(🚨 Long chapter ahead 🚨)

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I was bloated. Not one, not two, but I had three servings of every dish. Everything was so delicious; I just couldn't help myself. After finishing off my last food item, I relaxed back in my chair while Ved looked at me with pursed lips.

He was already done eating fifteen minutes ago while I was still stuffing myself with whatever I saw in front of me. I didn't know why, but I felt like I hadn't eaten for months. I patted my tummy and burped.

Ved scrunched up his face and shook his head. I grinned at him, and called a waiter to order some drinks. Ved opened his mouth to say something, but bit back whatever he was going to speak. After drinking orange juice, I stretched my arms and slumped more in my seat.

I was feeling satisfied, and sleepy. Ved got up and went to pay the bill. I decided to give him my share of money later as I had no strength left in me. He returned and picked up his helmet and bike keys. He started walking towards the exit, and I followed suit, my speed half his pace.

We were already really late, and I wondered whether we would reach the destination on time or not. But, as fast as that doubt came in my mind, I kicked it away with equal speed. My mind was focused on only one thing. Sleep.

I remembered my warm bed and pouted. I missed it so much, and after having a nice brunch, I wanted to just lay down. Pure bliss.

I stopped near Ved's bike and waited for him to get on it first. He wore his helmet and twisted the key in the ignition.

I climbed after him and folded my arms over my waist. Ved started the bike, and we were back on track again. None of us exchanged any words. While Ved was focused on driving, I was trying to keep my eyes open. It was so hard though.

My eyelids kept drooping, so I shook my head and slapped my face lightly. Even the beautiful scenery was useless.

"What happened?" Ved asked.

"No......thi.....ng." I yawned.

"Then sit properly," he scolded.

I ignored him and started humming a song to keep myself busy. Ved glanced at me in the mirror, and I kept singing-I knew I sounded bad. I sang about two songs, surprised that Ved suffered the torture without uttering a single word.

After that I got tired, and just focused on the road ahead. A lot of thoughts came in my mind: Was Faiyaz okay?, How did Zoya's practical go?, Ishaan bhaiyya will stay away from them, right?, I shouldn't have gotten involved in Mahek's matter, I should not have lied to Lakshya bhaiyya about Nikhil, etc.

I didn't realise when darkness engulfed me, and my head hit a warm firm surface. I traveled into the land of dreams, and just like every time, nothing made any sense.

I was the leader of some cult group whose main purpose was to kill all the mice in the world, and my enemy was a humongous white mouse, which reminded me of Terry, Ved's pet.

I continued seeing random scenarios, enjoying every one of it. Suddenly, in my dream, someone pushed me to the ground from the back, and when I turned to see who it was, the person had no face. It was just all smoke and nothing else.

"Sandhya......"

I hugged my pillow tightly and shook my head. "No... I want to sleep."

"Sandhya!"

"Five more minutes, the bed is so warm...." I whined and snuggled my face into the pillow.

Nothing else happened after that, so I relaxed and continued sleeping. Suddenly, I felt my right hand getting lifted up, but I dismissed it as nothing. Maybe I was half-asleep or lucid dreaming.

Ouch!

I jolted out of my beauty sleep and opened my eyes grudgingly. My ring finger, and the tip of my pinky finger were throbbing in pain. I checked my hand and noticed that my fingers had turned a bright shade of red.

"Did you just bite me?" I yelled, still trying to configure where I was.

I knew someone was in front of me, but who exactly it was, was not my top priority at the moment. The person had bitten me, and I wanted to know the reason. I hit him on the back, and that person looked over his shoulder.

"Get up, Sandy Pandy! We have reached the place," he said, and I twisted my neck.

There was only one person who called me that. I blinked rapidly, my cheeks heating up as the realisation dawned upon me. My eyes widened when I noticed our position.

My head was resting on Ved's back and my arms were wrapped around his waist in a tight embrace. My front body was flushed against his back, and I had clutched his jacket in my hands.

I gulped nervously and jerked away from him in a snap. I removed my hands from his waist and shrunk back in my seat. I mumbled a quick 'Sorry' to him as I adjusted my clothes.

He was still looking at me, and I avoided his eyes. Before I got myself more embarrassed, I hopped down the bike and started running away.

But I halted when I remembered that my bags were still with him. I turned on my heels and went back to him. He opened the dickey and handed me my luggage. I avoided his gaze-I was sure that he was looking at me in derision.

So much for not holding him for support.

"Th-thank y-you," I stuttered and ran away from there.

I couldn't believe I did that. I slept during the ride and didn't even realise that I was hugging him so closely. But he felt so soft and warm; just like my quilt. I slept like a baby.

Shut up, Sandhya! What the hell are you even saying?

I shook my head and reached the entrance of the resort where we were supposed to stay for the rest of our trip. I expressed my surprise at the view in front of me. Right between hundreds of trees and foliage, was standing a tall red and white building with three floors.

The roof was covered with tiles, some parts of it getting covered by the tree branches. The place reminded me of Shimla, just the snow was missing.

