Vivan's POV
We checked into the resort that we are staying at.It was more extravagant than I imagined.
The resort boasts manicured gardens, charming cottages, and a crystal-clear pool.
I can picture my college fees hitting the roof next semester
"Listen students!!!Take a quick refresh and assemble here.We are leaving in 30 minutes",Mrs.Jha announced to the students gathered at the lobby.
Damn,it's barely 6 AM
Glancing at Aditi who was still sleepy with her obvious yawns.
I hope everything works out fine for her
Rishi shot daggers with his eyes at me and Dee as he stood beside me
Wait.... What for?
"You can depart to your rooms",Mrs.Jha said, dissolving the gathering
I went to the reception to check the list and grab our keys.
Aditi Desai
Kyra Saxena
.
Vivan Sharma
Rishi Sharma
Luck was on our side as we managed to get the same room.
As we were about to leave,the 'It couple' who couldn't seem to let each other go,blocked our way
"Thank god,they didn't put these two in the same room.",I joked,clearing my throat.
"Can't risk when it comes to hormones",Rishi grinned with a mischievous glint in his eyes
Aditi squinted her eyes, noticing us laughing without any apparent reason
"You're in room 506",Rishi handed her the keys
"Fifth floor?",she gasped
"The view would be spectacular",I cheered her up
"Sup....Let's get to the lift",Kyra suggested, dragging her luggage along.
Dee agreed nodding and waited for the lift.She swiftly turned around like something clicked inside her.
"507",I said when she was about to speak.
"We're in 507",I repeated
She was impressed by my answer coming her way before the question even reached her.
"Don't be late as always!!",she advice with a cute smile, stepping into the elevator.
______________________________________.
The roar of the crowd from the rollercoaster,the smell of clorined water and exciting stall took all of our weary tiredness away.
We got off, aiming for a break after riding the thrilling rollercoaster ride.
"One more?",Ri asked
"Nah.... I'm dizzy",Dee replied
I spotted Sanjay at the rollercoaster line.
What could be more romantic than a rollercoaster ride?
Without drawing attention,I gently nudged Aditi by the shoulder, indicating it's time to get into action.
"I'm up for another round",she said in a beat, making Rishi skeptical
It was like a shot of confidence just showered up on her as she strided up to the line of people.
She turned around flashing a smile and I gave her a thumbs up.
In a fleeting moment,a guy crashed into her, prompting her to take a step back.
The drink he held was now all over Dee's outfit.Taking a look at her messed up attire,her face fell.
She was clearly upset and I could see the tears forming in her eyes.
"Watch where you are go-",the guy yelled rudely
"How dare you??You just ruined her dress and have the audicity to talk to her like that!??",I spat angrily as I stood as a wall between them
"Calm down,Romeo....It wasn't my fault",the guy gave a disgusting laugh
"So you're saying it was hers?",I said
"Viv...let go.It's not worth it",Rishi said,holding my arm
"Yeah Viv,It's fine.... don't make a fuss out of this tiny strain", Aditi's voice was shaky
I pushed the guy off as he walked away glaring at us.
Kyra took out a bunch of tissues out of her bag to wipe away the strain.It worked but her dress was still ruined.
"Hey.... It's okay.The dress is spoiled not your day....",Rishi comforted her,placing his hands on her shoulder
She glanced over him, observing the line.Sanjay was gone.
"Alright...I need something to eat first.You guys carry on",she faked a smile, moving away from us
This wasn't the start I wanted for her.If I could,I would make that guy's day worser than his attitude.
"I'm gonna check on her",Rishi was about to follow her
"No...You stay with Kyra.I'll take care of her",I reassured him as he reluctantly agreed.
Wandering around the park,I finally found her sitting at a food stall,all by herself.
"Dee!!?",I chimed in, concealing my worry
She was startled when she heard my voice
"Vivan?I told you to leave me alone",she said, hiding her face away.
Oh my god,Is she crying?
