Running water over the dishes in the sink revealed the stains, and the clinking of the dishes as they were lifted made them easier to spot.
Aanya spoke from the sink, her voice subtle and suspicious, yet laced with worry. Rina glanced at her while picking up a spoon to clean, desperately wanting an answer from him.
Kiri meowed as the silence grew heavier following the question. Srujan saw Vansh but couldn't clearly see his expression. However, Kiri could.
Kiri tried to reach her paw to his cheek, startling him. He looked at her and said, "Where was I?"
Aanya nodded in response, "Yeah."
Vansh took a deep breath; his thoughts were swirling, tangled in confusion. He glanced sideways at Srujan.
"After you guys said you were busy, I went near the stairs..."
"The stairs?" Srujan asked. "To go up?"
Vansh nodded, affirming with his voice. "But I saw the sign and knew that if I went up now, it would lead to big trouble. So, I headed to the cafeteria side, since I was hungry."
"To the cafeteria?" Rina asked.
"Yeah, I saw some students gathering on the ground. The cafeteria wasn't ready with any dishes by the time I arrived. The lady inside saw me leaving but called me back," Vansh explained as he picked up a ball and slid it across the floor for Kiri to play with. He continued, saying that the lady offered him some sandwiches. At first, he was hesitant, but then he accepted them and spent some time reading a book. Vansh could hear some students chanting slogans in the background.
When he was ready to leave, the cafeteria lady turned back to him, but he had already gone. She looked around, confused, holding a drink. "I had this for him," she thought.
"If you were going to eat, why were you hesitant at first?" Rina asked Vansh.
"She was just unpacking all the boxes that had arrived for the volunteers, and I didn't want to take something that would throw off the count. But the lady insisted, so I ended up paying for it," Vansh detailed as he recounted everything that happened.
As he moved through other parts of the building, he had some work to do. On his way back, Ms Anki appeared in front of him and stared at him. He tried to ignore her as he attempted to leave when she grabbed his collar and asked, "Where do you think you are going, young man?"
"As every other student is leaving," he replied, only slightly turning his head to acknowledge her.
"Oh, well, you are coming with me. Help me with some things since you have free time to roam," she said, dragging him by the collar. Vansh tried to negotiate and escape from her grip.
She watched him as he first attempted to flee like a kitten and then was dragged along like a sack. Chuckling to herself, she made her way to her cabin. She opened the door, but someone was already standing beside her chair, holding some papers in their hands.
The girl's long brown hair cascaded to her chest. One side was tucked behind her ear, while the other hung freely, held back by an 'X'-shaped clip. Her intense gaze seemed to pierce through them both.
"I thought you had already left," Ms Anki remarked as she entered and approached her seat.
"The work is still pending, and I can't let you escape until it's finished," she threatened the teacher.
Ms Anki sighed and waved her hand dismissively, replying, "Yeah, I know, I know."
The girl sensed a presence and quickly turned to address the shadow at the door. The shadow appeared distressed, adjusting its collar and clutching the shoulder strap of its bag. She pointed at her, asking, "Now, who's this?"
"Well, he's my lackey," Ms Anki said with a smirk.
"Lackey?" The word lingered in her mind as she looked back at him. The dead expression on his face resembled someone who had returned from the grave.
"Vansh, arrange these papers accordingly and place paper clips over there after each set. Clip them," she commanded, grabbing some papers in her hand.
"I am not your lackey," he replied, standing his ground.
"Whether you consider yourself one or not, you have to complete this work. I can't let you leave until it's finished." She turned to him firmly. "Start now!"
Feeling the weight of her authority, Vansh sighed and got to work.
The girl watched him as he began to take action. Despite the shadows under his eyes, his hands and gaze were purposeful. Admiring his diligence, she also focused on her tasks. Together, they completed the assigned work.
Within a few minutes, they were nearing the end of their tasks. Ms Anki, cracking her back and stretching, glanced at Vansh, who was diligently at work. She smiled to herself and said, "Looks like you're having fun."
"Finish your work," he shot back, "so I can also leave this escape room."
The girl glanced at him; Ms Anki saw her watching over his shoulder. "He might look dead, but his work is excellent."
"I can't tell if he's rude or diligent. I haven't seen him on campus, and everyone else has greeted me as the leader," she murmured to Ms Anki.
"Who is this guy, actually?" Her thoughts continued.
The afternoon breeze shook the windows as Vansh dropped the last set of papers. He looked at Ms Anki. "I'm leaving since the work is done."
"You can grab a drink with us; consider it a reward," she offered, stretching her hand.
Vansh checked his watch. "No, thank you. I have some other things to do."
"Fine, I've already kept you for long enough," she smiled and let him go.
Vansh opened the door and stepped outside. As he approached the stairs, he heard someone call out, "Hey, you!" He turned around to find the very same girl from the cabin.
He stood there, waiting for her to speak.
"What's your name?" she asked, her arms down as the afternoon breeze swayed her hair. Vansh gave his name, despite his urgency.
"Would you like to spare some time? I need something from you." She extended her arms, offering a deal.
