Colors - Paradox ✔️

It Ain't Over

"Are we not going home today?", Anusha lifted her hand to specifically show the wrist watch which was on its way of finishing the last 60 ticking to 4 p.m. "Are we staying here, in college?"

Getting no attention from the four that were still busy with the rackets and a withered shuttle cock, she tried again, "Is anybody even listening?"

Only a high pitched laughter was received from one of the two standing outside the badminton court, the boundary line most probably marked by twigs and some bricks.

The sun was on its way to finish its day-shift and tell them good bye. it was offering some last rays of the evening, inclining towards the west every minute. The ground looked golden and the trees seemed to love the mild breeze of early summer.

"No. I can't do this. I'm leaving. You stay and play. Bye bye", Anusha went over to one of the trees, to get her bag which, too, was hanging from a low branch, just like the other bags. "Noooooooo~", Sangeeta chimed. "just 5 minutes more, please!"

"Yes! Just another round Anusha! We'll leave together", saying which Preetha turned her focus again on the flying shuttle cock.

They had been playing for some two hours now. Still their five minutes aren't actually getting over. Anusha definitely to her fourth round of five minutes, believing that this was going to be her last.

If not, then she was going to make it their last and pull everybody out of the campus.

She can do that.

Which was surprising was that they didn't even let Amrita go home. More to believe, she was still playing along with them. She was never the best player at all, but she could give her best to entertain you and present you with a good laugh.

And, she was pretty proud of the way she played. Absolutely proud. Undoubtedly, everyone loved her.

At once, Shreya placed one of her hands on her stomach.

"What happened?", Sayantini raised her eye brows. They were still standing outside the court.

Shreya made a baby face towards her. "I'm hungry!" Her lips were twisted upwards in a weirdly cute way. Sayantini sighed. "biscuits?"

Fortunately, that was the last five minutes for Anusha. After returning the rackets to their department, they headed out.

"There's gonna be a big line in the auto stand at Sakherbajar", Anusha claimed.

"Noooo~", Sangeeta flung her one arm over Anusha's shoulder and said, "I'll talk to the auto driver" and she herself burst out of laughter.

Anusha couldn't find words or even emojis fir that situation, but she loved the way Sangeeta laughed. Adorable.

Preetha took a hold of Nimisha's hand as a matter of habit. None of them can ever let her cross the road by herself, ever. Everybody treated her as the youngest in a gang, though she was actually not so. Her features were also distinct. her short figure was always full of jolliness and loyalty. That didn't mean she would give away her racket to anybody.

Nope. That doesn't count with her kindness. That's her zone. And in her zone, she is the tiger.

Those five minutes were that day's last five minutes of badminton, of chatting of having fun together.

But, no one actually imagined those to be their last five minutes on the badminton court.

No. Nothing went wrong. the internal examination started earlier than expected. So, in the waves of usual practicals, internals, and semester exams, they lost their precious time of youth. Not that they totally lost it.

That was the last semester.

That was the last game of badminton.

That was the last summer.

----------------------

"Your photo face is beautiful", Harshit said.

Nimisha smiled. "Well, if that's a compliment, then thank you!", she said.

"The picture looks so bright because you are in there", the other person said.

Nimisha couldn't suppress her chuckle. "Now, if that's also a compliment, if not an exaggeration, then, fine, thank you too, Vikrant"

This time she looked at the picture herself. It looks very good because it has the perfect lighting on the three faces.

The two of the boys, of course taller than her, smiled eloquently looking at the camera. In the middle, she was there.

She rechecked the picture one last time, before tapping on the 'post' option on her Samsung tablet.

Nimisha Tripathy posted on the first time in a while on Instagram. Be the first person to like the post.

a/n: I'm back! this line is enough I guess! XD! I know i came after a long break and this was a much needed break for me. Okay so, it is just a little continuation and a kind of bridge between all the stories I'm writing. I hope you all are safe and healthy. and i hope you like this chapter coz for me, it was really nostalgic to write it. i hope meeting all of you soon and play badminton and do all the things we love. I'll be posting a author's note or reflection chapter after this. I hope you wait for me.

thank you all ! love you!

*unedited