In the dimly lit jail cell, the cold, unforgiving bars cast long shadows across Veer’s rugged face. He was sitting on the rickety cot, lost in the depths of his thoughts. There was a pin-drop silence, broken only by the occasional sighs of his fellow inmates.

He closed his eyes and his mind turned into a turbulent sea, the waving memories of a life he once lived, and the dreams he had to fulfil shattered like glass. The weight of his past actions bore down on him like a grey shroud on a dead body, leaving him with nothing but regrets and a bitter taste of despair.

As he stayed there, the pitter-patter of rain began to serenade the world outside. The soothing aroma of moist soil, newly kissed by the raindrops—a type of fragrance that could only be born of life, a promise of renewal—wafted through the barred window.

It reminded him of her, his one and only love. He closed his eyes again, this time with a smile on his face. For a brief moment, he felt free of those cold and heavy iron bars, free from the weight of his past.

He saw her again in his mind, radiant and smiling, her laughter, her touch, and the way her eyes sparkled in the rain—all memories of her taking him back to their happier days. He inhaled deeply, trying to lose himself in that ephemeral scent, to escape this hell, even if only for a fleeting moment.

But, Just as quickly as the memories of her washed over him, a chilling dread began to creep in. He knew that when it rained, there was a sinister presence waiting for him. And just then, his tranquillity was shattered by the mocking voice of his inmate.

“Don't get too comfortable, Veer,” the man sneered, and Veer could feel her memories slipping away from his mind.

“You might get some solace in the scent and go back to your memory lane. But it's raining outside and you know what that means.”

His heart sank, and his thoughts began to unravel.

“Let me remind you of the storm that follows. He is coming for you. Tera dost!” (trans: your friend!)

“HE IS NOT MY FRIEND!” Veer roared, but his inmate laughed at his outrage. His eyes stuck on the iron bars, anxiety creeping up his veins.

The thoughts of him started creating a home in Veer’s mind and he clenched his fists, struggling to maintain his grasp on the image of his beloved, Nitara.

With every drop, he fought to hold onto the image of her.

No no no no no no…I have to protect our memory. I cannot let him take you away from my mind, Nitara. I can’t—

And then he was here.

Maan Sabharwal.

A tormentor, A monster, Veer’s only nightmare.

The guard called out his name.

“Oye! Aa Gaya tera shubh chintak”

(trans: hey! Here comes your well-wisher)

Walking out of his cell, the guard’s words started tormenting him, ready to poison his cherished memories. They exposed his deepest scars and regrets and turned each memory of her into his torment.

‘The moment you will think about her, I’ll be behind you, like your worst nightmare. The rain reminds you of her, I’ll change it. You’ll think about me, you’ll beg me to leave your mind, you’ll ask for my mercy and the only thing I’ll grant you is a life full of nightmares of me. Nitara was your most beautiful dream, I’ll be your worst nightmare.’

He was getting closer to face him, to face him again as Maan came back to keep his promise—his promise to destroy every beautiful memory of her that was keeping Veer alive. Like a venomous serpent coiled around his mind, Maan was pulling him deeper into the abyss of his own sins, guilt, and shame.

The gate of the visiting room opened and showcased Maan’s figure, sitting comfortably in the dimly lit visiting area on the other side of the glass wall. His eyes locked with Veer’s as he walked towards the chair and took a seat in front of him—the glass wall separating Veer’s struggles from Maan’s sinister presence.

With heavy pouring outside, the only sound in the room was the drumming of raindrops tearing the eerie silence between them. His gaze was like a predator, feeding on Veer’s good memories. Maan’s eyes bore into his, a twisted satisfaction gleaming in them as he saw him—saw his misery.

No words exchanged. Just his malevolent eyes mocking him. Reminding him of his sins. Minutes passed, and the satisfaction in Maan’s eyes grew with every drop of rain. He knew what he had done to him.

A wicked smirk twisted Maan’s lips, nearly hidden behind his grown beard. He looked miserable, maybe more than Veer. Dark circles under those sinister eyes, lips dried, long hair as if he had stopped living his life outside this jail just like Veer had done inside.

When slowly the pouring sound started fading, his smile widened. He didn’t say a word, yet Veer heard him completely.

‘You see, Veer. I made you a promise and I always keep my promises.’

Veer’s heart pounded in his chest and his mind began to blur. He clenched his fist, tried to focus on summoning the image of her—he wanted to see her face, hear her laugh—but nothing worked. Maan’s presence was like a heavy fog, suffocating his thoughts.

His eyes shined as he saw him.

‘What’s the matter, Veer? Can’t you remember her smile? The way she laughed? Let me help you forget. Let me help you erase her from your mind.’

As Maan’s eyes screamed at him, Veer felt trapped in this room. He struggled to grasp her into his vision—everything was slipping away like water through his fingers. The only source of his comfort, the rain outside, had become the harbinger of Maan’s torment. A reminder that he was at the mercy of a vengeful ghost from his past.

Veer had walked on his own into this room, knowing Maan was waiting for him. Maan was his nightmare, but maybe he deserved this.

No. He really deserved this. For ruining everything—him, himself, and her.

Maybe this was not his hell but his only way to get away from his sins and guilt.

Because he destroyed…everything.