"One day, everything will cease mattering again."

Aaina was thinking and thinking very hard. She didn't understand what Ranvi meant by "You aren't going to like it," Well, there are many things she doesn't like. But Ranvi sounded serious-very serious and it never ends up anything good. She thought almost wearily.

The last time she had heard this serious edge in his voice. They were in Mawsynram, Meghalaya. In a hospital. He was erasing all the traces of the presence of  Anshi Kanungo. Planning a hasty funeral and even brisk escape from the wettest place of the planet. A bullet has been just removed from her head and no, she didn't lose her memories. Sometimes she thinks she might have been happier if her memories had been really erased but no, it all has been there. She remembered the panic, the fear, the splitting of her head. The wide-open eyes and the dead bodies of the people she almost considered her second family.

The transition phase between Anshi and Aaina was the hardest in her life. The strain in Ranvi's words, the ghost of pasts in words and mind, watching her own funeral. Everything seemed stupid and illogical. She didn't know why it was necessary? What she was running away from? Why the police officer uncle whom her father ordered her to take away was dead? Why was the officer with him also dead? She didn't know why she couldn't use Anshi Kanungo or her real name anymore? She didn't know why it was so necessary for her to stay dead? Why was she dropped in Delhi? Why was she, Aaina Randhawa? Why was her one year was wasted? Why was she suddenly a law student?

Or maybe she did all along. After all, it was her decision to not start college in the mid. It was her decision to wait. But the grave undertones of Ranvi's voice from today is scaring her.

She doesn't know whether they're prepared enough? She doesn't know whether she is ready to come out of the grave yet or not? She actually doesn't know whether she ever will be or not? But Ranvi's tone made her think it is and she doesn't think she is quite ready yet.

Did they get shreds of evidence of her being alive? But how?

No, She shouldn't think about all that now. In a few hours, they'll meet and discuss everything and put an end to all the anxiety sprouting in her heart. Sighing, she sat upright and looked around her in the dimly lit bus and turned her gaze outside lifting the window curtain slightly to see the running darkness with seldom bright spots outside. After all, her watch was showing at 3 am at night. The dense woods, the dark shadows, and fear of the unknown at its peak.

She had never been to this part of the country before but that doesn't mean she hadn't heard about the past darkness of here. This was the road, the areas where people feared traveling after the dusk. The crimes on NH334. She was more than aware of the bandits, the fear, the bodies, and thankfully, the coming generation won't know that fear. The fear that gripped the parent's hearts when their vehicles come to sudden unexpected halts. 

She closed her eyes when their bus passed another Dhaba and pondered can she ever just shut off her brain. One dreadful thought, one case file, and a series of such scenes will automatically open in her mind and play in front of her eyes. Oh! how wonderful it would have been if the mind come with a freeze button? If only, she could freeze all the dreadful thoughts but alas it wasn't just possible.

The outside wasn't at all distracting her or providing her any other thing to ponder about. So, sighing again she let the curtain fall back on its place and leaned back on her chair. Brooding. When the sudden gasp and muffled scream made her sit straight again. 

"Panchi," She called softly holding the girl's hand before she could slap a now wide awake shocked Danika.

"Panchi," She called again along with a trying to wake the girl trapped in some kind of nightmare. After, a little prodding from Danika and her gentle yet restraining hold on Panchi's hands. She woke up without disturbing anyone else.

Blank red glassy eyes. A petrified mind and trembling lips. It took more than a few minutes for Panchi's brain to finally wake up and reconcile with the present.

Aaina had been trapped in many such nightmares to know what it feels like and She wasn't that surprised when Danika pressed the water bottle to Panchi's lips.

"Nightmare, " Aaina stated the oblivious when the silence around them dragged uncomfortably and more than a little awkwardly.

"Hmmm, " Panchi mumbled handing the water bottle back to Dani who was looking at her with sleepy concern.

"Wanna talk about it??" Aaina asked her softly. Talking helps but only if Panchi really wanted to talk about it.

Panchi just nodded her head in negative and looked away from them. Aaina shared a "what to do now?" look with Danika. Danika just shrugged and handed chocolate bars to the three of them.

Aaina didn't know how many chocolates Danika carried in her bag? But she wasn't complaining. She'll take chocolate anytime.  The three of them were sitting in absolute silence munching on chocolates.

Danika looked ready to fall asleep again when Panchi broke the silence with an utterly odd question. Well, it felt odd to Aaina. She didn't have any 3 am talk experience with girls. Well, all her 3 am talks had been with Viaan, Savvy, Ro, or Ranvi, and most of the time she was just listening to their insecurities, worries, and what not? So, Panchi's question really did startle her.

