Arjun blinked against the light. The sky above was no longer star-scattered—it was clear, pale blue, brushed with thin streaks of cloud. The fire from last night had died down to a cold pile of ash. Everything felt… exposed.
He shifted slightly, his arm stiff beneath Maya's head. She was still asleep, curled against him, her breath warm on his chest. Her forehead was wrapped with the cloth he'd tied last night—his shirt now missing its sleeve, her face streaked with faint lines of blood, dirt, and salt. And still, somehow, she looked calm.
Arjun laid there for another moment, unsure why his heart was beating so fast. Maybe it was the silence. Or maybe it was the fact that they were all still here.
Alive.
But for how long?
He gently eased his arm out from under her and sat up, wincing. His body ached like he'd fallen down a mountain, and maybe that wasn't too far off. Around them, the survivors were slowly stirring. Some lay flat, unmoving. Others sat up in sudden panic, as if waking from nightmares that hadn't ended.
A man nearby wept quietly over a burned passport photo.
Another was digging through a pile of bags, yelling a name that no one answered to.
Arjun scanned the beach again.
Still no boats. No planes. No help.
Only the trees behind them, the ocean in front, and about thirty tired, scraped, sunburned people stuck in between.
Then came the voice.
"All of you—up! Stand up!"
It was Inspector Rana, standing with his hands on his hips like the beach was a crime scene and everyone here had something to confess.
"We're not going to survive waiting like rats in the sand," he barked. "We need order. Roles. Work. So everyone who can stand—get ready to be useful."
Arjun watched him from a distance, jaw tightening.
"Don't like him?" Maya murmured, still groggy.
"I don't trust anyone who yells first thing in the morning."
Rana began pointing.
"You—you start gathering any water bottles or food you find. Bring it here. You, and you—go check the scattered luggage."
Some followed. Others grumbled. A few just sat, heads down.
One man—balding, eyes swollen from crying—stood up and snapped, "Who made you king of this island?"
Rana didn't flinch.
He walked over and slapped the man clean across the face.
Hard.
The sound cracked like dry wood.
"I'm not asking," Rana said calmly. "This isn't a holiday camp. This is survival. Do your part."
The man didn't respond. Just lowered his head and sat back down.
Arjun stood, fists clenched.
Maya touched his wrist, softly. "Not now."
Rana turned to the group again. "Supplies are limited. We ration, we organize. Anyone hoarding food will answer to me."
Then came a shout from near the water. A boy—maybe ten years old—was dragging something out of the sand.
A large, twisted chunk of metal. Curved.
It looked like part of a wing. Old. Rusted. Covered in sea barnacles.
One of the older survivors—a man in glasses—knelt and scraped away at it.
"Wait… this isn't from our plane."
Everyone nearby paused.
"What?"
The man pointed to a faded symbol etched into the metal. The paint was almost gone, but still faintly visible. A logo. One from an airline that had gone bankrupt years ago.
Arjun felt a chill roll down his spine.
Before anyone could speak more, Rana clapped his hands once.
"We can discuss debris later. Right now, we need food. Shelter. Recon."
He looked around the group. "I'm going to check the jungle perimeter. There might be fresh water inland, maybe some fruit. I need one man with me. Strong, fast, and not a coward."
Two men stepped forward—a tall, lean guy with military tattoos, and another shorter man with a slight limp but fierce eyes.
Rana looked between them. "You—" he pointed at the tall one, "—you're with me."
Then, as if remembering something, he turned toward Arjun.
Walked right up to him.
Stood there a second longer than necessary.
Then, with a mocking smile, he said softly, "What about you, muscle boy? You coming, or scared to break a sweat in the jungle?"
Maya immediately opened her mouth, but Arjun raised a hand to stop her.
He didn't hesitate. "Yeah," he said, meeting Rana's eyes flatly. "I'm coming."
Rana's smirk twitched. That wasn't the answer he'd been expecting.
"Good," he said, stepping back. "Let's see if those arms work in real heat."
He turned and started gathering a few tools—a machete, a flashlight from someone's emergency kit, a half-full bottle of water. He didn't say another word to Arjun.
As Arjun stepped forward, Maya caught his hand.
"Be careful," she whispered.
He gave her a quick look. "Don't worry. If I get lost, just shout sarcastic comments toward the trees—I'll find my way back."
She didn't laugh.
Neither did he.
They both knew this wasn't a joke.
And as Arjun followed Rana toward the treeline, the shadow of the jungle crept just a little closer.
The jungle wall loomed just a few meters ahead—dark, thick, and dripping with dew and silence.
Arjun stood with Rana and the tattooed guy, ready to enter, when someone from behind called out:
"Wait—can I come too? Please?"
They turned.
A tall man, maybe mid-thirties, dressed in dusty business clothes stepped forward, wiping sweat from his brow. He looked nervous, but serious.
Arjun answered before anyone else. "No. We're three already. That's enough."
The man hesitated, looking between them.
But Rana, of course, stepped in with a tight smirk. "No, no. Let him come. What's the problem? It's a forest, not a VIP club."
Arjun turned slowly, eyebrows raised. "Uhhh... Inspector, with all due respect, maybe drop the ego for once? This isn't a hike. What if we run into something dangerous?"
Rana scoffed. "Dangerous?"
The tattooed guy chuckled. "What do you mean, bro? Dinosaurs?"
Arjun sighed. "I mean lions. Tigers. Or, you know... jungle stuff."
Now all three of them laughed.
