Concert Night — Backstage

Sira stood frozen in the corridor, the silicone mask of Palki’s face hanging loosely in her hand.

For a moment, no one spoke.

Miransh stared at her as if time itself had stopped.

Shock flashed across his usually controlled face.

Beside him, Nayab stepped forward quickly, disbelief written all over her expression.

“What is this?” she demanded sharply.

“Where did you come from? You were supposed to be ill!”

Her eyes moved between Sira and the mask in her hand.

“How are you here?”

Sira took a slow breath.

“It was Palki’s plan.”

Her calm words only deepened the silence around them.

Flashback — Palki’s dressing room

The room was quiet except for the faint sound of traffic from outside.

Palki stood near the window, her brows slightly furrowed as she thought deeply.

Sira had been watching her for several minutes now.

Finally, she sighed.

“What will you do now?” she asked.

Palki didn’t respond immediately.

Instead, she picked up her phone and began scrolling through something.

Sira folded her arms.

“All your plans have failed so far,” she continued honestly.

“That man always finds you.”

Palki’s lips curved into a small smile.

“That’s because,” she said calmly, “I always tried to run away directly in front of him.”

Her fingers paused on the phone screen.

“Ansh’s entire focus is always on me.”

She looked up slowly.

“That’s why he always manages to bring me back.”

Sira frowned.

“Then what will you do now?”

Palki’s eyes gleamed with a new kind of determination.

“This time,” she said softly,

“I won’t run.”

A mysterious smile appeared on her face.

“This time… I will distract him.”

Sira blinked in confusion.

“Distract him? How?”

She immediately shook her head.

“That’s impossible. Nayab follows you everywhere. How will you escape her?”

Palki’s smile widened.

“By creating an illusion.”

Sira looked even more confused.

“An illusion?”

Without saying anything more, Palki turned the phone toward her.

A video was playing on the screen.

A man was carefully crafting a silicone face mask — shaping it with incredible precision.

The mask looked almost identical to the original face.

Sira’s eyes widened.

“Are you serious…”

Palki leaned back against the table.

“This artist will make a silicone mask of my face,” she said calmly.

Then she pointed at Sira.

“And you will wear it.”

Sira blinked rapidly. “What?”

“You’ll pretend to be me.” 

Palki nodded.

“They’ll see you and think I’m still there.”

Her smile turned slightly mischievous.

“And while everyone watches ‘Palki’…”

“I’ll disappear.”

A slow, confident smile spread across her face.

Sira still looked worried.

“But where will you find this artist?” she asked.

“And if you go searching for him, Miransh will definitely find out.”

Palki’s eyes sparkled.

“This time,” she said softly,

“destiny is on my side.”

“There’s an exhibition happening at Vihaan uncle’s art gallery.”

“And that artist will be there. I will go to meet him.”

She folded her arms.

“Once the mask is ready, you’ll become Palki.”

“And I…”

Her gaze turned distant for a moment.

“I will finally escape this cage.”

Flashback Ends

Miransh slowly closed his eyes.

Everything suddenly made sense.

The moment Palki had disappeared from the art gallery…

She hadn’t been running randomly.

She had been meeting that artist.

Preparing this entire illusion.

When he opened his eyes again, they were darker.

Sharper.

Beside him, Nayab was still staring at Sira in disbelief.

“But I was with Palki the entire day,” she said.

Her voice was full of confusion.

“How did you even enter the dressing room?”

Sira answered calmly.

“I was already there.”

Both of them looked at her.

“Before you arrived, I was hiding inside the washroom.”

She continued quietly.

“When Palki went inside and asked you to bring her period kit…”

Sira raised the mask slightly.

“That’s when we switched places.”

“You went to get the kit.”

“And the real Palki…”

“She left.”

The corridor fell silent again.

Slowly—

Miransh turned his head toward Nayab.

His jaw tightened.

“I told you,” he said coldly,

“to stay with her.”

Nayab lowered her gaze immediately.

Guilt washed across her face.

For the first time since she had been assigned this duty…

She had failed.

Cape Town, South Africa

The bus slowed down with a soft hiss and finally stopped.

The door opened.

Palki stepped down onto the pavement.

For a moment, she simply stood there.

Her eyes slowly moved around the surroundings.

Tall trees swayed gently in the cool breeze. The evening sun painted the streets in warm golden light. The distant laughter of children floated through the air.

Everything felt…

Familiar.

Yet strangely distant.

As if she had returned to a dream she once lived in.