(Images are used for representational purpose only.)

I entered the premises after getting a clearance from the security.

"Surbhi!" I shouted my bestie's name when I spotted her and waved my hand in the air.

Surbhi snapped her head in my direction, and when she saw me, she ran down the stairs of the first floor and engulfed me in a hug. She crushed me in her arms, but I didn't complain. It was really cold as it is.

"I thought you got left behind," she said as she broke the hug.

"I thought so too," I replied.

"How did you get here then?" she questioned and took one of my bags.

"Ved gave me a ride." I smiled and Surbhi raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"Did I miss something?" She tried to read my face.

"I know what you are thinking. But no, he didn't murder me, nor did I. Actually, he was held back for a meeting with Coach and Dean Sharma asked him to take me with him," I explained.

"And he did?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yup." I grinned.

She smiled at me and told me that she was glad that I made it this far alive. I punched her shoulder playfully, and we went toward our assigned room. On our way, we met Parth and he gave me a tight hug.

"I didn't die, Parth. Relax," I joked.

"I know. Did you walk all the way here?" he questioned, and I rolled my eyes.

"Ved helped me," I said, but his reaction was a little different from Surbhi. He just shot me a smirk which confused me a lot.

"Please don't start with that again," I groaned and gave them a warning look.

They exchanged a glance and nodded. After our quick meeting, I went to my room and put the luggage in a corner. I was sharing the room with Surbhi and one more girl from the Business Management department.

I quickly changed into some comfortable clothes and plopped down on the soft bed. The room was spacious with three beds taking the centre. Two huge cupboards were set along the white wall, and a dresser was placed on the right side.

Windows were located just above the headrest of the beds, and the washroom was on the left turn from the main door. A small attached gallery completed the look.

(Images are used for representational purpose only.)

After relaxing for half an hour, I got up to leave for the assembly. Surbhi came to inform me about the same, but I was already prepared for it. We made our way toward the garden where a lot of chairs were arranged, and some students had already occupied the seats.

We saw Tanya, Divya and Rashi coming from the opposite direction. Surbhi shot me a worried glance, but I shrugged. I told her to go ahead and join them if she wanted. She shook her head, and I glanced at the other girls.

They were looking in our direction. I nudged Surbhi and told her that we could hang out later. We were sharing the same room, so spending some time with each other wouldn't be much of a problem.

Surbhi was feeling conflicted, and she knew that I was keeping my distance on purpose. But instead of arguing, she respected my decision and prophesied that one day all of them would regret doubting me. I gave her a big smile and pushed her to go.

She gave me a quick hug and went to meet the girls. They welcomed her happily, and I looked away when they turned their eyes on me. I glanced around and admired the decorations. Mayank had done a lot of preparations for the volunteer work.

A small stage was set up in front of the chairs with a big banner pinned on the background wall. The banner had Mayank's photo-no surprise-his NGO's name, and 'Mission Reforestation and Water conservation' written on it along with some practical diagrams.

"Sandhya!"

I turned around when I heard my name and smiled when I saw Shreyas a few metres away from me. Before I could reply, he ran towards me and wrapped his arms around me. He hugged me so tightly that I couldn't breathe properly.

I wriggled my hand out of the embrace and patted his back. He loosened his grip, and I chuckled. "Missed me that much?"

He pulled away from me and nodded like a kid. "I thought you won't make it," he said.

"But I did," I replied gleefully.

He returned the gesture but his smile didn't reach his eyes. I etched my eyebrows in concern.

"What happened, Shreyas? Why do you look so tense?" I asked.

He sighed and pointed his thumb to the back. I looked behind him and rolled my eyes when I saw Farha and her friends roaming around. Farha was from Commerce department, and unfortunately, Shreyas' classmate.

I knew she was trying to hit on him, but he had already refused her way back. So why was she so stubborn? I didn't understand why she behaved like that and always forced Shreyas to talk to her or hang out with her group.

Farha spotted Shreyas and made her way towards us. She stopped in front of us and tapped Shreyas' shoulder. He ignored her and she kept poking him. I narrowed my eyes at her.

I grabbed my friend's arm and pulled him behind me. Farha didn't like that and scowled at me. She told me to move aside, but I crossed my arms across my chest.

"He doesn't want to talk to you, then why are you bothering him?" I snapped.

"Stop interfering, Sandhya. You didn't get Shree, so you are now trying your hands on his twin?" she taunted.

I tilted my head. "What the hell did you say?"

"Are you deaf? Move aside, you are blocking my way," she grunted. "Come here, Shreyas~ I know you are just playing hard to get." She winked at him.

"NO!" he shouted and clutched my jacket. I could feel his discomfort, and I didn't like it.

"Last warning, Farha. Stay away from my friend, or I will punch you so hard that you will regret knowing me," I thundered.

She flinched, but acted like she was not scared. But when I shot her a death glare, she huffed and stomped away. Her friends joined her, and Shreyas sighed in relief.

"She won't let you live in peace, will she?" I commented.

