|the naive rebel|
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xl | where's inaayat?
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word count- 3398
I had to pen this chapter after a lot of research and thinking, oof. I hope you'll enjoy it!
*fingers crossed*
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Third Person
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"Shaan, she is missing. Angel is missing."
Before Ishaan can react, can process the new information, there are sounds of murmurs and chuckling from the other end. His face morphs into a look of confusion as he stares at the ground, waiting for an appropriate reason behind their laughing session.
"Okay okay." Sameer's voice is replaced by Nikhil's, his voice on the contrary end holds unlaced humour and a muffled titter. Nikhil explains how they were all in the cafeteria and playing Truth and Dare.
Sameer was given a dare to call the least called number in his phonebook and to tell that person, a piece of fake news. Which they had zeroed upon the fake alert for Aayat's missing-obviously if the person knew her.
Nikhil laughs about the fact that how Shaan is commonly the least called number in their friend's group except his, as Nikhil calls Shaan now and then for help relating academics or personal issues.
Addled, Ishaan doesn't know if his friend needs a peace of mind or to feel relieved about Inaayat being safe and sound.
"Okay," Ishaan replies monotonously, rolling his eyes. He smiles at Tripti and leaves the old age home with a calm and relaxed mind.
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The water in the saucepan seethes, while Ishaan stands near it, pushing and raking through the wet and messy little tendrils of his hair back with his hands, and eyes closed.
The earlier part of the day was a little challenging for him but his heart is hopeful that the following day would be much better and calmer. As he sieves and pours the freshly prepared tea in the mug, he thinks about the recent developments in his life.
The major one being Inaayat. The main reason for his daunting heart and mind.
The unpredictability of one's life can never be measured. Ishaan had a motive in his life to punish the murderers of his sister, and then to find the person behind the bizarre suicides taking place in Enslep College.
But you say it in a Tweet, that's a cop-out
And I'm just like, "Hey, are you okay?"
And I ain't tryna mess with your self-expression
But I've learned a lesson that stressin' and obsessin' 'bout somebody else is no fun.
But, who'll tell him?
Ishaan walks out of the kitchen, with the scalding cup of tea and thousands of thoughts milling in his mind. As he sits on the sofa, resting his feet on the wooden coffee table. The watch hanging on the wall opposite him shows that it is 2:50 PM which means that the college had only one lecture lined up, before calling it a day for the students.
Ishaan had taken an unplanned leave today after he had rushed to the old age home, and he certainly wanted to avoid facing Inaayat, after the previous day's happenings.
He switches on the television and surfs through the channels, and before he can select the channel he is willing to watch, his phone rings and he lets out a grunt seeing the caller's name
What does Sameer want now?
Ishaan thinks but he still answers the call unwillingly.
"Say." His voice is crude and uninterested while Sameer sounds nervous and tensed.
"Shaan. Can you come to the college Asap, it's urgent." The urgency in Sameer's voice tells Ishaan that the matter is serious and all his hope of a tranquil day goes in vain. He stands up, the cup of tea left untouched as he goes to get his car keys.
.
.
.
The drive to the college was pretty empty and silent, he dashes towards the college building. The passages are untenanted and bare. He walks aimlessly, dialling Sameer's number to know about the exact place he is supposed to come when he hears certain sounds of bickering.
Moving towards the direction of noises, he halts at the passage where he sees the Devils and his friends standing; facing each other. Their expressions holding anger, anxiousness and looks filled with hatred.
"What's happening?" Ishaan voices out, his tone tamed and a little low. Nikhil and Sameer stand with their arms crossed while the Devils are smiling sinfully at them.
Mishti and Garima aren't present there but the looks on Nikhil and Sameer's face tells him that something is majorly wrong.
"They are back. And they claim that Aayat is-" Nikhil starts. Varun, the leader of Devils interrupts him and rather completes the statement himself, claiming that Aayat is a part of Devils, now.
Nikhil stifles a burst of laughter as soon as these words spew out of Varun's mouth. Ishaan looks at them perplexed, hearing the new accusation thrown towards Inaayat, who very sillily isn't even present there.
"As if we'll believe you." Nikhil huffs and dramatically sighs seeing the poor performance by his opponents.
"If that's not true, where do you think she is?" The other girl from the gang smirks, and suddenly they all drown in realisation.
