Arav:
I glanced at my phone screen—8:30 AM. The sun was already rising, casting a soft glow over the city. I tried to wake Indu, who was still fast asleep. After several gentle nudges, I leaned in close to her ear and screamed. She groaned, annoyed, and shoved me away, but within ten minutes, we had left the apartment.
Indu dropped me off at the corner of my street. Bangalore's morning air was crisp, cool, and refreshing. I had forgotten how beautiful the mornings were here. As I walked, I noticed a branch hanging low above me, its red flowers in full bloom, drops of dew clinging to the green leaves. I reached out and touched one of the droplets, mesmerized by its delicate beauty. Lost in the tranquility, the blaring sound of a car horn brought me back to reality. I quickly stepped aside as the car rushed past.
Pulling my hoodie tighter around me, I made my way home. Mom was waiting in the living room, arms crossed and her face etched with seriousness.
I placed the keys back where they belonged and sat down at the table.
"Why did you sneak out last night? Where were you? If you keep this up, I swear I'll tie you up! You're getting naughtier by the day, Arav," she scolded.
I stood up and hugged her. "Amma, I just went out with Indu. You know how much I love that place," I said in a soft, placating voice.
"If you wanted to go out, you should have told me. I would've asked Raju to take you," she replied, the familiar words rolling out exactly as I had anticipated.
At that moment, Dad walked in. "Looks like you two are having fun. Mind if I join?" he said, trying to sound cheerful.
Mom's expression shifted, and without a word, she stood up and went into her room. Dad's face fell, the disappointment clear in his eyes. He sighed, sitting down beside me. "You've probably heard the rumors about your mom and me. I've been trying to fix things, but nothing seems to work."
The tension between them had been palpable for weeks, but now that I knew the truth, my mind raced with thoughts of their strained relationship. Then, a memory from my past surfaced—the letter they had spread when I ran away from my marriage. The betrayal stung fresh in my chest.
"Dad, you of all people could have sorted this out," I said seriously, unable to hold back.
He looked at me, surprised. "What do you mean?"
"You changed everything when I ran away from that wedding. You knew she was in love with someone else, but you still pushed for the marriage. All because it would 'build my future,' right?"
He sighed, rubbing his temples. "I did what I thought was best for you, for both families. Our match was perfect—your future would have been secure. But you ruined it all. I had no choice but to write that letter and place it in your room."
Hearing that twisted justification made my blood boil. "I seriously hate you for that, Dad." I stood up abruptly and stormed off to my room, slamming the door behind me.
Throwing myself onto the bed, I shut my eyes, trying to block out the anger, the frustration.
Then, in the darkness behind my eyelids, I saw him—Prem. He was walking toward me, a smile playing on his lips. He reached the bed, lying down beside me, his fingers gently cupping my face. His smile was radiant, like sunshine breaking through the clouds. Slowly, he pulled me closer, kissing my forehead tenderly. My heart raced, unsure why he was kissing me, but I didn't pull away.
His face inched closer again, this time capturing my lower lip with his. The softness of his lips sent waves through me. I closed my eyes tightly, losing myself in the moment, the sounds of our kiss echoing in my mind. I was completely consumed by him, by this moment, drifting further from consciousness as our lips intertwined.
I moaned softly into Prem's kiss, my breath hitching as his tongue brushed against mine. The sensation was so intense that I jolted awake, eyes snapping open. My heart raced as I looked around, disoriented, only to realize it had all been a dream. Relief washed over me—Prem wasn't in my room—but at the same time, disappointment settled in. I glanced down and noticed my body's reaction; my dick was hard, straining against my clothes.
I never imagined I'd be turned on by a dream about kissing Prem. Embarrassed, my face flushed red, I caught my reflection in the mirror. Grabbing the water bottle on my nightstand, I drank deeply, hoping to calm down. Just then, my phone buzzed with a call from Indu.
"I'll be there in an hour to pick you up," she said, her voice brisk. I checked the time—12:00 pm. I had slept way too long.
After a quick shower, I sat down at the dining table for a hurried meal, knowing I didn't have much time. When I stepped outside, I saw Raju, our driver, waiting by the car.
It wasn't like last night when I'd sneaked out. If Mom found out today, she wouldn't be pleased.
"Raju, didn't you say you needed to take your mother to the hospital?" I asked, keeping my voice calm.
"Yes, sir, but—"
"No, go home. I don't have any plans. Once you've finished your errands, come back," I said, waving him off. His face lit up with relief as he nodded and left.
Fifteen minutes later, Indu pulled up and I hopped into the car. The drive to the hotel was quiet, filled with the weight of what we were about to uncover. Indu knew someone who worked there, so we quickly found ourselves speaking with the hotel staff, trying to piece together what had happened the night my dad was supposedly caught with another woman.
