"In this world of illusion,
Temporary theories rule.

The Heliocentric theory that was once worshipped for a long time came to an end too.

The thing which once was called heaven,
Is cosmos now.

The believe that God lives beyond that blanket of sky was so moving that people looked up during prayers,

But... The space is within our reach now.

The sun is still our God.

And the best thing is... We know WHY EXACTLY do we worship it. "

* * *

Srishti's mind suddenly kicked back to work, like how a television turns on and fills the blank black screen with images. There was a white bright light in the middle of nowhere and soon the details became more clear and it appeared as the spherical shining ball, just like a small dwarf star. The small white flames dancing on its circumference were swayed in a particular pattern, like they wanted to say something to Srishti.

The tension between her eyebrows became stronger and even though her eyes were closed, Sristhi felt like she was thrown in front of the sun to stare it, and she couldn't even blink.

"Sristhi?" she heard a voice calling her and before her mind could capture the image of the spherical ball of light, it vanished.

"Hey? " she felt a nudge and her neurons were breathed back to life. Her fingers made a slight movement and before she knew, her eyes were wide open. Instead of flowing water as she expected from her last memory, air filled her nose.

She got up slowly with a hand massaging her temples and the other felt the presence of warm blanket beneath her. She blinked twice and the first thing she saw was, the honey brown eyes.

"AAAAAAH!" She shouted and jumped back with reflex. Her heart was beating fast, ready to break the ribs and fly free.

"Don't..." her breathing was quick and she was shaking as she said this. "Don't... Kill me."

Akshat stayed silent during her pleading session. With his hands in his pant's pockets, he looked down the whole time. His shoulders were hung low and he was biting was lower lip, a habit Sristhi had noticed that he did whenever he was thinking.

"Why would he?" a voice came from another part of the room and Sristhi turned to find Eva standing against the door from in pajamas and a blue T-shirt that was too big for her small size.

She came closer and sat at the end of the pink bed while Sristhi was stuck to the wall, at other end.

"After his so called friends tried killing him, he hadn't spoke a word. " Eva said and Sristhi looked at him, with curiosity.

His hair was completely trimmed in army style and with the looks of it, he did it to fix the bandage at the back of his head. He was wearing a white tank top and the same dark jeans from the last night. She just hoped it was 'last night' when she met his friends. She shivered at the thought of last night and her gaze fell on another white bandage on his bicep.

The one on his head must be from me when I pushed him and the other one is from the bullets. She thought and her eyes lingered on the latter. His friends did try to kill him too.

But then... Who saved them?

Srishti's head snapped in Eva's direction who was texting someone. "You... " she pointed and Eva looked up from her phone. "You saved us? "

Eva sighed and put her phone on the bed. "FINALLY... Someone asked."

She gestured Sristhi to come at the bed's end and made Akshat sit beside her. Sristhi looked at the surrounding and her room was mostly empty. It just had a bed, a wardrobe, a study table and a laptop on it. Even her school bag was lying near her pillow.

"Look... It may sound like a made up story, but hear me out first. " Eva began and Sristhi made a face.

"Are you a vampire? A wereworlf? Something like that... ARE YOU TAKING ME TO HOGWARTS? "

Eva bit her lip in frustration and glared at Sristhi. This shut her up and she put a finger against her lips to show how serious she was.

Eva took a deep breath and started again. "I am Evangeline Stone, a very capable hacker and an astrophysicist."

"IITian?" Sristhi interrupted and Eva glared at her with red in her eyes. IITs were famous institutes in India where usually intelligent students go to pursue their degrees in engineering and such.

Eva took a deep breath and gritted her teeth. She slowly went to her table and pulled out a pair of scissors and a cellotape. Sristhi raised her eyebrow, not believing what was going to happen to her.

But it did. Eva really shut her up with a cellotape.

Seriously? Sristhi wanted to yell and was about to pull it out when Eva poked her weakness, curiosity.

"If you want to know how, why or who saved you, you better keep it on. " Eva said and she sighed. Sristhi had to keep up with it.

"So... Where was I? " Eva said with delight, happy with her work and looked at Akshat who was staring at Sristhi. They both shrugged and she rolled her eyes.

"Ah... Why do I have to do all the hard work? Anyways... I'm a researcher from a very top secret island project and I am here to bring you to help us in a very sophisticated project. "

Akshat stared at her with a blank expression. He looked bored of her fairytale. "Why do you, the high mighty scientists of a VERY top secret island need us, mere school students? "

Eva opened her mouth and looked at him with a sinister smile. "Huh... We don't need you. You can go home now."

Akshat was tempted to stand and leave. He was grateful to the curly haired girl to save his life but it didn't mean he would listen her stupid made up junks too.

"I'm not leaving without Sristhi. " He said and both girls looked at him with wide eyes. He felt awkward under the questioning eyes, not being used to it.

"After what my friends did, I'm not leaving her to die by your hands." He said and got up. While standing, Eva had to stretch her neck to look at him in the eyes and he being so close wasn't helping the fact either.

"I. Don't. Trust. You. " He said, pronouncing each word very clearly. Sristhi quickly removed the tape and rubbed her sleeves against her mouth. She looked at Akshat and then at Eva.

None of them are trustworthy. She thought. But if I have to go with one, it would be Akshat. At least I know him since my kindergarten.

"Tell us everything." Sristhi said with a hand on Akshat's arm and looked at Eva seriously. "I am not going anywhere without him. "

Eva looked at both of them. She was no doubt intimidated by Akshat, now that he was back to his dominating self. "Okay... "

Eva gulped the saliva and said. "We just need you to help us with our research."

"Why Sristhi? " Akshat demanded and Eva looked away. Everything was silent for a few seconds and Eva took a deep breath.

"One year ago, there was a meteorite crash on our island. But no one saw it, machines, radars everything failed to detect it. Only one person saw it, Utkarsh Mehra and... Things turned south for him."

"So? " Sristhi prompted her to speak and noticed the look of hesitation in Eva's eyes.

"The energy associated with that meteorite is very strange. It altered Utkarsh. I have been trying to study the reasons and... Just study about that damn energy that caused my best friend to be like that."

"What do I have to do with all this? " Sristhi chuckled humourlessly and Akshat squeezed her hand. She glared him but softened when she saw a tear falling from Eva's eye.

"After one damned year, we tracked this energy. And guess what? What is that freaking thing doing? JUST SURROUNDING AN ORDINARY SCHOOL GIRL. " Eva's voice raised and the veins in her eyes popped out.

"That energy is constantly following you like your puppy, that's why we need you. Will you... Will you come with me? " Eva asked and Sristhi gulped.

"We saved your lives, just come with us. Think of it as a payback to our kindness. Please? He needs you."

"Oh and that is why you saved us. " Akshat said and Sristhi was conflicted. Whatever the reason was, she did save them and all she wanted was help in research.  Sristhi could do it, she should thank Eva. If she was breathing, it was because of her.

Akshat subconsciously pushed her behind him and stood like a wall, a very tall wall between Eva and Sristhi.

A/N :

What do you think will be Srishti's choice?

Please VOTE, COMMENT and SHARE if you like it.

Thanks to MerakiMeg for the beautiful banners and the line breakers. 😘😘😘😘😘😘

Do you like them?

P. S. The black ones are used when the scene is shifted (I haven't used them in this chapter)

And the purple one will be used at the beginning and the end of the chapter.

I hope you guys like this new addition and how was the picture of the ball of white light? It took me some time to find the perfect one and it is really hallelujah for me. This pic is just so perfect.

Do tell me if you like these additions. :)