Vansh knew he should decline, but her intense gaze made him nervous. "What if she gets mad if I say no?" he thought to himself.
Ms Anki, watching them, understood what the girl was attempting to do. She called out to the girl, who turned to her. "Why don't you take these papers?"
The girl glanced back at Ms Anki and gestured that she would be there in a minute. Ms Anki smirked. Confused, the girl spun around again, only to find that Vansh had vanished. She looked in all directions; his shadow was nowhere to be found.
"He disappeared like a ghost," she clicked her tongue in frustration.
"…With that, I escaped from that room," Vansh sighed.
Srujan laughed, while Rina and Aanya exchanged glances and joined in. Vansh looked puzzled by their laughter and glanced at Kiri, who slowly leapt onto his lap and dropped a ball.
"I can totally imagine the girl's face," Srujan chuckled, holding a hand to his forehead.
"The number of victims is increasing day by day," Rina added. Aanya giggled, hiding her laughter behind her soapy hand. They had both finished their dishes, washing off the soap and drying their hands with a towel.
"What else could I do? Otherwise, that teacher would surely chain me up," Vansh said, running his fingers through Kiri's fur. "I still wonder why she always drags me into things, even though I have nothing to do with it."
The three of them chuckled softly, glancing at Vansh.
"Don't worry; she has her own reasons," Aanya consoled him.
He shrugged. "Whatever. I'm completely defenceless in this matter."
The four of them exchanged looks, with Vansh just staring while each of the others wore a small smile. Kiri meowed, her whiskers twitching.
Time flew as they chatted about their classes and vented about a few frustrating subjects. Srujan ranted about math, claiming that the numbers made his head feel like it was short-circuiting. He playfully teased Rina about her love of academics, prompting her to chase him in mock frustration, pretending to want to kill him.
With some extra drinks that Vansh had prepared for them, the four were enjoying their time together.
Vansh glanced at the clock. "Oh! It's already 5:50!"
The others also looked at the clock, and Vansh stood up. They grabbed their bags and started getting ready to go out. Vansh took the glasses to the sink, rinsed them before cleaning them, and then went to the fridge to grab some packing boxes.
As they were saying goodbye to Kiri, she followed them. Vansh approached from behind with the boxes and handed them out.
"What's this?" Aanya asked, taking a box.
"Oh, it's the doughnuts. You and Srujan wanted them earlier, right? Enjoy!" Vansh said as he gave the last box to Rina.
Srujan and Aanya made exaggerated emotional faces, looking at Vansh. He was startled by their expressions. "What's up with you guys?"
"Nothing," they replied.
Both Aanya and Srujan pretended to cry under their arms. Rina watched them with a sigh. The three of them headed for the hallway, while Kiri trailed behind.
Vansh went back inside to tidy up some dishes before leaving; otherwise, Aunt might get angry and tell them to wait. He gazed at the empty living room, imagining them all together.
A smile curved smoothly across his lips. His eyes were relaxed, and he felt a sense of calmness wash over him.
He sensed someone watching him and turned to the side, waking from a state of introspection. Quickly, he set everything up.
Srujan joined Aanya and Rina, who looked at him as he smiled, his arms resting behind his head.
"What happened?" she asked.
"Nothing," he replied, though his voice concealed a secret that filled him with joy.
Vansh also came back inside, and they all put on their shoes. They stood at the door before leaving. Kiri approached them, lifted her paw, and playfully stamped on each of their legs.
The four of them witnessed her antics, smiling at each other. Vansh picked her up as she approached him. They all stepped outside, bathed in the warm orange hue of the evening. The road was silent except for the sounds of customers inside and the coffee machine humming in the background.
The Aunt emerged from inside. "Oh, you're all leaving?"
The three of them nodded with smiles. The Aunt walked over to Vansh.
"Thank you for coming," she said, bowing her head slightly.
"No, it's fine," they insisted, lifting her chin.
"Aunt, it's totally fine," Srujan added, placing his arm over Vansh's shoulder. "After all, we're friends, and I'm glad we could visit."
Vansh gave a thumbs-up while Srujan beamed with a bright smile.
"Again, you have to thank me for that," Aanya said proudly. Rina and Srujan waved their arms like fans for the princess.
The Aunt ruffled Vansh's hair. "I'm glad he had a good time with you guys," she remarked, looking at him as he stared back.
"Well, sorry, I have to grab him for work. We might need him inside."
"Yeah, yeah, sure. He's all yours now. We will take our leave," Aanya said, gesturing as she waved to Vansh. "Bye, Vansh! Let's meet again tomorrow."
Rina and Srujan also bid their farewells. With that, the three of them left, and the Aunt and Vansh went back inside.
Rina and Srujan continued on the same path, while Aanya took a different route.
The evening sky over Verlin was painted with an orange hue, adorned with clouds that kept their distance. The sun bid farewell as the moon rose to greet the night.
As they reached the main road, Srujan stopped, looking down at Aanya and Rina, a smile fading from his face.
"I might sound weird," Srujan said.
"You already do. If you have something on your mind, just say it," Rina urged, staring at him.
"Do you guys think Vansh will ever regain his memories?"