No one seemed to know anything. The staff was called together, and we asked each of them for details. They all shook their heads, claiming ignorance—until a young man, no more than twenty, stepped forward hesitantly.
"I saw a woman," he began, his voice nervous but firm. "She brought your father in. He was drunk, completely out of it. She told me to keep an eye on things and to let her know if anyone suspicious came inside. About thirty minutes later, I saw her come back in, and I immediately called her to let her know. I don't know what happened next, but about an hour later, she left alone. She gave me five thousand rupees. I remember her because of the money."
Indu and I exchanged a look—this wasn't just a rumor. There was more to this than we'd initially thought.
After hearing the boy's confirmation, I felt a cold wave of shock course through me. I couldn't believe it. Desperately, I pulled out my phone and showed him a picture of my mom. His eyes widened, and he nodded. "Yes, that's her."
Indu and I walked out of the hotel in stunned silence. She finally broke it. "Arav, what is happening? I can't believe what he said is true."
I took a deep breath, trying to steady my thoughts. "We need to find her. We need to clear things up between them before this spirals even further."
Indu dropped me at home, and I waited for my mom to return. Thoughts raced in my mind. If someone had told her about my dad, why hadn't she confronted him directly? Who was this woman involved in the setup? Was there really an affair, or was it all fabricated?
When my mom finally entered the house, I greeted her with a forced calmness. She seemed tired and quickly headed to her room to change. Her phone was left on the table. The temptation was too strong. I picked it up, opened her WhatsApp, and scrolled through her messages. One chat, from an unknown number, caught my attention—it was filled with photos of my dad and a location pin.
A chill went down my spine. It was obvious. This was a setup, a trap. Someone had deliberately sent these to her. I quickly forwarded the photos to my own phone, put hers back in place, and dialed the number, only to find it switched off.
I needed help. Calling Indu, I explained everything. Since she ran a digital marketing company, I asked her if her team could dig up more information. Within hours, they managed to pull basic details about the woman. It wasn't much, but it was a start.
Later, I told my mom that Indu and I had to leave for some official work. She was concerned. "Raju will drive you both. It's dangerous to go alone."
I agreed, not wanting to raise any suspicions. Raju picked us up, and soon we were on the road. We had been driving for five hours, deep into Tamil Nadu, when we finally reached the location pinned in the messages. I looked at the signs and boards around us, but everything was written in Tamil, a language I didn't understand.
Stepping out of the car, I knocked on the door of the house. No one answered. I tried asking around, but the language barrier made things difficult. Frustrated, we sat at a small tea shop near the house. That's when I overheard someone speaking in Kannada. I ran to them, explained our situation, and begged for their help. They kindly agreed and asked the locals about the woman.
"She's gone to her hometown," one of them said, "about 850 kilometers from here."
With this new information, we had no choice but to keep going. But as night fell, it became clear we couldn't drive much farther. We stopped at a small hotel in a nearby town, had dinner, and checked into separate rooms to rest for the night.
Before drifting off, I called my mom. "How are things at home?" I asked, keeping my voice casual.
"Everything is fine," she replied, though her voice carried a strain that worried me.
As I hung up, exhaustion weighed heavy, but my mind refused to rest. The truth felt just out of reach, and I wouldn't stop until I found it.
I could barely sleep, eagerly awaiting the morning. I knew that with daylight, we'd be one step closer to finding the truth. After breakfast, we resumed our journey, the long road stretching ahead of us. Hours passed before we finally reached the address we'd been given.
I spotted the woman holding a baby in her arms, her face serene as she played with the child. For a moment, she looked so peaceful and happy that it was hard to believe she could be involved in anything sinister. Then, as she moved, she stumbled, nearly losing her balance. I instinctively ran toward her, catching the baby before any harm could come to him.
As I steadied her, recognition dawned in her eyes. "You're Anand and Priya's son," she whispered, a hint of fear in her voice. She tried to flee, but Raju and Indu quickly came up behind her, stopping her from running.
While I cradled the baby in my arms, Raju and Indu held the woman, who finally stopped struggling and resigned herself to the situation. After a few tense minutes, she broke down and told us the truth. She admitted that someone had hired her to fabricate stories and set up fake scenarios with my dad. She had never met my father before this and didn't even know who he was until she was paid for the job.
I was both relieved and furious. "You have to tell my parents the truth," I said firmly.
At first, she refused, shaking her head in denial, terrified of what might happen to her and her baby if she got involved. But I assured her that I would help protect her and her child's future. After a long pause, she finally agreed.
With that, we began our journey back together, hoping that this would clear the air and bring the truth to light before more damage was done.