Are u interested in this story anymore?

*unedited* 

Sorry for the late updates but  I am caught up in my daily life and not able to write. Though I will try my best to update this one frequently.  Whatever happens, I won't leave my stories incomplete, so don't worry :)

*******

The beauty of those old roads. Yes, the same roads where you were chased by a cute puppy. Deadly, you mean? Nope. Cuteness overloaded. And can you see the bumps that made you fall now and then? As if you didn't get tangled in your own legs just to greet the perfect land. Really? Then what about the time when the vendor of those tasty ice creams screamed profanities at you as you never paid him. You mean to say the time when you eat ice cream and ran away saying I was to pay for it when I didn't even know you. What do you mean by I didn't know you? I remember everyone and everything in my town. Says the girl who forgot the way to her school after using the same road for 10 years.

⁛⁛⁛⁛

"Madhurya Ashram" 

The big bold letters inscribed on the iron gates welcomed the eyes of the students and professors of Space after early morning breakfast and a two-hour ride. Located on the outskirts of Mangalore surrounded by the local forset, this ashram was founded decades ago by some renowned classical musicians after their retirement to inspire the new generations of the beauty and melody of the classics.

With passing time, its reputation has become more and more awe-worthy with its vast field of workshops, classes, competitions, career opportunities, and so on along with some of the famous musicians as instructors, it too comes as one of the leading music facilitators in the country.

With a vast area including buildings for residence on the right side from the main yard just inside the gates, it has two blocks one for girls and the other for boys.

Just in the middle is the big building which had recently undergone renovation yet still has the old touch and feel where the workshops and lessons are situated.

The left side consists of the small cabins scattered around for the permanent resident musicians for getting in tune with their own music in their free time. 

And finally, at the backside of the main building some musical displays and the history of classical music as well as the ashram.

After the necessary instructions from the professors, students were all told to get themselves familiar with the surroundings and meet in the main building in the evening. 

⁛⁛⁛⁛⁛⁛⁛⁛

"I never thought I will come back here," Jeff whispered eyes closed taking in the freshness of the air through the window of the room. 

"Me too," Nandini spoke. Her voice too low but in the silence of the room, jeff heard clearly.

Jeff turned around to face Nandini who was lost holding a small medallion (in the shape of a crescent moon with three small silver stars) in her hands. Making her way towards Nandini, Jeff took the medallion in her own hands startling Nandini. Jeff caressed the small trinket which was more than a mere trinket. It was their past, their friendship, and their childhood.

"I have brought mine too," Jeff said.

"umm...when u left, I will see this and remember u." Nandini exclaimed, " Why did we never share photos again?"

"Because we knew we will meet one day."  

"One day. So, much changes in one day right?" Nandini started but it came rather like a question.

Jeff finally looked at her, " It may change on its own for bad but we too can use the one day to change for our good."

"Jeff.." Nandini could not finish her sentence as Jeff cut her off, " It's been so long Nandini. When we were standing in front of the gate, I realized I didn't feel the same happiness I always imagined myself to feel when I will come back here. Do you know why Nandini?" 

"Let it go J." Nandini spoke.

"No Nanz, not today And I know you too know the reason," Jeff said, "It's the same reason I could see tears in your eyes instead of smile and why Arya's hands were clutched so tightly that it was turning white." 

 Nandini looked at her, "You think I didn't notice Nanz. You really thought I was oblivious did u? How can I not notice when instead of Arya's arms around us and we all grinning remembering all our times at this same ashram we were standing far apart."

"For today nanz, Let's go and take a look at our tree. I missed it. And we can click some selfies with our medallions on. I am sure Arya would have brought his own too. Go to the cafeteria and eat uncle's ice cream. I will make Arya pay this time. We can give our guru's a little scare. And finally, just be us."

It was silence with jeff blinking rapidly to not let the tears flow, while Nandini kept looking at her.

"I won't talk to him and, I need a double scoop." Jeff nodded vigorously and hugged Nandini who too smiled in the hug while tightening her hold on her.

⁛⁛⁛⁛⁛⁛⁛⁛

"Alya, jaldi kar. We just have few hours to explore the place and I really have to go to that big peepal ka ped." Mukti once again shouted making Alya sigh. 

