•

Pushing the blinds to the left, Vikram leaned in towards the window, as he caught a glimpse of them leaving in a car.

"No one would judge you, if you wanna join..... even now" Vikram turned back and saw Anika enter.

"I wouldn't " Vikram turned away, as he continued, "Why didn't you leave?"

"Without you? Huh that's not happening "Anika faked a smile.

"I clearly told you that I won't be joining y'all the other day itself." Vikram turned away.

"Is that because your assistant, Vinay is currently hunting for a man with a scar right under his left eye?" Anika raised her eyebrows with her tone stern, as Vikram turned back with a jerk.

Her eyes narrowed, as he understood that she knew almost everything. Almost.

"Vinay? He spilled it?" Vikram put his head up in the air, utterly disappointed and his blood shooting up his head.

"I have sources too Vikram. Forget that. Now,tell me, what's going on? What are you hiding from everyone?"

"Nothing!" Vikram walked away, as Anika turned him back, making him face her.

"This is nothing Vikram? Who is this guy you are hunting? A scar under his left eye? Who is he? And for God sake, why is Vinay trying to locate this guy for weeks?"

"Anika, forget everything you just said and stay away from this. That would be the best for you...and everyone."

"Seeing you indulged in something dark and disturbing, wouldn't be the best for me Vikram. What's going on, tell me! Let me help you to solve this, Please" Anika looked at him concerned, yet sad.

"Well.....There is someone out there.....who wants me dead." Vikram opened the mini fridge and grabbed a tin drink out.

"Someone...what?"

"Woah wait wait!! Vikram.. Vikram if this is one of your jokes then you better stop it right now" Anika stammered.

"I'm not in the mood for that, Anika" He opened the tab ring on the tin can, as the carbonated drink splashed out a bit.

"I am not understanding anything!" Anika sat down on the couch, perturbed.

"Ahh come on Ani, just Chill!" Vikram sat beside her, taking a sip.

"Just because someone wants me dead, doesn't mean I am going to die. I...just have to find out who is behind this. Until then, it's better if everyone stays away from me" Vikram looked at her.

"When did this murder thingy start..first of all?" Anika leaned forward, curiously,yet confused.

"Anika, I asked you.." Vikram rolled his eyes as Anika interrupted, "I can't remain quiet knowing all this stuff, okay!"

"The lift incident....that happened a few weeks back.....it wasn't an accident...It was planned"

"The lift...you mean when you and Suhana were stuck inside..?"

"Yeah! What kind of a fool would even plan for something stupid like that? I mean I would have considered better ways to murder a person than just locking up in a elevator" Vikram chuckled.

"Shut up Vikram, everything's not a joke. Wait..." Anika's eyes glued on the floor as innumerable atoms were processing in her head, as she came to a conclusion.

"...Is that the reason why you broke off the engagement?" Anika's eyes moved back to him.

"No" Vikram said bluntly as he continued, "You should probably leave to that campy thing" He diverted.

"Yeah right, It's getting late, your bags are packed?" She looked at him with a pair of innocent eyes.

"Ugh for God's sake not again!" Vikram narrowed his eyes.

"Okay then, give me one good reason why you don't want to join us?" Anika crossed her arms against her chest.

"Uh..Because I can't tolerate certain people over there"

"You mean me and rohit?" Anika faked a shocked face as Vikram hit his forehead.

"You do know that Harshad has organized this camp right?" Anika shrugged, "And that's exactly why I don't want to come!" He looked away.

"Idiot! That's exactly why you should come! He is such an annoying person, but he is....dangerous " Anika decided to plant something that wasn't true, but worth a try.

"What?"

"Yeah, I can't stand a minute against him! Do you know he even misbehaves with....you know..... women" Anika rolled her eyes away, trying her best not to laugh.

"He does, What?" Vikram grit his teeth, clenching his fist.

"Yeah there are some silent whispers amongst the hospital staff...that's why I am saying we should accompany Suhana" Anika said in a high pitch tone, exaggerating.

