October 2017
The room was a sanctuary of shadows, the air heavy with despair. Naina's heart pounded as she pushed open the bedroom door, her eyes slowly adjusting to the dim light. The sight that greeted her was a frozen tableau of agony, etched into the fabric of their lives.

Samar lay on the bed, his once vibrant features now pale and fragile. His chest barely rose and fell, each breath a desperate gasp for survival. The needle, its cruel contents, rested on the nightstand like a harbinger of doom. Flamingo, the silent executioner, had trapped him.

Naina's heart pounded as she grabbed her phone. With trembling fingers, she dialed 112, her voice barely a whisper, "Please hurry!" She rushed to the bedside table, her hands fumbling as she tore open the drawer. Her eyes locked onto the Naloxone 400mcg injection.

Kneeling beside Samar, her fingers brushed against his clammy skin. "Samar," she pleaded, her voice cracking, "Stay with me."

The needle pierced his skin, injecting the life-saving medicine. Her breath held as she watched it take effect, his eyelids fluttering open, pupils constricted, disoriented.

Recognition dawned, followed by a wave of gratitude and shame.

"Why?" Samar's voice was a hoarse whisper, barely audible.

Naina's eyes, fixed on his, held a steely determination. "I love you," she said, her voice unwavering. "But this cycle of self-destruction ends now."

Outside, the city's siren song echoed through the walls, heralding the arrival of paramedics. Though she had saved him, Naina knew their relationship was beyond repair. This was the end.

"This ends now," she declared, her tone final. "I refuse to be a spectator to your self-destruction. There's a world out there waiting for you."

Samar's eyes filled with tears, and he reached out, his hand trembling. "Naina, please," he whispered.

The world seemed to tilt as Naina pulled away, her heart aching. "I'll always care, but this gap is too wide. You've chosen Flamingo, leaving me on the other side." As the paramedics arrived, she stepped back, a silent observer. Her eyes lingered on Samar, a final goodbye etched in her gaze.

The moonlight, a spectral intruder, painted the room in hues of silver and shadow. Their love, once vibrant, now lay fractured, a mosaic of shattered pieces. Naina had saved him, yet sometimes, salvation demanded sacrifice. As the sirens wailed in the distance, she turned away, leaving behind the remnants of a love withered by addiction.

Her heart was heavy but resolute, she stepped into the hallway, a silent vow echoing in her mind. She had saved him, time and again, but now it was time to save herself.

August 2018

The phone's insistent buzz pierced the stillness of the night, rousing Naina from her slumber. With a groan, she snatched it up, her eyes narrowing at the familiar caller ID: Samar.

Her fingers tightened around the phone, a string of expletives escaping her lips. "Samar, I've told you enough. Stop calling me. It's been a year. Move on."

The incessant interruptions were disrupting her sleep, and her frustration was palpable. She yearned for peace, for a break from the constant reminders of their past.

Just as she was about to end the call, Samar's voice, filled with anxiety, pierced the quiet, "Naina!"

Rolling her eyes in the darkness, she sat up, pulling the blanket over her legs. "What is it, Samar?" she asked, her voice laced with a hint of exasperation.

Samar's voice, slurred and barely audible, trailed off, "I'm so... sorry, N... Nai... for everything."

Naina jolted upright, her heart pounding. "Samar!" she gasped, leaping out of bed. The ragged sound of his labored breathing filled her ears, a chilling reminder of his distress.

October 2019

Abhimanyu slammed his head against the wall as Aarya Sareen, her face etched with grim determination, entered the meeting room. She shuffled through a thick manila envelope, her head shaking in disapproval as she addressed Chief Minister Bharti.

With a dismissive wave to the Chief Minister, Aarya strode to the front of the room, stopping before the investigative board.

The room fell silent as a photograph of a smiling teenage girl was pinned to the investigative board. Kriti Singh's name was written beneath the image.

Abhimanyu didn't need to hear the report. He had been present when the doctor had called for CPR to stop and announced the time of death. The weight of the tragedy was etched on his face.

He stood beside her parents as his colleague interrogated them, his eyes lingering on the other photos scattered around Kriti's. The last eighteen months had been a grim chapter, marked by the untimely deaths of five teenagers, all linked by a single, chilling detail: Flamingo poisoning. They were all students at Serpent's Peak local College.

"Abhimanyu, Parvrez," DSP Sareen's words pierced the silence, startling Abhimanyu from his reverie.

"We need to talk," she said, her voice low and urgent. The other officers filed out, leaving them alone. Abhimanyu sat up straight, a sense of foreboding settling in his gut.

"Did Kriti's parents shed any light on anything?" Aarya asked, shuffling through some papers.

Abhimanyu shook his head. "Nothing that connects her to the other cases."

"Rani Bharti just chewed me out this morning," she said, turning to Abhimanyu with a frown. "She's not happy with our progress."

Abhimanyu leaned forward, his posture stiffening. "Meaning we're not doing enough?"

Aarya sipped thoughtfully from her teacup. Parvez's gaze, laced with skepticism, turned towards her. "What kind of external assistance do you have in mind?"

"Rani has requested help from the NCB.”

Abhimanyu scoffed, "We've all been pleading for help. What makes you think they'll listen?"

A shadow flickers in the hallway as Aarya throws open the door. "Come in," she says, her voice barely audible over the creaking floorboards.

Her entrance was a silent disruption. Her dark attire and steely gaze seemed to pierce the room. Aarya cleared her throat, breaking the tense silence. "Gentlemen, meet NCB Agent Kasturi Dogra."