Chapter 4 — Cracks Beneath the Surface
Behind ordinary lives, hidden struggles quietly shape the choices that students will soon make.
Tanya pushed the front door open quietly.
The house smelled the same as it usually did — stale alcohol mixed with the faint odor of cheap cigarettes.
Before she could even step fully inside—
CRASH.
A glass bottle shattered against the wall near the entrance.
Tanya flinched instinctively, her shoulders tightening for a brief moment.
But the reaction faded quickly.
She had gotten used to it.
Her father sat slouched on the couch, another half-empty bottle resting on the table in front of him.
“Stop drinking, Dad,” Tanya said softly.
His head snapped toward her.
“Shut up, you useless girl. Don’t tell me what to do.”
He pushed himself up from the couch, his movements unsteady as he staggered toward her.
Tanya stepped back once.
Then stopped.
The smell of alcohol grew stronger as he came closer.
It made her stomach twist.
He extended his hand in front of her.
“Give me what that whore gave you.”
The word didn’t shock her anymore.
He had used it too many times.
“You know I gave you everything last time,” Tanya said quietly.
“I don’t have anything right now.”
His expression hardened instantly.
“You lying bitch.”
Before she could react, his hand struck her across the face.
The sound echoed through the room.
“You’re just like her,” he spat.
“Don’t call me Dad. I don’t even know if you’re mine.”
Tanya’s eyes filled with tears.
But she refused to let them fall.
For a moment she considered saying something back.
Arguing.
Fighting.
But the thought disappeared as quickly as it came.
Instead she turned and ran out of the house.
She kept running.
Down the narrow road.
Past closed shops and streetlights beginning to glow in the evening.
Her breath grew heavier with every step until she finally stopped near a quiet stretch of pavement.
Hands on her knees, she tried to catch her breath.
When she looked up—
The sky above her was full of stars.
They looked strangely beautiful tonight.
Tanya stared at them for a long time.
Then Sanvi’s voice echoed in her memory.
"You’re coming this time."
Tanya let out a shaky breath.
“I envy you,” she whispered to the empty street.
“Really… I do.”
A tear slipped down her cheek.
“You complain that your parents pressure you about studies.”
Her voice trembled.
“But at least they’re there.”
More tears followed.
“My parents aren’t even at home.”
She wiped her face quickly.
For a moment she hesitated.
Then she opened her phone and called her mother.
The ringing felt endless.
Finally—
The call connected.
“Yes Tanya? What happened?” her mother asked.
Hearing her voice made Tanya’s throat tighten immediately.
“M… Mom.”
She tried to keep her voice steady.
“I miss you today.”
Her mother sighed softly.
“I miss you too, beta. I just came back from work.”
“You’re a strong girl, right?”
Tanya swallowed.
“Mom… I want to see you.”
“I want to see you too,” her mother replied.
“But you know how busy things are right now. I’ll try to come next month.”
Tanya’s voice cracked slightly.
“Mom… you said I could come visit you. Should I come today?”
There was a brief pause.
“Tanya, don’t be difficult. I’m very tired today.”
“I’ll transfer some money to your account. You can buy something nice for yourself.”
“Mom, it’s not about the mon—”
A voice suddenly echoed faintly through the phone.
“Darling, hurry up. Yash beta is waiting. We’re going for dinner, remember?”
Tanya froze.
Her mother quickly covered the phone.
“Yes, coming,” she said quietly in the background.
When she returned to the call, her voice sounded slightly impatient.
“We’ll talk later, okay?”
But Tanya had already ended the call.
Her hands trembled.
And this time she didn’t hold back.
The quiet street filled with the sound of her crying.
For once she allowed herself to break.
Across the city, Sid sat on his bed with a notebook open in front of him.
A stack of NEET preparation books lay beside him.
But the laptop screen told a different story.
A culinary show played quietly.
Sid leaned forward, watching carefully as the chef explained a recipe.
He paused the video and quickly wrote something down.
Ingredients.
Proportions.
Cooking time.
He wrote everything neatly in his notebook.
If his father walked in, the NEET books would make it look like he was studying.
Sid resumed the video.
The chef was explaining how heat distribution affected flavor.
