RUDY
"Okay, this is bad," he said, pacing in Mini's room.
"He knows we're on his trail, and he somehow knows what we're planning—" Mini said, clutching her head.
"He recorded us, and that's creepy enough—"
"Oh God," she groaned, burying her face in her hands.
"He told me that I'd have to do what he said, otherwise he'd release that tape, and— and ruin my future!"
Mini looked up, morose, "We— we can fix this. We just need to—"
"There is no "we" anymore! I'm being sent to Atlanta! I'll be leaving you alone, and he said— he said that if I didn't listen..."
"What?" she asked, her voice catching.
"He said he'll kill you, okay?! I can't risk that! I can't risk losing you!"
Her eyes were wide, and her fists were clenched.
"I'm sorry, Mini," he said, fighting back tears.
"I'm so sorry, I tried, but... we lost."
She covered her face with her hands, and he saw tears escaping through her fingers, silvery-gold in the light.
"I tried to be brave for you, Mini. I really did. But I failed in the end. And now it's all breaking apart." He felt a tear roll down his cheek.
His grandfather's words echoed in his head.
"If you want your girlfriend to live, you'll listen to me, won't you, grandson?"
————
Three days later, Rudy was dragging a heavy suitcase through the entrance of the airport, ignoring the chatter around him and Mini.
His grandfather had somehow managed to convince his parents and brother to not come to see him off, possibly to make his departure more painful. It would certainly be the type thing he would do.
Both he and Mini had danced around the topic of his leaving, the unsaid words clear in the silence between them: Maybe we won't meet again.
But he had to keep hope.
"You'll be okay, won't you?" He asked, shouldering his bag.
She smiled slightly, though he saw sadness glimmering in her eyes.
"Have a safe flight," was all she said. "...And tell Aru and Aiden that I said 'Hi'."
He smiled back, and said, "Will do."
Silence fell between them, as announcements echoed overhead.
Mini checked her watch. "Your flight is in an hour, isn't it?"
He nodded. "Yeah."
She crossed her arms, and said, "Well... good luck."
He tilted his head, catching the upward tilt of her eyes, a swirling dark that he could get lost in.
"Stay safe. Please." He said.
She turned her face away from him. "I will."
Something inside him fell, took root. I don't want to leave. I want to stay. ...But it's not about what I want.
She looked up at him, and took a deep breath.
"I'll miss you, Baby Snekky Snake."
He felt tears prick at the edges of his eyes, as he put his arms around her waist and pulled her into a hug.
"Please don't die," he pleaded.
"I— I won't. Don't worry. I'll be fine."
He felt her tears soak his jacket.
"Are you crying?"
"No, I'm allergic to emotions," she said, her voice choked.
He laughed, but he wasn't ready to let go.
They separated, with teary eyes and watery smiles.
"Okay, now you've really got to go, I'll make you late," she sniffed.
"Wait," he said, turning around, and zipping open his haversack, and bringing out his jacket.
"Since you're perpetually cold—"
"Hey!"
"—Don't deny it, and I may not... you know, come back, here's something to remember me by."
He handed her his prized possession.
"Didn't you wear this for your first concert in high school?"
"Bingo! And since it brought me luck on that day, I hope it'll bring you luck too."
She raised her eyebrows, and said, "Didn't a person from your band contract malaria on the day of the concert?"
"Yeah, but I looked awesome."
Overhead, an announcement echoed: Flight 207 to Atlanta will be taking off in 30 minutes. All passengers report to Boarding Gate 3B, which will close in 15 minutes.
"I guess this is it?"
"This is it," she repeated, pulling on his jacket. It looked big on her, her wrists hidden by the sleeves. It made the dark, swirling colours of her eyes pop out, and inadvertently, he thought: She looks pretty.
Clearing his throat, he said, "Goodbye, my dark benevolent queen,"
"Bye, Baby Snekky-Snake."
And as he turned around, dragging his suitcase behind him, he felt his stomach sink as a small part of him still wanted to stay, but the rest of him knew he had to do this.
————
ARU
"Okay, Rudy— I say this while meaning no offence— why the heck are you here?"
"Thanks, I'm feeling really welcome here, Aru." Rudy said, deadpanned.
"You're not answering the question, though," Aru pointed out.
Rudy scowled. "Does it matter? I'm gonna be wasting my life here forever, anyway."
Aiden's eyes widened. "Forever? You'll be living here forever?"
He didn't seem too happy about it.
"Most likely. I'm pumped about it too, cousin dearest."
"Stop, both of you." Aru instructed.
"Okay, fine, I'll say what happened." Rudy said, crossing his hands.
"I went to confront Takshaka, and... um, he had a recording of my voice."
"...He recorded you?"
"Not... me, exactly. I don't know. We were speaking in Mini's room, and he couldn't have planted a recording device there, nor could he have put it on me... which is what confuses me the most."
"And then what?" Aru asked, her stomach sinking.
"He... he threatened to kill Mini."
Aru cringed, lacing her fingers.
Rudy looked up, pained. "I'm sorry, Aru, but it's too risky. I can't help you anymore."
Aru looked up, pain needling at her too. "I get it, Rudy. I'm sorry I dragged you and Mini in this mess anyway."
Aiden exhaled, ruffling his hair, dark curls falling in his eyes.
"It's Bee—" he explained, as his phone began to ring.
Aru straightened up, as Aiden picked up the call, and put Brynne on speaker-phone.
"Okay, Ammamma, I've got news for you."
"Bee, you're on speaker-phone, Aru and Rudy are here too,"
"Okay, great. First things first: I got a job at a gourmet restaurant—you know, the snobbish one at the turn of the Hover's Street?"
Aru frowned. "Congrats?"
"No, Shah, listen— Hira works there too, and when we're off our shift, we talk to each other, and she mentioned that her brother was in New York,"
"I'm still not understanding—?"
"He works as a lawyer for Naga Firm and Associates, is what I'm saying. Back in 2019, he was in the Family Law Department, as an associate, and Hira mentioned that working on the divorce of a rich lady and curator made him get a bonus with his salary. I'd bet the croissants I'm planning to make that that 'rich lady' was your mom."
Aru felt excitement course through her, though that was doused, as: "Don't you need to talk to him to ask him what happened?"
"Not a problem," Brynne said, her voice alight with triumph. "He's gonna be eating at our restaurant tomorrow night."
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