Where is Inaayat?
Ishaan hadn't spoken to her the entire day, as he believed she was attending college. But, she isn't present here as well. Ishaan starts thinking about her whereabouts when a panicked Mishti comes running to them.
She pants heavily, as she informs her friends about Aayat, who isn't in her hostel room. Garima too returns from her search and claims that Aayat was nowhere in the entire college campus.
Where the hell had she gone?
"Did she attend any of her classes?" Probably this was the only time, others had heard Shaan talking and uttering more than a word's reply. His voice has an unclear edge to it which certainly goes unnoticed by everyone.
Silent and dangerous.
"No. She had bunked today." Mishti tells him. The Devils start babbling poison against Aayat, whom they accuse of backstabbing her friends and telling them about how she isn't returning to the college. They claim that Aayat has helped the Devils in plotting against her friends and she was the mastermind behind releasing Mishti's poster.
'She can't even climb down a flight of stairs without tripping and he says she'll plot a plan against her friends.' Ishaan scoffs at the thought. He tries inspecting the look on Nikhil, Mishti and Garima's face to understand what they are thinking.
"We don't believe you. But, now tell us where the fuck is Aayat?" Nikhil inquires angrily. Ishaan realises that his friends aren't even doubting Inaayat in the slightest.
"How would we know," Varun smirks tapping his foot on the ground, trying to create a poor rhythm.
While Nikhil tries extracting information about Aayat from the Devils, Ishaan tries calling Inaayat only to find her phone switched off.
Anxiety finally starts sussing in Ishaan's heart, as he realises that Inaayat is missing.
"I think she must have gone to her house, Nikhil." Ishaan pacifies others meanwhile his mind is unsettled and choking in tension.
But, he knows that he can only go and find her once the situation in the college is controlled.
"Yeah exactly. Why were we stressing over this? She normally goes to her house on Fridays right? She might have gone early today!" Mishti claims and the air relaxes a bit.
Nikhil physically relaxes, and the Devils are seen dropping their smug looks. Ishaan and his friends leave the building but not before warning the Devils, telling them that if a suspension wasn't enough to feed their hunger, next time they won't hesitate to terminate their college life.
Nikhil, Mishti, Garima and Sameer return to their hostel rooms while Ishaan leaves the campus, telling-lying to them that he is going to his home. As soon as they all disperse, Ishaan quickly darts towards his car.
He drives towards the location of Inaayat's flat, breaking the speed limit. On his way, he quickly dials a number, connecting him to a certain officer whom he instructs to trace Inaayat's last location.
"Yes sir." The agent tells him, at the same time Ishaan reaches Inaayat's building. He sprints towards her flat and knocks at the door violently. Ringing the doorbell and calling her name continuously, but no one answers.
He waits there for solid ten minutes, after which he decides to return to the car. His recruit messages him, Inaayat's last location before her phone was turned off.
Why the fuck had she gone there?
The anxiousness he had been feeling all this while suddenly turns into undisputed anger. He is angry at her for not informing him or anyone else about her location, and for being so irresponsible.
It is close to five in the evening, the daylight is dimming and dusk starts settling in the sky. The orangish tone darkens, merging into the darkest shade.
Ishaan starts driving towards the Ghat, where Inaayat's phone was last active. It is almost an hour drive to the Ghats, and Ishaan starts his journey.
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Following the location map, Ishaan reaches the cliff. The sky isn't pitch black but is adorning the shade of ginger with a tinge of tangerine. The white cotton of smoke and mist is floating in the clear sky, some birds are seeing flying overhead. The city lights adding to the scenic beauty.
He climbs up the rotten unpaved path, kicking some stray stones on his way. His eyes searching for any silhouette.
Before he decides to walk down back to his car, he spots a figure sitting near the edge, leaning against the old tree's bark.
"So you are here." Ishaan's voice is more on the angrier edge of the spectrum. The sudden obtrusion causes Inaayat to jolt out of her thoughts, she turns her neck sideways only to see Ishaan standing with his hands tucked in the pocket of his jeans.
"Ishaan?" Inaayat stands up befuddled, not expecting Ishaan's presence. "What are you doing here?" She questions while Ishaan's eyebrow raises at her. His lips twist into a poker line, his eyes glaring at her.
"We are leaving." Ishaan turns around coldly, walking towards the same path he had taken earlier.
