Chapter : 2

"An eye for an eye & the whole world goes blind"

20th Sept, 2023

"Did you find her?", Jiya asked Sara in panicked voice while running her fingers through her hair strands.

"No, I almost looked everywhere.", Sara replied while breathing heavily.

"Now what are we doing to do, we are about to leave.", Jiya said again while frowning. Her eyes were filled with tears, she was at the edge of crying, but somehow she made them froze.

That time suddenly Amira came there & she started huffing as she came while running. She inhaled deeply & then looked at both of them sorrowfully.

"Avni Mam is calling all of us.", she said slowly while sighing rapidly. A loud cry escaped from Jiya's lips. All three of them were really filled with fear, the fear of losing Mehula again.

Last night, they don't even know how they ended up inside their tents. But in morning when they opened their eyes, their head was freaking aching like the whole zoo was dancing inside their head.

But when they didn't see Mehula with them, they got panicked bebecause they don't remember what happened last night after they got drunk. They didn't remember any single act of theirs from last night.

Now they are afraid, a single thought is engrossing their mind & the thought is what if Mehula did any kind of stupidity again. What if she is lying somewhere lifelessly, again.

The three of them went to the spot where their school's students along with teachers are waiting for them. Siya waved at them the moment she saw them. They hurriedly went to her direction without looking at anyone & Jiya hid behind her immediately as she was afraid of the consequences now.

"So all the students gathered here?", Their P. T teacher, Avni Sharma asked them while grabbing the list from the side pocket of her bag. All the girls nodded immediately without hesitation, but Jiya, Siya, Sara & Amira were gulping the saliva again & again only to get rid of the lump that got stuck into their throats' cause of fear.

"Ok, so now I'm going to call the names loudly, raise you hands immediately after your name.", Their teacher ordered them & she started saying the names loudly, one by one.

Nearly 39 girls were standing there as this was only 11th & 12th medical girls' camping trip & the 40th girl was Mehula who is still missing.

Few minutes passed & now their teacher was calling the leftover girls name, "Siya".

"Y- Yes mam", she raised her hand & said in cracking voice, her whole body was trembling badly.

"Sara?"

"Yes mam", sara replied in rigid voice but still not daring to lift her gaze up.

"Jiya?", she called out another name & Jiya got startled the moment she heard her name. She unknowingly raised her hand & lifted her gaze a little only to ended up making an eye contact with their Physics Teacher named, Shidhant Nair.

Her breathe got sucked the moment their eyes met, she became a lifeless object, unable to utter any single word or to realize what's really going on around her.

Mr. Nair didn't even turn his gaze, nor he blinks. The surrounding noise started to vanish all of a sudden & now only silence got filled between them.

Almond black eyes, long lashes were spreading their trap on the mind of Jiya.

She wasn't able to resist the spell that Mr. Nair was spelling on her.

She got entangled into the traps of those magical long black lashes & suddenly her lips got curved into a slight smile.

She came back into reality the moment she saw Mr. Nair parting his lips to speak.

"Why aren't you answering?", he asked in demanding tone still not taking his eyes from hers. But Jiya turned her gaze & whole attention to Avni mam.

"Yes mam", she lifted her gaze down not daring to look back at that person who just made her breath stop. Her teacher smiled softly & she turned her gaze back to the paper list & now it was Mehula's turn & all four of them closed their eyes tightly & joined their hands only to pray for escapement from this heart stopping situation.

"Mehula", she called the name while lifting her gaze to the direction where all the girl were lined up. The Four of them tightened their grip on their own hands & closed their eyes more tightly while their bodies were trembling badly perhaps because of the morning cold breeze but most because of the fear.

"Me hula?", she called again while drooling her gaze here & there. "Where is Mehula?", she added to let out her curiosity.

Jiya bit on her lower lip after not getting any answer in return. Now she was about to tell them the whole truth but suddenly-

"Yes mam".

The four of them turned their heads to the direction from where that voice just came & soon they sighed in relief the moment they saw Mehula standing beside Amira. Mehula also looked towards them & signed them to not worry about anything.

"Okay! Amira?", she called the last name.

"Yes mam", Amira replied without wasting time.

"Now, turn around & march towards the buses soldiers.", she said loudly while smiling widely & all girls did the same & started laughing the moment they heard her statement.

Soon they reached at their buses, 4 buses were standing on the road way & they saw other students also arriving there from another direction. The girls started chatting & giggling the moment they saw handsome boys coming their.

But the Four of them went near Mehula & hugged her together not caring about what exactly going on around them. Mehula also hugged them back.

"Where were you?", Jiya asked her while breaking the hug & she noticed that Mehula's eyes were red & puffy. She gave her a suspicious look & asked her about her eyes by narrowing her brows.

"I got lost, lets talk inside the bus its so cold here", Mehula replied wile shivering a little.

