After walking at a snail's pace for about fifteen minutes, Meera and Leah joined the new group.

After walking on the mountainous trail for what felt like hours but must have been mere minutes, Meera heard someone call for her.

"What's up, Latha?", Meera turned to the senior, who was struggling with balancing her walk.

"A little help?"

"Sure, sure.", Meera extended her hand to Latha and gave her support and balance and continued walking in pace.

"Hey! Don't hold hands! Wait, that sounds wrong! Ok what I mean is, don't support each other. Here. Use this", The guide handed Latha a wooden stick that seemed to have fallen from a tree.

"Thanks!", Latha nodded.

"Is it just me, or are all guides this dirty minded?", said a voice from behind the group, that set off all-out-laughter from everyone in the group.

The guide grumbled under his breath as they all followed.

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Thoroughly drenched with sweat, panting and parched, the guide announced a break, and almost everyone collapsed onto the rocks, the Sumer heat from the mid noon sun making Meera think she was almost delirious. Delirious from heat, from the wait, from the inability to talk, from the dwindling water supply(she was one of the lucky ones who had filled up 2 bottles and yet she felt it difficult and Meera could only bless the others with one bottle.....), her aching muscles, her drooping eyes. All in all, she was miserable. And this break marked that they still had to trek halfway more to the peak, and then come back.

"Hi everyone! Hope you are doing fine. If you or your friend looks like she's having a heatstroke, please report to us. We will take care. Also, it would be pretty helpful if you could donate whatever little amount of food and water to the tired ones here. Thank you!", told the doctor in a soothing voice.

Meera debated for a moment or two, before she reached for half bar of chocolate in her pocket, went to the doctor, handed it to him wordlessly and came back.

"Wow! You are pretty generous!", Arun complimented her.

To tired to speak, she simply waved it off as flattery.
Aayush looked like he wanted to say something, but Omkar beat him to it.

"Stay with our group for the rest of the trek ok? We have enough water to share with you and Leah."

Meera again nodded with gratitude, but her gaze was trained on the horizon, the sky a very light hue of blue, the sun weaving hues of light pink and orange creating an elaborate design, worthy of being a tapestry.

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Hi Guys!

How you doing' today?

Short chapter, but not a filler. You see that guide joke? It was from my own brain. 

No offence to any trek guides reading this!

Phew, now that that's out of the way, let's focus on Shaitan, that adorable rascal.

Who is he?

Well, comment your choice

Vote, fan, comment and share!

Ciao!