Meet Aarav, Raghu, and Zoya—three friends with one thing in common: a streak of bad luck. When Zoya’s estranged father resurfaces with a dangerous debt, their lives are thrown into turmoil.
Chapter 1: The Calm Before the Storm
The neon sign of the diner flickered erratically, casting a pale glow across the rain-drenched streets of Mumbai. The monsoon had arrived early this year, and the persistent drizzle seemed to wash away the usual chaos of the city, leaving everything damp and quiet. Inside the modest 24-hour café, the air was thick with the aroma of strong, spiced chai and the faint scent of sizzling samosas from the kitchen. The low hum of a Bollywood classic playing on the radio added a touch of nostalgia to the otherwise mundane atmosphere. It was just another night in the city, but for Aarav, Raghu, and Zoya, it would mark the beginning of something they could never have imagined.
Aarav stepped in first, shaking the water from his jacket as he entered. The usual crowd—drivers, late-night workers, and students—sat scattered across the booths, each in their own world. Aarav’s entrance caused little more than a brief glance or two. He wasn’t the type to draw attention. Tall, with unkempt hair and a steady grin that rarely seemed to fade, he had always carried himself with the easy confidence of someone who had lived through hardship but refused to let it show. His clothes were a blend of worn jeans and a faded leather jacket that had seen better days, his guitar case slung over his back like a permanent companion.
He waved at Zoya and Raghu, who were already seated in their usual corner booth. Raghu, the quiet one, was lost in a newspaper, his dark eyes scanning the headlines with a resigned focus. Zoya was, as always, the one who brought life to any room. She was smaller than the others but had a big presence, her curly hair framing her face like a halo of defiance. She grinned when she saw Aarav.
“Late as usual,” Zoya teased, pushing a steaming cup of chai toward him. “Did you make them play your song again?”
Aarav slid into the booth, chuckling. “Karaoke? No way. I had to dodge some drunk college kids begging me to sing ‘Tauba Tauba’. I’m not that desperate.”
Raghu rolled his eyes but smiled. “Only you, Aarav.”
Aarav grinned back and accepted the chai, the warmth of the cup feeling like a small piece of comfort on this long, rainy night. He had known Zoya and Raghu for years, since they were kids growing up in the busy, crowded streets of Mumbai. Together, they had learned how to survive the struggles of their city—whether it was getting through tough exams, dodging local goons on their way home, or just managing to scrape together enough money to eat. They’d always been a team, sticking together through thick and thin.
But lately, it felt like they were all stuck in a downward spiral.
Zoya had always dreamed of something bigger—being a writer, an artist, or anything that would lift her out of the grind of waitressing. But every shift felt like another notch in her growing exhaustion. Despite her charm and work ethic, the tips never seemed enough, and every audition or freelance opportunity fell flat. The dream felt more like a distant echo than a reality.
Raghu, on the other hand, had seen better days. Once a promising tech startup employee, he’d lost his job in the latest round of layoffs. With his severance running out and no new prospects in sight, he spent his days sending out resumes and nights lost in deep thoughts about what went wrong. His savings were nearly gone, and the weight of his debt had started to consume him. The thought of asking his family for help never crossed his mind. He couldn’t bear to let them down.
Aarav wasn’t faring much better. A struggling musician, his once-hopeful career had hit a brick wall. Rent was overdue, and despite the late-night gigs and relentless hustle, his bank account seemed to grow emptier by the day. The music was his passion, his refuge, but every day that passed without any breakthrough felt like a cruel joke. There was only so much he could do to keep his dream alive while reality crashed around him.
“So,” Raghu said, looking up from his paper. “How’s the music scene going, Aarav? Are you still playing at that dive bar?”
Aarav took a long sip of the chai, his eyes drifting to the wet streets outside. “Same old story,” he muttered. “Barely covering rent, barely keeping my head above water. The manager’s a joke, and no one cares. I’m not even sure why I’m still at it.”
Zoya leaned forward, her voice soft but insistent. “Aarav, you have to keep going. I know it’s tough, but you’re too good to just give up. You’ve been at this since we were kids. Don’t let go now.”
He looked at her, his tired eyes showing how much the weight of the world had started to affect him. “I don’t know, Zoya. Some days, I feel like I’m not getting anywhere.”
Before Zoya could respond, Aarav’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He fished it out, glancing at the screen. It was a text from an unknown number, followed by a short message: “Zoya, I need to talk to you. It’s urgent.”
He showed it to her without saying a word. Zoya stared at the message, her brow furrowing in confusion. Her father hadn’t been part of her life in years. Their relationship had been strained for as long as she could remember. He’d walked out when she was young, and her life had been a series of attempts to fill the void he left behind. It wasn’t until much later that she realized she hadn’t missed him as much as she thought she would.
“I should call him,” Zoya said, her voice a mixture of curiosity and hesitation. “I have to figure out what he wants.”
She stepped outside for a bit of privacy, her expression tense. Aarav and Raghu exchanged glances, both of them sensing something heavy hanging in the air. Zoya had always been the strong one, the one who kept everyone together. But her father’s sudden reappearance—out of nowhere, with no warning—wasn’t a good sign.
Minutes later, Zoya returned, her face pale, the color drained from her usually vibrant demeanor.
“He… he’s in trouble,” Zoya said quietly. “Some dangerous people… and he’s put me on the line for a debt I don’t even understand. It’s… it’s huge, Aarav. Far beyond anything we could ever pull together. And the deadline? A few weeks.”
Raghu’s brow furrowed as he processed the words. “A debt? How much are we talking about?”
Zoya swallowed hard, not able to meet their eyes. “Five million.”
The silence that followed was thick, oppressive. Five million. It was a sum that no one in their right mind would even dare to imagine, let alone try to pay. The three of them had faced struggles before, but this was different. This wasn’t just a challenge. This was a mountain, a chasm that seemed insurmountable.
Aarav leaned back in his seat, his mind racing. “How do we even begin to deal with this?”
Zoya shook her head. “I don’t know. But I can’t let them hurt him. I just can’t.”
The three of them sat there for a long moment, the weight of the situation sinking in. They had no idea how they would solve this, but one thing was clear: They were in this together, and whatever it took, they would have to find a way.
But how far were they willing to go?
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and situations are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. The story is meant for entertainment purposes only and does not depict real-life events, places, or organizations.