Palki took a few slow steps forward.

Not far away, a small park spread across the corner of the street.

Children were running around the swings and slides, their carefree laughter echoing through the air. A group of mothers sat nearby, chatting softly while keeping an eye on their kids. A few couples walked along the pathway, enjoying the peaceful evening.

Palki stopped at the park’s entrance.

Her eyes softened.

This place…

This was where she had spent countless evenings.

Running through the grass.

Laughing without a care in the world.

With her mother.

And her best friend — Jharna.

For a moment, the memories rushed back so vividly that it felt like the past had come alive again.

But the warmth of the memory quickly faded.

Because the present felt different.

Colder.

Empty.

Her eyes filled with tears.

She quickly wiped them away.

No.

She had not come here to cry.

She had come here for answers.

Palki turned and walked away from the park.

A few minutes later—

She stopped in front of a residential building.

Her building.

The gate stood closed.

Palki looked up slowly at the structure.

Her chest tightened.

Her eyes turned wet again.

This was her home.

Or at least…

It used to be.

Taking a deep breath, she walked toward the gate.

But before she could enter—

A guard stepped in front of her.

“Excuse me,” he said firmly.

“Who are you? Who do you want to meet?”

Palki looked at him calmly.

“My mumma.”

The guard frowned.

“Your mother?”

He looked at her carefully.

“I’ve never seen you here before. Who is your mother?”

Palki hesitated.

Of course.

Years had passed.

Taking a breath, she said slowly,

“I used to live here with my mumma. We have an apartment here.”

The guard suddenly laughed.

“Which century are you from?” he said sarcastically.

“There are no vacant apartments here. Every flat is occupied.”

He waved his hand dismissively.

“There’s nothing here for you.”

Palki froze.

Shock spread across her face.

“What are you saying?” she asked.

“My mother bought an apartment here.”

“And my best friend also had one.”

She pointed toward the building.

“There should be two empty apartments!”

Her voice rose with anger.

“How are people living there without permission?”

“Open the gate.”

The guard straightened, now slightly alert.

“Listen, miss,” he said sternly.

“Stop creating a scene.”

“Leave before I call the police.”

Palki stared at him in disbelief.

“You’re threatening me with the police?”

“I haven’t done anything wrong!”

She grabbed the gate and shook it angrily.

“Call them!”

“I’ll tell them everything.”

“Some people are illegally staying in my house!”

Vertigo — Miransh’s Cabin, India

Inside the sleek glass cabin of Vertigo Headquarters, silence hung heavily in the air.

Miransh stood near the large glass window, his back turned to the room.

The city lights glittered far below.

Behind him, Kiaan sat lazily on a chair, spinning a pen between his fingers.

He had been thinking about the situation for quite some time.

Finally, he broke the silence.

“Yaar, Palki is amazing,” he said with a small laugh.

“What a mind-blowing plan she made.”

He leaned back in his chair.

“She actually fooled you, Miransh.”

He shook his head in disbelief.

“And honestly, that’s the most shocking part.”

“How did you not see it coming?”

Miransh didn’t respond.

His gaze remained fixed on the city outside.

Kiaan sighed.

“Anyway,” he continued casually,

“we still have to reach Dubai.”

He looked up at Miransh.

“What about that?”

Miransh finally spoke.

“I’m going to Cape Town first.”

Kiaan blinked.

He immediately stood up and walked toward him.

“For Palki?” he asked incredulously.

“Seriously?”

“She’s not a kid, Miransh.”

“If she could go there alone, she can come back on her own too.”

He crossed his arms.

“But if we miss Dubai…”

“We might lose the final clue to find that man.”

Miransh’s expression remained unchanged.

“Doesn’t matter.”

He paused before adding quietly,

“Eyelid is my first priority.”

Kiaan groaned dramatically.

“I swear I’m tired of watching this hide-and-seek between you two.”

For a moment, silence returned.

Then Kiaan smirked.

“Well,” he said sarcastically,

“She’s in Cape Town. South Africa.”

“Not India.”

He spread his hands.

“That’s not your territory.”

“How exactly are you planning to find her there?”

Miransh’s lips slowly curved into a faint smile.

“She’s smart,” he said.

“But I’m not a fool.”

Kiaan raised an eyebrow.

“Alright…”

“What did you do now?”

Miransh took out his phone.

A small blinking dot appeared on the screen.

Moving slowly across the map.

“I gave her a bracelet,” he said calmly.

Kiaan frowned.

“So?”

Then realization struck him.

