The early morning sun barely pierced through the dense canopy lining the Nashik Highway. The road stretched out long and empty like a ribbon of asphalt cutting through the wilderness. A jeep roared down the highway. It's engine growling fiercely as it sped at over 120 km per hour. The vehicle careened dangerously. It's tires screeching as it suddenly veered off the main road plunging into the twisting stony paths that wound deep inside the jungle. Inside the jeep the atmosphere was thick with tension and the heavy scent of alcohol. Kanishk struggled to keep his eyes open. His vision blurred and stinging from the atropine drops he had been forced to use earlier. His hand gripped the steering wheel with trembling desperation just trying to maintain control with one hand while the other clutched at his burning eyes. Samaira lay sprawled across the back seat. She was utterly ravished and heavily intoxicated. Her breathing was uneven. Her body limp. Kanishk's heart pounded painfully in his chest as he realized the grim truth. Rishit intended to stage this as a tragic accident. The plan was cruelly simple. Just get them both drunk and then cause a crash that would erase all evidence. Kanishk's gaze flicked to the rear-view mirror where he caught a glimpse of Rishit's vehicle almost tailing them. His breath hitched as Rishit suddenly slowed down. The jeep's headlights cutting through the morning mist. The cold dread that gripped Kanishk's heart was sharp and immediate. Rishit's face appeared outside the window twisted into a malicious sneer. Without warning he pulled out a gun and pointed it straight at Kanishk. Time seemed to freeze for a moment. Kanishk's mind screaming for action. But instead of firing at Kanishk Rishit shot at the jeep's tire.
The tire exploded with a violent pop. Shards of rubber flying through the air. One piece struck Rishit's own windshield cracking it ominously. Kanishk slammed his foot down on the brake but the jeep was already out of control. The vehicle lurched violently skidding across the rocky path. A deafening crash echoed as Rishit's jeep slammed into Kanishk's from behind. The metal twisting and glass shattering in a horrific symphony of destruction. Kanishk was hurled forward. His body flying through the shattered windscreen. Darkness swallowed him as he hit the ground hard.
From here we go thirty years back.