ruhaan said trying to control his anger on him.

"Sarah, please don't cry. We're here for you. That good for nothing Nick-" Abhimanyu said.

"But I love him, guys. I still do. Do you even know what I had planned out for us? I was going to spend the rest of my life with him and...and...look at what happened!!" Sarah said.

Ruhaan and Abhimanyu shared a glance. Sarah had been dating Nick since last 7 months. Though neither Abhimanyu, nor Ruhaan liked him a little bit, they didn't say anything because they didn't want to invade her love-life.

But this time, they had to step up. This was our moment to show her that she's not alone in this. Ruhaan and Abhimanyu pulled her in a hug.

"Don't waste your feelings for a cheap fellow like him," Ruhaan said.

"We will take care of you," Abhimanyu whispered as he looked at Ruhaan. "And also him."

____________________________________