?????? | ??+

Please keep in mind that USA and India have a time difference of 11.30 - 12.00 hours.

Read and figure out according to the timeline as we have location stamps

Later don't ask why Dev is a ghost !

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

Oberoi Estate—Later That Night

The weight of the silence in the mansion was overwhelming as Avantika and Vikram rushed out of the room, frantically dialing the family. Their son was in no condition to be left alone.

Avantika’s hands shook as she held the phone, her mind racing with a mixture of concern and guilt. The look on Dev’s face—pale, broken, and unable to breathe—haunted her. She had never seen him like this, not even when he was a child. And it terrified her.

Vikram stood next to her, his expression unreadable, but the tightness of his jaw and the clenched fists told the story of a man who had lost control. “I can’t believe he’s like this,” he muttered. “Why didn’t we see it? Why didn’t we do something before it was too late?”

“Pata nahi aisa kya hogaya and school walo ka phone out of service tha…?” Avantika whispered, almost to herself. “Shayad Ishaani aur Dev koi jadaga hua ho? Aur wo use se gussa hogye ho, uske dostono ne toh kaha tha ki Ishaani chaligayi hai? And kuch sacrifice ke baat kar rahe the…” Her eyes welled up with tears, but she quickly wiped them away. “That should be it, right? Ghar hi toh gayi hogi, hum jake baat karlenege na? Sab kuch phir thik hogayega? Vikram Call the family. Call the doctor.”

Vikram nodded grimly. “That must be it; we need to get him help. Right now.”

Amidst the chaos, no one noticed Dev had locked himself back into his room after Kabir went to get him a glass of water. 

He had refused the help of his parents, his body shaking uncontrollably as he staggered toward the bathroom, unable to deal with the crushing weight of his emotions. He wasn’t even sure how he had made it to the floor.

In a daze, he managed to sit in front of the mirror, his hands weakly brushing through his hair, but his mind was spinning. He couldn’t breathe. His chest felt like it was being crushed with every breath, and his throat ached with unshed tears. The overwhelming emptiness inside him seemed to swallow him whole. He had never felt so alone.

When his knees finally gave way, he collapsed to the floor. His head spun, nose bleeding, the room tilting. He could barely stand, his hands trembling as they pressed against the cold tile.

The pain, the fear of losing her, the thought of never seeing her again—it consumed him. It was all too much.

Fortis La Femme Hospital—Midnight

The hospital’s sterile lights were harsh against the darkness of the night. Dev was lying in a bed, an IV drip attached to his arm, pumping fluids into his body. 

His skin was pale, clammy, and covered in a sheen of sweat. His breathing was shallow, each inhale a struggle. His eyes were unfocused, staring at the ceiling, but he wasn’t truly seeing anything.

He could hear voices around him, muffled and distant. He could feel the soft pressure of hands on his forehead, but they didn’t feel real. He felt detached, as though his body was operating without him.