"What are you still thinking? We don't have time!! What if something happens to Suhana or...me in the camp?

Do you think Rohit can help us? Ugh no he can't even slap a guy!" Anika said dramatically.

"I am sorry Rohit!" She murmured under her breath.

• • • •

"What is taking her so long" Suhana impatiently moved her eyes from her watch to the parking lot.

Megha hadn't arrived yet and so hadn't Anika.

"Anika said she is on her way " Suhana turned back and saw Rohit staring at her confused face.

"You have a sulky face" Suhana rolled her eyes.

"And you have a tensed face" Rohit replied.

"I am just waiting for Meg...I mean Anika, you should get inside the van" Suhana pointed her hand towards the lavish van.

"We could have taken a plane or atleast a chopper...but this....." Rohit shrieked his eyes, as he was staring at the van.

"Yeah, wait until you eat lentils and sleep in a tent" Suhana chuckled.

"Yeah the kinda stuff I do for my brother, who doesn't even bother to turn up according to my plans" Rohit murmured under his breath.

"Hey Rohit, Get inside, we are getting late. We need to reach before dusk." Harsh came forward as Rohit nodded his head, half willingly and moved towards the van, while 5 nurses and 4 doctors entered the van.

"You okay?" Harsh's eyebrows creased, as he saw Suhana impatiently tapping the ground with her slippers.

"Yeah" Suhana nodded as she saw everyone had already boarded inside the van, including Zaara.

"You should wait inside, I will wait for Megha and Anika to arrive" Suhana grimaced, as she felt bad for making them wait.

"It's okay, I will wait here with you" He gave in a genuine smile as he picked up his phone and sat on the long granite stone in the parking lot.

After minutes of hesitation and losing her patience, Suhana slowly walked and sat beside Harshad.

Unknowingly, Suhana pouted with her eyes fixed on the gate for Megha's arrival, while a pair of eyes were stealing a glimpse of her cute antics.

After a few minutes, Suhana located Megha near the gates as she paced towards her

"Sorry sorry sorry!" Megha grimaced as Suhana continued, "Nevermind, we are waiting for one more person, get inside the van, we will leave soon.

"Okay cool" Megha gave a smug look gazing from Suhana to Harshad.

"Harsh, this is my sister and Megha this is Harsh, my Mentor"

"...and a friend " Harsh added, grinning widely, as Suhana nodded.

Suhana's eyes were fixed on the van, as Megha walked inside the van.

She definitely knew that a thunder would come across them, the van would blow up and an earthquake would follow them, if Megha finds out that Rohit was accompanying them as well, but the next few minutes were unexpectedly quiet.

"Anika hasn't arrived yet?" Suhana turned back only to find Rohit standing there.

"You didn't....why are you standing here?" Suhana turned her head left and right towards the van and Rohit, confused.

"I was attending a call" Rohit shrugged, "Why is anything wrong?" Rohit questioned.

"Nope, not for the next 5 minutes, I guess" Suhana murmured to herself as she saw a black Lamborghini enter the hospital premises.

Confused, Suhana kept staring as she saw Anika get down.

"Cool Anika is here, we can leave now" Suhana turned back and smiled at Harsh.

"Rohit, help with her luggage " Suhana instructed as she decided to grab her handbag from the reception which she had dropped in earlier.

She turned back to leave inside the hospital as Harsh interrupted," I didn't know Vikram was accompanying us as well".

His words weren't even completely registered in her head, when Suhana turned back swiftly towards the direction car, as she saw Vikram walking towards them, as he removed his sunshades.

"What is he doing here?" Suhana clenched her teeth as she whispered into Rohits's ears.

"Honestly,I have no idea!" Rohit's jaw dropped down.

"He's here to just drop Anika, that's it" Suhana said, assuring Harsh.

Some part of her wanted him to join and the other part was very determined to not have him in the camp.

