[ Days After the Attack – Sid's Room]
The shell bracelet lay on his desk, untouched, unmoved — just like his heart since that night.
Sid hadn't left his room in days. The police couldn't find anything. No traces. No CCTV. No Chaya.
He went to that street every night. Walked that path. Asked strangers. Looked through every shadow.
But nothing.
Only the sound of her last scream echoed in his mind.
And the regret.
The helplessness.
The curse of his hemophobia.
Sid (to himself):
"If I hadn't blacked out… if I'd held on a little longer… maybe she'd still be with me. Maybe…"
He clutched the bracelet, kissed it, and whispered:
"Where are you, Chaya?"
[Present – Hospital Room, Dim Light – Sid narrating to Agastya]
Sid (softly, eyes heavy):
"I remember the last thing I saw…
Chaya, her eyes filled with fear, blood on her shoulder…
And I was trying to tell her to run."
His voice breaks.
Sid:
"My vision blurred. My chest tightened.
The smell of blood… it was too much.
I passed out, Agastya.
And when I woke up, she was gone."
A long pause.
Sid (tears in his eyes):
"I searched everywhere. Police. Hospitals. Temples.
Every street she ever smiled on.
No clue.
Just this…"
He pulls out the shell bracelet — worn, aged, but still intact.
Sid:
"She wore it every single day…
But that night… it was the only thing left with me."
Agastya looks down, overwhelmed.
Agastya:
"Did you ever… find out what happened?"
Sid (shakes head):
"No. Nothing.
It's like the night swallowed everything.
And I've been living ever since… with half my soul missing."
The room falls silent — heavy with grief, unanswered questions, and the quiet hum of hospital machines.
[Hospital corridor – minutes after the flashback ends]
Sid and Agastya sit in silence. The bracelet still lies in Sid's palm — a memory too loud in the stillness.
Agastya (gently):
"She… meant everything to you."
Sid nods slowly.
Sid:
"She was my beginning, Agastya.
But that night… it became my end."
Just then, a soft voice echoes from the room.
Vrinda (weakly):
"Sid…?"
Both boys rush in. Vrinda's awake, sitting up with difficulty, eyes searching.
Vrinda:
"I… I remember something else."
They wait, hearts thumping.
Vrinda (looking at Sid):
"You have to find Chaya… before they find her again."
Agastya (confused):
"Wait—Chaya?
How do you know her, Vrinda? Why did you say that name?"
Vrinda turns her head slowly to him.
Vrinda:
"She saved me… and I tried to save her.
That night… years ago."
Sid stares at her in disbelief.
Sid (softly):
"You… were there?"
Vrinda gives a faint nod — her voice trembling.
Vrinda:
"You told her to run…
But she wouldn't, not without you.
And then… I stepped in."
Sid's world spins. His breath hitches.
Sid:
"Vrinda… you knew her?
You knew Chaya?"
She looks at him, tired eyes full of unspoken truths.
Vrinda:
"More than you can imagine."
—
[Flashback – That Night: A dim, narrow street outside a closed building. A storm is brewing overhead.]
Screams echo through the lane.
Chaya is on the ground, trying to shield a barely-conscious Sid, his hands trembling, face pale — blood soaking his shirt.
Sid (faintly):
"Chaya… run… please… go…"
He's trying to reach her, but his body gives up. The hemophobia takes over.
Sid's hand drops.
His eyes close.
Chaya (terrified):
"Sid… SID?! Wake up! Please…"
Suddenly, two masked men emerge from the shadows — bloodstained, rage in their steps.
Attacker 1:
"She's still here. Finish it!"
Chaya staggers back, screaming for help. Her legs weaken.
And then — a new voice cuts the air.
Vrinda (off-screen, yelling):
"HEY! Leave her alone!"
Vrinda rushes in from the far end, breath ragged, fists clenched, eyes blazing.
The attackers pause for a second, confused. But one lunges toward her.
Vrinda dodges, kicks back, grabs Chaya's hand.
Vrinda (to Chaya):
"Don't ask. Just RUN!"
Chaya is shocked, but instinct takes over. They run through the alleyways — the attackers shouting behind them.
Blood drips from Vrinda's arm — she was hit while dragging Chaya away. Chaya's lip is bleeding too, her dress torn, shaking.
Vrinda (panting):
"They're right behind—wait—down that lane—go!"
Chaya (crying):
"No! You'll be alone—"
Vrinda (grabbing her):
"They'll catch us both! Trust me!
We split. They'll lose track."
Chaya hesitates, tears in her eyes. Then nods.
Vrinda:
"There's a hospital nearby. I'll find you… just run!"
They clasp hands for one second — an unspoken thank you, I'll find you again someday.
And then — they split. Different lanes. Fading footsteps.
[Later that Night]
Vrinda, bleeding, collapses near the hospital gates. A nurse on night duty sees her and rushes to call help.
Nurse:
"Get a stretcher! Hurry!"
She's unconscious, but alive.
[Meanwhile – A different street]
Chaya, breathless, running, turns a corner… and stumbles into a quiet path where an old couple is walking their dog.
Chaya (sobbing):
"Please… help… someone's… chasing me…"
Old Woman:
"Oh my god—Vikram! Call the police! Get her water!"
They rush to her aid, shielding her, wrapping her in a shawl.
Old Man:
"You're safe now, child. You're safe."
[Hospital, Two Days Later]
Vrinda, bandaged and weak, sits on a hospital bench. A familiar figure approaches — Chaya — cautious, unsure.
Their eyes meet.
A pause.
Chaya (softly):
"You… it was you.
You saved me."
Vrinda looks up, emotional.
Vrinda:
"I remember your eyes…
You didn't let go, even when I told you to run."
They sit beside each other, silence thick with memory.
Chaya (smiling faintly):
"We made it."
Vrinda (nodding):
"We did."
No names were exchanged that night. But now…
Vrinda:
"I'm Vrinda."
Chaya (whispers):
"I'm Chaya."
They hold hands — two strangers, forever bonded by one brutal night, finally knowing each other.
[Present – Hospital Room – Silence Settles]
Vrinda slowly opens her eyes again. The flashback lingers behind her gaze — pain and memories etched deep within.
Sid and Agastya stand by her side, stunned by everything she just revealed.
A quiet beeping from the monitor fills the room for a moment. Then, Vrinda's lips part — her voice is weak, but there's no mistaking the urgency.
Vrinda (firmly):
"They're not just attackers, Sid… Agastya… they're dangerous. Ruthless."
Sid's jaw tightens. Agastya leans in.
Agastya:
"Vrinda… are you saying they're still after you?"
Vrinda nods slowly.
Vrinda:
"They never stopped. That night, they lost us… but they've been watching. Waiting. And now… they've found me again. That push from the hospital roof wasn't random. It was a message."
Sid (furious):
"They tried to kill you…"
Vrinda (tears in her eyes):
"They thought they did."
She grips the bedsheet tighter.
Vrinda:
"And if they find out Chaya's alive too… she'll be next."
Agastya and Sid glance at each other, everything falling into place — the fear, the running, the silence Chaya kept all these years.
Agastya:
"We won't let that happen."
Sid (determined):
"I'm going to find her. I'll protect her… this time, I won't let go."
Vrinda exhales, her face softening a little.
Vrinda:
"Start where it ended, Sid… the night that changed everything.
They're hiding in plain sight."
Outside the hospital window, rain begins to fall — slow and steady.
A storm is coming.
And this time… they're ready to face it.