"Friend and fiend always come back."
The lonely shadow of a man moved slowly through the freezing streets of the dark alley. Every footstep seemed to echo with agony and exhaustion. A cigarette rested between his fingers, and with each shallow drag, he tried to smoke away the wreckage inside him.
A hand tapped his shoulder.
"Hey… how are you?"
The man turned and found someone of his own age standing behind him.
"Vikram," he muttered. "I'm fine. Long time no see."
The stranger pulled him into a brief hug, but Vikram gently pushed him away.
"Why do you look so destitute, Vinay?"
Vinay gave a hollow smile.
"I was a happy man once. I had a loving wife, two beautiful children, and a sister who cared for me more than herself. I asked very little from life, yet somehow received far more than I deserved." His eyes dimmed. "Then Shiva and Ganesh destroyed everything. My alliance with you became my curse. They tortured me, kidnapped my children, murdered my sister, and took my wife away from me. I searched for them everywhere… but all I found were scarred corpses."
For a moment, silence swallowed the alley.
Vikram placed a hand on his shoulder. "Toufique told me what happened. I'm sorry for what you endured. But I swear to you, Vinay, I will bring them to justice. I will make them pay for every crime."
Vinay smiled faintly, though there was no warmth in it.
"So that's why you're here? To avenge me?" He shook his head. "I don't even remember what revenge means anymore. I lost everything, Vikram. Nothing will bring them back. My children will never laugh again. My wife will never call my name. My sister will never tie a rakhi on my wrist during Raksha Bandhan." His voice lowered. "I don't want revenge. I just want to be left alone."
He turned and began walking away.
But Vikram grabbed his arm from behind.
"What do you want from me?" Vinay snapped, jerking his hand free. "Just leave me alone."
"If you think punishing yourself will kill the pain," Vikram roared, "then believe me, I've been doing it for years. It doesn't fill the emptiness. It only makes it deeper."
Vinay slowly turned back toward him.
"You're a murderer, Vikram. For you, blood answers blood." His gaze hardened. "But I'm just an ordinary man. Like millions of others, I have no choice but to swallow the bitterness of truth and keep living. Maybe revenge can satisfy your demons…" He placed a hand over his chest. "But my void will never be filled with their blood. Only peace can do that."
Vikram let out a dry scoff.
"Peace?" His voice carried both rage and despair. "What has peace given you? All I see is a broken and helpless man standing before me."
Vinay smirked faintly.
"Who's speaking right now? My friend Vikram… or VPS?"
"Both," Vikram replied coldly.
Vinay's smile vanished.
"Then it seems my friend died a long time ago." His eyes lingered on him for a moment. "And you killed him."
He turned once more and walked away into the darkness.
Suddenly, Vikram collapsed to his knees.
"Please!" he screamed, his voice tearing through the empty alley. "Don't leave me too… I'm alone, Vinay!"
Vinay stopped for a brief second but did not look back.
"You're wasting your time, Vikram," he said quietly. "I don't possess the cure for your suffering. That is a battle you must fight alone."
Then he disappeared into the shadows.
Vikram remained there on the cold pavement, broken cries escaping his throat as the alley swallowed them whole.
Vinay walked slowly along the deserted pavement, his weary footsteps dragging against the silence of the night. The city lights flickered faintly around him like dying stars.
Suddenly, a group of ruffians emerged from the shadows and surrounded him.
One of them stepped forward and pulled out a knife.
"Give us everything you have," he snarled. "And don't even think about screaming. No one will hear you."
Vinay looked at the blade and gave a faint, lifeless smile.
"I'm poorer than all of you, gentlemen," he said quietly. "The only thing worth stealing from me is this aching heart. If you wish to take it… I would gladly hand it over."
The thug's face twisted with anger.
"Do we look like clowns to you?"
He drove the knife into Vinay's stomach.
Vinay gasped and collapsed onto the pavement, clutching the wound as blood seeped through his fingers.
The thug raised the knife again, preparing to finish him.
Then a gunshot shattered the alley.
The man's body jerked violently before crashing to the ground. Panic spread through the others, and they fled into the darkness without looking back.
Vikram emerged from the shadows and rushed toward Vinay, who lay trembling and struggling to breathe.
When Vinay saw him, he laughed weakly through the pain.
"So…" he whispered, blood staining his lips, "you finally came to kill me? Fine… do it."
Vikram struck him across the face.
"Have you lost your mind?" he barked. "You're bleeding to death. I need to get you to a hospital."
Vinay grabbed his wrist with trembling fingers.
"Let me go…" His voice cracked. "I want to see my family again. Please… let me go."
Vikram slapped him again, harder this time.
"You're going nowhere." His voice trembled beneath the anger. "You stood beside me when I was broken. Now it's my turn to carry you."
For the first time that night, warmth touched Vinay's fading expression.
A weak smile appeared on his face.
"My friend is back…"
His grip loosened.
Then darkness swallowed him whole.
Vikram sat outside the operation theatre, trembling with fear and rage. His fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles had turned pale. For the first time in years, the man who once looked unbreakable seemed as fragile as cracked glass.
Toufique and Sonny hurried toward him.