His eyes widened.

“Wait…”

“That bracelet has a tracking device?”

Miransh glanced at him. The corner of his lips lifted slightly.

Cape Town, South Africa

A small crowd had gathered near the gate.

Two police officers stood beside the security guard, listening impatiently as he complained loudly.

“This girl just came here and started shouting,” the guard said, pointing toward Palki. “She keeps saying the building belongs to her!”

Palki stood in front of them, trying to stay calm despite the storm of emotions inside her.

“I’m telling the truth,” she said firmly. “I used to live here with my mother.”

One of the officers — a frustrated female cop — rubbed her forehead in irritation.

“Do you have any proof?” she asked sharply.

The question hit Palki like a sudden blow.

She froze.

For a moment, no words came out.

Her mind searched desperately for something — any document, any memory that could help her prove it.

But there was nothing.

A tear silently slipped down her cheek.

The officer noticed her silence and crossed her arms.

“Well?” she said impatiently.

Palki gathered her courage and tried again.

“I lived here years ago,” she said softly. “With my mother.”

Her voice trembled slightly.

“Please believe me. I’m not lying.”

The officer sighed heavily.

“Then show us proof, ma’am.”

Her tone turned colder.

“And if you don’t have any proof, stop creating this drama.”

She gestured toward the road.

“Leave quietly. Otherwise I’ll have to arrest you for disturbing the peace.”

Palki felt as if the ground beneath her feet had disappeared.

Proof.

How could she possibly have proof?

She had left Cape Town when she was just a child.

A child who had no documents.

No records.

No control over anything.

Her eyes slowly lifted toward the building again.

Her home.

Or the place that used to be her home.

A wave of confusion washed over her.

If strangers were living there now…

Then what happened to the apartment her mother bought?

And more importantly—

What happened to her mother?

Is she alive?

Or had something terrible happened to her?

The questions circled endlessly in Palki’s mind, leaving her more lost than before.

She had come here searching for answers.

Instead, she had only found more mysteries.

Lost in her thoughts, Palki didn’t notice something important.

Across the street—

Two men stood at a distance.

Watching her.

Silently.

Carefully.

As if they had been waiting for her to appear.

Vertigo — Miransh’s Cabin, India

Kiaan leaned against the table, his arms folded as he watched Miransh carefully.

“Why are you doing this?” he said seriously,

Miransh remained silent, his gaze fixed on the city beyond the window.

Kiaan continued.

“She went to Cape Town to find the truth about her mother.”

He paused for a moment.

“Her mother… whom she lost years ago.”

His voice softened slightly.

“And you’re trying to stop her.”

Kiaan stepped closer.

“Why?”

A brief silence followed.

Then Kiaan spoke again, his tone deeper now.

“Aren’t you both suffering from the same pain?”

Miransh’s fingers tightened slightly at his side.

But he still didn’t turn around.

Kiaan continued quietly,

“You’re here chasing the man who destroyed your life.”

“Searching for the culprit who took everything from you.”

He looked directly at Miransh’s back.

“So what about her?”

“Doesn’t she deserve to know the truth about her own mother?”

For a long moment, Miransh said nothing.

Then he finally spoke.

His voice was calm.

Almost too calm.

“She should stay at Maurya Mansion.”

Kiaan frowned slightly.

Miransh continued,

“That is the only place where she is safe.”

He paused before adding quietly,

“And that was her mother’s decision.”

“Not mine.”

With that, Miransh turned and began walking toward the door.

But just as he reached it—

Kiaan’s voice stopped him.

“You know something about her mother… don’t you?”

The room fell silent again.

Miransh didn’t answer.

He didn’t even turn around.

But the slight pause in his step…

The faint tightening of his shoulders…

Said enough.

Kiaan slowly exhaled.

His guess had not been wrong.

Miransh knew something.

Something important.

And he was hiding it.

***

Sitara’s Note

This chapter marks the beginning of two journeys moving in opposite directions.

Palki finally managed to break free from the cage that had been holding her back for so long. With courage and a clever illusion, she reached the city that carries the memories of her childhood — the place where her search for the truth about her mother truly begins.

But every escape comes with a price.

While Palki believes she has finally outsmarted everyone, Miransh is not someone who gives up easily. His silence often hides more than his words ever reveal. And sometimes, protection can look a lot like control.

Now the distance between them is no longer just emotional — it’s across continents.

One is searching for answers.

The other is determined to reach her before those answers do.

The real question is…

who will find the truth first?

— Sitara Chandria