Mrs. Khandelwal was someone Divya hadn't really imagined. For Divya according to the pictures that Madhav had shown his mom was someone who was totally a Marwari, wrapped in sarees and not that cool or someone who came from the countryside. But the moment Divya saw his mother and Father she was in awe.

His father was someone who was always jolly, with a huge frame and a pot belly all due to the various health issues and hereditary problems that he had, while his mother was a prim and proper women dressed in a simple saree her head wasn't covered with a pallu like that in the various pictures she had seen and looked around with a cautious eye.

The Boys went ahead halfway to meet them and shocked the girls as they bent down to touch their legs. At one moment Divya wondered if they were the same boys who were talking about the most vulgar things out there. As the couple along with the boys reached near the Girls, Madhav introduced everyone starting with Simran then Natasha, Nandini , geet and then Divya. The girls greeted them with a namaste however the couple had their eyes on Nandini and Geet as his mom asked,

"They study with you?"

"Yes, not the same course, they are in BTM." Madhav replied.

'Arey Betaji, are you not well or what?' Madhav's father asked Geet and so did his mother as they began conversing with her, on the other hand while the girls controlled their laughter the boys were laughing their ass off while trying to wade off all the evil with various hand gestures and what not. Rishi even had the audacity to come and say that she hadn't been doing well for a few days but Madhav had helped her on many times.

That was it, Mrs. Khandelwal looked at Madhav as the two of them walked off towards the seating area while Mr. Khandelwal distributed thandai to everyone. But then it seemed Madhav had something else coming up.

With the glass filled with thandai, Divya and the other girls along with boys looked at each other quite worried for who would ask the ultimate question.

"Divya you ask." Simran nudged her, quite reluctant she went ahead and was about ask when Manav beated her and asked,

"Uncle, does this thandai have bhang?" '

There was a pin drop silence as Madhav stood there stumped with the boys and girls controlling their laughter and both the elder flabbergasted as uncle explained. "No beta, we don't give bhang to our kids nor do we drink it ourselves, please drink I have myself made this." Relieved they all drank as Madhav took his parents away from the rest so that no more harm could be done.

As the group went inside they all stood stumped by their berth. There was no place for them to walk in as it was filled with boxes of food. It made Divya worried as to how much food was going to get finished. Slowly they adjusted the boxes and got settled.

"Okay now let's eat." The boys announced and began looking through the boxes for different things. Manav took out bread,-pakoras, Rishi sandwiches but grimaced as that wasn't what he wanted, Aman took out Kanda kachori and Dev some kind of other kachori.

Nandini snapped at everyone and asked them to stop and wait at least till the time Madhav came. But the question was, were they really going to listen to what Nandini had to say? No matter what, the boys had a history of doing things that deemed fit to them. and as the tales had been, Manav took out the plates and began dishing.

It was a disaster. Things that they didn't like were tossed towards the girls, the chutneys for sandwiches were torn apart, two shared one plate and began hogging on whatever was found. Seated at the window seat, Divya shook her head in exasperation and took a deep breath.

"Just , just take that package from him, if he keeps up with it we won't get to eat anything." Divya nudged Natasha who was sitting right beside her.

"No, let us do it, today we are going to serve you all and see how well we do it." Both Aman and Manav boasted and began plating food for everyone. They passed about kachori, sandwiches, bread pakoras and chutneys. Half way through it Manav got irritated and said,

"That's it, you guys get the things on your own I can't do this anymore." He had just stood up from his place when Madhav walked in and stood there shocked at the scene.

"Kutto the least you could have done is waited for me to come."

"I did mention that." Nandini shook her head in disappointment and shifted a bit to make some place for Madhav to sit. Divya rested her head by the window as the platform rushed past her. The sleepiness was slowly taking a toll on her now as her head began to feel a bit dizzy and her body wanted anything but to go and sleep, but at the same time she wanted to sit here, talk with all of them, and have fun.

The ruckus of the food continued as everyone hogged over it and finally Manav let Natasha and Nandini do the whole serving. Divya and Natasha were eating their sandwiches when Natasha said, "I don't want to eat this."

Divya glared at her and said, "You are going to finish that, if you knew that you couldn't eat it why bother taking it? I have told you not to waste food."

Dev who sat right opposite to them looked at the two as they whispered about, it seemed as if he could sense that something was going on and that Divya was scolding Natasha.

"Nandini, I don't want to eat this." Natasha then turned to Nandini who looked at Divya knowing well that she must have refused Natasha from throwing away the food.

"She said no." Nandini Shrugged her shoulders as Dev asked. "what's wrong?"

"I don't want to eat this and she won't let me throw it away." Natasha explained, as Dev looked at his own plate, a few pieces of tomatoes, with a good chunk of kachori and chutney was still left in his plate, he quickly picked up the tomatoes stuffed it in his mouth and ate the kachori and said, "the chutney can go in the dustbin I suppose?"