"I spoke with the doctor," Toufique said softly. "Vinay is out of danger. He's going to recover."
Before another word could be spoken, Vikram grabbed Toufique and held onto him tightly, like a drowning man clutching the last piece of driftwood in a stormy sea. Toufique gently kissed his forehead and caressed his hair, trying to calm the violent tremors running through him.
Sonny stood a few steps away, stunned into silence.
He had never seen this side of Vikram before.
To Sonny, Vikram had always been a mountain. Cold. Immovable. Untouchable. A man who could stare into hell itself without blinking. Yet tonight, that mountain had cracks running through it.
Tonight, Vikram looked painfully human.
Sonny wanted to sit beside him, to offer comfort, but something held him back. It felt better to let Toufique stay near him, as though only he knew how to hold together the shattered pieces of Vikram's soul.
Vikram's eyes burned with so much fury and grief that his tears seemed almost hot enough to evaporate before falling.
Toufique gently pulled his face upward.
"Don't let anger consume you right now," he whispered. "It won't help you. It won't help any of us."
Vikram closed his eyes.
For several moments, silence lingered in the corridor like a ghost.
Then the doors of the operation theatre opened.
The doctor stepped outside and removed his gloves.
"The patient is stable," he said with a tired smile. "He's absolutely fine now. If recovery goes smoothly, he can be discharged within a week."
Relief swept through them like cool rain after a wildfire.
"Thank you, doctor," Sonny said immediately.
The three men entered the room.
Vinay lay weakly on the hospital bed, pale but alive. The steady rhythm of the heart monitor filled the silence.
The moment Vikram saw him, he rushed forward and grabbed his hand tightly.
"Don't ever leave me alone again," he whispered hoarsely. "I'll die."
Then he hugged him carefully, almost fearfully, as though terrified Vinay would disappear if he loosened his grip.
Vinay coughed painfully.
"Relax," he muttered weakly. "Are you trying to choke me to death now?"
A faint smile appeared on Vikram's face as he sat beside the bed.
Vinay looked toward Toufique and Sonny and greeted them with a tired nod.
Just then, Sonny quietly tugged Toufique's sleeve.
Vikram noticed and smirked faintly.
"Go," he said. "Ruksana needs you more right now."
Vinay frowned slightly.
"What happened to Ruksana? Is she alright?"
Vikram chuckled softly for the first time that night.
"She's perfectly fine. But when your husband is someone like Toufique, the only suffering left in life is labor pain."
Vinay blinked, then smiled weakly.
"Again?"
Toufique immediately lowered his head, embarrassed.
Vinay laughed faintly and gestured toward the door.
"Then what are you still doing here? Go home quickly." He shook his head dramatically. "A woman after delivery is more dangerous than death itself."
Sonny burst into laughter while Toufique groaned in embarrassment.
The two quietly left the room, their smiles lingering behind like a brief patch of sunlight in the middle of a storm.
Vinay looked at Vikram and let out a weary sigh.
"You shouldn't have come here. It is not safe for you." Vikram chuckled lightly. "Who's going to harm me?" Vinay held his hand lightly. "Memories. I don't know if that still affects you or not. But, for me time has reversed with your visit. Shiva and Ganesh are still out there. The situation hasn't changed at all." Vikram lowered his head and grunted. "Past is past and future is future. Let's focus on the present. Come with me. I still need you beside me." Vinay turned his side opposite to Vikram and closed his eyes. "My answer hasn't changed. There is no "us" in your life." Vikram sneered. "Why is it so hard to make you understand? Haven't you seen enough already to know that I am right?" Vinay replied. "Shouting won't make me change my decision. You have moved on from the past. I didn't." Vikram took an apple and took a bite off it. "Is there someone to take care of you?" "No. I'm all alone." Vinay replied. Vikram walked towards the door. "I am here for some time. I will be sending you some clothes and cash for your days here." Vinay bellowed. "No need for that. I may be poor but not a charity case." Vikram let out a tired sigh and walked outside the room.
Vikram stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him.
For a few seconds, he simply stood in the empty hospital corridor.
Then he reached into his pocket, took out a cigarette, and lit it.
The ember glowed briefly in the pale hospital light.
His phone rang.
Vikram glanced at the screen.
Unknown number.
He stared for a moment before answering.
"I thought you wouldn't call."
He took a slow drag.
"But you did."
A low laugh came from the other side.
"You still have the nerve to come back after everything you did?"
The voice hardened.
"You'll die here, bastard."
Vikram smiled faintly.
No anger.
No surprise.
Just amusement.
He exhaled smoke and replied quietly:
"Then start counting your days."
His eyes drifted toward the dark hospital window.
"It won't be long."
The other end erupted.
"You will pay!"
A pause.
"YOU WILL DIE!"
Vikram pulled the phone away from his ear.
He looked at the screen for a second.
Then disconnected.
Silence.
He took one final drag and crushed the cigarette beneath his shoe.
No expression.
No hesitation.
He opened his messages and typed a single line.
It's time for a visit, old friend.
Message sent.
Vikram slipped the phone back into his pocket.
Then he started walking.
Slow.
Steady...