"Where did that guy go?" a student wondered, turning to her friend.
"He was heading upstairs, towards the left wing," the other student replied.
"The left wing? I specifically told him to go to the right wing. That idiot," she muttered, making her way towards the left wing.
An uncomfortable silence hung over the corridor. The volunteer felt a chill run down his spine when someone suddenly grabbed his wrist.
GRAB!
He turned around to see who it was, only to find Ms Anki, his teacher, staring intently at him.
"This area is restricted, and there's a sign clearly stating that entry is prohibited," she said, tightening her grip around his wrist.
"I'm sorry! I thought the cleaning supplies were kept on this side," he stammered, glancing towards the supplies she pointed out. "Could you let go now?"
She released his wrist, and he instinctively covered it with his other hand.
"Leave this area immediately," she ordered.
Before leaving, however, he turned back towards her.
"What's behind that door?"
"That's something you don't need to know. This area is restricted for a reason, so it's best to stay away," she replied, walking past him.
"But I heard some noise coming from that room." He pointed towards the door. "Is it haunted?"
Ms Anki looked at him with a faint smile.
"What if I said yes?"
She tilted her head slightly before continuing, "A student took his own life in that room, and some say he never left this place."
Goosebumps spread across his skin. He folded one arm over the other, suddenly regretting his curiosity.
"Just kidding!" she exclaimed. "The noise came from downstairs. Now go."
She gestured for him to leave and continued down the corridor. The volunteer hurried towards the stairs, but as he reached the first-floor landing, the girl who had sent him on the errand appeared and pulled him along, scolding him for going to the wrong wing.
Ms Anki could still hear her reprimanding him as they disappeared down the stairs.
She turned towards the restricted door once more and clicked her tongue.
Standing in the middle of the hallway, Ms Anki turned around. Behind her stood a girl about 5'7" tall, with long brown hair reaching her chest. One side was tucked behind her ear, while the other hung freely, held by an 'X'-shaped clip. Her arms were crossed as she stood motionless.
Slowly, she uncrossed her arms and stretched.
Meanwhile, at Sunshine Café, Aanya accepted the pastry Srujan had ordered after finishing his milkshake. She had ordered a chocolate coffee for herself, while Rina was still nursing her half-empty milkshake.
"So, when will you start the story?" Srujan asked, taking a bite.
"Oh, yeah! I totally forgot about that part!" She took a sip of her coffee and set the cup down. Then she leaned forward, drawing them both closer.
Aanya began recounting how she and Vansh had met on the hill. Her hands moved animatedly as she narrated, reenacting the moments with exaggerated gestures as though she were acting out a scene from a movie. Srujan watched with growing excitement, captivated by her dramatic storytelling, while Rina nodded from time to time.
Of course, Aanya skipped several details, keeping the story short. She focused on how they had gotten lost, how Vansh had found her, their shared sunrise, and how he had joined them for lunch.
By the time Aanya finished her story, her spoon rested beside her cup. She took another sip of her coffee, while Rina had already finished her milkshake.
The café had grown busier, with more customers arriving. The takeaway queue had lengthened, and most of the sofas were occupied.
"Well, this place is quite full already," Rina remarked.
Srujan set the plates aside and turned towards Aanya. "So, you've already made some plans, huh? But Aanya, be careful. Don't toy with him, even if you like him."
Aanya choked, spilling a little coffee onto her plate.
"I never said I liked him!" she protested.
"You practically did," Rina chimed in.
"Whether you admit it or not, if I ever see him suffering because of you," Srujan said, reaching for another pastry and slicing off a piece, "then you'd better be ready for the consequences."
Aanya looked at Srujan. His words carried the weight of unwavering loyalty. For a moment, his usual playful demeanour gave way to a seriousness that made it clear just how much Vansh meant to him.
"Don't worry. If I do get involved, I'll handle it myself. So rest assured, Knight of Vansh," she replied, taking a sip of her coffee.
Watching their exchange, Rina remarked, "I think I might witness a new business proposal here soon."
"Okay, then it's a deal!" Srujan replied with a cheerful grin.
Aanya took her final sip of coffee and noticed that Srujan had already finished eating two pastries. Rina, meanwhile, had barely touched anything beyond her milkshake.
The three decided to order something else and turned towards the counter.
Before any of them could speak, Srujan and Rina froze.
Vansh had just entered the café, still wearing his uniform. His shirt was neatly pressed, and his sleeves were rolled up, revealing his forearms. With a focused expression, he walked towards the counter, ready to get to work. Kiri followed close behind him, moving at her own leisurely pace.
Vansh went straight to the counter and began taking orders. His aunt welcomed him, while Aarav greeted him with a fist bump. The three friends watched as he slipped into his work with ease, preparing coffee and handling orders.
Srujan couldn't hide his excitement and pride as he watched Vansh work. Aanya found herself admiring him, while Rina quietly observed his quick, efficient movements.
With Vansh helping at the counter, the takeaway queue soon began to shrink. Aarav handled the orders for the seated customers, and the two worked together seamlessly, keeping the café running smoothly.
"All right, that was the last takeaway order," Aunt remarked to Vansh as he started pulling out some fresh cups and setting them up.
"Oh yeah, Vansh, you have some guests waiting for you," she said, turning to them. Vansh followed her gaze.
