Book 6 of the Mangoverse
The Kapoors are strong. Stronger than ever now with the next generation but what would happen when all powerful families collide? Big names, bigger aspirations, and biggest scandals.
Lives are at crossroads, careers at stak...
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18 years ago
Why did I ever agree to come to this camp? I should've known I'll get lost and my teachers would sleep in their tents happily. Well it's not their fault. When they counted heads I was there. I came out into this jungle alot later because my tent mates snore. All of them. I've never seen thirteen year olds snore louder than proper adults. And now I am stuck here, alone and in the dark.
What if some wild animal eats me? I don't want to die!
I sit under a tree with a stick in my hand. I'll defend myself with this. It's not a good weapon and it'll break on the first hit but it's all I have.
"Your hands will protect you better than that stick. I can guarantee you that."
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!" I throw my stick at the intruder and it hits him in the chest, then falls to the ground.
"Ouch." Yeah, that didn't hurt him at all. He sounds like he is doing me a favor. I squint in the dark, hiding behind the tree I was once seated under and I can't make out anything except a silhouette. "Who are you?"
"I am from the same school as you. So relax. I am not here to kidnap you." He sits down under a tree opposite mine and calls for me to do the same. 'Never listen to strangers.' That's what Sahil chachu told me before I left for this trip. I see the boy shake his head in the darkness when I don't approach.
My eyes adjust to the barely there light and I finally see a little bit of his face. I know him. He is one of the most popular boy in school. Yuvaan Rathore. Everyone says he is pretty but they stay away from him. He doesn't sugarcoat things and always talks very brashly. I walk around the tree and finally sit. Pressing my back against it.
"Why are you outside?"
"My tent mates were snoring very loudly. I couldn't sleep. Why are you here?"
"Because you are."
"Sorry?"
"Because I saw you leave your tent and since you are my junior, I wanted to make sure you got back inside safely." Awww, he is like a boy from the books, he is-
No. He is a stranger!
"How old are you?" He doesn't answer right away, he simply looks around like he is out for sightseeing. "Fifteen." Several moments pass, nothing comes out of his mouth and I stare desperately for him to say something.
"I am thirteen."
"I know." How does he- nevermind. We sit around in silence for another while, he doesn't say a word, doesn't make a sound and I absolutely hate it. I stand up and look around. "Do you know the way back?"
He looks around again, before looking up at me. "Yep." Then why is he sitting here with mosquitoes? "Can you take me?"
"Sure." He stands up and now that we are standing closer, I see how tall he is. A little too tall for a fifteen year old boy. He starts walking ahead and I follow behind. I wore my soft cloth slippers out in the forest, and now I am wobbling more than I walking. He stop after a couple steps and turns back to look at me.
