We Were Never There: A Family Reckoning

By Prashant Mishra

Neil Dutta, 23, expects a temporary assignment in a Himalayan homestay village to last only six weeks. Instead, spots a childhood photograph in a stranger’s missing-person appeal, drawing Neil into an investigation with a colleague who may be protecting the culprit. Their search exposes how a supposedly spontaneous romance was designed as a marketing campaign. Suspense builds when the online mob turns on the protagonist, forcing them to decide whether to trust the person whose lie began the investigation. A trail built around a child’s map of places adults deny exist leads to a reversal: the protagonist’s first assumption protected the real culprit. Away from the main investigation, the need to prepare a legal-aid petition, while a festival deadline leaves no room for delay.