"It is not like I hate her or something.... I just don't like her company. I don't understand why she keeps trying to engage me in a conversation and flirt with me even after I said 'No' so many times," Shreyas complained, and I patted his arm.

"I can understand. In such situations, I would prefer if you just hit her, but I know you won't do it since you respect women. I am proud of you for that, but don't suffer in silence. If she troubles you again, tell me or file a complaint against her. She is downright harassing you."

"Yeah... I will be careful. Thanks for helping me."

I gave him a pat on the back in assurance, and then we took our seats in a random row. Soon, the whole assembly got filled with students, and Mayank took the stage. He welcomed everyone and asked them about their journey.

Everyone replied in positive and when his eyes landed on me, he paused for a minute. I knew that look. I was in trouble, and he was going to give a nice lecture to me later.

He continued his speech and briefed us about the activities which were to be carried out in the upcoming days. On the first day, i.e. today, we would be formed into separate teams of ten members each, and a team leader would be assigned for each unit.

We would get friendly with the requirements of the villagers and would visit the site to get familiar with the amount of work we were supposed to do. On the second day, we would be digging reservoirs for water conservation from sunrise till sunset.

Then the third day would be full of tree plantation and trekking. Fourth day would be reserved for recreational activities-we could do anything we wanted, and bonfire in the evening.

And as a bonus, we received an extra day off to return to our homes in the morning.

After hearing the whole procedure, everyone clapped and cheered for Mayank. He smiled at all of us and introduced us to Nandimata village's sarpanch (village head).

The man looked to be in his mid-thirties. He had a nice rich brown complexion and sharp black eyes. He seemed young, but his gaze told that he was a lot wiser than his age. His head was covered in thick black hair which reached until his shoulders, and a long beard adorned his jaw accompanied with an equally thick moustache.

He addressed all of us and introduced himself. We all greeted him back, and he thanked us for coming and helping his village. He gave us some important details about the location and sang the praises of his birthplace. Everyone was captivated by his strong voice.

When he was done, another wave of cheering passed through the students, and he got off the stage. Mayank told us to get ready to leave in one hour. Everyone got up and started walking toward their rooms.

After one hour, every student was seated in the buses and transported to the site. When I stepped out of the bus, I couldn't believe my eyes. Everything was so serene and looked like a dream.

Big old trees, small bushes covered with flowers in every possible colour visible to human eyes, their leaves swaying gently in the wind, dark clouds, fresh soil, and cute little mud and brick houses.

I can live here without any problem.

(Images are used for representational purpose only.)

Mayank gathered everyone in an open field and then the sarpanch took us on a mini tour of the village. He told us the history of the place, and how many disasters they had faced over the last 500 years. But still they managed to survive and continued living.

The tour ended after one and a half hours. We met various families, and some of them even offered us food. The people were really kind and welcoming. I clicked some pictures with the kids and they gave me their hundred dollar smiles.

We were then divided into groups, and I facepalmed myself when Mahek came to stand beside me as Mayank announced the names. I shifted away from her, her awful perfume clogging my nostrils.

She rolled her eyes and made a weird face when a small kid splashed some soil on her as he ran past us. She was shooting daggers at him, but the little guy didn't bother and continued playing with his friends.

Our team's leader was assigned, and I was glad that neither I, nor Mahek was chosen for that task. We would have ended up killing each other. She tried to pass some snarky comment at me, but shut up when I cracked my knuckles and gave her a murderous look.

After that, we all returned back to the resort. As I lay on my bed, I realised that I forgot to thank Ved for the food and didn't even give him the money for the bill. Suddenly, that recent embarrassing memory also followed, and I cursed at myself.

How can you be so idiot, Sandhya? Just think about what Ved must have thought at that time. You slept on his back without his permission, and still he didn't complain.

He bit me though!

I banged my hands and legs on the bed like a kid and buried my face in my hands. Other times, I had the full power of ignorance, but the times when I made a fool out of myself, I could not stop thinking about them.

Surbhi plonked down beside me and asked me what was the matter. I looked at her and debated whether I should tell her or not. I decided not to. First, she would make fun of me, and second, she would tell it to Parth, and then they both would make fun of me.

So, I decided to act normal and picked up my phone. I searched Ved's number and typed a message.

Thank you for the ride and food. I will pay my share of the bill as soon as possible. And..... sorry for the trouble.

I sent the message after reading it countless times. I saw that Ved had read it, but he didn't reply. I waited for some time, but then shut the phone off when I realised that he was not going to revert back any sooner.

I pulled the covers over Surbhi and me, and snuggled closer to her. Our other roommate was in the gallery, talking on her phone while Surbhi was busy texting Aryan. I switched off the lights and emptied my brain of irrelevant thoughts.

After a few minutes, I drifted off to sleep, but I had a very weird dream. A lot of things were happening at the same time, and the only thing I remembered was a small boy's crying face.

Strangely, it reminded me of Ved when he was a kid, but I couldn't comprehend why he was crying while saying my name repeatedly.