Malana : a lost town.

Chapter 4

Veer's pov :

"Arjun, where's Madhav?'' I asked, confusion knotting my stomach.

Arjun paused his work, taking a shaky breath. ''You don't have to worry for him, Veer. Instead, think for your own safety.''

My brows furrowed. ''Think for myself? What's even there to think about? Why are you behaving like this?''

Silence filled the room, broken only by the rhythmic dripping of water. Arjun continued his work, his voice low and strained. ''You need to leave, Veer. As soon as possible. I'll wake you at sunrise.''

Frustration bubbled up in me. ''I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on. What's happening? Why are you acting so strange?''

Arjun remained silent, his shoulders hunched as if under a heavy weight. The air crackled with unspoken tension, the mystery swirling around us like a thick fog.

Arjun got up and began getting ready for dinner, as the rain began to fall outside. I decided to open the window and was greeted by the peaceful sound of raindrops hitting the ground. He requested my assistance in cutting vegetables. I had never done such a task before, but the unique town, its peculiar residents, and their unusual food preferences motivated me to give it a try.

''How are you guys making it through without a mobile network?'' I asked out of curiosity to Arjun.

''Mobile network?'' he replied, tilting his head. 'Internet? You don't know?' He let a fake laugh out and asked, looking at me with a mischievous glint in his eye.

''Oh yeah yeah, internet, ahh yes. Oh look, it's raining so heavily." Arjun said, changing the topic abruptly. He gestured towards the downpour outside.

''Don't change the topic, Bharata Arjun.'' I said, raising my eyebrows. ''I'm genuinely curious. How do you manage without internet?''

''It's amazing, the peace and quiet.'' he replied, stretching out on the couch. ''No notifications, no emails, just the sound of the rain.'' He looked at me with a smirk.

"Right—peace and quiet." I said skeptically.

He laughed and changed the subject again, this time talking about anything random. The conversation continued in this vein, with Arjun expertly deflecting my questions about his internet abstinence. He was good at it, I'll give him that. Maybe there was something he was hiding, but I wasn't sure what.

The rain continued to pour, and eventually, exhaustion overtook us. We slept, the sound of the rain a soothing lullaby.

He woke me up the next morning, and I wasn't sure what time it was. As I looked out, I witnessed the beautiful golden sunlight dancing on the icy Himalayan peaks.

''Comeon, get ready, and leave." he said, his voice a bit too loud for the early morning.

''What, don't you sleep, Bharata Arjun?'' I asked, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

''What do I look like? I'm a human veer, sleep is a basic human need why would I not sleep?'' He grumbled, clearly irritated.

"Okay, okay, relax. So short-tempered you are." I said, washing my face, trying to ignore his grumbling. I couldn't help but smile at his grumpy demeanor. He was like a grumpy old man trapped in a young man's body.

I looked out the window and saw the town coming alive. It felt like a different world, vibrant and full of energy. ''Look, people!'' I exclaimed, pointing at the bustling street below. ''They're back!''

''I know, I know." he said, rolling his eyes. ''The town is alive, I'm not blind.''

''The chirping of birds, the motion of people, laughing women and rude men – oh, I love Malana, man!'' I said, my voice full of excitement. ''It's so—alive.''