After returning home, I was sleepy already and laid down on the bed. When the spongy bed hit my back, I nearly stepped into the heavens. Such a pleasure it was to sleep after a long day. She was still talking to Swara, who came back late with Angad.
She told me that she had Swara's things with her, which she had to return. But it took a pretty long time to deliver the things. Girls are without a doubt very much talkative. They had the whole day and still had topics to talk about. While passing through so many thoughts, I heard someone knocking on the door. I sat up to find Tom standing at the threshold. I invited him to come in.
"Hey bro!", he waved. I tilted my head in response and let him shove himself in the bed.
"Are you okay?", maybe my face showed how worn out I was.
"Yeah, it's just the work.'
"Do you have any plans this weekend?", I knew what he was thinking about. Tom, he was a shutterbug and weekend plus no plans meant exploring beautiful places and making good photos to him. I liked travelling so I used to tag along with him.
"I know what you are talking about", I was excited, I wanted to go and right at that moment, Sita entered the room. Then, the smile faded slowly and I eyed Tom. He understood my situation, though it was not my fault, I somehow was responsible for Sita. I don't care if I was bound to be responsible or it was just me being overly conscious of the situation. I could just let her be, maybe. But what if something happened to her and I end up regretting my negligence.
" You can just bring her along.", he said like it was very normal.
She stood there for a second confused. Then her eyes turned their direction towards me.
"How? I mean we usually take a bike for us.", I rode the bike and Tom sat beside looking around for a good site for his unofficial photoshoot.
"We could just hire two bikes."
I ignored to look at her and continued, "But..." Tom cut me in between and said, "Don't worry man, let her chill out. She is coming, dot."
"Can you please tell me where am I going?", Sita interrupted.
"Oh yeah, I forgot to ask you. Are you free tomorrow?", I sighed as Tom asked her.
"I think I am free.", she said she thought she was free, it was funny because I knew that she was obviously free. Covering my mouth, to hide my smile, I observed their conversation.
"Then let's go on a quick trip!", he was so excited and explained to her with so much enthusiasm how he was into photography and also about how I accompanied him everywhere. He took his phone out to show her some of his clicks.
"Wow!!!!", she exclaimed with her voice screeching. "Is that a peacock?", she was surprised. "It is very rare to face a Peacock with its feathers open.", declaring that, she suddenly cracked up.
"What are you laughing at?", I peeked at the photo. It was me in that photo, I was covered with sweat and I held my palm against the lens but it came out weird.
"I asked you to delete that photo, Tom!"
"Dude, I forgot it.", he rushed to delete that photo. "Are you okay now?"
"Are you coming?", I asked her.
"She should join, we can use this chance to become friends, right?", he waited for her response.
"Is anyone else joining you?"
"No, it's just you, me and Prakash.", he stuffed his phone inside his pocket.
"What about Swara?"
"I think she would come if Angad joins.", said Tom. "You know what? Let us all go together. When was it the last time we went out on a trip as housemates?"
"It's true. We haven't been on one for six months.", I realized only then.
"Let me go and ask them.", Tom fled out of the room.
"Don't you have an appointment with that poet tomorrow?", it just urged out of my mouth.
"It should be fine if we come back by evening.", was it to piss me off or she was seriously planning it?
I smirked in response.
"Can you lend me your phone?", she asked.
I crept towards the table beside the bed to get the phone and let her use it. Then she dialled the number she had got by heart.
"Amma!", her voice slightly cracked. It showed how she missed her mother. Then she moved away to the balcony. I was curious if she was crying and also felt bad for her. It did not take long, she came back and handed me my phone sooner than I had expected.
"Are you done already?"
"Yeah.", she sounded depressed.
'What did you tell your family?', I wanted to ask but it was not the right time. She said she was going to bed and I did not stop her.
I went out to get Tom. "Tom! Anyhow, let's take Sita with us tomorrow, da!"
"Yeah, I was about to inform you, Angad agreed to come along, which makes Swara join us too.", he paused, "I thought you were totally against inviting Sita."
"Not really. After hearing you out, I think you are right. She needs this trip to cool down.", he patted me listening to what I said.
I went back to the room, laid down and turned to the side to find Sita's bed vacant. I thought she was in the washroom and waited. There was no sign of her. I stood up and rushed over the balcony, kitchen and everywhere around the house to find her absence.
Where could she have gone? It was pitch dark out there, in the middle of the night. Angad, Swara and Tom went to bed already. I knocked on the door and asked Swara if she had met Sita but she said she was not there. She also asked me, "Is there something wrong?"
I did not want to worry her, I thought I would search for her outside once and if I couldn't find her even after that, I would inform the others at home. I galloped out and was looking for her wherever possible. I went to the cafe from before in the soul-less street.
Into the silence, I yelled, "Sita!!!!"
It was not like I expected her to come around when I yelled. I started to walk back home. Out of the blue, I heard "Thudd!!!". It was the sound of something falling behind me. I was creeped out, Sita was laying on the road, unconscious. I tried to wake her up. She had no strength to walk at all.
"Sita! Sita! Do you hear me?", I took the handkerchief out of my pant pocket and wiped out her perspiration.
"Prakash?", in a faint voice.
"Yes, can you walk?", she seemed to have been woken up from sleep. She crawled up with my help. Still holding my hands, she walked forward.
With the sound of sniffing, I noted that she was weeping.
"Let us first get back home. You can tell me what happened after calming down."