Scene 1 — Shlokh
Morning arrived late for Shlokh.
Not because the sun was slow—
but because his body was.
He lay still for a moment, eyes fixed on the ceiling, his throat carrying a faint, familiar discomfort. The silence felt heavier than usual, pressing against his chest.
Then he remembered.
The man had called him.
The thought pulled him fully awake.
After freshening up, Shlokh picked up his phone and dialed Vaibhav.
The call connected.
Silence.
"Bhai," Shlokh finally said, "listen… do you want to come out with me for a bit?"
A pause.
"And… how are you feeling after that day?"
Vaibhav's voice came flat, distant.
"I'm not feeling like it. I won't come."
The call ended.
Shlokh stared at the screen, irritation tightening his jaw.
"Seriously…?" he muttered.
He didn't wait this time. He dialed Shourya.
"Bro," Shlokh said, "will you come out with me?"
"Yeah," Shourya replied casually. "But only till afternoon. I'm at the eye clinic right now—getting them checked. They've been feeling weird for some time."
Shlokh frowned.
"Should I come there too? Then we can head out together."
"Yeah," Shourya said. "That works."
The call ended.
Shlokh exhaled slowly.
For the first time, it felt like the trio wasn't moving together anymore.
And that worried him more than the man's message ever did.
By 12:45 in the afternoon, Shlokh reached the clinic.
Shourya was already there, leaning against the railing outside, phone in hand.
"Bro, how much time will the check-up take now?" Shlokh asked.
Shourya shrugged lightly.
"I told Dad about the eye problem. He talked to the doctor early in the morning. They said the check-up would be done immediately."
Shlokh nodded.
They entered together.
The air inside smelled of disinfectant and impatience. The lights were too white. Too clean.
Time dragged.
By 1:20, the reports were ready.
Shourya flipped through the pages, barely understanding the medical terms.
Nothing dramatic.
Nothing alarming.
At least, that's what it looked like.
Shlokh glanced at the papers once—then looked away.
Something about how easily it ended felt… wrong.
Scene 2 — The Meeting
"Nothing happened," Shourya said casually, snapping the file shut.
Shlokh studied him.
"So… you're sure? Nothing at all?"
Shourya shrugged.
"I don't even know what happened in the first place."
Shlokh didn't reply.
He kept looking.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" Shourya frowned. "I'm fine. Completely straight."
Shlokh spoke calmly—almost too calmly.
"Your left eye… I can see green in it."
Silence.
Shourya noticed it too—but immediately looked away.
To distract himself, he spoke quickly.
"So… where are we going now?"
"Central Building," Shlokh replied.
They left at 1:30.
By 1:58, they had arrived.
Shlokh stopped at the entrance.
"Come on," he said. "Let's go inside."
They stepped in.
An administrator looked up from the desk.
"Yes, sir. Whom are you here to meet?"
"Veere," Shlokh answered without hesitation.
Everything vanished.
The building.
The people.
The sound.
Red fumes filled the air.
Shlokh found himself somewhere else.
A vast, silent space stretched endlessly around him. At its center stood a single chair.
Veere sat there calmly.
He snapped his fingers.
A sofa materialized beside the chair.
Before Shlokh could react, his body moved on its own. He sat down.
Veere smiled faintly.
"Oh… you recognize me."
POV — Shourya
"Shlokh?"
Shourya turned sharply.
The hall was empty.
No desks.
No people.
No sound.
"Where did everyone go?" he muttered.
Back to Shlokh
Veere spoke again.
"There are things I want to tell you."
Shlokh's confusion hardened into focus.
Before Veere could continue, Shlokh interrupted.
"Is this happening only to me… or to Vaibhav and Shourya as well?"
Veere paused.
Then smiled.
"Just as I thought."
"Yes," he said calmly.
Shlokh wasn't surprised.
He had already known.
Scene 3 — Vaibhav
"Beta, how long will you lie in bed?" his mother called.
"Get up now."
Vaibhav opened his eyes slowly.
"I'm up," he said, sitting halfway.
"Maa… can you make me soda with coconut water from the fridge?"
She smiled faintly.
"Yes—but get up properly first. And start studying again. You haven't touched your books since the exams ended."
"Yeah," Vaibhav nodded.
He stood and walked toward the mirror.
For a moment, he just stared at his reflection.
"How long will this keep pulling me down?" he whispered.
"Is this really my destiny?"
The thought lingered.
Then broke.
"No," he said quietly.
"This isn't destiny."
His eyes sharpened.
"Destiny isn't fixed," he murmured.
"It's made."
He straightened his back.
"If I can't be normal anymore," he said firmly,
"then I'll stop letting it control me."
Something shifted.
A low Riddhox wave escaped him—not violent, not loud.
Just intent.
The pressure in his head eased.
The fog thinned.
Calm replaced chaos—
but not completely.
A small smile formed on his face.
Vaibhav turned and walked toward the kitchen, almost skipping.
He stood there patiently.
Waiting for his soda.
END OF CHAPTER 14 — FRACTION
: FATUITY