"How did you convince her to do that?" asked Sanjay, eager to get an answer from Veer.
"Remember the day I told you I was meeting someone, and you got a bit frustrated," Veer began.
"I was about to meet her to discuss some doubts I had regarding the project I'd been working on.
During that conversation, I casually brought up Amir's interests and goals - just to see what she thought about him and whether she was already in a relationship."
"And?" Sanjay asked, leaning in.
"She said she wasn't in any relationship and was actually curious to work on Amir's project. So I took the opportunity to help her understand the project better, and things went quite well."
"Oh! That was you behind all of that!" said Sanjay, impressed.
"But why did you feel the need to help him, specifically?" he asked, a little puzzled.
"He's a good guy. That's all. Simple as that," replied Veer. And they continued traveling in the Curve.
Later, near Veer's house...
Some bandits had entered the gardens, trying to sneak in. Veer, watching them from the window, thought, "Are they connected to Maayavan?"
As they approached closer, he activated the amulet's powers to protect himself and his father.
Boom!
After a brief but heroic fight, Veer realized they weren't magical beings from Maayavan - but rather local thugs trying to extort money from his family.
Witnessing all of this, Veer's father raised an eyebrow and asked about the powers from the amulet.
"Have you ever experienced anything like a magical box?" he asked his son, clearly shaken.
Veer turned around, ready to explain what had happened in his past...
At dinner that night, when Veer and Sanjay were getting ready to go out, Sanjay noticed the glowing amulet on Veer's wrist.
"Wait - how have I never seen this before? We've been friends since our teens!" he exclaimed.
"Tell me everything. What happened? And why didn't you tell me earlier?" Sanjay pressed, full of excitement.
"Just a few days ago, I experienced the magical box again," Veer began. "Wait - what?" Sanjay interrupted in shock.
Veer nodded.
"The first time I encountered it was during school. But even before that, I used to have vivid reveries - since the time I learned to talk and walk.
I always felt connected to something else, but I never spoke about it to my father. I feared he'd think I was imagining things."
"And then?" Sanjay asked.
"That day, I was determined to see it for real - and I did. That's when everything started. I met the girl. the amulet was passed on. It stays with you only as long as you need it... then disappears."
"Why didn't you ever tell me?" Sanjay asked again.
"Because you had never seen it. My plan was, if you ever noticed it - then and only then - I'd explain. And here we are."
"Such a great plan. But how did I miss it all these years?" Sanjay muttered, thinking aloud.
"Just recently," Veer continued, "while walking on the beach one night, a girl bumped into me. It was too dark - I couldn't see her face or even look back.
And soon after... I was taken into the magic box again."
As Veer finished his food, realization struck him hard.
"She... she was the reason it all happened again," he whispered.
He quickly explained the same to Sanjay. They both locked eyes, stunned by the unfolding truth.
They were speechless, yet they knew deep down that the future held more, and it was coming.
And what about Maayavan?