"Dee!!That man is a moron,why let him make you cry on a good day like this?",I spoke softly, placing my hand on hers
"I look hideous,Viv!!",she let out a weep
My hatred towards that random guy is growing with each second
"We all do at some point of the day,trust me",I humoured,as she slapped my hand
"You can't be serious for a minute,can you?!",she replied angrily
"That's what I'm saying.Quit being serious.Let's live our best day,Dee"
"By the way,I don't see a difference in that dress",I added
She gazed at me for a moment before breaking into laughter
"You suck at comforting",she laughed
"If it works,it does",I uttered, staring at her smile
The smile,I succeeded in bringing back
"I see.And what about your heroic attitude of threatening the guy??You were crazy to think you can fight him",she shook head in disbelief.
"I could if you guys let me",I said, proudly flaunting my biceps
"You are stupid with a capital S",she gleamed
Capital S?
"What does that even mean?",I chuckled, confused
"It means you're even more stupid",she grinned,her eyes never leaving mine.
This moment....this particular second,I felt different.
Her smile,her glittering eyes provoked something magical inside me.
She's my best friend.A major colour of my life after it all went down the drain.
"Whatever!!!.....I know you lied about being hungry but I honestly am",I pointed at my tummy
"Shoo it away with a treat",she said, raising her hand for a fist bump
"Shoo it away with a treat",I repeated
______________________________________
Kyra's POV:
"Do we really have to do this?",I groaned, halting in my tracks.
It was a hard task to endure him when we were four in number.
Being alone is a nightmare.
Every time I see his face,a quick recap of his doings flashes in my mind.
"Are you saying you'd rather wander off alone and get lost but wouldn't silently follow me?",he said, unamused
How's it that he's got the natural talent to piss me off with everything he does?
"Is it bad if I say yes?",I shrugged
"Look...you are Aditi's friend and I'm not gonna be the one who'll be blamed if you follow your dumb instincts",he scoffed.
Much to my disgust, he's got a valid point.
Better to stick around your predictable enemy than a stranger
"This sounds fun" he said, looking at an escape house
"Your friend is in distress and you wanna have the best time of your life?",I was surprised by his lack of concern for Aditi
"Vivan's there for her, she'll be fine"
"You're weird"
"Spill it out,Kiki.You are terrified of going in there",he grinned, challenging me.
"Try me!!",I said, storming off to the counter getting us both tickets.
Entering the escape room, the dim lights and eerie ambiance created an unsettling atmosphere.
"Hope you are strong enough",the mocking was evident in his tone.
We progressed through the room, solving puzzles and unlocking clues.
Rishi was right behind me,casting a glance at me every now and then as if making sure I didn't disappear into thin air.
The walls was filled with some patterns.It clicked my mind that it could be the key to something.
"Should we memorize this?",Rishi asked, sharing the same thought
"I've got better ideas",I said, taking out a pen
"Kiki,you're textbook smart,not practical.We don't have anythy to write on",he said as a matter of factly
Ignoring his rant,I grabbed his hand, scribbling the pattern in his palm
"Heyyy-stop it",he squirmed,feeling ticklish
"You were right about one thing.I am smart",I flipped my hair,proceeding forward
It was such a sight to see him out of words.
Nearing the exit, a sense of accomplishment washed over me.I was already preparing my victory speech to hit him in the face with
"The codes must be the pattern",I jumped in joy
"Rooster,I need your hand now",I said turning around
The room of deprived of any signs of his presence.
"Roo-ster?",panic begin to creep on me as I heard no response
"Roo?.....Rishi,Where are you?",I choked on my words
Where did he go?This place isn't dangerous,right?
My breath hitched when a figure emerged behind me.
"Rishi Sharma is dead!!!!",a zombie like voice yelled from behind
My soul left my body as I jumped letting out the loudest scream ever possible .
Then a loud laughter filled the air, knocking me back into sense.
Rishi was at the peak of his delight as his laughter only intensified every time he looked at me.
His carefree spirit and this idiotic prank annoyed me to the core,but I couldn't deny the fact that I was relieved to see his stupid face back
"Oh my god!!!I can't...The Zomb-"
He couldn't even breathe,talk about speaking.The laughter hit him so hard that he held on to his tummy.
