Havi had finally arrived in Telaga's city centre.
The car jolted to a halt with a screech of tyres, a thin cloud of dust swirling in the afternoon heat.
The engine hummed uneasily, still restless from the reckless journey.
Inside the vehicle, Diana and Yono sat rigid, their faces pale, their fingers clutching at anything solid, the dashboard, the edges of their seats, the mere fragments of stability left after the chaos of Havi's driving.
Outside, the city bustled on, indifferent to their turmoil.
Rickshaws trundled along the narrow streets, their bells ringing in discord with the sporadic honking of minibuses swerving haphazardly to collect passengers.
Street vendors called out from beneath faded awnings, their voices merging into a ceaseless hum against the clatter of commerce.
Beyond the tangle of traffic and noise stood Pasaraya Telaga, the beating heart of the city, a towering edifice brimming with life.
Its many corridors housed fabric merchants, watchmakers, food stalls thick with the scent of frying oil and sweet coconut milk.
At its rear, the traditional market swelled with traders hawking fresh produce under sagging tarpaulin roofs.
But Havi saw none of it. His mind was fixed on a singular, unshakable thought. He had to find them.
With a swift, almost violent motion, he unfastened his seatbelt and shoved open the car door.
"Havi, wait!" Diana's voice was still raw, her breath uneven.
"I can't wait!" Havi snapped, stepping out onto the sun-scorched pavement. "I have to find them now!"
Yono groaned as he clambered out of the car, stretching limbs that had been stiffened by terror, "Do you even know where they are?"
Havi didn't answer. His gaze swept over the crowd, searching, searching.
The market's entrance swarmed with people, housewives clutching woven baskets, schoolchildren licking ice lollies, traders wheeling carts stacked high with sacks of rice.
A man selling newspapers strolled past, the front page blaring bold headlines of politics and scandal.
Near a roadside stall, a group of rickshaw drivers lounged under the shade of a tamarind tree, sipping sweet tea from tall glasses.
Above the street, a towering billboard loomed, a smiling model holding a bar of soap, her flawless face illuminated by the afternoon sun.
"Natural Freshness, Our Family Choice!" the slogan declared in cheerful, looping script.
Havi's fingers clenched into fists. Where are they?
Diana stepped forward, her hand closing around his arm, firm but not unkind, "Havi, you need to think. We'll find them, but running in blindly won't help."
He jerked away, his breath sharp, "I don't have time to think, Diana!"
Yono let out a weary sigh, "Fine. But we need a plan. Where do you want to start? The textile shops? The food stalls? The main market?"
Havi's pulse hammered. The market. If they were shopping for essentials, rice, sugar, oil, that's where they would be.
Without another word, he pushed forward, weaving through the crowd with a restless urgency.
Diana and Yono exchanged a glance before hurrying after him.
The city churned around them, indifferent. Havi's heart pounded with a single, desperate thought.
He had to find them. And he had to find them now.
Havi strode ahead, his eyes scanning the crowd with frantic urgency.
Every passing second was a leaden weight pressing against his chest.
The market sprawled before him like a vast labyrinth of movement and noise, too many faces, too many voices, too much in the way.
He turned sharply on his heel, facing Diana and Yono. His breath came quick, shoulders tense, as if every fibre of his being was coiled tight, ready to snap.
"We'll cover more ground if we split up," he said, his voice firm with resolve.
"I'll take the food stalls at the back. Yono, check the main market, anywhere they might buy daily essentials. Diana, you search the textile section."
Diana hesitated, glancing at the thick press of people beyond, "Are you sure splitting up is a good idea?"
Havi's expression darkened, "I don't have time for debate, Diana."
Yono raised his hands in surrender, "Alright, alright! No need to bite our heads off, mate. I'll take the main market."
Diana let out a slow breath, "Fine. But what if we don't find them? Where do we meet?"
Havi barely paused, "The west entrance. Near the rickshaw stand."
Before they split up, Havi's mind was a swirl of thoughts, the burning need to find his parents consuming him from within.
He grabbed Yono by the arm, his grip tight with desperation.
"Yono," Havi asked, his voice strained. "Where did you buy your new bicycle?"
Yono blinked, caught off guard by the question.
He hesitated for a moment before answering, scratching the back of his head, "Ah, the shop down by the corner of Telaga Raya Street. It's the only place around here that sells decent bikes, you know. Why?"
Havi's eyes were sharp, a flicker of hope stirring within him, "Let's go there first. Maybe my parents stopped by. They often buy things from small shops like that."
Diana looked at them, her face etched with concern, "I'll head in the other direction and search around the textile section. Yono, you come with Havi to the bike shop. We'll cover more ground this way."
Without another word, the three of them hurried through the maze of market stalls, weaving past customers and traders, their steps quick but unsteady as they made their way to the bicycle shop.
The chatter and commotion around them faded into a distant hum, drowned out by the rush in their chests and the frantic pounding of their hearts.
Upon reaching the shop, the owner, an older man with a thick moustache, looked up from his work as they entered.
"Excuse me, sir," Havi asked, trying to keep his voice steady.
"Have you seen two people, early forties, a man and a woman? They might have just been here buying something."
The shopkeeper stroked his moustache thoughtfully, then nodded slowly.
"Aye, they were here just a while ago. They left about fifteen minutes ago, heading down towards the alleyway next to the old bookshop."
Havi's pulse quickened, a surge of anxiety coursing through him, "Do you remember what they were looking for? What did they buy?"
The shopkeeper shrugged, "Not much, really. Just looking at the bikes, I think. They didn't seem to be in a rush, just browsing."
Havi's eyes narrowed, his thoughts already racing, "Thank you."
Without wasting another second, he turned to Yono, "Let's go."
Yono nodded, and the two of them exited the shop in a hurry, the door creaking shut behind them.
Diana was already waiting on the corner, her brow furrowed with worry.
"Well?" she asked, her voice tight.
Havi swallowed hard, trying to keep his composure, "They were here, but they left about fifteen minutes ago. They're probably close. We need to find them now."
Diana nodded quickly, her eyes scanning the area as they regrouped, "Let's split up and search every alley. Meet at the west entrance, like we agreed."
Havi gave a sharp nod, and with a final glance at his friends, he hurried down the path leading to the bookshop, every step bringing him closer to his parents and the answers he so desperately needed.