The flat buzzed with quiet tension.
Abhishek and Ananya sat at the dining table, half-eaten breakfast plates pushed aside, mugs cooling untouched. Kunal paced across the room, phone clutched in one hand, stuffing a small duffel with the other — a mix of clothes, notebooks, a battered leather journal, a Hanuman Chalisa given by his mother for his safety and good luck tucked between.
"So," Abhishek leaned back, arms folded, eyebrow raised, "who's tagging along on this soul-searching trip of yours while we're stuck here laying foundations of your tech empire?"
Kunal shot him a lopsided smirk.
"He's coming this evening. You'll see. And it's not my Empire, it's OUR."
Making both Ananya and Abhishek smile. The Ananya asked,
"You're sure about pulling someone else into this madness?"
Kunal's eyes softened for a beat.
"I'm sure. I can't do it all alone. Even the three of us can't. And… I've been thinking about this for days, and every time, I came to the same conclusion that it will be better to involve some more people on whom I can place my trust without any second thoughts, like you guys. And I've been missing this person a lot lately."
Ananya's mouth tightened slightly. Abhishek noticed it, cutting Kunal a sly look. Kunal just smiled — that mischievous, trouble creator smile. Abhishek huffed, shaking his head.
"Drama king."
---
Evening arrived early.
The doorbell rang — two hours ahead of schedule.
Kunal paused mid-zip.
"Early? That's odd—"
Another ring. Sharper. Impatient.
Everyone tensed. Kunal approached cautiously, cracked the door open — and promptly got a duffel bag flung into his chest.
"Bhai, seriously—" Kunal began, but his grin betrayed him.
There stood Vaibhav Tiwari — childhood friend, a person whose feets always keep moving, hair tousled from travel, a backpack slung across one shoulder, sneakers scuffed from the road.
"Miss me?" Vaibhav smirked, strolling in.
"Who died? Why does it looks like you are mourning?"
Abhishek let out a laugh.
"Kunal's dragged us into another mess."
"Of course, it's him always," Vaibhav groaned theatrically, dropping onto the couch.
"Alright, spill it."
---
They told him everything.
The dreams. The memories. The Devas. The Rakshasas. The pact. The crimson stars that no one else had seen — until now and Kunal's link with it.
Vaibhav listened in rare silence, jaw clenched, arms folded. Then slapping Kunal's arm with such a force that made him wince—"Bro, you waited this long to tell me? Main sab chhod ke aa jaata! What were you thinking trying to handle all these things alone, did you consider yourself a superhero? I am still alive here you motherfucker."
He spun toward Ananya, mock-horrified.
"And bhabhi, you didn't MAKE him call? I thought you had sense."
Ananya flushed, stammering,
"W-what— I— no, that's not—!"
Kunal groaned, hand over face.
"Vaibhav, shut up."
Vaibhav only grinned.
"Come on, yaar, I've seen the way you look at her. Do you think I wouldn't notice?"
Abhishek whistled low, eyebrows shooting up.
"Yeah, these guys think that are very discreet about it and we are blind people here."
Vaibhav leaned back, gaze sharp.
"Should we call Shivam and Shubham too?"
Kunal's face turned serious.
"Not yet. Let's figure the roadmap first."
---
Night fell over Mumbai.
On the balcony, Kunal made the long-overdue call to his mother.
"Yeah, Ma… I'm fine… just a work trip… no, not abroad… yes, I'm eating. Ma, please."
His voice softened.
"I'll call every other day, okay? Promise."
Across the room, Ananya watched him, a quiet smile playing at her lips as he ran a hand through his hair, visibly softening over the call. When their eyes met, Kunal felt that flicker of guilt ease just a little.
After the call Vaibhav and Abhishek walked in, Kunal leaned on the balcony railing with Vaibhav and Abhishek at his side, staring out over the city lights towards the crimson constellation.
Kunal pointed at the crimson constellation.
"It's been growing," he murmured. "Each time a new star appears, something inside me shifts."
Vaibhav whistled.
"Wild. Bro, you're turning into a damn anime protagonist."
As Vaibhav gazed upward, Kunal's eyes and forehead glowed faintly — not eerie, but striking. Abhishek nudged Vaibhav.
"Look at this guy. Straight out of a movie poster."
Vaibhav grinned, shaking his head.
"Unfair, man. Leave some charm for us mortals."
---
Morning — railway station.
The air was a heady mix of diesel smoke, chai spice, and the distant yell of porters. Trains rumbled like beasts, crowds flowed in restless tides, and the sharp clang of steel against steel echoed down the platforms.
Abhishek was triple-checking the bags, tapping on his phone between counts.
"Water, meds, chargers, backup cash — check, check, check."
Vaibhav, predictably, had packed light: a weathered backpack, a lucky bandana, and that infectious grin.
Kunal felt the weight of his own duffel. Not the clothes — the choices. The burden.
Ananya pulled him aside, fingers brushing his sleeve.
"Don't be reckless, okay?"
Kunal smiled softly.
"You know me."
"That's what I'm worried about," she muttered, but her eyes were fond.
"And call your mother. And me. And— just… don't vanish."
Kunal's grin faltered, gentled.
"When we meet again," he murmured, "we'll talk. About us."
Ananya flushed, looking away — but not before he caught the tiniest smile tugging at her lips.
---
As the platform clock ticked forward, Kunal's gaze swept over them — Abhishek rattling off checklists, Vaibhav cracking jokes, Ananya quietly watching from the edge. His throat tightened. These were the people who were throwing themselves into a whole new world with hidden dangers without hesitation. For a heartbeat, the weight in his chest wasn't fear — it was fierce, aching gratitude.
Abhishek clapped his shoulder.
"Bring back answers. And don't die."
Vaibhav gave a wolfish grin.
"Let's go, bhai. Time to write our names in history."
The train doors slid open with a metallic hiss.
As they stepped aboard, Kunal looked back one last time — at the friends who were his anchor, at the city that was his home.
And in his chest, beneath the weight and the fear and the fire, something old stirred awake.
The journey had begun.
The world had no idea what was coming for it.
To be continued…