Gemini

Chapter 3

A/N: Yes, you will meet Gem here.

For some reason, I was staring at the treehouse resorts of Wayanad, Kerala. Was this even the right time to come here? As much as I lived in the next state, I knew very little about God's own country.

Why did Sahara pull us here? Of all the places? When we took a flight to Trivandrum, Prakriti tried to take us to the backwaters. But Sahara whispered something in her ears and they both agreed to come here.

"Why here?" Farvin asked, taking a sip of the flavoured milk she bought. "I don't get it. We could have gone to Mumbai! I was planning on shopping there."

Prakriti snorted. "As if you can't shop in Chennai. There's online shopping too. What's stopping you?"

Fravin pressed her fingers on the latter's forehead and pushed her away. "But nothing beats the shopping experience in the bustling streets of Mumbai!"

Monisha came out of the reception and shook her head. "You... you are crazy, Farvin. Who likes shopping there?"

Farvin placed her right hand over her hip and raised her eyebrow. With her height and that attitude, she was kind of suave. "Look who is talking. Remember Coorg? Who drank too much coffee that she had to stay in the room for two days? We get it, Coorg coffee is the best, but to drink it every one hour? Aren't you crazy?"

Monisha waved her hands and tried to brush her tangled hair with her fingers. Tried to. Her wavy hair was completely in knots. Someone who had the same type of hair, I had plaited it and coved my head with a scarf. As much as I loved to enjoy the wind in my face, I hated taking the knots afterwards.

"I did not know that would be the consequence," Monisha said. "But you know the consequence."

"You did not know?" Prakriti asked. "You did not know? Did we not tell you? All five of us did! Even the coffee shop owner did!"

Her flushed face hid in the dark. "Don't bring the dark past out. Let's go! Anita and Sahara have booked our rooms."

I turned to see the flora ahead of me, the promising wildlife that should bring down my agitation and frustrations. As much as this was not the right time to visit this place at the end of May, I could still marvel at the beauty of it.

The sun was skinning behind a hill and orange bled all over the hill station while darkness slowly marched in with its army. Wherever the two met, the darkness conquered the fading light of the sun until it was no more.

Birds called out to each other and for a minute, the sky was filled with their dance and the next, they had settled in their homes. Squirrels that had been all over retreated for the day and a couple of bats flew to their heart's content.

The earth still carried its untainted scent from the shower last night. The locals said that there might be a slight drizzle tonight too.

I unwrapped my coat which I had tied on my waist and wore it.

"Who am I sharing my room with?" Farvin asked as she took her luggage from the trunk.

Monisha raised her hand like a school student. "Me!"

"No!" Farvin groaned and dropped her suitcase down. "Why should it be you?" She turned to Prakriti. "Can we both share a room?"

But Kriti ignored her. "Who am I sharing with?"

Monisha gave her a wide, stupid grin. "Anita."

Something flashed in her eyes, but before I could find what that was, Kriti turned her face and focused on getting hers and Anita's luggage.