|the naive rebel|
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xv| the students are ruined
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word count- 1320

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INAAYAT
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Darkness.
The tent is dark, as I stand there staring at nothing but the wickedness which has settled around me. I hold my phone tightly, trying to calm down the jagged breathing.

My heart is beating so frantically that I can even hear it. I am all alone, my friends probably still searching the flower while I try erasing the horrendous scene I encountered a few minutes back.

Drugs.

So easy, for the children, teenagers and even adults to escape their daily problems by choosing this route. Easy. Not choosing to fight them but to surrender, so fucking easy. If it was up to me, I would have marched back to the tent, slapped those teenagers so hard on their cheeks that it would have left an imprint and hand them over to their parents to be punished in the best way possible.

They think that taking drugs would help them but what they don't understand how this brings in a new set of problems.

You lose everything you have earned.

Dad had asked me to not do anything over the matter until he confirms and cross-checks it from the Pune's Crime Branch.

I have no idea what exactly is going on in Enslep, the only thing I am probably aware of is that I am stuck here.

Stuck until I don't find the culprit and about this drug racket. For now, it is only five students..what if there are more?

So many questions arise, who is smuggling the drugs in the college? How many students are already taking them? How many are already caught in this erroneous web?

How fucking many?

I stand there as minutes pass not knowing what to do. I conclude that the best way to keep these thoughts away from my mind is to spend this time with my friends.

I start to leave the tent when my phone rings.

'Unknown Number'

"Hello?" I speak not knowing who is on the other side of the call.

"Inaayat," the voice hums as my fingers tighten around my phone.

"Sorry?" I play along not wanting to get busted at least not after seeing today's incident.

"It's me, Shweta." The voice informs while my brows furrow in turmoil. I don't know any Shweta, or do I?

"I am sorry, but I don't know any Shweta.." I inform awkwardly as I hear a raspy chuckle investing my ears.

"Of course you know. I am the warden, Inaayat." She finally discloses as I take a deep breathe not realising I was holding it.

"How did you get my number?" I blurt out.

Biting my tongue, I wait for her angry reply when, "Aayat, that is not important right now. The reason I have called you is to inform the piece of news I have just received. It can prove to be very harmful to you, and your case."

My back freezes and I eagerly wait for her to continue. Everything makes no sense, why did I even agree to do this? It's like a cobweb around me and I am just clasped between the white thin poisonous strings that are doing nothing but suffocating me.

"Aayat, you all return to the college there would be a surprise examination conducted personally by the principal. Students who fail to pass that exam would be suspended. No pleads, no warnings- absolutely nothing. Just strict action."

"What the heck? How can the Principal even do that?"

"He can and he always does. He believes in providing the best to his students but with that he expects his students to give their hundred per cent, too. Also, these are the instructions directly from the council." She recites.

"So what should I do now? I don't know anything they teach in college. When will the exam be held?."

"I know and therefore keeping you in mind I have planned something, but for that, you would have to co-operate."

"I will. I can't risk getting kicked out of college." Not after this.

"Okay then, meet me in my office once you return."

"I will. Thank you," I keep the call once the line on the other side is dead.

I don't think I will be able to seep back into the normal scenario. I wish, Ditu could give exams on my behalf. She always loved exams, might as well give them again.

Before I leave the tent, I quickly put a fresh brown contact lens over my blue ones. Which was my initial reason to come back here.

Sighing, I leave but once I am outside I realise that I ain't alone anymore. All the students have gathered around the bonfire, singing and enjoying and cooking.

I move towards the place, where I see Mishti standing alone.

"Hey,"

"Where were you, Aayat?" She questions as soon as she sees me.

"I got lost in the forest and then decided to come back to the tent area," I tell her as she nods her head understanding my point.

"So.."

"So?"

"Did you all find it?" I inquire as she smiles dazzlingly at me.

"Why do you think we aren't cooking with them," she points at a particular group - The Devils who are now struggling with the huge utensils and logs.

"You found it?"

"Nah, Shaan did." She informs, turning her gaze towards the luminous bonfire which rests at the centre of our camping area.

The forest is now completely dark, and the bonfire and the small sparks that float over it elucidates the area. The golden with the white of the moon.

Contrasting each other, and yet helping each other to reach their common goal- to illuminate their surroundings.

The sparks, the flames embellish the canopies and the variety of fauna in the area.

"What are you thinking about so deeply?" Mishti talks and breaks my chain of thoughts.

"I was thinking that how easy it is for us to absorb darkness but so difficult to restore the light. We manage to harmonize ourselves with the darkness, however bad it is but to change and to bring the brightness back, it gets arduous."

"Did something happen?" Her tone diminishing considerably, her eyes reflecting a concern growing within her and her face softens.

"Nothing, just a thought."

"Really?"

"I promise," I assure her.

For the first time, I feel something warm and fuzzy deep down in the organ beating persistently in my ribcage.

The aroma of the first friendship brewing.

Mishti is slowly becoming a true friend amidst the treacherous web of lies I am weaving for them.

I stand beside her, we both admiring the view silently when I see a figure walking towards us.

"Angel," Sameer mutters as I greet him with a smile. He stands there next to me for a good long minute when he bends down a little, lowering his mouth to my ear level," I want to talk to you."

I turn towards him, as he steps back and starts walking towards a secluded corner. I follow him understanding his signal.

"What did you want to talk about?" I ask when he stops suddenly.

"I have something which belongs to you,"

"And that would be?"

His hand moves inside his jeans pockets, as he fishes out a small convex object.

"I guess this belongs to you, Aayat." He places the small brown contact lens on my palm and I look at him confused, but he just offers me a lopsided smile.

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Lalalalalala

I guess dropping bombs has become my hobby ;-)

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until the next update,
keep dodging the bullets,
ऊ.