Hues Of Dusk

Chapter 68. Show off

Before the sun rose, we had to get up and reach the parking lot and board the buses which would take us to the village. So, even though I had set up the alarm and asked Surbhi and my other roommate to wake me up on time, I myself got up first thing in the morning.

I didn't want to repeat the same mistake I did which made me miss my bus for the trip. As I woke up two hours early from the departure time, I took a long, nice hot shower and got ready without worrying about the time.

I woke up my roommates too, and while they were carrying out their morning routine, I called my parents and chatted with them for a while. After that, I went outside to take a look at the breakfast. My mouth watered as the fragrance of tea and samosas traveled to my nose.

I followed it and reached the dining area. I went to the counter and asked the kitchen staff if anything was prepared. One of them, an old man with a long white beard and small forehead replied positively.

After getting my plate filled with two samosas and one cup of tea, I sat down on an empty table and started eating. I glanced around me, and I could see some other students strolling around while yawning and talking on their phones.

Some came and ordered something to eat. One of them was Shree. And no, he was not with Mahek, but with his guy friends. He got his order and turned around. But when his eyes met mine, I looked away. I saw him go and sit on a table a few rows away from me, but I felt like he was looking at me.

I ignored him and continued with my breakfast. I was sipping my tea when I felt someone beside me. I looked up and saw Karthik sitting on the chair on my right. I raised an eyebrow at him, but he didn't seem to notice it.

Instead of thinking about it too much, I just let him be and finished drinking my tea. I picked up my plate and put it back on the counter. We didn't have to pay for the food as it was all inclusive as Mayank had informed us.

I decided to stroll around till the time we were told to leave. As I started to walk away from the diner, I felt two pairs of eyes on me. I snapped my head at the table I was sitting on earlier and found Karthik looking at me with an intense look.

I returned the gesture with a stern expression, but he didn't avert his gaze. He was just staring at my face, and I felt a weird sensation in the pit of my stomach. Honestly, I didn't like it, and it gave me chill vibes. I shook my head and went outside.

I pulled my jacket closer and went into the garden. I walked in a leisurely pace as I observed the beautiful flowers which had managed to bloom even in the cold weather. Suddenly, I felt a tap on my shoulder, and it was none other than my best friend.

Surbhi linked her right arm with my left and pulled me closer. She was shivering. Even though she had a lot of fat as compared to me, her immune system was not that healthy. Mine also wasn't, but I didn't fall sick easily.

We took a stroll together and gossiped. We were so lost in our talk that we didn't realise that it was time to leave when one of our classmates came to inform us. We thanked her and left for the parking lot.

Since the village was just fifteen kilometres away, we reached there within twenty minutes. We all got in our respective groups and my team leader stood in front of us. After a few minutes, Mayank also arrived with the Sarpanch.

After briefing us about the work, we were given a short demonstration about how we were supposed to complete the given task before the deadline. Sarpanch showed us how to use a shovel and a spade effectively and to avoid the dangers while using it.

He gave us some tips and tricks, and then we were ready for the action. We reached a big vacant ground made of black soil and gravel and were given the required equipment.