1 ARCANE Chapter 1

EPISODE 1

CHAPTER 1 : EVERYTHING IS ARCANE

Tap,tap,tap,tap...... MAAAN!!! was tapping keyboard always this boring?

I clicked 'SUBMIT' by slowly moving the mouse.

"AAAHH man!!, my life is sooooo boring" I screamed stretching my hands.Normally I don't even talk very much in the office but today is special, it is because I am overworking today so no one is in the office. Waaaa! I want to cry so loud.

"Step Step Step..." I can hear the sound of foot steps. Someone is coming towards me.

Please don't tell me it's my boss. God please help me. Please anyone but not my boss, Even an assassin who is here to take my life is fine but please not my boss.

"Rishi, did you finish your work?"

"Whaat!? man that surprised me!!"

It was my childhood friend 'Santosh' and we call him 'Happi' which is the meaning of his name i.e Santosh=happy. I forgot that he was waiting for me near the exit.

"What? that scared you? I was scared that you would become insane because of the work load on you and the screams you were shouting I thought you went crazy. I was even going to call 100 for you. Hehehe."

He told me showing his phone where he typed 100.

"You idiot that is the emergency number to call the police!! and I was scared because of the low lighting in the office and you looked like a ghost roaming to eat peoples brains." I told him snatching away his phone from him and shut it down angrily.

"What 100 is to call police, then what is the number to call an ambulance? if an accident took place while we are on our way home how can I get myself to hospital?" Happi started yelling unwanted things.

"Don't yell so loud it is already super quite here. Did you forget the very very important numbers which we are learning from 1st class (primary school)." I yelled at him. Sigh....now even I started yelling. Come on Rishi we are in the office, control yourself.

"I completed my school life years ago so I don't even remember very much about the school we studied." He said that combing his hair with his hand.

Realizing that I switched off his phone he took his phone immediately from my hands with a serious look on his face he says "Ok ok, if you are finished then lets go. Don't forget that I am waiting for you, you should return this favor when I need. Never ever keep friends favor in debt."

"Alright I will not be in debt but don't you want to know the number to call ambulance."

"I want I want." Happi shakes his head passionately. He loves his life so much huh.

"It is 108 you idiot." the moment I told him he typed the number and saved it naming the number as 'AMBULANCE' but everyone knows it anyway.

"Now let's go. I finished my work." I shut down the computer hurriedly.

We started walking towards the bus stop which was a little distance away from the company. Normally we go by the bus that is provided by the company but today because of me we had to go to a local bus stand to catch a local bus. After waiting for some time around 7:00pm the bus arrived.

We sat in the last seat there were only a few passengers. The bus started moving Happi was hearing to music tapping his hand on my lap.

It was already dark and I started to look outside the window.... When I was a kid I had many friends. I was not someone who would stand out but even I was surprised by the number of friends I made and Happi was one of the best companion. He always had some or other problems at home and I was someone who he told his problems.

I was not someone who could help him but he was happy sharing his problems.

It was like yesterday but it has already been 5 months I have been graduated from my university. I was just average not only in studies but in everything be it sports or music, singing or dancing, drawing or painting I mean literally everything.

Last month I got scolded by my boss for not submitting the work on time. He even cutoff half of my salary so today I worked overtime to submit it properly this time.

********

The bus arrived at our station it was nearly 7:10pm we got out of the bus.

"Hey Happi, you could have just called your driver and bought your car why did you come with me in bus?" yes unlike me who come from a middle class family Happi is quite rich. He even came with me to the interview saying that "I feel bored at home I can kill some time here."

In the interview the interviewers were more interested in him than me but Happi just turned them off by telling them that he would work where I work. The interviewers didn't have a choice so they recruited both of us thanks to him.

"Idiot you think I don't know about you? I know very well that if I go by car and ask you to come with me you would clearly reject it." he said that as if he knows every thing about me but the thing is even I don't know about myself like my decisions or opinion about anything may change any time or every second and my thoughts are not stable. That's why I don't think much and thinking very much can make my head ache.

"Man today was tiring lets grab a drink and then depart." Happi said stretching his hands and neck.

"Alright but instead of a cool drink I want a big chocolate." I said it because he is the one who is buying me.

"Hehe chocolate? are you still a kid? I know you like chocolates but man you are 23 now." he said that laughing as loud as he can. Man what is there to laugh at it?

We started walking towards the shop which is at the corner of the T-shape roads where we separate in opposite directions.

Huh... I get a feeling that someone is following us. Yes there should be many people wanting to hurt Happi for money I should at least protect my friend.

But when I turned around there was no one. "Hey Rishi this is our way home, you are looking as if we are in a strange place." he said that increasing his walking speed ".....and also I need to go to the toilet you see."

"Huh?? it's not urgent right."

"Um I think I can hold it till I get home."

"Yes yes don't wet your pant like a small kid, hehehe." this was my chance so I started picking on him.

"I don't wet my pants like some kid walking beside me, you see hehe" he started grinning at me.

"you idiot don't mess with me." saying that seriously I started kicking his foot. then he suddenly started running and I started chasing him.

After a 2 minutes we arrived to the store. Happi went inside the store to select the cool drink and to get me chocolate.

So my outfit was like a tired worker with a loose tie, white half tucked formal shirt, a formal pant and an IDcard which was in my pocket along with my phone. Happi's outfit was also similar to mine.

"Huff, huff man I ran around after many days. I cannot get hold of my breath. Damn let that bastard come out, I will take both chocolate and cool drink from him and drink it in front of him."

Zizzz suddenly I feel someones presence I turn back as fast as I could but there was no one."It must be my imagination."

"Zukkk" I suddenly feel like something coming towards more like something evil coming towards me and I dodge it without a second thought.

"Huhuhu, your reactions are fast for someone who is still a normal human." I heard a voice a deep voice coming from back and a foot beside my head, so he was trying to kick my head which was really really dangerous for me. How could this be?! a second ago no one was behind me.

There were many thoughts coming from my brain like 'who is this guy' 'how did he get behind me so fast' 'is he some kind of assassin'..........

Did God really sent an assassin to kill me because he replaced my friend instead of boss. Maann why did I even wish for some thing like that. It must be a coincidence right??

What should I do? What should I do? Should I call the cops? no, no he is behind me, if he tries to kick me again I may not be able to dodge it....