04-08-2025, 06:27 AM
(This post was last modified: 04-08-2025, 07:49 PM by matiba2025213. Edited 2 times in total. Edited 2 times in total.)
Chapter 18: Ravi & Kumar (Act 16)
Lina didn’t know how long she had been asleep when her phone rang, shattering the quiet. It was Rahim, his voice slurred and confused. “Where are you?” he asked, clearly drunk. Her heart sank with guilt as she woke Ravi, who stirred beside her.
They dressed hastily, the van still heavy with the lingering scent of their indiscretion.
Before they left, Lina made Kumar promise to never reveal what had happened especially not to Rahim, not to Kumar. “It’s part of the deal,” she whispered urgently, her voice trembling. She also reminded him to take care of the tab at the bar, to which he nodded in agreement. When Kumar leaned in for a kiss, Lina pushed him away firmly. “Focus,” she said sharply. “We need to get home.”
As they hurried to the bar, Lina instructed Kumar to clean the backseat and roll down the windows to dissipate the smell of weed. He complied without protest, though his movements were rushed and clumsy.
Once inside the bar, Kumar rejoined Rahim and Ravi at the table while Lina slipped into the restroom to freshen up and reapply her makeup, hoping to avoid suspicion.
When she finally joined them, Rahim was deep in his cups, mumbling incoherently. Ravi’s eyes narrowed as he studied her, his gaze sharp and probing. He’d always been perceptive, and Lina could tell he sensed something was off. “Where were you two?” he asked, his tone casual but laced with curiosity.
Kumar cleared his throat and explained he’d taken a work call, while Lina quickly chimed in about running into an old friend. She avoided Ravi’s gaze, hoping her story would hold. Kumar, desperate to preserve his chances with Lina later, stuck to the narrative she’d crafted.
Ravi said nothing, but his suspicion lingered. Deep down, he was certain they’d been together, though he lacked proof. Why else would they have disappeared for so long? He couldn’t shake the jealousy gnawing at him, especially after the fleeting encounter he’d shared with Lina in the bar’s bathroom earlier. But he kept these thoughts to himself as Kumar settled the tab, his mind stewing in envy and frustration.
The van’s engine hummed softly as Kumar navigated the quiet streets, the dim streetlights casting long shadows across the interior. Lina sat rigidly in the passenger seat, her hands clasped tightly in her lap, her knuckles white. She could feel Ravi’s eyes on her from his spot next to the slumbering Rahim in the backseat. The remnants of the weed smell lingered in the air, a subtle but unmistakable reminder of what had transpired earlier.
Ravi leaned forward slightly, his voice low and probing. “So, Lina, you said you ran into a friend? Who was it?”
Lina’s throat tightened, her mind racing for a plausible answer. “Oh, just an old college friend,” she replied, her voice wavering ever so slightly. “She was passing through and we caught up for a bit.”
Ravi hummed in response, his gaze flickering to Kumar for a moment before settling back on Lina. “Must’ve been quite a catch-up. You were gone for a while.”
Kumar's grip on the steering wheel tightened, but he kept his eyes fixed on the road. “It’s not every day you run into an old friend,” he chimed in smoothly, his tone casual. “Plus, I had that work call. Took longer than I expected.”
Lina nodded quickly, her heart pounding. “Right, exactly. Just one of those things.”
Ravi didn’t press further, though his expression was far from convinced. He leaned back in his seat, his fingers drumming lightly against the armrest. The tension in the van was palpable, the silence heavy with unspoken words.
A few minutes later, they pulled into the quiet parking lot of their apartment complex. Kumar cut the engine and turned to Lina, his voice soft. “I’ll help you get Rahim inside.”
Lina nodded, her stomach churning with guilt and anxiety. She slid out of the passenger seat, her legs feeling unsteady beneath her. Ravi followed, his eyes tracking her every move as he helped Kumar hoist a groggy Rahim out of the van.
“C’mon, buddy,” Ravi muttered, supporting Rahim as they shuffled toward the building. “Let’s get you to bed.”
They made their way to Lina and Rahim’s apartment, the hallway eerily quiet at this hour. Lina fumbled with the keys, her hands trembling as she unlocked the door. She stepped inside, holding it open for Ravi and Kumar to guide Rahim to the bed.
“Thanks,” Lina said quietly, avoiding eye contact with both men. “I’ll take it from here.”
Ravi gave her a lingering look before nodding curtly. “Sure. You need anything else?”
“No, no, we’re fine,” Lina replied quickly, her voice tight. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Ravi knew more than he let on.
Ravi hesitated for a moment, his eyes meeting Lina’s briefly before he turned to leave. “Alright. Get some rest.”