"Have you ever been heartbroken before? Like the person, you think was the one and only for you broke your heart?" Panchi asked them softly gazing outside, not quite meeting their gaze.

Aaina troubled gaze met Danika's. Both couldn't quite fathom while they were being asked this question in the middle of the night? But shrugging both tried to ease Panchi's worries.

"Yes, " Aaina admitted drawing Panchi's undivided attention towards herself.

"Will you ever say it's okay to him?"

Aaina didn't know why but Panchi's this question troubled her more than it ought too. Will she ever be able to say "it's okay" to Ornov? Will she ever be able to say "it's okay, you broke my heart, you broke my soul, you broke our friendship but it's okay. It happens."?  She doesn't think so.

"Not every " sorry" deserves it's okay in return, " Aaina said just what she felt about the whole matter.

She doesn't think she can forgive Ornov ever. For he was her bestie before her first love. He was her friend and he back stabbed her. He knew everything about her. There wasn't a single thing he didn't know about her life yet he ditched her and that's something she can't forget or forgive at all.

Panchi just hummed in response.

"Why are you asking about this btw?" Danika asked Panchi placing her sleepy head on Panchi's shoulder.

And Aaina stared at Panchi intrigued. She really wants to know why they are discussing love at 3 in the morning? And what love has got anything to do with Panchi's nightmare?

"It's actually Omav"

"Oberoi?" Aaina's question came sharper than she intended to and even Danika sat upright in her chair, glancing at Panchi like she had lost all her marbles.

Panchi just nodded in response looking a little startled and spooked out by their reaction.

"Umm, so lemme just clear this...you are talking about Omav Oberoi, the boy you dumped in college and rightly so, " Danika added watching both Aaina and Panchi's reaction to her statement.

"Why?" Aaina asked Panchi not knowing why she was picking this topic now? She knew if any topic has the potential of degrading her mood completely than this one is going to be on the top spot.

"He asked for a second chance," Panchi mumbled shrinking in herself noticing the way both Aaina and Danika looked at her. She didn't like their expressions at all. She knew what was going in their head and she really didn't need them to spell it out to her.

"When did he even meet you?" Danika seemed to be really working on not snapping at anyone as she took some deep breaths. She won't really be pleased if she learns that Panchi had sneaked away somewhere without informing her. She thinks as her friend she is entitled to know where she is for various important reasons obviously one of them is "SECURITY" and "SAFETY" too.

"He came to my apartment," Panchi clarified knowing well what was going in Danika's head.

"And it is giving you nightmares?" Aaina stated not able to form any head or leg of the whole situation.

"Yes," Panchi admitted looking really frustrated with both of their reactions and before they could fire another question at her, she continued; "He appeared on my doorstep last Monday, severely injured and bleeding, fell on me as soon as I opened the door. Scaring the s**t out of me. He was comatose in my house for 24 hours and then waking up said "Thank you, couldn't trust anyone but you. I'm sorry." and then after taking residence in my apartment as if it's his own without my consent and always taking up the excuse of being gravely injured when I tried to throw him out that idiot has the guts to ask me for a second chance after taking residence in my apartment for god knows why??" As Panchi ranted about the intruder in her otherwise perfect apartment Aaina and Danika looked at each other with wide eyes.

When Panchi's rant finished she noticed the silence that engulfed them as soon as her words come to a cease. Not even a single word or sound escaped Aaina or Danika's mouth and the only sound that reached to her after a few minutes of the wait was from behind them.  One of the boys might have slapped the other while sleeping.

"Is Omav still in your apartment?" Danika asked Panchi after what felt like an eternity. This situation was really turning out to be a virtual nightmare for her. Ansh if he even gets a little sniff of the whole matter will be furious beyond explanation and any scenario from here looked a disaster to her.

"If his words are to be trusted than yes," Panchi answered back looking equal amount annoyed and concerned and the fear in Danika's mind just increased a hundred fold.

"What did he say Panchi?" the still now silently analytical  Aaina couldn't help but question Panchi. The feeling of dread that had started residing in her heart the instant she heard Ranvi's words has just intensified hearing Panchi's words. She is sure her two worlds are going to intersect soon. The parallel lines that's her life will soon have its transversal line.

"Someone's after him like someone's really attempting to kill him and the only safe place he can think of is my place"

~to be continued~

Hey sorry, for being irregular guys. 

But will try to update more frequently.

So, what do you think?

Do vote and comment, please.