He noticed his friends, each holding their cups and raising them slightly in acknowledgement.
"What are you guys doing here?" he asked, stepping out from behind the counter. He saw some plates and cups on the table.
"As you can see, we are customers, and we're waiting for you," Srujan replied.
Aunt approached Vansh and noticed his friends' uniforms for the first time. "Do you all go to the same school?"
Vansh gestured toward them. "Well, these guys are my classmates—" Before he could finish, he caught a sharp glance from Three, who was holding a fork and pointed it at him.
"Yeah, we go to the same school, and they're my friends," he admitted.
Aunt was taken aback; Aarav, from behind the counter, dropped a plastic cup, and the café fell silent for a moment. The three friends looked at Vansh and then turned their attention to Aunt.
"Friends?" Her thoughts lingered as she looked at Aanya. "So this girl..."
Vansh turned to his friends and said, "Weren't you guys supposed to be working? It's surprising to find you here." He then looked at Aanya and asked, "So this was your plan?"
Aanya smiled and nodded in agreement. Vansh sighed and glanced at his aunt, who looked already emotional.
"What's up with her?" he wondered.
Vansh's aunt muttered under her breath, "Vansh brought his friends; what an unexpected moment."
Technically, they had shown up without any notice, and Aanya was the one who had arranged it all. She turned to Vansh and said, "Could I please have a refill?"
"I didn't know Vansh would be working at a place like this; it's such a surprise," Srujan said, jumping up to check out his uniform, lifting his arms to examine it.
"Well, you can thank me for that," Aanya replied with a sense of pride.
"It's not just a part-time job or anything," Vansh interrupted Srujan's excitement. "I actually live here."
"What!?" the three exclaimed in unison. Rina turned to Aanya and said, "Why are you surprised?"
"I just assumed he worked at his aunt's place," Aanya replied.
Srujan and Rina turned to Vansh's aunt in disbelief. "Aunt!?"
Vansh shushed the group, saying, "Why are you reacting like this? Don't disturb the other customers."
The three of them quickly apologised. Vansh let out a deep breath and added, "I don't know why you guys are acting this way. Let me introduce you." He gestured to his aunt and said, "This is my aunt."
His aunt bowed politely, and the three of them returned the gesture. "Owner of the café, a strong independent woman, and unmarried," he added with a smirk. Instinctively, she playfully hit him back.
"See? She is strong," Vansh said, pointing at her.
Curious, his aunt asked for their introductions. Srujan raised his hand and gave his introduction playfully, gesturing with dramatic flair.
The knight was Vansh's best friend, he added, wrapping his arm around his neck.
"Knight, huh?" his aunt said with amusement.
Next, Rina lifted her spoon and introduced herself simply and briefly.
"And someone who bashes others' heads," Srujan added under his breath. Rina shot him a glare, and he turned away in fear, trying to ignore her.
Aanya picked up her cup and said, "Well, I did come before." She introduced herself sweetly and respectfully, ending with a smile to keep things positive.
His aunt placed a hand on Vansh's head and said, "Well, you have some goofy friends here. Take care of my Vansh, and be good to him."
"Don't worry, Aunt; if he messes up, we will help!" Srujan said with his cheerful demeanour.
"If we mess up, he will be the one to help," Rina added.
"Your friends are truly distinctively interesting; I wonder how you found them," Aunt said, turning to him.
"Well, they were the ones who caught my attention," Vansh replied, gesturing toward them.
"No, Vansh, you were the one who chased us and found us, and we're glad you did," Srujan thought to himself.
"If he hadn't suddenly appeared that day, he would have just been another stranger," Rina reflected internally.
"For me, it's you. You were the one who found this lost girl—the one who gave me something unique. Now, it's my turn," Aanya thought, feeling her mind begin to soothe.
"What are you guys thinking?" Vansh asked. The others looked at him and nodded, trying to convince him that it was nothing. He was confused by their strange behaviour.
The bell jingled, indicating the arrival of new customers. Aunt asked Vansh to wait while she attended to them. As she spoke to the newcomers, Vansh noticed something was bothering her. He walked over to her side.
"They came for a seat and need one; since every table is full, they want to leave," Aunt complained.
"Well, we can arrange something," Vansh replied, glancing at his friends' table. "We can give them those seats," he suggested, pointing.
"Vansh! They are customers too; we can't do that," Aunt argued.
"I never said anything about kicking them out; we can invite them into the home, if you don't mind," Vansh explained. "Since they came here to meet, let them sit in, and we can work something out here."
Aunt refused his suggestion, and Vansh tried to offer a compromise. However, she cut him off. "You're partially correct; let them in, but your shift ends now."
Vansh attempted to argue that he could continue helping her and that they could wait a little longer. Just then, Aarav entered the conversation and placed a hand on Vansh's shoulder.
"Don't worry, Vansh, you have some time with your friends," Aarav said, giving him a thumbs-up.
Vansh sighed and returned to his friends to explain everything. They agreed immediately, without any hesitation. They picked up their bags, and he led the way.
Aunt, observing his actions, said, "You've really grown up a lot; I wish your sister could see this," as she wiped her eyes. She then instructed Aarav to clean the table and led the new customers to their seats.