Vansh sat in his seat, pulling out his earphones and music pod. He slid his books into the space beneath his desk, arranging them neatly before turning on his music pod. He then gazed out of the window.
Students began arriving through the front gate, some walking in pairs and others in small groups. Vansh watched peacefully as the morning sunlight touched his face and clouds drifted lazily across the sky.
Aanya soon entered through the gate with a few girls. She smiled and laughed at their conversation, responding warmly and leaving a pleasant impression on everyone around her.
Vansh turned away from the window, returned his attention to his desk, and pulled out a small book.
She soon reached the classroom. Some students greeted her, and she greeted them in return.
She pulled out her chair and sat down. After settling in, she turned toward Vansh. He barely noticed her at first, too lost in his thoughts, until he felt an unsettling gaze fixed on him.
Slowly, he turned toward her and realised that she had moved closer without him noticing. He flinched and stared at her in surprise.
"What are you doing?" he asked, hesitation in his voice as he observed her so closely. He could see only her eyes, clearly filled with anger at something.
"You'd better have a proper answer for this," she said, holding her phone with one hand while pointing at a message with the other. He glanced at her screen and noticed a message from the previous night.
"A message?" he questioned.
"Yes, I know that much, but what does it say at the bottom?" Her finger jutted out, pointing directly at the word marked "Read."
"You left my message on read? How rude! You were the one who said to message," she exclaimed, directing her sharp finger at him. Instinctively, he raised his arm in the air, unsure of how to respond to the situation.
"It's really disrespectful to leave someone's message on read, especially a girl! At least you could say something like 'Okay, take some rest' or 'Any plans tonight?'"
"Why would I be interested in such?" Vansh thought to himself.
"Even if you're not interested in the person, at least reply with 'Okay.' Responding is also a form of respect; take note of that." Her authoritative voice made him agree.
"Okay, I will keep that in mind." He nodded firmly.
"Good." She leaned back, lowering her arms. Then she settled back into her seat and smiled to herself. Even Vansh, before turning back to his book, noticed her bouncing back and forth.
"And Vansh," she called him back, and he turned. "Good morning." A bright smile appeared on her face, her teeth visible. A small dimple and her narrowed eyes added to her beauty. Vansh looked into her eyes and greeted her in return.
"At least have a smile," she said, waving her hands expressively.
Vansh thought, "Smile?"
He tried to curl up his lips to look happy, but the result was far from what he intended; the forced smile turned into something horrifying. His eyes narrowed, conveying a sinister intent, and his lips widened unnaturally.
She noticed him and exclaimed, "Whoa!"
Aanya quickly turned away and raised a hand, silently asking him to stop. She pressed her palm to her forehead and shook her head in disbelief.
Vansh relaxed his face, completely confused by her reaction.
She faced him again, asking him to smile once more. He obliged, but her face reflected bewilderment. She asked him to stop, puzzled. "Why is he making such a scary face when asked to smile?"
She rested her finger under her chin, dropped her head onto the desk, covered her face with her arms, and groaned. "Oh no! I wanted to see his smile just once, but instead, I got some crazy villain!"
But the thought of his smile made her laugh, her arms shaking with mirth. Rina entered with her friend and settled into her seat, followed by Srujan, who stood beside her. Both saw her laughing oddly, then turned their attention to Vansh.
He turned to them. Srujan pointed at her and asked with a gesture, "What's up with her?"
Vansh shrugged, and they both imitated his gesture.
Before they knew it, Thursday had arrived. The three of them had already made plans for the day. When the bell rang, the students who had volunteered began preparing for the event. Some put on their gloves, while others went to change their clothes. The rest slung their bags over their shoulders, ready to leave.
Aanya saw Vansh standing up, and he looked like someone about to leave. Spotting her, he asked, "Are you planning to join the campaign?"
She replied, "No, I have some other work to attend to, so I might stay back for a while."
He nodded and turned to Srujan and Rina. They both responded even before he could ask the question. "Club work," they said in unison. Vansh was startled by both their responses.
Putting on his earphones, he left the classroom while the others began packing their bags. After a short wait, they all stood up. Aanya shared a location with Rina, saying, "Can you leave early? The route is easy to follow. My bad, but something urgent came up."
