The lost pair started moving again with Divya guiding them. Drishti tried to keep quiet and walk but her conversation or confrontation with Rakshit wasn't allowing it. The feeling of non-loneliness was addictive. The more she thought about it, the more she craved it. "Let's play 20 questions."

Divya smirked at the idea of getting another chance to tease the older woman. In the short amount of time spent with her, the rockstar found how fun it was to annoy the teacher. Either in a good or bad way. The former seemed like a better option. "So you can get another headache from talking to me."

"It doesn't hurt to just say yes or no."

"It wouldn't be fun that way. I prefer going down the crooked road."

"True, that's what you seem to do all the time anyway. So is that a yes?"

"Maybe."

Drishti nodded and carried on. "Alright, then I'll go first..."

"No, wait. I wanna go first," Divya interrupted. "Why do you have such a huge guilt complexion?"

"I dont not have a guilt complexion. It's called accountability," she repeated her lines from earlier on.

"My bad, why do you like to be accountable for things that you aren't accountable for?"

"Only one question at one go. So it's my turn. What did you really mean but I made you regret it? What exactly is it?" Drishti asked. This question was roaming around her head since it was mentioned. Initially, she thought it was the truce but the blatant ignorance of her apology and change in mood made it seem like something much more than that.

Divya remained quiet for a few seconds. She knew clearly what it meant. She felt it in her bones. The same shock and confusion when the situation started sinking in enveloped her. She regretted it.

Drishti shook the injured girl slightly to remind her to respond. "What is it?"

"I regret trusting you. I regretted letting myself trust you. It was a dumb mistake I made again. But it's not your fault. I should've known better." she said nonchalantly.

Drishti left her mouth hanging slightly agape. Confusion would be an understatement for what she felt. "I won't ask what you mean by that again because that is really personal. And agreed. What happened wasn't ideal. I promise to try my best not to let you down again."

"It's not your responsibility. You don't have to."

"I want to."

Divya frowned at her and received a little smile in return. It was almost like the reassurance she used to get from her buddy. After doing something mischievous, he would promise to make sure no one would scold her. He would smile the same way. "Why? You're not b...We have been mean to you since you got here. I don't see a reason for you to do it. other than being the reason we are in this mess of course."

"Is that your next question?"

"Sure."

"You're different. In my previous schools, I've seen a few students like you but they were neither as dangerous nor as complicated as you or your friends. You guys show yourselves as mean and arrogant but you also care."

"We are also bullies and you yourself were one of our victims as you said."

"I am not excusing that and absolutely despise you for doing that. But I've seen you care. The bag of clothes, first aid after Harshad twisted my hand. You wouldn't do that if you didn't care. And I heard from twinkle whatever happened between them. So in your own twisted way you care and want to get back at him."

"We do that because, in your words, accountability. We dropped the paint, we gave you clothes. Harshad messed with us and we did the same."

"Yes, and you didn't have to save me from him or get me the ice pack. It's the small things that make the difference, Divya."

She opened her mouth to argue but stopped. "Why am I even debating this? I am awesome. But just for the record don't expect anything else other than humanity from us."

"It's better than a lot of other things out there. So do I get my next question?"

"I am warning you. It better not be something so emo and personal."

"What would be considered emo and personal for you?"

"You're the teacher, figure it out," she deadpanned before continuing, "Now my turn. Out of all professions, why teacher?"

"Teaching is my passion," she replied instantly. "Being able to transfer knowledge makes me feel useful. Like I am doing something. Besides, who wouldn't want to be part of space. It's the best institute in the country. "

"That would be cool if you actually had some knowledge worth transferring. So far all I've seen is a bunch of idiotic moves."

"Excuse me,'' Drishti said incredulously.

"To where? We are in the middle of the jungle." she rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Oh my god, you are such an ass."

"No, I just don't like you very much," Divya shrugged with a smirk. "Anyways, your turn."

Drishti pinched the bridge of her nose and ignored the poking. "Hmmm, favourite childhood memory?"

