Veer was no stranger to Sai's home–their families had been close for years. Veer's father was a well-known local politician, not quite at the MLA level but influential enough in their neighborhood to be considered a community leader.
He was the kind of figure people turned to when problems at the block level needed attention–electricity issues, road repairs, or disputes that required a mediator.
His work kept the family busy and sometimes strained, but the close bond between the two families remained strong.
On this particular night, around 10 p.m., Veer came over to Sai's house to ask about Sai's father, how he was holding up and to assess whether they would need any kind of help.
"How's your dad doing?" Veer asked when he arrived, the concern in his voice genuine.
The recent tensions around the app and the town had everyone on edge, and Veer wanted to make sure Sai's family was holding up.
But right away, Veer noticed something was off. Sai's usually composed demeanor was shadowed by worry. His eyes darted nervously, and he seemed lost in thought. "Sai, what's going on? You don't look yourself."
Sai hesitated, then took him to his room to discuss what happened. He shared the weight of the day–their meeting with Rameshwar ji, the discussion with Arvind, the message his mother received and the increasingly disturbing signs that the app was not just a harmless pastime but something dangerous seeped into their lives.
"I'm tired and frustrated and completely lost. It feels like someone or something is watching us at all times. Is there really a way out of this? All of this feels way too outlandish to be related to just an app."
Having heard this, Veer suggested they speak with Sai's mother about the strange message she had seen earlier.
"Hey, why don't we just ask your mother? She received that weird message from someone tonight, right? Maybe if we track that Facebook account or have a screenshot of that conversation, we can show that as proof that the people behind this app are threatening you." Veer suggested.
"I'm not too hopeful about this. The people behind this app, or this app itself, is too insidious and meticulous. But yeah, we can go check." Sai replied with a shake of his head.
So, they went to the living room, where Sai's mother took a break from watching TV and showed Veer the Facebook account on her phone. However, to the utter dismay of the boys, the message and the account had mysteriously vanished.
The two boys looked at each other and nodded.
"As expected…" Sai whispered.
His mother raised an eyebrow at this and asked teasingly, "Why are you so interested in my messages? What have you boys gotten yourselves into?"
"It's nothing, Ma. We were just worried that this might be some scammer." Sai brushed it off with a casual shrug, unwilling to reveal the full depth of their suspicions just yet.
"Anyway, all that aside, Aunty, how's uncle doing?" Changing the subject, Veer asked about Sai's father. Hearing this, Sai's mother's expression grew more somber. "He's been applying for jobs everywhere. Busy with interviews and trying to find some stability. It's been tough–we're dipping into our savings more than we should already. I'm not sure if we'll be able to stay afloat for even three months."
The knowledge settled heavily on Sai. The worries of the day had multiplied.
…
Sai lay down on his bed, but sleep was elusive. His mind raced with fragmented thoughts from the day's encounters and the growing shadow the app cast over Vishrampur.
The weight of uncertainty pressed on him like a physical burden, every tick of the clock a reminder that the app's silent watcher was always near.
He replayed his conversation with Veer in his mind. They had talked late into the night, weighing options and possibilities–how to uncover who or what was truly behind StarCode AI, how to protect themselves and those they cared about.
But each option felt more daunting than the last.
They had no way out, no way of knowing what was going on and the people who would take them seriously were limited as well.
They had searched for the topic on the internet, various social media websites, but there was not even a ripple about the app. At most, they found some negative reviews claiming that the app was useless and it made random predictions.
There were some positive reviews that made them feel wary, those claiming that the app could predict anything but there was no way of knowing whether anyone else was experiencing what Mrs. Mishra or Sai was going through.
The darkness seemed to press into the corners of his room, twisting familiar shapes into lurking threats. The silence was broken only by the hum of the old ceiling fan and faint sounds from the street outside. Every time his eyes fluttered shut, they sprang open, his heart pounding harder.
Sai found himself checking the time repeatedly, watching the minutes crawl toward 4 a.m. His breathing grew shallow, anxiety trickling into every thought, making the walls close in around him. The ever-present uncertainty gnawed at his resolve.
Finally, unable to bear the stillness and the storm within, Sai reached for his phone. His fingers trembled as he plugged in the charger and powered the screen to life. The soft glow filled the room as the device flickered awake.
Then, suddenly, the screen lit up with a new message that seemed to come from nowhere:
"Welcome back to StarCode AI. How have you been?"
Sai's breath hitched sharply and all the sleepiness he had accumulated through the night was gone. The app and its grasp on him grew tighter at once. His mind reeled with the implications. Someone, or something, was watching, waiting, and somehow always present.
He sat bolt upright, feeling the coldness creep through his limbs, a creeping dread settling deep in his chest.
His eyes darted around the dim room as if expecting to see a shadow materialize.
What should he do? What could he do?