Sid listened like someone absorbing sacred knowledge.
Then a recommended video appeared on the side of the screen.
“Deep Sea Fish Appearing on Beaches — Is This the End of the World?”
The thumbnail showed an anglerfish lying on wet sand.
Sid frowned.
“What in the Leviathan is this?”
Curious, he clicked the video.
Footage appeared of a shoreline where several deep-sea fish had washed up.
Eight.
Maybe ten of them.
Creatures that normally lived thousands of meters below the ocean surface.
Sid scrolled down to the comments.
“Death is near.”
“My grandfather warned us.”
“The end times have begun.”
Sid rolled his eyes.
“It’s probably AI,” he muttered.
“AI videos are getting scary good these days.”
He closed the video and shut the laptop.
Within minutes, he fell asleep.
At the same time, dinner was being served in a large, brightly lit dining room inside the Maheshwari residence.
Dev’s house looked less like a home and more like a luxury hotel.
Polished marble floors.
High ceilings.
Large glass windows overlooking the garden.
Dev sat quietly at the long dining table while the adults spoke.
His father, Vikram Maheshwari, ran one of the largest construction companies in the city.
Across from him sat Afjhula Sheikh, an influential political figure.
Beside him was his daughter.
Jannat.
“I hope you like our food,” Vikram said politely.
Afjhula smiled.
“Of course. It’s excellent.”
He chuckled.
“Although I must say… your biryani still can’t compete with ours.”
Vikram laughed loudly.
“That’s true. I could eat that biryani every day.”
“Then you must visit us more often,” Afjhula replied.
Across the table, Jannat looked bored.
She glanced toward Dev.
Dev was simply eating his food quietly, avoiding the conversation entirely.
Jannat locked eyes with him and silently mouthed:
Help me.
Dev raised an eyebrow.
Then he suddenly stood.
“I’m done.”
Jannat immediately pushed her chair back.
“Me too.”
Vikram shot Dev a quick look.
The message was obvious.
Take her away.
Dev nodded slightly.
“This way,” he said calmly. “I’ll show you the washroom.”
Once they stepped away from the dining table, Jannat sighed heavily.
“How long is this going to continue?”
Dev leaned against the wall casually.
“What?”
“These ridiculous dinners.”
“It feels like our fathers are dating each other.”
Dev laughed.
“Relax.”
“They’re just trying to set us up.”
Jannat stared at him.
“I know that.”
“So do something about it.”
Dev shrugged.
“I don’t really care what they’re planning.”
“Well I do,” Jannat said sharply.
“I don’t want my reputation as an actress ruined by being linked with you.”
Dev raised an eyebrow.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Jannat crossed her arms.
“I mean I don’t want to be associated with someone who’s dating two girls at the same time.”
Dev looked offended.
“I wasn’t forcing them.”
Jannat blinked in surprise.
“So it’s true?”
She shook her head.
“I guess being rich and handsome really has its advantages.”
Dev scoffed and laughed quietly.
The next morning, Science B looked exactly like it always did.
Students talking.
Desks scraping.
Random laughter filling the room.
Then the class teacher walked in.
Immediately students began shouting.
“College trip!”
“Trip! Trip! Trip!”
The teacher raised his voice.
“Silence!”
Then louder—
“Silence, or there will be no trip at all.”
The classroom fell quiet instantly.
“Good,” the teacher said.
He smiled slightly.
“Now that things have settled… I have an announcement.”
He paused for effect.
“In one week, the 11th grade students from all sections will be going on a college trip.”
Excited murmurs spread across the room.
“This trip will include approximately 100 to 150 students, based on previous years.”
The teacher continued.
“And this year’s destination…”
He paused again.
“A forest resort located deep inside a protected jungle area.”
Gasps filled the room.
“It will be a seven-night trip.”
Students erupted into cheers.
“All details will be shared in the parent communication group and the student chat group.”
“You will need parent signatures and full payment to confirm your participation.”
The teacher raised his hand again.
“And now that the excitement is over…”
He turned toward the board.
“Let’s begin today’s lecture.”
But the class was far too excited to concentrate.
Somewhere among the cheers and whispers—
A decision was quietly beginning to form.
One that would soon change everything.