Ivyanah Mehta is a college student living with two of her best friends. Her parents were archaeologists always on the quest for learning and discovering new things.
Little did Ivyanah know that her parent's explorations would lead her on an unexpec...
I awoke to the sound of people rushing around me. Feeling confused, I looked at the boy in front of me.
"Our station is arriving", he answered which suddenly jogged my memory: the train was scheduled to arrive in two hours before I had fallen asleep.
As the train pulled into Dehradun, I grabbed my suitcase from under the berth and joined my classmates. I spotted Dhwani and Niyati waiting for me a few metres away. I searched for Shivesh but didn't see him. So all the three of us continued towards a bus that was set to transport us to our cottages. We were all feeling sleepy from the journey when I decided to break the silence.
"You won't believe what happened. I slept with a boy", I said sarcastically.
They both looked up and it was Niyati who said," Was he hot?". Dhwani just smiled waiting for my response. For God's sake Niyati! Have some self-control.
I gave them a strange look and explained," We were assigned the same seat number as our ticket was in waiting so we had to make some adjustments."
"But the question still remains, was he hot?". Dhwani chimed in. I rolled my eyes.
"I didn't have time to observe him and he was mostly busy with his laptop so we didn't have much of a conversation."
As we arrived at our destination, I could see a row of huts lined up together. We were assigned small cottages with three beds and an attached bathroom.
As we walked in, we were greeted with the smell of crisp autumn air and the sight of warm wooden furnishings. The window on the opposite wall offered a spectacular view of the lush greenery outside. It was just at the break of the dawn, and the sun had just risen casting a warm glow of orange and yellow. Opening the window I felt the gentle warmth of the sun on my face and all the fatigue from the journey was melted away.
It felt surreal.
I chose my bed next to the window, with Dhwani beside me and Niyati by the door. After resting for an hour or so, we got ready for the day's activities. We hopped onto a bus that would take us to the major attractions in Dehradun. There were 2 Buses and our whole Engineering batch was seated together. We visited several temples, monasteries, national parks, and waterfalls, taking plenty of photos and videos along the way.
In the evening, we had camping planned at George Everest Peak. After packing the essentials in our bags, all the three of us joined our classmates on the lawn, where our trip coordinator was giving us instructions.
"Once we reach George Everest House in Mussoorie," he said, "we'll hike to George Everest High Peak. It is approximately 30 mins hike. We will set up our camping tents and a bonfire along with it. We can enjoy a beautiful sunset and a sunrise after we descend from there".
Ivyanah's look
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
As I turned, my eyes finally landed on the one boy I was trying to find the whole day. Our eyes met and I gave him a friendly smile and waved.
He IGNORED it.
He went straight on the bus without replying to me. I was stunned and hurt by his coldness, and I angrily turned my attention towards the people around me who would at least say hi.
Dhwani, who had been watching me, spoke up. "So the boy didn't wave at you," she said, with a hint of sympathy in her voice.
"You saw that", I replied, still reeling from the rejection.
"Yeah! That was embarrassing. Don't worry, I will find out about him through Aditya and Tanmay." I nodded thinking maybe the boys would know about him.
As we reached George Everest House, the golden rays of the setting sun bathed the surrounding hills in a warm, glowing light. We had been on the road for over an hour, winding through narrow roads and scenic views.
As soon as we started our trek, my exhaustion hit me like a ton of bricks. I had barely slept the night before, and the entire day had been a hectic and tiresome rush. The few meters we had to cover seemed like a challenge, and I struggled to keep up with the rest of the group.
Finally, we reached the peak, and I felt a sense of exhilaration as we pitched our camping tents and prepared for the night ahead. As the sun began to set, painting the sky with vibrant hues of orange, pink, and gold, I was filled with a sense of awe and wonder.
It was one of the most beautiful sunsets I had ever seen, a breathtaking display of nature's beauty. As we sat around the campfire, chatting and laughing, I couldn't help but feel grateful for the experience.
We sat around the bonfire, enjoying the warmth of the flames and prepared dinner for ourselves. Smooth music was playing adding to the serene atmosphere of the night. Some people were chatting away, while others simply listened to the music or stared at the starry sky above us.
Suddenly, Dhwani came up to me with an odd expression on her face. "I found out some things about Shivesh," she said, and my curiosity was piqued.
We three came closer and she continued.
"He doesn't have many friends, he is seen with only one boy that is his brother. He remains secluded and doesn't prefer to talk much. Even his classmates don't seem to know much about him."
I was shocked least expecting this. I looked around for him, but he was nowhere to be seen. I nodded thinking it was better to leave the topic for now.
Hey guys! Do let me know what you think of this chapter. I would appreciate any constructive feedback. Please vote if you like the story and for more updates follow my Instagram channel- nishiwritess.
