The Haunted Bhangarh Fort- Rajasthan, India

CHAPTER 12

Every moment in your life can be a jump start and every second, a dead end.

Nandini-

"Wake up sleepyhead!" A loud but playful voice boomed in my ears.
I strained my eyes open to see who it was, because the cacophony sure was familiar. My head hurts.

My blurry father was standing besides me with a glass of water ready in his hands waiting to sprinkle it on my face.

I jerked up awake in a split second. Water on a sleepy face was pure torture.

Sigh. Why does he do that all the time? I whined to myself and frowned at him.

"Get ready, Nandini! Everyone else is up. Aren't you excited for our trip today?"

I glanced at him lazily, "what's so exciting about today's trip? Not like anything has been going right."

He pretended to sprinkle water at me again, obviously excited, and I jumped out of the bed.

"Why can't you ever wake up me up sweetly, or at least soberly like Ma does!" I cried.

"Your Ma tried the sweetness on your bitter head a few hours ago. Clearly doesn't work." He glared playfully.

After patting my head around twenty two times to wake me up he pushed me to the bathroom.
"Do your five-minute-shower thing!"

I wanted to have a hot bath today. I sighed. 

I walked out of the bathroom, draped in a towel, after a good fifteen minutes with no one rushing me, because I know they weren't in a rush either.

Parents love it. Hurrying children up for nothing.

A loud gasp broke my trail of thoughts.

Nikhil.

Holy mother of pizza!

Why didn't I take my clothes along with me?

Thanks dad.

Our eyes met, our mouths agape, and we both turned our backs to each other in a split second.

"What're you doing here?" I gritted my teeth.

"You m-mom asked me to get her shawl. Sorry, I should've knocked."

"Why didn't you!"

"I mean, I did! But you didn't answer the main door, so I thought you were still showering because your father said you'll take an hour to shower at least."

Way to go! My cheeks flushed in embarrassment. 

"When I checked my watch it had been only fifteen minutes, so I had a chance to take your mother's shawl without bothering you."

I didn't answer. Instead I barged into the bathroom. Nikhil probably heard the thud of the door and turned around.

"Nandini, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you mad. I promise I didn't see you at all.

Right, not like your eyes hadn't popped out of your sockets.

"Can you pass me my clothes?"

"W-what?" He sputtered.

"Pass me my clothes."

"I'll go right now, you can come out and change after I announce I've left."

"No no, I don't want anyone else entering the room. I forgot to take my clothes along. Please."

"No! Don't say please. We're friends, friends don't plead to each other. If you want clothes, I'd gladly give them to you, heck I'd give you one, probably two of my shirts if you were in a dire need too. It's like—"