Just a heads up:
Second half of the chapter speaks about periods, pads, menstruation cups, etc. Do not read if you feel uncomfortable reading about it.

*****

As the sun rays spread throughout the sky, the group divided themselves into two parts. Sameera with Avan as mother and son; Gyaan with twins as friends. They walked on the same road, but with a considerable distance so that no one could figure them out.

The people were searching for the group of five people together. No one was walking on the road trying to find them, but a group of five differently aged people might ring a bell in people's minds. Separation was the best tactic if they wanted to go unnoticed as other strangers on the road.

Sameera frowned when she was Gyaan entering a garden. Although it was early, the garden was filled with elderly people and the college going students who had most probably bunked their classes.

"Why would he choose the garden instead of some empty place?" Sameera questioned no one in particular, but Avan answered her, "Probably because there wasn't a single place that was empty. And we needed a place to talk about how to move further."

"Yeah, it seems to be the case," Sameera agreed with a sigh. They hadn't really conversed once the sun was up. They had to talk and figure out their action plan. She also wanted to confirm whether Gyaan even knew the route to the forest. And hence, even though she didn't think it was the best place to converse, Sameera followed Gyaan's lead and entered the garden with Avan.

Looking around, Sameera found them sitting on a double-bench, whose one side was facing the running track while the other faced the grass side.

Gyaan and the twins had sat facing the running track. They giggled and laughed, acting like all other students present in the garden. Sameera went and sat on the same bench, but on the side that faced the grass, and made it seem like she was watching over Avan, who had started to play on the nearby slides.

"Are we even on the right path?" Sameera asked Gyaan, while her eyes were still on Avan.

"We are, but it is going to take a long walk. We just need to make a quick stop, and then we will take the highway."

"How are you so sure about the roads? What if we are going in a completely different direction?" Ahana asked.

"Well not everyone is blind, you see," Gyaan taunted, before pointing towards the signboard placed near the gate of the garden. They couldn't see it clearly from inside, but Gyaan had read it before entering. "There are signboards at multiple places. This one shows the way to go to at least three other landmarks. I am working through all these landmarks in my mind to find the right route."

"How do you even know the right route to the forest?" Neer asked, but in a curious tone unlike Ahana's accusatory tone.

"I remember what I have read once. And fortunately, I had read the map of our entire state once when I was getting bored. So don't worry, I am confident that I can take you all safely to the destination," Gyaan replied.

"How modest!" Ahana commented.

"Thanks," Gyaan said, smiling at her to annoy her, knowing fully well that she had been taunting him.

"If you two are done with your fake compliments and smiles, can we discuss the quick stop Gyaan you were talking about?" Neer asked, shaking his head at the two children in front of him, who had less maturity than Avan who was the actual child of the group.

"To the mall," Gyaan answered.

"The mall?" They asked in unison but in a whisper to not attract attention.

"Yeah, I was thinking that let's buy any necessary item we may need, before we enter the forest. Because we won't be able to get anything after that," Gyaan explained.

"That makes sense," Ahana said, while everyone else nodded in agreement.

"I am thinking of dividing the money equally. Our necessities are different. So instead of buying something as a group, let's purchase the things we find utterly necessary individually," Gyaan suggested.

What might have been essential for one, would have been utterly useless for others. He thought everyone having at least one thing of their choice in this dire situation would be of some comfort.

"Great thought, but there's not enough money for all of us to buy something important, unless it is chocolates. Let's just give the money to the ladies. Their utmost essential things are more expensive than the products we need in our entire existence," Neer said.

"Are you sure?" Ahana and Sameera asked. They were really grateful for the thought, but they didn't want the others to feel that their needs weren't as important.

"Yes we are," Gyaan said, looking over Avan, silently asking if he was alright with the idea too.

Avan just gave a thumbs up, before returning to his games. It was after a time, he got to act like his age, and it was probably for the last time too.

"We will wait here itself," Gyaan said, as the ladies stood up to leave. The mall was just on the other side of the road, so it wasn't a big deal.

★★★★★

Sameera wore a mask and removed her ghunghat to not look weird as looking like she came from a traditional family was impossible when she was walking with a girl who wore ripped jeans.

