The winds howled as they swiftly swept across the land. Dense nimbus clouds loomed all over the vast city, and the sky was painted a rich shade of grey. It seemed to stretch on for miles on end, making it impossible for the sunshine to penetrate.

One could see occasional flashes of lightning across the sky that was closely followed by the roaring thunder. Tiny yet persistent water droplets fell, drenching the city.

People still scurried about with their activities. Nothing seemed to deter them from their routine work. Having been accustomed to such weather every year, they blended perfectly with the demands of the land. The entire city was working in a complex manner, giving rise to an ethereal, picturesque view.
  
Manha turned away from the window to face her friends. “Eshaal hasn’t arrived yet, and I’m really craving something spicy,” she complained. “Why, oh why did I agree to let her buy the food?” Behind her, the rain water trickled across the tinted glass, and the cold breeze seeped into the building through the ventilation.

Zahra pushed the long table to a side, trying to make more space. She rolled out a carpet, threw some cushions, added a few more things, and managed to successfully change the complete outlook of their staff room in just a few minutes. Impressed, Rida looked up from the balloons she had been blowing. “Very cozy. This department is set. You have my approval. ”

A few minutes later, the door opened and Eshaal stepped in. “I’m back,” she announced, carrying parcels of what appeared to be food, “with all that you grandmas have been craving. And wow, Zahra! You’ve done a great job. I mean, look at our staff room; it looks like a perfect hangout for a rainy day.”
Collecting the bag from Eshaal, Rida immediately started to take out its contents. “You got bhajji too?” she questioned happily.

Eshaal looked up after she had settled in. “Yep. Got samosas and kachoris as well from the uncle on the next street. He makes them just the way we prefer.”

All signs of annoyance disappeared from Manha's face when she heard about the savouries. “Awesome!”

“I know I am.”

“I meant the food, not you.”

“You needn’t hide, dearie. I know you secretly meant me.”

Steady chatter floated amongst the four friends as the wind started to pick up pace outside. The angels in-charge had unleashed the force of nature as per the orders they had received from above. The raindrops started becoming larger and more frequent after that. They started to pound relentlessly on everything that came in their vicinity—nothing was spared. It was no different when it came to the math tuition center nestled in a major part of the city.

“The Next Step” had been something the four friends had come up with back in their graduation days. Knowing how draining the conventional methods of teaching were for the students and how they generally feared math as a subject, they had aimed to develop a methodology that could be a mix of student- and teacher-centered approach. The idea had been to design an effective curriculum, keeping in mind the even more effective role of learners.

Steadily, the four had seen their brain child gain both material and design as they worked on their project at college. The substance had solidified; and by the time they were done with their bachelor’s and had begun on their master’s, the curriculum stood complete. They had not wasted any more time in putting their plan to action. A room had been rented where they could teach. They had tried publicising the place, even put up a board, but a total of only five students arrived for the first two months.

The desi aunties found intense joy in ridiculing them when they had gotten to know about the venture. It had been the hot topic of gossip for several weeks. “Girls running a tuition center? Gah!” The aunties had scoffed. “They could have hired one male teacher at least, but no! They want to do it all on their own. It will come tumbling down the very next month. They could never manage one, I’m telling you.”

The One above seemed to have other plans though for the students had quickly come to love what the friends did with the subject. Stuck between desi households where they were constantly compared with their neighbours or long lost cousins and classes that were only result-oriented, the innovative teaching methods of these four had not failed in putting their learners at ease.
The word had spread. It had taken a few months, but eventually, this endeavour of “The Next Step” had transformed into what it was today—a trendy, two storey-building that housed a massive center where high school and graduate girls attended math classes.

Taking their own cups of coffee and munching on the savouries, all four made themselves comfortable in their makeshift hangout. They joked and laughed, thoroughly enjoying the weather. The government had declared a holiday for all educational institutions due to the rain, but it had not stopped them from turning up at the center to put off some steam.

There was a momentary lull in their conversation, and Eshaal groaned when she saw Manha breaking off from the circle for a moment to drag the board game sequence from her desk. “Dude, please, not that.” No doubt the game in itself was something fun—the players had to assemble a sequence of five coins depending upon the card they picked, trying to not lose their coins to other players at the same time. Eshaal, however, was in no mood of exercising her mind for the day. She had intended to laze around from the very beginning.
 
“Come on, don’t be a bore.”

“I really don't want to use my mind today. Why don’t we just continue talking?”

