They kept walking, Tara still lightly teasing Maya, who was trying her best to act normal now.
On the way, Tara suddenly stopped for half a second. Her eyes widened when she saw a store board that said "BREAD PITT."
It was literally a bakery named after her favorite actor.
Brad Pitt… my Brad Pitt…Her fangirl heart was ready to scream.
But she quietly looked away, pretending she hadn't seen it. Because if Maya noticed she would tease her for the next three days straight.
So Tara stayed silent. Maya, of course, didn't notice anything, she was lost in her own chatter, not noticing anything around her. Tara just nodded along, ignoring the store. They walked ahead crossing that store.
They entered the store, picked up a few snacks, noodles, and some random cute things they didn't really need.
They were returning home, and Tara had a strange feeling, like someone was following them. She looked around — just her, Maya, and their shadows under the dim streetlight.
"I don't know… I feel something weird," Tara confessed.
Maya snorted. "Boooo! What could it be? A horrific ghost?" she teased.
Then she turned to the right — and saw a store called Bread Pitt.
Maya literally lost it. Maya couldn't hold her laugh. She burst out laughing so hard that she started hiccup.
"Wa… wa… wat? Water!" she gasped, still laughing.
Tara rolled her eyes and handed her the bottle. "Keep laughing, you pig."
Maya leaned forward to grab it.
That's when everything changed.
A moving van suddenly slowed behind them. Before Tara could even react, someone grabbed Maya. Her laughter vanished instantly. One second she was there—next second, she was being dragged away.
"MAYA!" Tara screamed.
She ran after the van, her heart pounding painfully in her chest, but it was already speeding away. She stumbled to a stop, breathless, watching helplessly as it disappeared into the darkness.
Just moments ago, they had been laughing.Now, Tara was shaking, tears streaming down her face.
Panicking, she spotted a telephone booth and dialed Lav again and again. No answer. With trembling hands, she called Vedh. "Hello? Who's this—" he started. "Thank God," Tara cried, cutting him off. "Vedh—please—Maya—". He recognized her voice instantly. "Tara? Calm down. What happened?". Through broken words and sobs, Tara told him everything.
Vedh arrived quickly. His expression darkened as he listened.
"It's late," he said carefully. "Maybe you should go home. I'll handle this."
"I called my parents," Tara replied flatly. "They know. I'm not leaving."
Vedh didn't argue.
They walked in silence. Tara stared at the ground, her hands clenched tightly.
"Anything you want to say?" Vedh asked quietly.
She shook her head. "No."
As she walked, Vedh slipped his hand into hers from behind. "Anything you want to say?" he asked softly.
She stared at the ground. "Nothing," she whispered.
But the weight inside her chest grew unbearable. Suddenly, she stopped and broke down, gripping his jacket as she cried.
Tara buried her face in his chest, her voice barely audible. "It's all because of me… I shouldn't have gone…".
"It's my fault," she whispered. "I shouldn't have gone."
Vedh didn't hug her back immediately. He simply stood there, steady. "This isn't on you. We'll find her."
He made a few calls, moving quickly. Finally, he found someone who knew the areas where trouble usually happened.
He tried calling him, but the phone was switched off. Grabbing his bike keys, he sped toward the man's house, Tara hopping on behind him. Midnight streets stretched ahead, dimly lit, the cool breeze brushing through their damp hair as they rode through the quiet night."
They reached the man's house, and he was fast asleep. Vedh tried to wake him—calling his name, nudging his shoulder—but nothing. Not a single response.
Tara fed up to the max, said, "Vedh! Move aside. Let's see how stubborn he really is!"
Vedh got the hint, stepped back, and covered his ears.
Then Tara let out a yell so loud it could wake the dead. "AARRRGHHHHH! GET UP, YOU LAZY POTATO!". The man woke up, confused, just staring at Tara with blank eyes. She gave a stiff, fake smile. "He'll explain," she said, walking away. Vedh sighed and quickly explained the situation to the man, who was still half asleep, hoping he would understand.
The man suggested a few places to search. They went through every dark alley the man had mentioned, peeking into corners, doorways, and narrow lanes where a kidnapping could have happened. Street after street, shadowed side paths, and empty backstreets—they tried everywhere. But no matter how hard they looked, there was still nothing—no clue, no trace, nothing to guide them toward the missing person.
They were all disappointed. Tara sat on a bench by the side of the path, and out of pure frustration, she slapped herself hard. "It's all because of me… it's all because of me… it's all because of me," she muttered, blaming herself. I shouldn't have gone… why did I go… , such a brainless creature I am. Her nose was runny, and tears poured down her cheeks.
Vedh sat beside her and handed her a napkin. "Blaming yourself won't help. We'll continue tomorrow."
It was late. She was drained.
On the ride back, Tara fell asleep from exhaustion.
When they reached her house, Vedh gently woke her.
"Hey… wake up."
She opened her swollen eyes, still dazed.
"It's late," he said simply.
She nodded, got off the bike, then paused.
They both turned at the same time.
"Hey—"
Vedh cleared his throat. "We'll search again tomorrow."
Tara nodded. "We will.