Divya thought about it for a while. Her childhood was filled with alot of conflicts, to say the least. Her favourite memory was actually the ones before her kidnapping but the ones after weren't any less favourite. Not wanting to dwell on the past she squashed the former ones before they could resurface and went with the latter. "Forming midnight spirits that day. I finally fulfilled a promise I made to someone," she laughed a little at the fond memory. "I can never forget that rat. God bless it. Oh and then the debate about the band name. damn, it was one of our ugliest fights. It was kinda my fault but still, it was funny. "

"I am confused," Drishti admitted.

"Basically, Ragini and I went to the old locker room of our school when we were eight. It was close to our classroom and we were the only ones left in class so the teacher asked us to get some papers. We found Lucky and Shikar there. They were doing their own thing and so were we. but some amateur decided it would be funny to lock the brothers in. He didn't know it was actually the four of us in there."

"Wait so, you guys have not been childhood buddies since birth."

"No, we are not. But still chaddi buddies." Divya nodded proudly. "Anyways, when we got locked in, Lakshya and I got into an argument as usual and Ragini and Shikhar had to calm us down. But because of our banter, we missed the rat that came in through the open window. Ragini screamed so loud that my ears were ringing for days. But the two of them were pretty supportive."

Drishti scrunched her face in confusion. "This doesn't tell me how the band was formed. Unless you tell me, you guys used the things around you to make music or something."

"That's exactly what happened," Divya chuckled. " Shikar started randomly tapping two sticks he found, Ragini whistled, lucky and I was just humming along and then started singing the lyrics of 'slipped away' by Avril. We were stuck for a couple of hours before someone opened the door. At that time, we just continued this and talked about random stuff. In the end, we just had the thought of forming a band."

"Wow, I bet at that time you didn't realize the three of them were going to be so important to you."

"Nope. only Ragini was close to me. When lucky and shikar came along, we were bandmates, a group of kids that hung out together but over time, it became much more than that."

"So you and Ragini are really close," it was a statement rather than a question. "I saw how worried she was before the ambulance."

"Yeah. We are practically sisters. She is the only one that can convince me to do anything I don't want to. I would do it only for her," she said honestly. "But that doesn't mean lucky and shikar hold less value. They all are equal, but Ragini has her own ways."

"I saw right from the first meeting when she stopped you from beating me into a pulp."

"Yea you should be grateful for that. Actually, I thought I had met you before. Like when we were kids or something."

"Really?" Drishti asked, confusion evident. "I thought the same."

"Though if we did, what a splendid reunion we had. Cars crashing like fates intertwining and all the other poetic stuff people say."

"The cars slammed right into each other. It resonated with fate, a reunion they had no say in. but perhaps destiny was tired of the hide and seek over the years. That's why a meeting meant to be filled with love and joy was nothing more than the beginning of an animosity that would grow over time, bringing wave after wave of agony."

Divya glared at her in disdain. "You make me wish that I stayed unconscious. Seriously with the cliches. Are you Ekta Kapoor or something? Do you have the guilty pleasure of watching her mother in law and daughter in law dramas?"

"No! I just like literature and poetry," when she saw that Divya was still giving her the stink eye she dropped her face. "I took literature in the upper secondary."

"If that's supposed to explain something, it didn't."

"Forget that I said anything."

"With pleasure. Anyways, next question?"

"Shoot."

Divya scrunched her eyes together as if thinking really hard. "What the hell was the person who first found out cows could be milked thinking?"

Drishti choked on air and nearly stumbled over.

"Careful. You're going to send me into a coma at this rate."

"How am I supposed to know what they are thinking?" the class parent yelled, still stunned with the question.

"If you don't know, just say that. Don't need to be so dramatic about it."

"I..." Drishti stopped in her spot. She hushed the student and focused on the sound coming from ahead of them. It was slow, almost like a trickling river. "I think we are near the stream close to the campsite. Around an hour away from it."

Divya barely restrained her eyes from rolling. "No shit sherlock. I told you I have a photogenic memory."

"I thought we were going back to checkpoint one."

