“Yes.”
Raja sighed.
“Of course Vivek wants regulations.”
“Because you apparently want three idiots improvising everything.”
“We’ve improvised our entire lives.”
“Exactly my concern.”
That earned the first laugh of the morning.
They spent almost an hour talking.
This time without alcohol.
And without pretending.
Anyone could back out.
At any point.
Nobody would mock him.
Nobody would pressure anyone else.
They would only deal with another consenting adult.
Protection was non-negotiable.
No photographs.
No recording.
No secretly taking somebody’s picture for bragging rights later.
And if anything felt suspicious, uncomfortable or unsafe, they walked away.
By the end of the conversation, even Raja had become serious.
Vivek looked around the room.
“Still doing this?”
Raja nodded.
They looked at Sanjay.
He hesitated.
Not because he had changed his mind.
Because saying yes sober felt different.
Last night’s idea had belonged to three drunk friends.
This decision belonged to him.
“Yes,” he said.
Vivek breathed out.
Then nodded.
“Fine.”
Raja slapped both palms against his knees.
“Gentlemen.”
“Don’t,” Vivek warned.
“Operation—”
“No operation.”
“Mission—”
“Absolutely not.”
Sanjay laughed.
“Just open your phone.”
That created the next problem.
Nobody wanted to be the person who actually searched.
Raja held his phone.
“You do it.”
He handed it to Sanjay.
Sanjay immediately handed it to Vivek.
Vivek stared at both of them.
“You two were very courageous last night.”
Raja pointed at him.
“You have the best English.”
“What does English have to do with this?”
“Everything sounds less illegal in English.”
Sanjay burst out laughing.
Vivek shook his head.
“Idiots.”
Eventually all three sat together on one bed while Vivek searched.
The first few pages were useless.
Advertisements.
Suspicious websites.
Numbers copied across multiple listings.
Stock photographs so professionally shot that even Raja said, “There is absolutely no chance that’s the actual person.”
They found classified listings on Locanto.
Then came another twenty minutes of uncertainty.
“How do we know what’s genuine?” Sanjay asked.
“We don’t,” Vivek said.
“Helpful.”
“I’m serious. That’s the problem.”
Raja had become unexpectedly cautious too.
“We don’t send advance payment.”
“Agreed.”
“No ID photographs.”
“Obviously.”
“No clicking random payment links.”
“Yes.”
Vivek scrolled further.
Finally they found a listing that appeared less theatrical than most.
There was a contact number for an agent.
Nobody moved.
Raja looked at Vivek.
Vivek looked at Sanjay.
Sanjay said, “Why are you both looking at me?”
“Call.”
“Why me?”
“Your voice sounds responsible.”
Sanjay stared at Raja.
“Yesterday you said I sounded twelve when I was drunk.”
“You’ve matured overnight.”
“Call yourself.”
Raja accepted the phone.
Immediately handed it back.
“Actually, responsible voice is important.”
The first call lasted seventeen seconds.
Sanjay disconnected.
Raja blinked.
“What happened?”
“He said hello.”
“And?”
“I panicked.”
Vivek covered his face.
“You are twenty-six years old.”
“Thank you. Very helpful.”
“Call again.”
“No.”
Raja grabbed the phone.