I'm starting to doubt if he's a psychopath.
"Are you kidding me?My heart almost stopped",I said in disbelief, irritated at his childish behaviour
"But hold on,did I just hear Kiki asking for my hand?",he teased
He's testing me so much
"Rishi Sharma will be dead",I corrected his statement,glaring at him.
Ready to give him a piece of my mind,I stepped forward when a guy came into the room.
He didn't look pleased with us at all.
Fast forward,we stood outside the escape room,with the owner giving us the stren looks.
"You are banned from entering here",he said after throwing us out
Amazing!!
"Wow,you are an expert at creating trouble—anywhere,anytime",I sneered at him
"Woah...woah...We got kicked out because you screamed like the world was ending",he debated
"It was your fault....You made me scream that bad",I hit him in the chest
He didn't react back,his gaze was on another direction,his mouth open in shock.
I followed his gaze and there stood Neha with an immensely teasing grin.
Based on her reaction,I could tell she got all the wrong hints from our conversation.
"Neha....no",I facepalmed myself knowing what is going on in her mind
"Are you guys together?",she yelped curious
"Umm..tell me your definition of 'together' and I'll answer your question",Rishi replied, flashing an awkward smile
Not gonna lie, that's kinda brilliant
"No!!We are just wandering around toget-because......",I realised no amount of explanation will get me out of this.
"I'll tell you about it later",I sighed in defeat.
I could have joined Neha and left this Rooster behind.But I didn't feel like it.
I thought it would be better to stick together with Aditi and her gang.
"We got some time left.Wanna try the horror house?",Rishi asked playfully.
I'm done with these stuff
"Actually, I'm gonna shop for something",I replied, gesturing to the stalls nearby
A small jewellery shop caught my attention.I walked in as he followed me close behind.
Trays and trays of accessories were mounted on the tables of the store.I skimmed through the bracelet as I saw a rose themed one.
"Look at this!!This is my favourite flower!!",I exclaimed taking it in my hand
Rishi seemed uninterested, his gaze wandering elsewhere.
"Hmm?Oh,nice" he muttered absentmindedly.
My mistake...I should have kept it to myself
Shaking it off, I continued to browse, letting him do his thing.
As I bought something I like,I noticed him engaged in conversation with a random girl.
"Can we leave?",I cleared my throat, interrupting them.
No,it didn't bother me that he was hitting on some random chick.I was getting fussier and needed something to eat.
"Yeah sure.I was just waiting for you",he said to me, smiling at the girl
It wasn't a tough task to spot the food stall and we sooner met Vivan and Aditi.
She was giggling, chatting with Vivan as tons of dishes were over their table.
"Mind if I join in?",I teased, mustering a smile
"I saved you a seat",Aditi smiled, scooting over
"All good?",Rishi enquired, sitting beside Vivan.
"Indeed",she assured, sharing a gaze with Vivan.
They've got that thing....
I don't know how to explain it-the thing where if one of them loses their glow the other would light them up back in a heartbeat.
"I got something for you", Rishi spoke, biting his food.
Aditi looked excited at a surprise awaiting.
He handed her a small package.Inside it was a cute key holder-a golden four leaved clover,along with the initial A encraved in a circle.
"This is beautiful",she held it in her palm
"It's a lucky charm....The shop's girl swore it protects you from misfortune.",he smiled.
Wow.... he's got an emotional side too?
A small gesture brought boundless smiles to a person,not just on her face.
As I watched them both pampering Aditi,it was like she was the sunshine that got not one,but two protectors.
I admit I was a little envious.....but more regretful that I wasted my childhood by not making any friends like these.
Who am I kidding?I can't even make one.
.....Somehow couldn't keep up the ones I had either.
"Kyra!!This one's good....you should try this", Vivan's voice snapped me back to reality.
He enthusiastically passed a dish that looked delicious.
Maybe it's not too late to make some friends, I guess.
Holding the dish,I smiled a little,for in the past six months I felt the hope that everything would kick back to how it was again.
I can find myself again.