Manha blatantly ignored her as she brought the game to where the girls sat. “It would help in increasing your brain’s speed. You’re a math tutor now; you should always be in a state to solve problems.”

Eyeing the game with repugnance, Eshaal attempted to strike a deal. “I’d agree to play this only if you guys agree to club this game with the chits I have." She had made up her mind to have fun in whatever ways she could.

“And how are we going to do it?” Zahra put forth.

“By making the loser pick up a chit and taking up the dare written in it.” Eshaal thought for a second before she hurriedly added, “Let’s tweak it a bit. Every time someone loses a coin, they’d have to pick a chit.”
    
“Then we’d end up spending more time in completing the dares than playing the game.”
          
Eshaal grinned. “And that’s what I’m trying to make you people do.”
          
Having convinced everyone, Eshaal sprang up to get the chits she had placed somewhere in her locker.
            
Manha frowned at the sight of her emptying the chits into a jar. “It looks like you’re getting too comfortable with that jar and those chits.”
           
“Why are you acting like a spoilsport even before we begin? It isn’t as if you got a nasty dare last time. I was the one who did.”
             
“I didn’t know buying treats for your friend is a nasty dare.”
             
“Oh, of course not. But if the said friend tries to take advantage of the situation because you are paying and tries all the delicacies she had been wanting to taste, then it is a nasty dare.”

“I wasn’t the only one who tasted those yummy treats, alright. All four of us shared them.”
            
Eshaal narrowed her eyes. “Why don’t you tell me directly you’re scared I’d take revenge for it?”

“So, do I take it that you don’t have the idea of doing it?”

“Nope, I never said anything of the sort.”

“Guys,” Rida interrupted, “let’s start the game, shall we?”
             
It was decided after that. The girls split into two groups and started playing the game. Their tutor modes switched off for the day as they continued to banter aimlessly and for no specific reason. Laughter rang in the air, and the joy that radiated off them was contagious—all the elements of a happy picture.
            
Eshaal was the first to lose a coin. Having set the condition herself, she had no alternative but to pick up a chit that contained a dare. The one she picked up told her to swim on the floor, so she attempted to lay down on the floor and move her arms and limbs as though she was swimming. Her friends laughed. Manha even caught a video. Eshaal sprang to her feet when she noticed it and gave her friend a sound whack on her arm.
            
Grumbling, she sat back after that with the intent of making Manha pay. A few more cards were picked and a few more coins were placed. Eyes pressed to the board like that of an eagle, Eshaal was quick to note when Manha made a careless move. She discarded her friend’s coin with ease and grinned at her enthusiastically. “Pick a chit.”
            
Manha rolled her eyes even as she did what she was told. Her eyes took in what was written in it, narrowed and then lifted up to glare at Eshaal. “I’m not going to do this.”
           
“Spoilsport! I did what mine said both this time and the last. You have to do what it says. We’re not giving you a choice.” She pulled the piece of paper from her friend, took one look and then fist-bumped the air. “Guess what, guys!” Eshaal turned to face the rest. “Manha is going to pay our phone bills this month. I say we’d make her pay it online right away.”
            
With great reluctance, Manha had to take her phone and punch in her friends’ phone numbers in the app. Eshaal appeared jumpy the whole time, her face showing how happy she was to have finally gotten back at her friend.

“Stop scampering like this. The neighbours are going to run out of their door thinking there’s an earthquake,” commented Manha wryly, clearly not happy with what had taken place.

“Whatever. You are just unhappy that I got back at you!” Eshaal stuck her tongue out and went back to occupy her space. “Be your brooding self. I will continue to be the awesome personality that I am and ignore you.”

Zahra and Rida shook with silent laughter, looking at the other two. Manha and Eshaal had always been the Tom and Jerry of their batch. Mocking and provoking each other were their norm; but when one wasn’t around, the other would be very gloomy. The day would drag on for them. Nothing would seem complete.

They played for some more time after that. Eshaal made a move that costed Rida a coin. Still giddy for making successful moves one after another, Eshaal announced, “Okay, next is Rida’s turn.”

Laughingly, Rida randomly picked out a chit and started reading out loud, “Pick up your phone, dial the number, and confess your biggest secret right away to your . . . m-mom.” She faltered at the end of the sentence. The paper fell from her loosened hold.

The room, which was filled with laughter and unnecessary giggles just a minute ago, was now filled with deafening silence. Their playful smiles dropped, their eyes narrowed, and their hearts constricted with untold pain.
 
****