"Mukti, you take Cabir and go I will meet you guys." there was silence and a loud bang making Alya know Mukti has left to just as she said. 

When the professors made known that they were going to Madhurya ashram, she had been worried about Mukti but seeing Mukti so excited, it was worth it. 

She was finally ready when she heard a knock on the door.

"Alya, are you ready?" came the voice of Dhruv from another side of the door.

"The door is open Dhruv." she looked up while wearing her heels to see Dhruv. 

"I still don't know how you manage to make me speechless just by being you," Alya said eyeing Dhruv up and down.

"And I still don't know how you take so long to get ready even if it's just a T-shirt and jeans, " Dhruv replied cheekily make Alya thrown her scarf at him.

"Dhruv, don't be mean," Alya whined while following Dhruv out the door.

"Aree, a fact is a fact." Dhruv grinned cheekily, "But honestly, why it takes you so long when you are so pretty naturally."

"Why, thank you, Dhruv." Alya bowed dramatically towards him before starting to lock the door.

"Accha it's fun to joke but we must go all are waiting for us," Dhruv spoke and was already hurrying from there.

"Dhruv..." Alya shouted while going after him.

⁛⁛⁛⁛⁛⁛⁛⁛

"Mukti, dheere ..." Cabir spoke while making Mukti halt, " Stairs hai..."

"So? Jaldi kar na Cabir, we don't have much time. We have to see the full ashram and then we have to go in the jungle surrounding the ashram." and Mukti was again running down the flight of stairs making Cabir huff but descend after her.

Finally, they reached the front yard with Mukti bubbling with excitement and Cabir panting and complaining about losing his weight.

"Uff, where is this Manik now?" Mukti asked looking around while Kabir, Dhruv, and Alya just shrugged their shoulders in unison.

"Manik...jaldi kar.." Mukti shouted looking at the distance seeing Manik walking towards them at a snail's pace.  Manik raised an eyebrow in question at the others seeing Mukti talking non-stop about this and that.

"Everyone ready?" Mukti asked finally to which they all nodded like puppies following their mother. Fab4 shared a look and grinned knowing all were thinking the same when Mukti said to follow her and they did like ducklings following the duck.

⁛⁛⁛⁛⁛⁛⁛⁛

Jeff was always soothed by the mere presence of the towering tree of Pepal. Here, sitting with her back resting on the magnificent trunk of the said tree with her best friends sitting on either side of her glaring at each other just felt home. 

She still remembers her first day under the same shade. 

It was the weekend and 9-year-old Jeff was bored at home so her parents had sent her to Nandini's house due to her constant moaning about boredom.  Since Aryaman too had come over Ams decided to take them to Madhurya Ashram for the first time.

Being a classical musician herself, Ams had once upon a time worked in Madhurya ashram but after Nandini's parent's death, she had decided to be home and teach small children in her own home. She just occasionally came to Ashram.

Jeff sighed remembering the half-hour walk through the oldest town of Mangalore which was a shortcut from Nandini's place to the Ashram. It started as a simple pitched road leading to a small turn leading towards a field and finally towards a narrow path with big trees on all sides. Following the trial of the path that seemed more rundown, they reached this same place and tree. Ams had asked them to rest for some time under the shade and they had sat down. 

That was the first time Jeff had leaned into this tree to catch a breath and as she grew up, it had become some sort of ritual for the trio. Whenever they had to hang out, talk, or just be in each other's presence, this was the place. But she had to leave and a part of her life was left behind.

 But now the chapter all about the old town and its bumpy roads, three children and their friendship, their dreams, and music that was left behind in the cravings of their names in the tree trunk is again about to be read aloud.

Jeff took a deep breath catching the attention of her best friends. Nandini and Aryaman looked at her confused when Jeff sat attentively looking at them intensely.

"So, tell me, which of you broke my promise of never fighting under this majestic tree bearing the cravings of our friendship; protecting it, growing with it?"

Finally, wrote something. More trio and less Fab5.

 This Mangalore trip is more about mending and building relations so it will have more trio,  more steps towards romance, discoveries, and revelations of some good and bad past happenings. Also, some new entries.

I love to read your guess. Do comment your thoughts.

Date: 30th June 2021