The lady returned from the kitchen holding a tray with two glasses of orange juice and placed it gently on the table. Then she sat down on the sofa opposite them.
"I'm Nikhil's mother," she said with a soft smile that held a tinge of sadness. "It's been a long time since anyone visited us asking about him. The last time was when he was still in high school."
There was a short pause before she looked at them and asked, "So… what brings you girls here?"
Luna glanced at Anya, then back at her. She took a breath and began, calmly but carefully, explaining everything—how she met Nikhil, how he helped her when she was in trouble, how they spent time together, and how she tried looking for him afterward.
At first, Nikhil's mother listened silently. But as Luna went on, a shocked expression appeared on her face. Her hands trembled slightly, and her eyes started to well up with tears.
"That's… that's not possible," she whispered, her voice cracking. "How can you say you met him last week?"
Luna and Anya exchanged a look, then Luna said softly, "We know he disappeared one year ago. But I know what I saw… it was him. He helped me. That's why we came—to find him."
His mother slowly shook her head, a tear slipping down her cheek.
"No… you don't understand," she said. "My son, Nikhil Shrivastav, passed away in a car accident… exactly one year ago."
The room fell silent.
She wiped her eyes and added, "So whatever happened… whoever you met… it couldn't have been him."
Luna sat frozen, the weight of her words settling in like a stone. Anya reached over and held her hand, but neither of them knew what to say next.