Friends With Benefits *Gay Love story * *love triangle* *fiction*

Unraveling Shadows

Chapter 22: Unraveling Shadows

In the school library, a quiet tension filled the air as Shompu and Jai bent over the screen, decoding cryptic messages that seemed to dance with shadows. The realization struck them like a bolt of lightning – the 'Hacker' orchestrating the chaos was someone close, intricately woven into the tapestry of their lives.

Shompu, peering at the screen, exclaimed, "Wait, someone we know? But who?"

Jai, his frustration palpable, responded, "Someone playing games with our lives, Shompu. Someone close enough to tug at our strings."

Jai : " It's Harsh, I just know it is."

Shompu, looking perplexed, asked, "Harsh? How could he be involved in all this?"

Jai, his expression hardened, replied, "He's been playing with you, and been threatening me. I know it from the way he looks at you and then glares at me."

Shompu, confused asks: " But why, why would he do that??"

Jai: " It's because he likes you Shompu, He possesses deeper feelings for you, he just wants to remove me from the picture completely." 

Shompu, grappling with the revelation, questioned, "Deeper feelings? What kind of feelings?"

Jai, his frustration simmering, explained, "Harsh has been pulling us apart, not just for us but for his own selfish desires. It's a story tangled in emotions we hadn't seen."

The chapter delved into Harsh's past, revealing scars that fueled his deceit. Shompu, wide-eyed, turned to Jai. "What happened to him? Why would he do this?"

Jai, unyielding, replied, "The past might explain, but it doesn't excuse the present. We can't let his history be an apology for the pain he's caused."

As consequences rippled through their social circle, friendships crumbled, and the once-stable dynamics of their group strained.

Caught in the storm, Shompu's Internal Struggle emerged. Trust, shattered into fragments, left him standing on shaky ground, unsure of where to turn.

Shompu, his voice betraying turmoil, admitted, "I don't know who to trust anymore, Jai. Everything feels like it's falling apart."

Jai, offering a steady anchor, reassured, "Trust in us, if not in others."

The two boys wanted to confront Harsh, and so they did. It was a friday afternoon, on their way home from school, Shompu stopped Harsh. 

Harsh: " What happened Shompu? Why did you stop?"

Shopu: "Just wait here for a moment" he said, while staring behind Harsh as if he was looking for someone.

Suddenly, Jai came running.

Harsh: "Shompu, what's he doing here? I thought he needed space from you?" He said, glaring at Jai. 

Jai: "Stop with the act, Harsh. I know, He knows, We all know."

Harsh: "What do you mean? Shompu, has he been feeding you lies again? Like how he lied about liking you and then demanded space from you?"

Jai: "SHUT UP YOU BASTARD! YOU DON"T KNOW ANYTH-

Jai was just about to punch Harsh, when Shompu stopped him.

Shompu: " Guys, don't do this again, not here, not now. Especially when we have something important to confront you about." he said staring at the two boys, ready to fight.

Jai: "Shompu is right Harsh, so stop being such an idiot."

Harsh rolled his eyes and Shompu continued.

Shompu: "So Harsh, "Playing with our lives, Harsh? Why?"

Harsh, stammering, "What do you mean?"

Jai: "Open your mouth or i'll have to open it for you, asshole." 

Shompu was staring at Harsh, this time, angrily.

Harsh confessed, "I didn't think you'd find out. I had to do what I did."

Shompu, his voice edged with disbelief, demanded, "Harsh, why? Why would you do this to us?"