ONE LAST TIME (Discontinued)

CHAPTER 6

Song of The chapter: Tabah - Heropanti

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"HOW DARE SHE?!" Mukti howled in the empty classroom, her voice sounding more high pitched by echoing of the walls. I clutched my temple as my head throbbed and saw that Alya had already rested her head on the bench, her face vacant and expressionless.

I checked the time on my watch, it was already 9:30 AM and I realized that we had been here for the past hour or so. I flash backed to that damned assembly which the three of us had left as soon as we were dismissed, fuming and horrified at that devastating humiliation. It was a struggle to prevent Mukti from biting Nyonika's head off the moment she stepped off the stage, but Alya and I had managed to control her somehow.

But that had resulted in her being angry at us too and she had dragged us both to this empty classroom and it was our punishment to listen to her scream, rant and vent her anger at Nyonika at the top of her voice for the past hour.

"And how the hell are you both so calm?!" She demanded and I looked up to see her face. An angry Mukti was a horrific sight, her eyes were watery, her hair was matted and tangled, her nose was red and she heaved and breathed as if she had run a marathon.

"We aren't calm Mukti," Alya said in a tired voice, "I just don't have the energy to deal with this." She said and I felt a pang at the sadness in her voice. She was right too. How much could we deal with? Each and every day we were hit with a new wave of problems and we were drowning already. How much more of this could we take before all of us gave up?

"I don't care about that Alya!" Mukti shouted, "All I know is that, that b*tch humiliated the Fab5. The Fab5! In front of everybody!" She snarled and I half-expected her to break the bench in front of her.

"Is there anything you can do about it?" Alya reasoned kindly and I came to know something I had never known before. I had always thought Alya to be the rich and pretty princess who always had her way. I had never known that she was actually the rationalist of their group. Unlike Mukti, she was much better at having her wits together and if you uncovered the layers of habitual brattiness, she was a thoughtful person.

And now, I was finding truth in her words. Whatever Nyonika had said, even though it was harsh, humiliating and hateful, was indeed a fact. The chances of Fab5 getting through to Musicana without even being 5 members in the first place were next to zero. Everyone knew that.

And if they made it a battle for their bruised ego, they were bound to loose, not only this competition but also respect and credibility as artists.

"So what now, huh?" Mukti's voice was laced with venom and mockery at us, "We just sit here, and give up? Just like that?"

She glared at both of us and I knew she was mentally plotting our murders for not supporting her in her tirade against Nyonika. "We are the Fab5." She seethed, "We aren't defeatists Alya."

Alya looked up at her for the first time and I was surprised by the rage I saw in her eyes, "We aren't fools either Mukti!" She spoke, "If I had a way to give it back to Nyonika, trust me I would. But right now I can't see one!"

She said this last sentence with ringing finality and I watched as Mukti's nostrils flared. My head was throbbing right now and all I wanted to do was cut this all out, take a break for infinity and if not that, then just go and strangle somebody. Preferably Nyonika. But I was just wasn't up for a screaming match with Mukti. Just no.

"Then let's find one!" Mukti sounded frustrated beyond limits, "But I'm not letting her get away with this. I'm just not!" She slammed her fist on a desk in agitation and I frowned. This was going to be hard on her.