Rina agreed, and Aanya left. She and Srujan headed to the spot together, both feeling a bit confused by Aanya's behaviour.
"I'm still quite suspicious of her," Rina exclaimed.
"Maybe she has a genuine reason?" Srujan suggested, hesitating to defend Aanya.
As they crossed the road and took a less-travelled side path, Srujan felt unfamiliar with the area. Rina led the way from the start, and they walked a little distance from the main road.
They eventually stopped at a small sign: Sunshine Café.
Looking at the café, Srujan glanced around before commenting, "It looks really cosy from the outside." He examined the door and the outdoor decorations.
"Is this the spot she mentioned? But why?" Rina pondered. Then she suggested, "Let's go in and check it out."
As they entered, the bell jingled. Both of them looked around the café, where the smell of coffee filled the air. In front of them, a guy was brewing coffee and preparing drinks, while a lady in her late twenties managed the orders. They stood in line, waiting for their turn.
"This place feels really nice; I think she made a good choice," Rina said.
"Yeah, I wonder what they serve here. I'm really hungry," Srujan replied, glancing at the display window.
When it was their turn, Rina handed her phone to the lady to confirm their location. The lady checked it and nodded in approval. "Yes, you're at the right spot."
She then asked if Rina wanted to order something or if she would like a suggestion for one of the best items on the menu.
Rina hesitated, but Srujan quickly spoke up. "Actually, we came here based on a friend's recommendation. Could we wait for a bit?"
The lady gestured for them to take a seat on one of the sofas. Rina felt relieved. "But you do need to order something to sit there," the lady reminded them.
Rina and Srujan exchanged glances, and Srujan glanced at the display again.
"Then can I have a chocolate milkshake?" Srujan asked. Rina decided to order the same. They were directed to one of the empty seats, where they took a token and settled down.
"I thought you would order a pastry," Rina commented.
"I had the same thought, but I wanted to see all the options first. Besides, we have plenty of time. Aanya hasn't arrived yet," Srujan replied, rolling the token between his fingers.
They waited for their milkshakes and for Aanya to arrive.
Then, the door jingled, and Aanya walked in. She looked around, saw the lady, and nodded in acknowledgement. By this time, the line had cleared, and Aanya noticed her friends sitting together.
She approached and sat beside Rina just as their order arrived at the table. Aanya saw the guy placing the drinks in front of them.
"We ordered to kill some time," Rina explained to Aanya, noting her surprised expression.
"Yeah, I was starving. Sorry for ordering early!" Srujan exclaimed, eagerly grabbing his glass.
The lady approached their table again. "So, you're the friend they were talking about," she said to Aanya.
"Yes," Aanya replied, scanning the café as if looking for something.
"Well, he's not here yet," the woman said, seeming to understand what Aanya was looking for.
Aanya lowered her gaze. "But we saw him leave before us..."
While Aanya waited at the café, the campaign was already underway back at school.
The staircase beside their classroom, which led to the upper floor, had been blocked off with a "NO ENTRY" sign.
The announcements were being made on the ground floor, where volunteers were dispersing to clean up the area. Some were holding posters and taking pictures, while other volunteer students were chanting the slogans. Outsiders were instructed to stay in the authorised areas only.
The hallways were quieter, with everyone gathered on the ground floor. An outsider volunteer came in looking for an extra broom and other cleaning equipment. He was told it was located on the right side of the upper floor, so he followed the directions. He ascended the stairs to the first floor and found all the classrooms.
He saw the signboard, but thought to himself, "Maybe it's up there."
As he slowly crossed past the sign, he went up to the second floor. The atmosphere on that floor was much more silent; the sounds of the slogans began to fade. "What's with this eerie sensation on this floor?" he wondered.
He first saw the old auditorium and then looked toward the right side. He clearly remembered that the other student had mentioned the equipment should be on the left side.
THUD.
He looked to the left, where the sound echoed. Hesitantly, he moved toward the left side, dismissing the noise.
"Maybe it's coming from downstairs," he thought.
He passed the notice board, its surface cluttered with pins, torn papers, and a few old drawings. He stopped in front of a door that seemed to radiate an eerie presence of its own.
The corridor was completely silent.
He reached for the handle and pulled.
GRIP!
Suddenly, someone seized his wrist.