"Well, you thought wrong."

---broken promises---

Everyone makes mistakes, misjudges and sometimes becomes ignorant. It's normal. But in Rakshit's profession, he wasn't supposed to commit these mistakes. Flight over fight took over and he stayed as far away as possible from the band in all the years he had been in space. Today, he was seeing something different. This was his first aspire camp and the first time seeing the midnight spirits in a different light. Using his years of experience he observed them from the table in front of their tent's opening.

Shikar was stuffing food in his mouth. Stress eating. That's his coping mechanism. The tent was large enough for all three of them to sit in the centre and talk. He chose the corner space instead. Not wanting to draw attention to himself. Possibility not to add to their stress. When the snack packet finished he reached blindly to the side table for another one but his hands only caught air. Retracting his hands into his pocket, he breathed slowly. He continued for a while. Frustration for not getting snacks. He stomped his feet lightly and folded his arms in front of the chest. Shikar looked at his brother about to call out for him but the voice died in his throat only blowing a sigh. Huh, interesting.

Raskhit followed his line of sight and studied the older brother. Lakshya was pacing up and down, mumbling something along the lines of how long it had been since the search was going on with a few profanities. Occasionally glancing at the door and then at his watch. Each second caused a new wrinkle on his forehead. For a split second, his foot extended towards the door before retreating back. Definitely worried. After a few moments, he fell back into the chair. He rocked back and forth a couple of times before stopping with his mouth slightly agape. Did he just realise that the chair is too small for him? Wow, definitely worried and unaware. Almost like a father.

Rakshit paused once the thought came to the forefront of his mind. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table in front of him as he stared at the two brothers. The hesitation from shikar finally clicked.

Laksh and Shikar lost their dad at a young age. Laksh being older become shikar's father figure and he happily adopted that role not just for his younger brother but for the band as well. Shikar doesn't want laksh to be more stressed by his own emotions. All this while I have been thinking shikar was the biggest bully. He is actually a child who doesn't want to be a burden but wants someone to bear his tantrums. Makes sense given how absent their parents are from their lives.

He turned his attention away from the brothers to Ragini. Everyone in S.P.A.C.E knew never to mess with the band but especially Ragini. Harshad had already suffered that fate. The pianist wasn't one to get into trouble. There were close to zero complaints against her from those who were the victims of their horrible pranks. Yet right now, she looks ready to murder anyone who interrupted her concentration on the exit of the tent. Well, the other three will handle anyone who teases her. The two girls were equally protective. The only difference being one was openly expressive about it with her fist and the other was a silent executioner. Why is she so protective of someone who isn't related to her by blood? Absent parents? Probably explains why they're so close.

Whatever the case, one thing is for sure. Midnight spirits are victims of group polarization and groupthink. It's going to be very problematic in the future. Even if Drishti is friends with them, there's not going to be much of a difference.

"Don't stare," Ms Malhotra's voice boomed in his ear. It made him jerk and spill the coffee he was holding onto the table. "It's not nice." she took a sip beside him and scowled at the map in front of her.

"You scared me." he groaned as he wiped the spilt coffee with the tissue on the table. "I wasn't staring. Just observing."

"Sure," she mumbled, unbothered by his annoyance at being interrupted. There was a missing student and teacher they needed to find. Not indulging in observation sessions. As the principal, it weighed heavily on her to have let this happen on her watch. She failed to keep them safe and now she had to fix it at any cost. "Find anything?"

"As a matter of fact, yes, finally. The search team said they found a torch and suspect that they fell off the slope so they are following the trail." similar to the principal he failed as the safety In charge. Earlier he was drowning in guilt and almost dropped from exhaustion during the search. He wanted to continue with the search team but was ordered to head back. It made him feel a little better when they found the clue. "I just hope it's not a dead end."

"Me...wait. The slope? As in the one with rocks and sticks all the way down and slippery mud?" the older woman practically shrieked in horror. "Rakshit! If they slid down they might be injured. Send the damn medics behind them." she said impatiently about to get on her feet.

