The Love Voyage

Chapter 10

"If you find yourself stranded in an unexpected place, it's never the wrong spot but destiny's plan unfolding."

Izna's Pov

"Well, this is cozy," Adhrit said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Cozy? We’re in the middle of nowhere! This is how horror movies start!" I snapped back, clutching my pants tighter. I know it's weird, but I don't like it when it's dark.

"Oh, come on, Izna. What’s the worst that could happen? A ghost could possess the train and make us dance to Bollywood numbers?" he joked, clearly enjoying my discomfort.

"Don’t even joke about that! What if there’s a ghost out there? Or worse, what if there’s a serial killer?" I said, my imagination running wild.

"If there is, I hope he takes you first. You’re the real menace. I’ll be the heroic survivor," he teased.

"Very funny, Adhrit. You’d be the first to scream and run," I shot back.

"Sure, sure. Just stay close, and if you see any spirits, remember to chant, ‘Shaktimaan ki aulad, help us!’" he said, laughing.

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at his ridiculousness. But deep down, his humor was calming me a bit. Even in the middle of nowhere, with the possibility of encountering ghosts or serial killers, he had a way of making things seem less scary.

As we sat in the dark, waiting for the train to start again, I couldn’t help but think about the strange, undeniable pull between us. No matter how much he irritated me, there was something about Adhrit that I couldn’t ignore.

While I overthought every possible thing on the planet to distract myself from the fact that I'm trapped in this dark, confined space, Adhrit spoke up again.

"Want to go out?" he asked in a suggestive tone.

"Are you mad? This is literally in the middle of nowhere. Even Google Maps would be shitting bricks!" I shouted, exaggerating the whole situation.

Ever since this trip started, everything has been so chaotic. The last thing I want is to die out here, and my parents wouldn't even come to find my body. They'd probably just look for a body double for the funeral!

"Come on, Izna. I'm your heroic savior. I'll protect you from all the ghosts," he tried to convince me again, making me even more reluctant with the mention of ghosts.

"No, no, no. And by the way, your convincing skills suck. Don't ever try to be a salesman."

"Okay then, we'll watch Courage the Cowardly Dog here, and you’re the chotu, not me. No need to keep the tips, chotu," he said, his usual cockiness flashing as he spoke.

Despite everything, his nonsense was a welcome distraction.

"Not a chance. You won't play that rubbish at all," I warned him, my menacing tone underlining the threat.

"Try me, baby."

"Too cheap for my taste," I shot back, watching him roll his eyes and make a face like he was constipated.

"I know you're scared of dark, confined spaces. Come on, let's go out, or I'm leaving you alone," he said, extending his hand.

Mumbling "asshole" under my breath, I stood up and took his hand. Yes, I'm terrified and can't walk alone in the dark. Yes, I have nyctophobia.

"You’ve got a potty mouth. Work on that, chotu, or customers might run away," he tried to joke.

"Same goes for your sense of humor. At least try to be funny. And 'try' is the keyword, darling," I retorted with sass.