"Wait-what? Why?" Inaayat voices but still follows him. Ishaan decides to pay no heed to her words and continues walking blatantly ignoring her. The worry-about his co-worker- that had almost killed him was here, having the time of her life.
"Why are you run-ouch!" Inaayat winces and Ishaan finally turns around. His face quickly morphs the concerned look into an aloof look. Inaayat stands again, rubbing off the mud from her knees and her palms. Wincing, groaning and biting her tongue to stop the sob, that is threatening to leave her throat.
Ishaan sighs disapprovingly but he still walks to her, holding her wrist-he helps her climb down the path carefully. Both of them not uttering even a single word. The air around them is heavy and ponderous.
Inaayat tries deciphering Ishaan's foul mood but he gives no hint. While he guides her inside his car, Ishaan takes the driver's seat.
The inside of the car is warm and silent, murky and impetuous. Gloomy and dull, as the last remnants of the daylight fades away-welcoming the inky reflections of the late evening.
"How did you know I was here?" Inaayat asks again, only to meet silence, as her response. Her eyebrows descend a little lower, lips narrow at the corner as she glares at Ishaan who is busy driving.
"I am asking you something, ain't I?" Her voice is edgy and vexed.
"Did you inform any of us about your little trip? No, right? So what makes you think that I am answerable to you?"
"Excuse me? I am an adult, I can go where ever I want." Inaayat retorts, clearly disliking Ishaan's tone and choice of words. Her mind hadn't been at peace lately and he is doing nothing but fueling her annoyance.
"Yeah right. An adult who can't even walk without tripping or stumbling." Comes his sarcastic answer, his hold on the steering wheel tightens as he points at her now bleeding knees and scratched palms.
"Yes, I am clumsy, so? I certainly don't remember asking you for your help. I was surviving with my clumsiness before I met you, and can survive with it after or without you as well."
Certainly, Inaayat didn't filter her words before scampering them to Ishaan. The car melts down into an abrupt and awkward silence. Inaayat turns her face towards the window, biting her tongue.
Ishaan on the other hand gulps back the retort weighing on the tip of his tongue. Inaayat's words had hurt him more than he could have ever estimated. It was like a splash of cold scorching water on his face, bringing him to reality. Making him aware of the situation.
He understands the puddle he is surrounded with, and he is certainly drowning in it.
"Take the U-turn." Inaayat finally says, ending the silence. Ishaan disregards her statement and drives them directly to his flat instead of hers. Inaayat huffs at his behaviour and the car again douse in stillness.
.
.
He parks the car and gets off the car briskly. Standing a little away from the car, he waits impatiently for Inaayat. She soon follows but stands rooted to the ground, glaring at Ishaan.
She decides and deduces a plan to leave his building and starts walking towards the gate when Ishaan tells her to not even think of it. He turns around and saunters towards the lift.
'Diablo' Inaayat murmurs under her breath.
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Ishaan unlocks the door and guides Inaayat inside. Pushing her towards the sofa, he glues her to the seat, with his vehement lour. "Sit. Quietly."
Inaayat sees his retreating figure yet sits down, waiting for him to come back. Ishaan returns with the first-aid box. Which makes Inaayat think about how his first-aid box is often used more for her injuries rather than his.
"I can do that on my own. Give it to me." Her hands try reaching for the box, which Ishaan pulls back and he settles on the floor. Kneeling right before her.
"Don't."
He wets the cotton ball with the orange antiseptic and cleans the two dried wounds on her knees. After the swabs the cotton ball, he squeezes a little antiseptic cream on his finger and applies it to the wounds on her knees and palms.
His eyes meet hers while he closes the box way too roughly and stands up, keeping the box on the coffee table with a blare.
Their eyes are way too engrossed in playing a virtual wrestling game when Ishaan finally speaks, "Everyone was worried for you. You can't just disappear without telling anyone."
Inaayat gets up from the sofa, wobbly and frailly. "Last time I checked, I am an adult and I can go wherever I want."
"Yeah. An adult." Ishaan derides.
"What the fuck were you even doing there? And Miss. Adult how the hell had you planned to return to the city? Flying? Because there wasn't any public transport serving you up there and your phone was dead, so calling a cab was out of the options list. So Miss. Adult, please explain." Inaayat moves a little forward.
