Mentor and his mentee...
Mentor and his mentee...
"You… you mean… oh sh*t, how did I forget that it's her birthday tomorrow? Where is she right now? Can you take me to her?" Yash said urgently.
Ishani put a restraining hand on his shoulder and replied, "calm down. Let's just think this through rationally before both of us spend the night in the dean's office for straying out post the designated hour.
But Yash's head was thinking about what could he gift her at this moment, what was he supposed to say, should he just wish or…
"Yoohoo… stop zoning out. Concentrate," she scolded him.
Yash held his palm out to stop her from speaking further.
"You figure out the logistics. I fully trust you. I will see you in half hour with Mriga near the rose bush next to your dorm," he said and hurried back in without waiting for her answer.
"Why does he need half hour? Is he getting ready for his wedding?" Ishani rolled her eyes and muttered to herself.
Same time, Gurukul's gate
Mriga's face broke into a tiny smile when she saw a familiar looking thug standing at the gates of the Gurukul.
"I see that you have become better with your time management," he said as a way of greeting.
She bowed slightly and looked at him expectantly, waiting for instructions.
Shaurya scanned her face before asking, "are you unwell?"
She shook her head in negative.
"Let's go then," he said shortly.
"Uh, aren't we waiting for the others?" she asked in confusion.
"Aren't you aware that everyone has been assigned their individual tasks and mentors. Do you have any more questions or can we leave?" he asked impatiently.
Mriga nearly bit her tongue and started walking ahead.
"That's the wrong direction. Have you forgotten the rule already? One step behind me unless I tell you otherwise," he reprimanded her in an undertone, mindful of the guards at the Gurukul gate.
"Oh God, I am going to screw it up before it even begins. Asking questions, not paying attention… can I have a worse start?" she thought desperately.
Hoisting the bag on her shoulder, she went and stood in front of him and bowed deeply.
"I am sorry. This won't happen again," she could feel tears welling up in her eyes.
"What's wrong with her? Crying at something so insignificant? She is clearly not herself," he thought.
Averting his gaze from her shimmering eyes, he said gruffly, "let's not waste anymore time."
She was glad that he didn't say anything further and started walking in an unfamiliar direction. She had assumed that they would be headed towards the market but she was wrong. They walked for a long time in silence before reaching what seemed like the outskirts of the capital.
Outside Girls' Dorm
Ishani was standing with her head bowed when Yash reached there. Looking here and there, he finally looked at Ishani's crestfallen face. Without saying anything, he put the clumsily packed box in his pocket and pivoted to go back to his hostel. Ishani also didn't know what to say to him. She had gone back inside only to be told by another girl that she had seen Mriga leave with a small bag sometime back.
Chandragarh's Outskirts
Shaurya went and stood outside a run-down shack which was shrouded in darkness. There seemed to be no one around either. The surrounding evergreen trees were casting a long shadow on the place, making it look gloomy.
"Leave your bag here. This is going to be our base for tonight and tomorrow," he stood at the base of the steps leading to the entrance and spoke to her in hushed tones.
"We cannot afford to light a candle here. Due to the openness of the location, even a small light will be seen from a distance. Have you got the clothes which I gave you the last time?" he stood next to her and whispered in her ear.
"Yes, I have. They are in my bag," she matched his voice's pitch.
He reached for her hand and placed it on his shoulder.
"It will be pitch dark inside. Be careful and don't lose your footing. Let's try and not make any unnecessary sounds," he warned her before walking up the steps to the entry.
Mriga's heart was hammering. She seemed to have forgotten the misery of the past few days, the freshly received scolding… everything. This feeling of excitement was indescribable. All she knew was that she was extremely glad in this moment.
After opening the creaking door, Shaurya asked her to close her eyes and get a feel of the place. Holding one of her hands, he made her count the steps from the center of the room till the edges on all sides, including the door leading to the washroom which was located next to the lodge. The place smelled musty and dank. But Mriga couldn't care less. She was busy learning the number of steps.
"I am going to step out now. I need you to quickly change and come out. Understood?" he murmured next to her ear.
She turned her face towards him and replied with a soft yes and felt the air change the very next moment. He had moved out of the place before she had drawn in a breath.
"One day… I will be as fast as him, one day," she told herself and started pulling out the clothes from the bag.
Shaurya took in lungfuls of breath standing at the edge of the staircase.
"The room seemed to be too stuffy. Should have aired it out earlier," he told himself while a tiny part inside him challenged that claim.
Within no time, she came out and stood before him. In the pale moonlight, he could barely make out her features but was it is his imagination or did she seem to be smiling far more brightly now than she had been a couple of hours ago?