Chapter Five.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Kaise bataye kyu tujhko chahe
Yaara bata na paaye..
Baatein dilo ki dekho jo baaki
Aake tujhe samjhaye...
Tu jaane na
Tu jaane na...

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

__• 🥀 •__

...

Author's POV.

...

Lakshya, Chirag, and Vidyut stood in front of the closed gates of IIT Bombay, looking like three fools who had just been caught with their hands in the cookie jar.

Lakshya glared at Chirag and Vidyut, his frustration level reaching new heights. "Why did you even take me here? It's Sunday, for god's sake! You know, the day of rest? Not 'let's-go-chase-a-girl' day!"

Chirag and Vidyut let out nervous, breathy chuckles, like two kids caught stealing from the cookie jar. "W-well, you too should have known that today is Sunday!" Vidyut stuttered, while Chirag nodded in agreement, like a bobblehead doll.

Lakshya threw up his hands. "Oh god, let's go now! Let's come back tomorrow! I can't with you two! You're like two peas in a pod, except instead of being cute and harmless, you're annoying and useless!"

Chirag and Vidyut looked at each other, then back at Lakshya, their faces sheepish. "Dude, we just got excited, okay?" Chirag said, as they trailed behind Lakshya, who was already walking back to their rented car.

As they reached the car, Lakshya turned around, his eyes blazing. "Excited? Excited?! You two are like two dogs on a leash, except instead of chasing sticks, you're chasing disaster!"

Vidyut chuckled. "Well, at least we're consistent?"

Lakshya facepalmed. "I'm stuck with you two. Let's just go back to the resort and forget this ever happened."

As they drove back to their 5-star resort, Lakshya couldn't help but wonder what other misadventures awaited them on this trip.

As they arrived at the resort, Lakshya declared, "I need some fresh air. Or a distraction from your two's antics."

Chirag and Vidyut laughed, and they decided to join him for a walk around the resort's gardens.

As they strolled, Lakshya teased, "You two are like two puppies who can't sit still. I'm surprised you didn't suggest going to Nayanthara's house on a Sunday."

Vidyut chuckled. "Hey, we're just trying to make the most of our trip!"

Chirag added, "And we're not giving up on finding Nayanthara yet!"

Lakshya smiled wryly. "I admire your determination, but let's not get our hopes up. We don't even know what she looks like."

Vidyut nodded. "True, but we'll know when we find her. We'll feel it."

Just then, a group of people walked by, laughing and chatting. Lakshya wondered if Nayanthara could be among them, but he had no way of knowing.

Chirag, ever the optimist, suggested, "Let's go ask someone if they know her!"

Lakshya raised an eyebrow. "And what exactly do we say? 'Excuse me, do you know a girl named Nayanthara?'"

Vidyut grinned mischievously. "Why not? It's worth a shot!" Lakshya rolled his eyes while Chirag nodded with a grin.

"Come on man!" Chirag encouraged with a grin still on his face. Lakshya sighed, "fine! I am doing it! But I am going to blame you both if we get weird stares or get some trouble!" Vidyut and Chirag nodded with a huge grins.

As they walked through the hotel of the resort they were staying in. They asked every person they met if they knew Nayanthara. "Excuse me, do you know a girl named Nayanthara?" Lakshya asked a passing student.

The student shook his head. "No, sorry. I don't know anyone by that name."

Undeterred, the three friends continued their search, asking the students coming for lunch, random families sitting there, and even the hotel staff if they knew Nayanthara. Well weird I know but that's how they all were! Weirdos.

Meanwhile, Nayanthara was sitting in her room. But her best friends, Ankita and Shrishti, had other plans.

"Come on, Nayanthara, take a break!" Ankita said, dragging Nayanthara out of her room. "We're going to lunch at that 5 star resort that we wanted to try. You need to get out of your home more!"

Nayanthara reluctantly agreed, and the three friends made their way to the resort. After about, half an hour they reached the resort to have their good lunch.

As they sat down at a table in the resort's restaurant, Nayanthara couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off. Little did she know, Lakshya, Chirag, and Vidyut were just a few tables away, still searching for her.

"Let's ask someone," Chirag whispered, nodding towards a waiter. "Maybe they know something."

Lakshya nodded, and they approached the waiter. "Excuse me, do you know a girl named Nayanthara?" Lakshya asked.

The waiter thought for a moment before shaking his head. "No, sorry. I don't know anyone by that name."

Just then, Ankita and Shrishti got up to go and look for a cab, leaving Nayanthara alone at the table as they were done with their lunch.

Vidyut's eyes scanned the restaurant, his gaze lingering on a girl sitting alone at a table. "Guys, look! Could that be her, Nayanthara?"

Lakshya and Chirag followed Vidyut's gaze, but Lakshya shook his head. "I don't know, we've never seen her before. We don't even know what she looks like."

Chirag nodded in agreement. "Yeah, let's not get our hopes up. We need to keep searching."

But Vidyut was undeterred. "I have a feeling about this. Let's go ask her."

Lakshya hesitated, but Chirag encouraged him. "Come on, it can't hurt to ask."

The three friends approached Nayanthara's table, trying to act casual. "Hi, mind if we join you?" Lakshya asked, trying to sound friendly.

Nayanthara looked up, startled, and the three friends were struck by her beauty. But Lakshya still had no idea if this was the Nayanthara they were searching for. Oh well but she recognised them well...

Nayanthara forced a smiled and nodded, and the friends sat down. They introduced themselves, and Nayanthara replied with a warm smile.

As they chatted, Lakshya couldn't help but notice that Nayanthara seemed to be enjoying their company. But he still had no idea if this was the Nayanthara they were searching for. They had only a name, no description, no clues.

"So, what brings you guys here?" Nayanthara asked, sipping her coffee.

Chirag leaned in, a mischievous glint in his eye. "We're on a mission to find someone. A girl named Nayanthara."

Nayanthara's smile faltered for a moment, and she looked at them with a mix of surprise and curiosity. "Why are you looking for her?"

Lakshya hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. "We just need to find her. It's a long story."

Nayanthara's eyes sparkled with intrigue. "I love long stories. Tell me more."

And with that, the friends found themselves pouring out their story to this mysterious girl, who might or might not be the Nayanthara they were searching for.

"Oh well, that's actually great... I... I should go now!" Nayanthara stuttered, her eyes darting around the cafe as if searching for an escape route.

"Where are you going?" Vidyut asked, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Uhm, I just remembered some work!" Nayanthara replied hastily, gathering her belongings with trembling hands.

Before any of the friends could say more, a voice pierced the air. "Nayanthara! Let's go! We should leave now!" Srishti, her friend, yelled from across the cafe, her eyes fixed intently on Nayanthara.

Nayanthara's face turned pale as she hastily got up, almost knocking over her chair. "I-I have to go," she stammered, before hurrying out of the cafe with Srishti.

The three friends were left in shock, their mouths agape. Chirag was the first to break the silence, his eyes wide with excitement. "She is Nayanthara!" he whispered, his voice trembling with conviction.

Lakshya's eyes narrowed, his mind racing with questions. "What's going on? Why did she run out like that?"

Vidyut shook his head, his expression puzzled. "I don't know, but I think we just stumbled into something big."

As they sat there, trying to process what had just happened, they couldn't shake off the feeling that their lives were about to change forever.

...

__•🦋•__

Hey! Hope you all loved it! Also, I am going to give targets cause why not?

For next chapter we should atleast cross atleast 15 votes and 60 comments, only then I would update :)

Do vote and comment and also follow!

Thanks for reading!

Words count - 1398.