"I could have-"
"Don't even try saying that you would have walked down the cliff. Because if you managed to hurt yourself while walking down to my car, I can't even imagine your state once you would have reached the foot of the hill."
"You have no other topic other than pointing at my clumsiness, right?"
"Stop being irresponsible, and I'll stop complaining about your clumsiness."
"I. AM. NOT. IRRESPONSIBLE." Inaayat spells out each word clearly for him to hear, pointing her finger at him as she plods towards him, reducing the distance between them.
"Yeah, and that's why you didn't charge your phone and went on a hike alone."
"My choice." Inaayat quips and starts walking towards the door. Ishaan holds her wrist stopping her and twirls her around. Hir arms holding her hand against her back, pulling her close.
"That's not an answer." His breath fans over her face, his eyes locking with hers. They are engulfed in two battles, one fighting with each other while the other within themselves.
There's an invisible whirlwind around them, small and vicious and fierce. Pulling them towards its circular trap. Pushing and pulling, tugging, attracting yet repulsing. The waves of waft, soft and cool and humid and murky. A mix of something so uncanny yet alluring.
She opens her mouth to answer him, repeating her statements about how she isn't entitled to inform anyone about her whereabouts. She wanted fresh air and therefore she went to the cliff. Her phone's switching off wasn't in the itinerary. She knows she should have messaged him, but his outrageous scolding and calling her irresponsible made her lose her cool.
She was going to message him, but it slipped off her mind, casually. Her mind was so disturbed after the previous day's conversation with her sister.
She had concluded her feelings but what about his?
She has been trying to understand anything about his share of thoughts, feelings and to clear her disturbed mind she had gone to the cliff. The scenic beauty and the silence had helped her think and plan, draft her way out.
Yet, they are here, quiet but fermented. Ishaan looks at her, the hazy sea in her orbs-pulls him. Engulfing and inundating him. He tries fighting, kicking and moving his limbs but the ripples, gush and flap around him. Numbing and paralysing him, and he finally gives up; fighting and denying.
His hold on her tightens, pulling her closer; if possible. Her eyes examining his moves, various thoughts imploding like the colour bombs, painting her musings with the hues of spectrum, starting from the red of passion and ending with the violet of fulfilment.
His face so proximate to hers, slanting and bending a little. The other hand pinning and tucking the loose tendril embellishing her forehead, behind her ear. Her face portraying aesthetic hesitation.
Voluntarily and consciously, measuring and computing their manoeuvres. The anger seeping and dissipating in the ground, her toes curl as there's a faint caress of his lips on hers.
"Dare, you act as if nothing happened, tomorrow. I'll be-"
"You fucking talk a lot." His whisper smothers and perishes. Her soul trembles and his, flails. But, she reaches and pulls him down to her, and the rest of his words are lost against her mouth.
He kisses her gently, carefully and slow; taking his times exploring her, her mouth and her tongue. Their eyes closed yet the glorious rich aurum sensually slithers its way in the darkness, detonates behind their closed lids.
The gentleness sheds off, as she clenches his shirt and pulls him ravenously. He lets out a stunted and a coarse and a hoarse lament, low in his throat. His fingers tangle and entwine and weave around her flowing cascades. Pulling and tugging and pushing and tormenting.
Their lips move against each other, feral and untamed and intensely. The biting and tethering and demanding to ignite passion. The moment promises the treasure of realness; smearing and tainting their hearts with primal desires.
The force and vigour of the kiss knock out the wind from their lungs. Their lips part, panting and puffing and breaths mingling. Nose bumping against each other and forehead resting together. Eyes closed but savouring the blazing and carnal thirst, and eagerness.
Lips so close yet too far, a little drift and they would again meet and clasp. Yet, they wait for a satisfactory second. Pausing and considering.
"I like you." He surrenders, the battle quenches-evaporating and volatilising.
The tingling, soft plump smile dances on her face, the rosy tint rests on her cheeks.
"I know." She jests, the swift pinch on her side has her chuckling and whooping.
"I like you, bear." She breathes, low and sloppily.
"Inaayat."
They deliquesce laughing, reaching for each other simultaneously, warm and moist. Eagerly and yearningly, sinking and softening and thawing and dissolving.
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:-)
I hope it was good enough?
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Love!
Until the next chapter,
keep dodging the bullets.
ऊ.