Forget-Me-Not: Taste of Freedom

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty

Despite being lost for over an hour, almost avoiding crashing into a truck on the highway, having to take an emergency stop because Vidhi forgot to pee before leaving, and even forgetting the name of the resort Varun was supposed to stay at, Vidhi, Geet and Dia finally made it to their destination. As they jumped out of the car, stretching their sore muscles and feeling the cool, salty air brush against their skin, they all looked at each other and grinned. Their smiles were bright as the sun on a summer afternoon. Dia was wearing a pair of oversized sunglasses, behind which she looked like she hadn't slept for days. She'd done most of the driving. Next to her, Geet was trying to sneak her phone out of Dia's pocket, who'd confiscated it after they left from Varun's parent's place. By majority voting, they had all decided to throw away their phones (figuratively, of course) while they were in Goa. Vidhi slung her arms around her friends' necks, and they all stared up at their beach resort with growing awe.

"This is beautiful, isn't it?" Dia echoed, stealing both their thoughts.

"Yes," Vidhi murmured, "It is."

The sun was still high up in the sky... it was mid-afternoon. Outlined against the azure sky, the resort looked down upon its visitors with obvious glee.

Perhaps the best thing about it was that the club Mahindra Varca had direct access to the beach. It was indeed a beautiful resort with expansive lawns surrounding it. And according to Vidhi's previous research on the internet, it was supposed to have excellent customer service. Everything should go smoothly, she thought to herself. There wouldn't be trouble, she could almost feel it. Visitors and tourists dotted the grounds and the entrance lobby, where they presently made their way. Due to the lack of time, they hadn't planned anything-not a single thing. They didn't even have rooms booked.

"Let me handle this," Vidhi said, going up to the reception table. Dia and Geet hung around, looking at their surroundings, talking about how it would be lucky if they got accommodation. Instant booking in Goa was always a dangerous thing. However, when Vidhi made her way with the key in her hand, they both grinned.

"Premium suite, baby," Vidhi said, holding out the key.

"Oh, yeah. Let's go," Dia said.

Tired, but still excited after the eleven hour long ride, they walked to their premium suite, and Vidhi unlocked it, ushering them inside.

"I think I've gone to heaven," Dia said, taking it in. "Holy shit." She dropped her haversack on the wooden floor, and dived straight for the bed.

"Wow," Geet whispered, looking out from the window. "The beach..."

Vidhi joined her, putting one arm on her shoulder. For a moment, they stayed that way in silence, each soaking in the peace and calm that came from being in a place that had no expectations from any of them. They were here without any baggage, without any fears or regrets, and armed only with their sheer will.

Then Dia got up, saying, "I'm going to take a shower."

"Alright! Geet and I are going to sit right here, on these comfortable armchairs by the verandah."

Dia laughed. "Knock yourself out."

***

Two hours later, after they were all clean and showered, Dia strolled out onto the beach. Vidhi and Geet were sleeping... but they would wake up soon enough. She could have poured water over them, but for some reason, she wanted to spend some time with herself. The drive to Goa had been amazing. They'd talked about anything and everything. They'd played loud music, they'd stuck their heads out the window and even shimmied in their seats, and they'd shared incidences from their lives when they'd been away from each other. But the journey was over... now she was here. Now her mind wasn't on what she'd done with her friends; now her mind was on Varun, and on the fact that she hadn't seen him for one whole day.