"Nope, he would be joining us as well" Anika proclaimed.

"He..what? I..." Suhana stuttered,confused.

"Cool, Zaara is going to enjoy this," Harshad muttered to himself, but it was loud enough to reach Suhana's ears.

"Anyways, we should leave now," Harshad announced as Anika nodded furiously.

As they moved towards the van, Suhana grabbed her bag and stepped in first, as she saw the van was almost full and very limited spaces were available.

A seat near Megha, one next to Zaara and 5 seats in the last row, and one exclusively next to the window.

Suhana knew exactly what she had to do. She moved towards the last seat, ready to snatch the one next to the window before anyone could get that seat.

Being pushed inside by Anika from outside, Vikram walked behind Suhana towards the end as he was pulled to the left by his hand.

"Omg! Vikram I knew you would be joining us!" Zaara grinned sheepishly as Vikram mentally facepalmed.

"Geez Anika! How did you even make this possible! I thought Vikram would never...."

"Sorry Rohit" Anika bit her lip as she chuckled, after saying all the good things about him to Vikram.

"For what? " Rohit questioned with creased eyebrows as he was about to enter the van.

"Nothing, just felt like saying" Anika chuckled.

And as Rohit walked inside, his eyes froze as it located Megha, who was busy trying to untangle her earphones.

With his feet glued to his position, Anika walked forward and saw Megha sitting somewhere in the middle rows, cursing her tangled earphones.

"What are you waiting for, Go and talk to her" Anika pushed him forward, as he stammered, "What...is she? How??"

"You better go and talk to her before she decides to jump out of the window" Anika mocked as Rohit blinked twice to understand everything that was happening around him and moved towards her.

And after ensuring everything and informing all basic things to the hospital reception and other doctors, Harsh walked inside the air conditioned van.

And his eyes automatically scanned the whole place and found Suhana sitting in the last row peeping out of the window, and smiling to himself, he walked towards the last row, the seat next to her.

Megha turned to her left and remained still as she saw Rohit seated beside her, staring at her.

"What are you doing here?" Megha clenched her fist to give him a punch.

"I heard you would be coming for this camp, so I volunteered " Rohit shrugged as he leaned back, comfortably on the seat.

"You know, I agreed to this camp, only because of you!! For you Vikram!! For you!!" Zaara pulled Vikram's hand closer to her seat and beamed sheepishly,showing off all her teeth, as Vikram saw Harsh heading towards Suhana.

"Zaara, there's a cockroach stuck between your teeth " Vikram said coolly.

"What??" Zaara panicked and dropped his hands to pick her mirror, as Vikram found this as an opportunity and paced forward and sat beside Suhana before Harsh could.

Harsh stopped on his way, as he saw Vikram had already sat beside Suhana. With his eyes suspiciously wandering between them, he slowly sat beside Zaara.

"You couldn't find any other seat here?" Suhana glared at him, as she grit her teeth.

"Apparently, no babe" Vikram smirked as she was reminded of her old nickname.

"Stop calling me that!" Suhana narrowed her eyes, burning in fury and stood up from her seat.

"Move away,I wanna swap my seat" Suhana rolled her eyes at him.

"Well I don't think anyone would agree " Vikram gave a smug look, as he was about to give her way to leave.

"But I guess Zaara would love the exchange" Suhana faked a smile, as Vikram sat back comfortably, blocking her from leaving.

"What the hell! Move away" Suhana whispered-yelled as she saw him lean back comfortably.

"Well I don't wanna move, so if you wanna leave this seat you can jump across me" Vikram imitated her.

Suhana sat back on her seat, as there were no space for her to leave as he was blocking her way, purposely.

She turned her face towards the window, tired of his constant bipolar behavior trait while Anika sat on the same row, a bit away from them.

And once everyone had settled, the van commenced, to leave for the Vrishi village.

And little did they all know that everyone's life was about to take a U-turn on this trip.

• • • •