The four of them nodded & went inside the Bus no. 3. Sara sat on the 2nd seat of the left row, Siya & Amira sat on the 3rd seat of that same row & Jiya + Mehula sat next to them. Jiya was sitting on the window side & Mehula closed her eyes while resting her head again the head of the seat.

"Tell me now, where were you last night?", Jiya asked while turning towards Mehula. Mehula stayed still & parted her lips to speak but then stopped.

"Something happened last night, right?", she asked again while raising her both brows. Mehula left a sigh while parting the lips again, "I messed up again.", she aswered while making a crease between the space of her brows.

"You cussed a stranger again?", Jiya asked in shocking tone while widening her eyes.

"Not only cussed, but maybe I spilled out everything & even I ended up crying in front of him, maybe!", she said while sucking her lower lip in embarrassment & not daring to lift her eyes.

"Who was him?"

"Was he handsome?"

"From which school he was?"

"Was he single?"

The four of them asked shockingly at the same time. Mehula gulped hard the moment she heard their unexpected questions all of a sudden, out of nowhere.

"Huh?", she asked confusedly not understanding anything.

"Tell me everything from the last night.", Amira demanded. "With every single detail", Sara added in excitement while smiling.

"Why you all are looking at me like this?", Mehula asked in slow tone. Not understanding the reason behind their excitement & unnecessary joy.

"Tell us nah!", Jiya said while looking at her with her pleading eyes. Mehula can sense the mischievousness behind their innocent smiles.

"Last night..... I went back to that tree & I was mumbling something & suddenly I heard a manly voice,, but damn it! It was so magical & pleasant just like the pleasant sound of a loftily flowing waterfall.", Mehula said & they all can see the shine in her eyes that was sparking brightly while describing the voice of that guy.

"Then what happened after that?", Amira asked her while chuckling more. She putted her arms on the edge of the head of that back seat & rested her chin on her arms while her gaze was fixed on Mehula.

"I don't remember everything clearly, but I think, or maybe it was just my illusion, or the result of intoxication-"

"Don't play the game of riddles!", Jiya said annoyingly.

"I don't know exactly, but maybe cause of intoxication I zoned out & when I regained my senses I saw him, but I was unable to see his face, but I think he was Rondu Shakal (cry face)", Mehula said confusedly.

The look of four of them got changed into incredulous. Their expression got changed into disbelief.

"Now I'm not interested in hearing any of your delulu", Jiya sighed while turning her gaze, out towards window.

& the three of them also sighed in disbelief, Siya & Amira turned back, but Sara asked her that then where she spent the whole night.

"I also don't know, when I opened my eyes in morning, I was somewhere in an unknown tent, but I didn't find anyone there. I was alone there,, but when I went out I saw so many boys who were packing their stuffs & taking off the tents. But maybe they didn't notice me & without wasting any moment I ran from there without asking anything.", Mehula replied while frowning.

"Mehula, please get a hold on yourself now", Sara said while advising her to not repeat any stupidity.

Mehula nodded while shifting her gaze back to window.

"Why they aren't coming inside?", Amira asked while looking out from window. She was confused by the crowd of girls who were staring at the boys who were standing at the opposite of them like a hawk.

"Wow! How handsome they are.", Siya said while pushing Amira's head aside. Amira shifted her head a little only to give some space to Siya.

"I'm not interested in them", Jiya gasped while turning her head straight with closed eyes.

"Was that really my delusion?", Mehula said slowly it was almost a whisper.

"Stop thinking about him, Mehula. It's been 2 years, now", Jiya said while her eyes were still close.

"It's been 2 years 5 days 4 hours & 56 minutes", she said while correcting her.

Jiya opened her eyes immediately & turned her gaze to looking at her in shock.

"Stop it, Mehula. You are scaring me now", Jiya said while making a crease between her brows.

Suddenly they heard a familiar voice & all girls ran towards their buses as Mrs. Sharma scolded them for standing there without any reason.

The girls also came inside their bus & soon bus got filled. The bus driver also came & started pressing the horn for signing other buses to clear the way.

Mehula heard some girls chatting, "Did you saw that boy who was from our neighbourhood college". "Yeah, he was indeed hot, but I heard he doesn't like to talk much,, nor he has a girlfriend", the another girl whispered back. "I heard, there is a girl whom he still loves unconditionally, but by some personal reasons they both aren't together & maybe he is still waiting for her", the 3rd girl whispered.

"Maybe he has also gone mad in love-how Mehula gone for that stranger”, they giggled lightly on that statement.

Mehula ignored them & putted her earphones on. She closed her eyes & left a heavy sigh like she was letting the heaviness out from her heart & soul. But the song she was listening made her eyes moist.

Her whole playlist was filled with the songs which she can't listen without listening him & this one was one of them.

Only he is filled in every word of every single line.

Only his traces can be find behind every tune of music.

The memories of those days came across her mind, they started appearing into her eyes like it all happened few days ago.

...****************...

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