The Fourth Dimension

Chapter 16

FOUR WEEKS AFTER RITHVIK'S DEATH

Dhun walked up to the door of Ansh's house and rang the doorbell. Ansh's mom opened the door. "Aunty, is Ansh in?"

She was welcomed into the house and led to Ansh's room. Dhun walked in. Ansh offered her the chair. " Sit." Dhun sat down. Ansh sat down on his bed. Dhun looked at the table in the room. There was a small box of the things from the memorial space of college in the box. "Ah... I got to keep a few from the memorial space."

There was an awkward silence. "The atrium looks really empty now, right? Now that his things are cleared out." Dhun was still being silent. "You can take a few from the box if you want to. Is that why you come?"

"No," she said.

"Hm..then why?"

"I needed to ask you something."

"Yeah?"

"It could sound strange. But I want to know." Ansh nodded. He was willing to tell her anything.

While Dhun walked out of the house, Ansh saw her off. Roli came out of the elevator just then. She saw them. She ignored Ansh and just looked at Dhun. "How come you are here?" She asked Dhun.

"I had to talk something with Ansh."

Roli nodded and turned to open the door of her house, totally ignoring Ansh. Ansh was looking at her with pain. Dhun looked between them. Roli walk into her house and shut the door. Dhun turned to Ansh, "So I guess, things did not go well with you guys."

"Isn't that the obvious result?" Ansh asked, "With Rith gone like that...I don't think we will ever talk." Dhun nodded. She walked away.

Dhun sat on the bed with the time turner in her hand. One last attempt – she thought. If this did not work, she will give up.

*

*

*

3 DAYS BEFORE THE COLLEGE FESTIVAL

Rithvik was sitting bored, with his head settled on the table. There was a teacup on the table. He looked around for someone to talk to. Dhun walked into the canteen just then. He sat up excited, "Dhun...Bro..." Dhun turned to him. She went to sit near him and dropped her bag on the chair near her. "You were late as well?"

"Yeah" And she looked at the coffee cup on the table and picks it up and drinks from it.

"Hey, that's mine."

"Don't be so cheap, dude. Friends can share. You can buy another one, right?"

"But I just drank from the same cup though."

She looked at him but then continued to finish the coffee from the cup and set it down. "Buy another one." Rithvik frowned.

Later Rithvik and Dhun were talking while eating some snacks, and drinking another two cups of tea. "No, I don't think we should make an outdoor cotton candy stall," Dhun said.

"Why? That will be so damn cool."

"If it rains, it will be ruined. Do you know how heavy a cotton candy machine is? We can't carry it inside. It will be totally ruined in a rain."

"It won't rain. It doesn't rain in this season."

"Well, we don't know that for sure."

Rithvik noticed a handkerchief is tied around Dhun's wrist. "What happened to your hand?"