Chapter 5: The Island of Two

The clock on the wall didn't just tick; it felt like a countdown.

Priya sat on the edge of the sofa, her hands tucked under her thighs to keep them from shaking. In front of her, the whirlwind of her family’s departure was in full swing. Her mother, Raji, was double-checking bags, while her father, Suri, and her sister, Malini, stood by the door, ready for the wedding function in the neighboring district.

"The lunch is packed in the green bag," Raji said, her voice a rapid-fire staccato of instructions. "Dinner is in the fridge. I put some extra cash on top of the cupboard. Don't spend it all on junk."

Suri frowned. "That’s not enough for an emergency, Raji."

"Oh, hush," Raji snapped, though her eyes remained on Priya. "If you spoil her, she’ll stop listening to us entirely. Now, Priya—listen to me. No guests. No going out after college. Straight home. Lock the door. Do you hear me?"

"I hear you, Ma," Priya said, forced a smile. "I have exams. I’m not going anywhere."

Priya walked her mother to the door, leaning in to whisper, "Ma, please... don't tell Nanna about Karthi yet. I’ll tell him when the time is right."

Malini slid in between them, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "You don't have to tell him, Akka. We can just tell him for you."

Priya’s heart skipped. "You wouldn't."

"I don't need to," Malini whispered back, eyeing Priya’s phone. "The way that screen lights up every thirty seconds with 'I miss you' and 'Where are you?'... it tells the whole story. Just be careful, okay?"

As the door clicked shut and the sound of their footsteps faded down the stairs, the silence of the apartment felt heavy. Priya was alone. Or so she thought.

The Mirror of Obsession

Across the street, Karthi pulled his motorbike to the curb. He didn't look at his own house. He looked up at Priya’s balcony. He knew the parents were gone. He knew the sister was gone.

Priya climbed onto the back of his bike a few minutes later, her heart a mess of guilt and longing. As they sped toward the outskirts of the city, she didn't see Vaani and Rekha walking toward the college. She didn't see the look of utter betrayal on Vaani’s face.

"Where are we going?" Priya shouted over the roar of the wind.

"Somewhere quiet," Karthi replied, his voice flat. "Somewhere without distractions."

They ended up at a secluded stretch of beach where the sand was gray and the waves were violent. For a few hours, it was perfect. They ran through the surf, their laughter echoing against the dunes. Karthi seemed like the boy she had fallen for again—attentive, smiling, and warm.

They sat close together on the damp sand. Karthi pulled her into his lap, his touch light at first, then firm. When he kissed her, it wasn't just a gesture of affection; it felt like he was trying to reclaim territory. Priya leaned into it, wanting to believe this was what love felt like—this intensity, this heat.

But then, the sun began to set, casting long, skeletal shadows over the beach.

"I wish we could stay here forever," Karthi whispered into her hair. "Just you and me. No Vaani. No Rekha. No parents."

Priya pulled back slightly. "Karthi, they’re my friends. My family."

His grip on her arm tightened. Just a fraction. "They’re distractions, Priya. They fill your head with lies about me. They make you think you’re unhappy when you’re with me."

"I'm not unhappy," she whispered, though her arm began to ache. "But I need them too."

"No," Karthi’s voice turned cold, his eyes widening in the fading light. "If you loved me, I would be enough. Promise me, Priya. Promise me you’ll leave them behind. Promise me you’re mine and only mine."

The fear she had felt in her nightmare flashed back. The beach didn't feel romantic anymore. It felt like a cage.