Both Divya and Natasha kept on looking as to what happened and began laughing. It was hilarious the way Dev gulped in each and everything and asked if he could throw away the chutney.

It was around 3 when everyone was done with the lunch and gathered around to play games, Divya could feel a slight headache sprouting up and hence after a few rounds she stood up to leave when Masdhav asked her if she was okay, assuring him that all was fine she just left to her berth and laid down there. However her thoughts wouldn't leave her alone.

It kept on eating her that after a few hours their trip will be over, she wondered if she was to be as friendly with Madhav as she was right now, what was going to happen after the college began, there weren't any events lined up now, Milange was a long way away and then again he might as well go back home and thing would change. She would then think that there was a possibility that maybe even Madhav liked her, that he found her to be attractive and was as well attracted towards her the way she was.

Amidst these weird thoughts Divya didn't even realize when she fell asleep when all of a sudden, Nandini came and woke her up.

"Divya can you go and sleep in the other compartment we are shifting here as the other people have come."

Divya picked up her belongings and shifted there, but was shocked to see the whole setting. All the berths were in a mess, there were children, elders and ladies, one of them nursing a little kid, another kid ran about as his father stuffed bags and bags around, there was a guy around their age who stared at her, Natasha and Simran making them quite uncomfortable. Divya wondered how she was going to sleep in such a chaos.

Luckily the creepy guy got off the train as soon as the family was settled and Divya got her lower berth to sleep in. but the experience of being uncomfortable hadn't end there, the place felt so suffocating and uncomfortable with two of the males seated right in the opposite berth along with their wifes and them staring at Divya, the kids would time and again come and sit by her legs, it was as if someone had been keeping a watch on her. She sat up, picked up her things and went off to where the group was seated.

"What's wrong, we thought you had gone to sleep." Madhava and Aman asked.

"It's really uncomfortable there, the aunties and uncle are staring at me as if I had done such a big crime, the kids are even more irritating."

"why don't you go and sleep in that upper berth?" Aman suggested.

"yeah I will may be after some time." They all were seated in their seats for a while when the train came to a halt, it seemed the time had passed off so quickly and it was already 5:30 in the evening, about 12 hours of journey was left for them to reach Mumbai.

Everyone was seated comfortably talking about when the other passengers of their berth came. It was a group of old people in about the 65-70s age group. Madhav and Aman stood up to talk to them and to explain the situation. However the old lads weren't ready to listen. The ladies eyed the group with a dirty glare and kicked a few things that belonged to Divya and her group to make space. Seeing this Rishi, Aman and Madhav got pissed off.

"Uncle, we are talking to you nicely and we expect you to speak well with us." Rishi snapped.

"Betaji, we know very well how we are speaking and what kind of kids you are, no manners at all as to how one should speaked with the elders, we have 12 seats in this compartment right now, so don't make a mess here."

Aman was about to snap back at him when Divya and Nandini stood up and took hold of Madhav and Aman and pulled them back. Divya then went off to the old couple and said,

"Uncle we mean no harm, we as well have 19 seats here in this compartment but all of them are scattered around and we need a place where we all could sit together. You need 12 seats, we just need 8 seats so that we could be able to sit together."

"Yes then why should we sacrifice our seat, and as it is we can't sit on upper berths."

"Then uncle we are giving you the lower berths only, why don't you listen to us first." Rishi snapped again.

"Rishi, Aman, Madhav you guys please calm down, let me talk to him." Divya snapped at the boys.

"Betaji, we will be fine here, as it is we will have to shift all of our luggage as well." One of the old ladies said. Divya looked at Nandini and asked her to talk to her as she went behind Madhav who was full on cursing the old chaps.

"Madhav, listen calm down."

"Divya you saw what they did. This is not done, we were talking so politely with them, we agreed to help them with everything, we are even ready to give them our seats, we are ready to shift their luggage all they have to do is shift their asses from this seat to the other, I just don't understand..."

Before Divya could reason out with him Aman and Nandini came and sat beside them.

"That uncle is still arguing, he is seated on the berth we have to find one more seat though."

Divya looked at Aman who was equally frustrated and angry with the old chap. It wouldn't have been a lot of problem if the group would have been more understanding. But the case wasn't so. They were regarding them as if they were a bunch of foolish, disrespectful college going students whom they being the elders could talk with the way they want.

"What's wrong? Your seats are not confirmed?" one of the girls from group of Medical students who were as well travelling with them asked.

Divya as well as Nandini opened their mouths to speak, however Madhav and Aman beated the two as they answered.

"Ohh no we have all 33 seats of ours confirmed, here we have 11 seats but all of them are scattered, we want it to be such that we atleast get 8 seats in one place so that we all can sit together."