"Thanks to covid, no one questions or looks suspiciously at you for wearing a mask," Ahana said, after they passed the security check.

"Yup. Even the dangerous things can have some positives," Sameera replied with a chuckle, before asking Ahana, "What should we buy? Undergarments? Food?"

"Pads," Ahana answered in a heavy tone.

She only had two days before the scary days arrived. Unfortunately, being a fire girl meant that she had too much heat inside her, which made the already painful periods a lot worse.

Sameera facepalmed internally, for not having thought of that herself.

"Let's go," she said, moving towards the escalators to go to the above floor.

Ahana and Sameera moved through the aisles, searching for what they needed. Sameera noticed Ahana moving towards the ones she regularly used, and stopped her.

"Don't take the branded ones. They are more costly."

"True," Ahana agreed, and started looking for the non-branded ones.

She took out the packet and saw the price. They didn't have money for the jumbo sized packet. Ahana bit her lips in worry, when she realized that between the two of them, the pads wouldn't even last one month.

"Sameera, how about buying menstruation cups? It can be washed off and used multiple times. We don't know how much time we are going to be there. The packet of pads won't last long," Ahana asked in a hopeful tone.

She wasn't sure if Sameera would agree. It was hard to even consider changing the brand of pad they always used, and this was something on the other level.

"Ahana, everything you are saying is right, but-"

"I know it might be uncomfortable at first, but I think this will be the best choice. We don't even have extra undergarments. What are we going to do with pads, in case we leak through one? We won't even have anything to stick them on," Ahana desperately tried to explain her point.

"Ahana, we don't have enough money for two," Sameera said, effectively stopping Ahana's rambling.

Although Sameera had denied Ahana's request, she started thinking about what all Ahana had said. The pros were more than cons. The pads were not going to last long, not with Ahana's body heat.

"You know what? Let's take this menstruation cup for you. I will just cut the drape of my saree and use it as a makeshift pad," Sameera suggested.

"What?!" To say Ahana was dumbfounded was an understatement.

Sameera laughed looking at her reaction. "Don't give me that expression. This is nothing new. I have done this in my childhood. Back then, pads weren't that famous. We used to cut our old clothes and use it," Sameera said, before squeezing Ahana's shoulder in comfort, "I will be fine."

Ahana smiled at her gratefully, before mumbling under her breath, "Do you really think I will let you make this sacrifice?"

"Did you say something?" Sameera asked, thinking she heard Ahana's voice.

Ahana bit her lips in thought, before saying, "Sameera, you go ahead and wait in the checkout line. I will be back."

"Where are you going?" Sameera asked in confusion.

"Not far. I will be there in a few minutes. Here, take the money."

Making sure Sameera had left, Ahana grabbed an empty basket from nearby and started filling it with random things, before grabbing another box of menstruation cup. She walked over the other aisles, picking one or two things from each, and simultaneously keeping a check over CCTV's to find a blind spot.

Making sure no one was looking, she took out the menstruation cup from the box and hid it inside her top.

Carefully closing the box to look like how it was, she placed it back in the basket, before moving away from the blind spot. She moved around the aisles again and placed a few other things in the basket, so that it wouldn't look like the blind spot was her last stop in case someone did check the CCTV.

"Damn! I forgot my wallet," she spoke out loud, making sure a few passersby and a staff member heard her. She then made a show of putting everything back into place.

Moving to the previous aisle, Ahana put the empty box of menstruation cup amidst the actual ones, making sure to put it in the exact middle because buyers either picked the very first one, or some smart ones picked the last ones as it contained the most recent manufactured products.

Putting every other thing back in place, she went out to meet Sameera confidently, like she hadn't just stole something.

"What took you so long? You said you would come in a few minutes," Sameera asked with a huff.

"Sorry," Ahana said, not giving Sameera any other explanation, before pushing her lightly to get out of the crime scene.

It wasn't easy, but Ahana managed it. After all, it wasn't the first time she had done it. Ahana recalled the worst days of her life when Neer and her were alone and hungry. Ahana had thought she had left that life long behind, but here she was, back to square one.