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CHAPTER 6

"That was a longer night than we anticipated" Sohail remarked, removing his socks. The two friends decided to camp at his quater since it was pretty late and Abhimanyu hadn't yet set up his own.

"Wasn't it? Totally crazy!" Abhimanyu stroked his chin, standing while facing a window. The cold night winds of Dehradun was refreshing compared to the chilly winds of the remote camp base in Arunachal Pradesh, he had just returned from.

"So?" Sohail asked slowly. He has been prepared and even waiting for his friend to lash out. He was certain this was either the calm before the storm or he was already at the deluding epicenter of it.

"So what, Sohail?" Abhimanyu smirked, enjoying the look of confusion on his friend's face, "Pleasant girl is she not? Funny too."

"Yes...she was pleasant...harmless...in fact, crazy too, like who is so crazy for pani puris man?" Sohail said, laughing a bit nervously, still unsure what his friend was getting at. Abhimanyu noticed this and rolled his eyes.

"Come on Sohail" he spoke out, thumping his friend's back, "I am short tempered but I am not a sutli bomb, bro. I don't explode every time I hear that name...not anymore."

"It still hurts though, does it not Abhi?"

Sohail asked with a sympathetic expression, giving Abhimanyu's shoulder a comforting squeeze.

"It does. And that's abnormal right, Sohail? I mean it's been so many years but it still triggers bro"

Abhimanyu's sigh was audible and Sohail patted his back more. Some shadows never leave even in bright light and this was one of them.

"It's alright buddy" he tried to comfort as best as he could, "Everything heals at its own time. Everything that is to happen, will happen at its own right time."

"Hmmmm. Maybe Sohail...hope so" Abhimanyu gave his hair a quick comb with his fingers, "It alarms me sometimes at how it still makes me so bitter at times..."

"It's okay. A few things are hard to forget... we have to get some groceries, we are going to local mandi tomorrow?"

Sohail could see the evident relief at the change of subject on Abhimanyu's face.

"Where?"

"At the Gunj Pahad lane, every three days in the week, the local market settles there."

"Sure, Sohail. That would be a great idea!"

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"Tanshia hurry up!"

A jolly looking girl sped up along the foot path, two arms laden with huge shopping bags. She huffed stopping midway and looking ahead at her friend who was urging her impatiently to come faster.

"What a mean bitch you are Mritsa! You know I hate running and yet you are making me run under this sun."

Mritsa giggled giving her friend a water bottle. She had gotten along quiet well with her new roommate in the past two weeks. Tanshia was a sweet, bubbly girl with a rather rough tongue. Shr could not say if they were best friends yet, but she kept her fingers crossed for their friendship to deepen.

"Come now or else we will miss the flower stores and the warden will have our heads" Mritsa said taking outher phone to check the map, "Remember we have to buy marigolds for the college fest."

"Dude let's just take a auto rickshaw. I can't walk anymore...all of them are shouting out Gunj Pahad market. Let's just get in them"

Mritsa bit her lip but taking a look at Tansia's perspiration and fatigued expression she nodded in affirmation. She sighed, she would manage without something for this week.

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Hi guys.

The story will pick up pace very soon. Stay tuned. Thanks for your support.

Also I have not lived in Dehradun for long hence all the names of places are mostly imaginary. If anyone of you could help me with putting real names of places it would great.

Happy reading😇