"Oh," the girls chuckled as one of them said, "It's the same for us as well. There are about 30 of us and all our seats are scattered. But that's okay as not all of us know each other, but when we are in a group with the friends it's a must that all the seats are together, else it just doesn't sit well."

"I know right. That's what we were trying to explain to the old couple, but would they even listen to us." Madhav commented.

"They won't, you can try and tell them 100s of things yet they would not succumb to it. Their ego won't allow them to do that. Other than that even if they would want to, why would they when they are fighting against our generation. We are always wrong and they are always right, no matter what the situation is."

The whole berth went into a frenzy of silence as on the girl's statement. Though Divya wanted to counter back, she couldn't help but agree with her. How easily would these people have agreed had it been her father or her grandfather with them. it wasn't as if they had misbehaved with them, or that they had asked for something that was irrespectful, yet they were judged, mistreated and talked about as if their views didn't matter.

It tired her to keep on fighting the same battles again and again, be it at home or outside in the community. But then again, her home was part of this community and nothing different from it. She wondered if there would be a place as such where these judgements would not be there.

"How easy it has always been for the world to decided that in the argument between the elders and the youngers it's always the younger one who is wrong, how about some day, someone would actually sit back and think about it this way... there might be something really wrong because of which the kid is arguing back, or that may be yes this time it would be better to look up to things from his pov to understand what he wants to say or feel."

Aman confessed as the girls smiled at them, Madhav soon got busy talking with them as Divya felt the slight tinge of irritation wafting back into her senses. She could feel green all over her being as she saw Madhav smiling about and talking comfortably with the girls.

But then again, it has always been that easy for him to connect with others, there had never been any problem with him to converse with the unknown people, it was rather she who had always had issue with talking to people whom she didn't know, if not the unknown then not even the ones she knew, at least not that comfort with which she talked with him and the other who were close to her.

******

It took a while but the couple took up the group's offer and shifted their seats. It was around 9:30 when they all got settled, Divya being still uneasy with lack of sleep and her stomach still full from the afternoon's feast decided it was better to not eat anything and hence sat on a different seat.

However Madhav didn't take it lightly and asked "Is something wrong?"

"No, I am just full and not really in the mood to eat."

"I understand,it's been a while since we had a proper meal, do let me know if you want to eat something." Madhav smiled at her and went off to take his seat at the window.

"I want to eat pizza." Dev said as he stood right in front of Divya as others got settled.

"Where could we possibly get that,I would love to have that really. I can't smell this oil and ghee right now." Divya made a face and rested her head on Simran's shoulder who was seated beside her.

"There is a shop in Ahmedabad , let's see if they are available." Dev began with his hunting of Pizza while the others hogged on food. Somewhere in the middle of the chit chat Rishi spoke up,

"I am telling you guys, once we are done eating and the next round of pegs are out I have this perfect gift for you all."

"Yeah I know, Rishi, you okay?" Nandini asked as he sat there with his head down, his plate of Bread pakora in his hand, his eyes closed fast asleep.

"he was just talking about some gift, did he sleep talk or what?" Simran asked.

"The question is how the hell did he sleep all the while eating his food?" Aman questioned.

"Technically if you see he hasn't even eaten anything. Anyways, Please shift him on the upper berth and let him sleep comfortably."

While the others enjoyed the show, Aman and Atharva helped Rishi get on the upper berth and sit comfortably.

Soon the dinner was done and boys moved out to get a puff, while Nandini and Natasha began making their bottle of Vodka, Divya stood up from her place and went and sat beside Madhav, took out a blanket and got cozy.

She wanted this time to move at the slowest pace but at the same time to enjoy it without any restriction. As soon as the drink was ready she asked for a sip and gulped down a good amount of it.

It seemed that they had something good planned out when in reality there wasn't anything as such. Madhav stood up from his place suddenly wanting to get a puff for himself as Natasha came and sat beside Divya and yelled.

"I swear to you, your guy , I am going to kill him. Madhav can't keep his trap of a mouth shut he even spoiled my Holi and even good little moments that ...."

"Madhav, hers? Divya, do you like Madhav?" Manav's and Atharva's voices made the two girls jump in their skin.

"What? No!!" Divya shook her head and sat back straight. Her heart was beating so loudly that she thought each and every person in that train at that moment could hear it. She violently shook her head and defensively said, "No I don't ewww, what even made you think like that?"

"Then why are you again talking about Madhav, and she clearly said your guy."

"Well having Madhav and My guy in the same sentence doesn't mean they have to be one. And don't you have things to do other than being gossip queens."

The two nodded their heads as Divya stood making an excuse to go to the washroom and walked away from there. She could feel it, the silence that the coach had at that moment, the silence before the brutal storm that was waiting for her ahead.