Rana slapped his thigh. "Maybe we'll see King Kong too."
"Ahh—umm—sorry," Arjun muttered, waving it off. "Forget it."
Then—like destiny was on a mission to annoy him—a soft voice spoke behind them.
"Excuse me... Can I join too?"
Arjun blinked.
And nearly muttered out loud, "What the f—"
She was stunning. Slim, confident posture, long hair tied behind her neck, sharp eyes. Her shirt was torn slightly at the sleeve, forehead streaked with sweat and ash—but she looked like she belonged in a survival movie trailer.
Rana, of course, tilted his head and gave her the up-down. Then murmured, mostly to himself, "Damn..."
Aloud, he said, "Of course. Why not. Welcome."
Arjun looked up at the sky like he was begging some divine force for backup.
But none came.
"Okay," he muttered. "Guess I can't change fate."
So now, five of them stood at the edge of the trees:
Inspector Rana (grumpy alpha)
Tattoo guy (Rana's first pick)
The polite volunteer
The unexpectedly gorgeous volunteer
And Arjun (reluctant emotional babysitter of the squad)
They stepped forward.
The jungle swallowed them.
The Forest
Every step into the trees felt like entering another world.
The temperature dropped slightly. Moisture clung to the air. Every leaf seemed to be sweating. Huge roots rose from the ground like buried bones. Branches stretched overhead, blocking the sky, casting everything in dark green and dim gold.
Their feet squelched in soft, wet dirt. Insects buzzed. Vines hung like ropes. Every now and then, the forest let out a noise—something shifting. Moving. Not near. But not far, either.
After a few minutes of silence, Arjun decided to try and lighten the mood.
He looked at the polite man beside him.
"So… what's your name?"
The man straightened. "Tarun," he said, formally. "Tarun Mehra."
He said it like he was in an interview. No slang. No nerves. Straight to the point.
Arjun nodded, mildly impressed. "And you?" he asked the woman.
She adjusted the strap of her small backpack and said with equal calm, "Bhavna. Mehra."
Arjun looked between them, then gave a deadpan stare. "Wait... don't tell me. You're cousins."
Tarun blinked. "We're siblings."
"Really?" Arjun said. "Wow. No offense, but your faces are so emotionless, I thought you two were Bluetooth-paired robots."
Bhavna cracked a tiny smile.
Rana groaned ahead. "This isn't a picnic walk, chatterbox. One more joke and I'll shoot you in the leg. I've got five bullets and low patience."
Arjun grinned. "One bullet per joke. Got it."
Rana shot him a warning glare. Arjun shut up.
But the forest wasn't done.
Bhavna suddenly stepped into something soft—and sticky.
"Eww."
She looked down. Her foot was caught in some slimy green muck, stretched like goo between the roots. It clung to her shoe like jelly and let out a schlk! when she lifted her leg.
"Ughhh! What is this?"
She crouched, curious, poked it with her finger. Then two fingers. Then gently squeezed it.
"Oh wow… It's kind of... satisfying."
She was literally playing with it.
Tarun raised an eyebrow.
Rana turned around, saw her squishing slime like a toddler with putty, and exploded.
"You b*tch! Don't touch that! What if it's poisonous?!"
Bhavna jumped back like it bit her.
"Okay—eww, eww, okay!" she said, wiping her hand fast with a tissue. "Gross. Ew. Ew. You could've just said it calmly."
Rana stomped ahead again, mumbling.
After fifteen more minutes of humid air, sweat, slipping over roots, and total silence, they heard it.
Water.
Rushing. Falling. Echoing off stone.
They pushed through a thick curtain of leaves and stepped into a small clearing.
And there it was:
A waterfall.
Beautiful. Pouring into a rock basin. Clean water running down smooth stones, splashing into shallow pools. It didn't just look fresh—it smelled fresh.
All five of them rushed forward.
Tarun cupped his hands and drank.
Bhavna splashed her face, wiping the grime and sweat away.
Even Rana let out a quiet sigh.
Arjun knelt and drank from the stream, cold water shocking his throat—in the best way.
After a moment, Tarun looked up and asked him, "By the way… I didn't catch your name."
"Arjun."
Tarun nodded. "Nice to meet you."
Then he pointed to the tattooed guy who hadn't spoken much.
"Who's that?"
Arjun looked at him. "What do I look like, his cousin? I don't know. Hey—what's your name?"
The man raised a hand in a lazy wave. "Yooo. Name's Ricky. But call me Rix, bro."
Arjun blinked. "Oh man. You're the perfect opposite of Tarun. You two should do a podcast."
Rix grinned. "Let's gooo."
Arjun grinned back. "You're definitely the right guy for my survival company. Not business—time company."
Then, grinning like an idiot, Arjun stood and dived straight into the waterfall.
A full leap, arms wide, crashing through the water like a movie hero.
Rana flinched. "What the hell?!" he shouted. "What do you think this is, a pool party? How will you dry your clothes?! What if some creature shows up now?!"
Arjun popped his head out of the water, slicking his hair back, and opened his mouth to say something cocky—
Then froze.
His face twisted.
He started screaming.
The water turned red around him.
Everyone stared.
His legs—underwater—were bleeding.
Fast.
Bhavna screamed. Tarun ran forward.
Rix shouted, "Yo what happened?!"
Rana pulled out his gun. "OUT OF THE WATER. NOW!"
But Arjun was still screaming.
Whatever it was… it had already drawn blood.