As the door clicked shut behind them, Lina let out a shaky breath, her shoulders slumping with regret.
Lina didn’t know how long she had been asleep when her phone rang, shattering the quiet. It was Rahim, his voice slurred and confused. “Where are you?” he asked, clearly drunk. Her heart sank with guilt as she woke Ravi, who stirred beside her.
They dressed hastily, the van still heavy with the lingering scent of their indiscretion.
Before they left, Lina made Kumar promise to never reveal what had happened especially not to Rahim, not to Kumar. “It’s part of the deal,” she whispered urgently, her voice trembling. She also reminded him to take care of the tab at the bar, to which he nodded in agreement. When Kumar leaned in for a kiss, Lina pushed him away firmly. “Focus,” she said sharply. “We need to get home.”
As they hurried to the bar, Lina instructed Kumar to clean the backseat and roll down the windows to dissipate the smell of weed. He complied without protest, though his movements were rushed and clumsy.
Once inside the bar, Kumar rejoined Rahim and Ravi at the table while Lina slipped into the restroom to freshen up and reapply her makeup, hoping to avoid suspicion.
When she finally joined them, Rahim was deep in his cups, mumbling incoherently. Ravi’s eyes narrowed as he studied her, his gaze sharp and probing. He’d always been perceptive, and Lina could tell he sensed something was off. “Where were you two?” he asked, his tone casual but laced with curiosity.
Kumar cleared his throat and explained he’d taken a work call, while Lina quickly chimed in about running into an old friend. She avoided Ravi’s gaze, hoping her story would hold. Kumar, desperate to preserve his chances with Lina later, stuck to the narrative she’d crafted.
Ravi said nothing, but his suspicion lingered. Deep down, he was certain they’d been together, though he lacked proof. Why else would they have disappeared for so long? He couldn’t shake the jealousy gnawing at him, especially after the fleeting encounter he’d shared with Lina in the bar’s bathroom earlier. But he kept these thoughts to himself as Kumar settled the tab, his mind stewing in envy and frustration.
The van’s engine hummed softly as Kumar navigated the quiet streets, the dim streetlights casting long shadows across the interior. Lina sat rigidly in the passenger seat, her hands clasped tightly in her lap, her knuckles white. She could feel Ravi’s eyes on her from his spot next to the slumbering Rahim in the backseat. The remnants of the weed smell lingered in the air, a subtle but unmistakable reminder of what had transpired earlier.
Ravi leaned forward slightly, his voice low and probing. “So, Lina, you said you ran into a friend? Who was it?”
Lina’s throat tightened, her mind racing for a plausible answer. “Oh, just an old college friend,” she replied, her voice wavering ever so slightly. “She was passing through and we caught up for a bit.”
Ravi hummed in response, his gaze flickering to Kumar for a moment before settling back on Lina. “Must’ve been quite a catch-up. You were gone for a while.”
Kumar's grip on the steering wheel tightened, but he kept his eyes fixed on the road. “It’s not every day you run into an old friend,” he chimed in smoothly, his tone casual. “Plus, I had that work call. Took longer than I expected.”
Lina nodded quickly, her heart pounding. “Right, exactly. Just one of those things.”
Ravi didn’t press further, though his expression was far from convinced. He leaned back in his seat, his fingers drumming lightly against the armrest. The tension in the van was palpable, the silence heavy with unspoken words.
A few minutes later, they pulled into the quiet parking lot of their apartment complex. Kumar cut the engine and turned to Lina, his voice soft. “I’ll help you get Rahim inside.”
Lina nodded, her stomach churning with guilt and anxiety. She slid out of the passenger seat, her legs feeling unsteady beneath her. Ravi followed, his eyes tracking her every move as he helped Kumar hoist a groggy Rahim out of the van.
“C’mon, buddy,” Ravi muttered, supporting Rahim as they shuffled toward the building. “Let’s get you to bed.”
They made their way to Lina and Rahim’s apartment, the hallway eerily quiet at this hour. Lina fumbled with the keys, her hands trembling as she unlocked the door. She stepped inside, holding it open for Ravi and Kumar to guide Rahim to the bed.
“Thanks,” Lina said quietly, avoiding eye contact with both men. “I’ll take it from here.”
Ravi gave her a lingering look before nodding curtly. “Sure. You need anything else?”
“No, no, we’re fine,” Lina replied quickly, her voice tight. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Ravi knew more than he let on.
Ravi hesitated for a moment, his eyes meeting Lina’s briefly before he turned to leave. “Alright. Get some rest.”
As the door clicked shut behind them, Lina let out a shaky breath, her shoulders slumping with regret.
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