7/4/2017- Friday - 11 pm -Garden ladies hostel, Gopalapuram, Chennai.

Shiva's P. O. V :

"Macha, I need to find an answer today da. " Hari said.

( macha - term for dude, friend etc)

" Don't worry macha, we will ask her straight tonight. She has been escaping us for the past two weeks. That's why we have planned everything." Karthik said.

" I don't think this is a good idea"I told nervously.

We were sitting on the terrace of a locked house near the ladies hostel.

" This is the perfect idea, there are no cctv cameras here and this transformer is the source for this entire area. Stay with the plan. "Karthik said reaffirming to himself.

Three rogues planning to break into a ladies hostel at midnight is not something I ever dreamt of doing.

" You have your cousin Anjali waiting for you. But I won't get any girl, if I miss Shwetha " Hari said.

I knocked on his head and he screamed a little loud. Karthik shooed both of us to keep our voice down.

I closed my eyes to erase the image hari painted on my mind. As if my family is not enough, these people have started making fun of me.

It has been nearly a year and no word from my brother. Suddenly Anjali is all ready to wait for me and my dad wants me to run his shop. Everything that was on his head was on mine now. Thanks brother.

"Ready? " Karthik asks giving me a huge stone.

The plan was to break into the hostel,reach Shwetha's room in second floor and let Hari ask her his questions. Then we escape through the same way back.

I nod my head and aim the stone at the electric transformer near the hostel. I threw it straight and it landed perfectly making the transformer blast.

The power for the entire area went off and we jumped into the terrace of the hostel. We could hear soft whispers and people breathing out annoyed.

We ran to the staircase and went down in stealth mode with the light from our phones. Since it was nearly midnight, we had few minutes till all the girls came out hustling about the power cut.

"This floor , room number 34 " Hari whispered.

We heard someone coming up from behind us and she had a torch light in her hand. She saw us.

"Who is that? Thieves! There are thieves inside!!! " She started shouting.

" Fuck! mission cancelled, run away and save your lives!!! " Hari shouted.

We started running back to the terrace but the way was already blocked by people coming out of their rooms.

We ran to the opposite side and I slipped and fell on a door. The room was not locked and we hid inside.

Hari locked the door and looked at Karthik. We were sweating and our face was pale. The room was lit by a small candle.

I heard a small creak and someone was inside the toilet of that room.

She came out and terror was written on her face. I locked her from behind and closed her mouth with my hand preventing her from shouting.

" We came to see Shwetha! Trust us!!! We are not thieves!! " Hari said with his hands raised up. She was jumping to escape from my hold. I tightened my hold around her and she stopped shaking. Her eyes were big and staring without blinking at me.

"If you help us, I swear I will build a temple on your name! " Karthik said.

" Shwetha, Stella Maris college, B. Com final year. Trust us, we came to see her" I said.

Someone knocked the door.

" Aparna, are you okay ma? " A lady asked from outside.

We looked at her with wide eyes. She looked at me and pointed to let her speak. I slowly released her.

Hari was moving to the window to jump out as soon as she shouts.

" I am okay ma'am. " She said in a calm voice.

Karthik was already praying to her with hands together in front of him.

" If anything, call me. Some thieves have broken into the hostel " The lady said and walked away.

" Are you Hari? " She asked.

" Yes! " Hari said relieved.

" You fucker, her room is 34 not 38! " She said.

" As if we didn't know " I said laughing.

She folded her hands and glared at me.

"How dare you touch me? " She said.

"I had no choice, sorry! " I said.

"I was trying to talk to Shwetha, but she just didn't let me. I don't understand why she suddenly cut me off. " Hari said.

"That gives you freedom to jump into ladies hostel? What if you were caught? Do you have any brain at all? " She asked biting her teeth.

We stood silently.

" See, you need to give her time. Have some self respect dude. If she needs you, she would come to you. Chasing is no answer. " She said looking at Hari.

Hari nodded his head.

"Now, let me go out and clear the corridor. Please run away the same way you came in " She said.

" Bursting transformers is much easier than convincing girls" Karthik said.

" You people were responsible for this power cut?! Great! " She said.

She cursed under her breadth and walked out.

She came in after a minute and pointed us to come out.

We waved to her and ran back to the terrace. We jumped from the locked house and Hari started his bike. I sat behind him and karthik sat after me.

Watchman heard the sound of the bike and woke up.

" Who are you people? " He shouted and ran after us. Hari sped up and we escaped the calamity by a hair's breadth.

I was slowly recollecting what happened.

The chocolate scent of her was lingering on my shirt. My fingers remembered her soft long hair. How she fit perfectly in my hold and how her eyes glistened in the candle light.

If I could see her again, I wish I would have enough time.