Rakshit awkwardly pulled her hand down and tried to calm her down. "I already did. They have stretched, bandages, gauze anything they might possibly need. So relax. We'll find them."

She dropped her head in her hands and sighed heavily. "Space is so screwed."

"Breathe ms m. The students are living in a few hours. They don't know about this. Nothing will happen."

"Something will definitely happen when the Singhania parent finds out. And not forgetting the midnight spirits. I am sure they aren't leaving until Divya comes back."

"Oh, ya this for sure but at least none of the other students are aware."

"I hope you are right, Rakshit." She stood and left to speak to the coordinators for the departure of the other students. They didn't need another case of missing students.

---broken promises---

The paramedics thanked their lucky stars as they spotted two females sitting around the clearing close to the campsite after hours of searching. They rushed to the pair and shook them awake. It took a while but it worked.

The sharp rays stung Drishti's brown orbs and she raised her hand in front of her. She looked around and sighed in relief to see the paramedics surrounding her. They had reached this spot a couple of hours ago and sat down for a break. "I think the injuries finally took their toll on us. And we fell..." she let the sentence remain hanging in the air as the word echoed in her mind. Asleep.

There's a discomfort in her chest, a feeling in her brain like excess caffeine that sets in deeper as a similar scenario comes to mind. It is no different than when she was a child put in charge of keeping an eye on her younger sibling that coincidentally had the same name. The brain doesn't understand the passage of time, doesn't know when her limbs started pushing herself to her feet. The panic grows stronger as her mental faculties give way to emotions. she felt just like a child again, shaking and terrified of having committed the same mistake twice. The constricted feelings grow as if she was strangled by just the air around. That's when she reaches to her right for the student who was with her.

"Where is Divya!" she squealed with wide eyes. The pandemic steadies her as she attempts to walk.

"Right here ms sorry soul," Divya replied sleepily from her stretcher. While Drishti had listened to nature and woke up, the younger woman was still sleeping. "You need to stop panicking so much. I told you how much of a badass I am."

Drishti moved around the people blocking her view and sighed. She didn't fail this time. Everything is fine. "I think I've got a bruise," she told the paramedic and sat back on the ground. He got busy checking her over.

"Does it hurt?" the EMT looking over Divya's ankle asked. It was pretty bad at this point and dehydration seemed to have made it worse. "It's pretty bad."

"No shit Sherlock," she barked with irritation. "Why is no one letting me sleep?"

"Very well then. You sleep away while we get you back to camp and to the hospital," he chuckled, uncovering a bandage from the first aid kit.

"Oh yay. another trip to the hospital. My family is going to be so pleased." she mused.

"Twice in two weeks. Nice record." Drishti called from her position on the ground.

Divya shot up in a sitting position, immediately letting out a shrill shout. "Do it gently eric!" she scolded the EMT after a few wheezes. He mumbled an apology carrying on with his work. "Ms sorry soul, you do not get to make fun of me. This is your fault."

Drishti shrugged with a smirk. "We are no longer lost so I can laugh."

"Tell that to my friends who are waiting back at camp. I ain't defending you this time. And I highly doubt ja-Ragini will." Divya countered, enjoying the deflated look on her class parent's face.

"Shit," Drishti facepalmed. There is no way this truce is ever going to work. "I should just get lost in the forest again. It's safer than your friends."

"Suit yourself," Divya said lying back on the stretcher with her head behind her head. As much as she would like to throw her teacher under the bus, it wouldn't work. Ragini, Lakshya and Shikar were going to kill her for this. Ragini was going to be babysitting her for the next few weeks. "Jadu, please save me."

To add to the pressure, musicana was around the corner. They had practised and were more or else prepared. But that would be pointless if she was stuck in the hospital. She couldn't do that to her friends. They were so excited to meet fab five and show their talent to them. She must convince them for an early discharge. That would be easy if her dad agreed. He would handle the rest.

A/N: Dont forget to R&R!

@Bsharma a little late but I hope you enjoyed the chapter!