Aarvansh sat on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. His mind wasn't at peace; he couldn't shake the memory of his encounter with Albert Lam. The cold, calculated tone of his words, the disturbing sense of authority he projected—it all kept playing over and over in Aarvansh's mind. He needed to talk to someone, to get his thoughts out of his head.
He grabbed his phone and sent a quick message to Shaurya:
"Hey, wanna meet up?"
Shaurya:
"Sure. Same place?"
"Yeah."
A few minutes later, Aarvansh walked to Café Central, where Shaurya, Prakash, and Aarav were already seated, each with their own drink in hand. Aarav waved dramatically as soon as he saw him, nearly spilling his coffee in the process.
"There he is! The man, the myth, the legend!"
Aarav shouted, only to trip over a chair leg and land on the floor with a thud.
Prakash raised an eyebrow but said nothing, while Shaurya just smiled, his expression softening as he noticed Aarvansh seemed quieter than usual.
Aarvansh sat down, muttering a weak "Hey" as he absentmindedly poked at his drink.
"Man, you good?" Shaurya asked, leaning forward with concern.
"You've been out of it all day. What's up?"
Aarvansh was still lost in thought, staring at his coffee.
"Just... tired. Nothing to worry about."
Prakash, always the one to observe, nudged him.
"Tired, huh? You mean bored? You just need something to get your head out of the clouds, man."
Aarvansh forced a half-hearted smile but didn't respond. Aarav, of course, didn't notice anything unusual.
Shaurya said, "Hey, you guys remember that time Aarvansh and Aarav had that epic argument in class 11th?"
"Oh no, don't even start with that," Aarav cut him off, his face turning a shade of red.
Shaurya laughed.
"What happened, Aarav? That sounds like a classic."
Aarvansh finally cracked a smile and leaned back in his chair.
"Aarav wanted to say, 'If you think you are bad, I'm your dad,' but instead he said, 'If you think I'm bad, then you are my dad!'"
Prakash chuckled.
"Smooth, Aarav, really smooth."
Aarvansh couldn't help but laugh despite himself. The whole class had burst into laughter that day. Aarav's face had turned as red as a tomato, and he had spent the rest of the week avoiding eye contact with anyone in the class.
Aarav, on the other hand, was still proud of his "moment."
"I don't know what you're all laughing about. It was a legendary comeback, okay? Everyone was shook."
"Yeah, shook from secondhand embarrassment," Prakash teased.
Aarvansh rolled his eyes but finally let out a small laugh.
"You know, Aarav, you're the only person who can trip over his words and still act like a superhero."
Aarav grinned, completely undeterred by the teasing.
"What can I say? It's a talent."
But despite the banter, Aarvansh couldn't shake off the unease in his chest. He was still thinking about Albert Lam. The encounter with him, the cold way he'd looked at Aarvansh—it felt like there was something more to it. But how could he explain that? How could he talk about it when everyone else seemed so... normal?
As Aarav left to use the washroom, Aarvansh hesitated. The words were stuck in his throat. Maybe if he just said it out loud, the tension would go away.
But just as he opened his mouth, Aarav came back into the café, this time strutting like he was walking the red carpet. Bro wanted to look cool, so he swayed dramatically in front of the table and, in his usual over-the-top style, tried to walk past a potted plant to show off.
And, predictably, he tripped over it and sent the plant crashing to the ground.
The café fell silent for a second before everyone burst out laughing, including Aarvansh. Aarav, red-faced but quick on his feet, tried to save face.
"Hey, that was... that was part of the act, guys. See? It's called 'planned chaos.'"
Shaurya was laughing so hard he nearly spilled his own drink.
"Yeah, well, you've definitely got the chaos part down."
Aarvansh couldn't stop laughing. This was what he needed, to laugh and be with his friends. It felt good to forget about the weight that had been dragging him down all day. For a moment, he forgot about Albert Lam and the unsettling feeling that had been clouding his thoughts.
But later that night, when the laughter had faded, Aarvansh found himself once again lost in his thoughts. He couldn't let it go. He opened his phone and messaged Shaurya:
"Hey, you up?"
A moment later, Shaurya replied:
"Yeah, what's up?"
"It's about something that happened today. Just… forget it, it's nothing."
"Come on, bro. Just say it."
Aarvansh hesitated for a moment before typing:
"It's about Albert Lam. I met him today . There was something about him… I don't know, man. He felt so cold, like… emotionless. Like he knew everything and nothing could surprise him."
Shaurya's reply came quickly:
"You good, though? Did he do something to you?"
"No, it's not that. It's just… his vibe stuck with me. It's stupid, forget it."
"Nah, bro, it's not stupid. Some people just have that aura, you know? They get in your head without even trying. But if it's still bothering you tomorrow, let's talk about it properly."
Aarvansh let out a small sigh and smiled faintly at his phone screen.
"Yeah, you're right. Thanks, man."
"Anytime, bro. Get some sleep now."
Aarvansh put his phone down and lay back on his bed. Shaurya was right—it wasn't something huge or life-changing, but it was enough to linger in his mind. Albert Lam wasn't just any ordinary man, and Aarvansh couldn't shake the feeling that their paths would cross again.
As the city lights flickered through his window, Aarvansh closed his eyes, the shadow of Albert Lam's cold stare still etched in his memory.