Hues Of Dusk

Chapter 44. Peace Offering

What a sunny day!

Birds flew in the sky as clouds moved at their leisurely pace. An old song played on the radio in a nearby shop and kids ran along with their parents to catch the school bus. A cat was trying to cross the road but couldn't because of the heavy traffic.

Finally, the signal turned red and she was able to cross, and so did the other people who were in a hurry to get to their respective destinations.

I was walking towards my bus stop and enjoying the scenery around me. Today, I left home far earlier than I did, since I didn't sleep at all. I had pulled an all-nighter to complete the notes, though I wasn't able to include all the chapters for Physics.

But I was optimistic that Nikhil would appreciate it and we would start talking again; just like old times. I whistled a melody of one of my favourite songs and smiled happily imagining Nikhil's expression.

I knew he must have had a hard time yesterday, so I didn't want to ask him anything about it since he might get more angry. I would just give him the notes and then explain how Lakshya bhaiyya got to know where we were.

He wasn't following me. He had asked me for my number so that he could track my location since Nikhil left his phone at home. He didn't follow me instantly since he didn't want to alert me. Nice move, bhaiyya. I didn't even suspect him.

Drip!

A water drop fell on my nose. Huh? I looked up and one more drop fell on my face. I wiped it out and looked at the sky in confusion. There were no dark clouds.

I kept walking and after few seconds, realised that the whole sky got engulfed in a dark blanket. Everything around me got tinted a shade of blue and then, it started drizzling.

Was it going to rain today? The weather forecast didn't say anything about it though. I ignored it and continued on my way.

Psshhhhhhh!

Damn it! It started raining heavily and I had to make a run for it. I brought my backpack to my front and shielded it from the onslaught of the heavy rain. If I had known this would happen, I would have brought my umbrella.

I was completely drenched by the time I reached my bus stop. Even though I ran at my top speed, I couldn't outmatch the rain. Looked like, monsoon was here.

I checked my bag and sighed in relief when I saw that the notes were safe. I closed my bag and squeezed myself inbetween two aunties who were cursing the weather. The bus stop was crowded with the passerbys who needed a shelter to protect themselves from the sudden rain.

Fortunately, my bus arrived on time and I got in without much trouble. But I didn't get a vacant seat. The bus was filled to its maximum capacity and I had to stand throughout my journey.

Just as I reached my stop, I got down the bus and ran towards the college. It was still raining, and I almost slipped and fell in the pool of mud which had formed just a few metres away from the gates. Other students were also running and trying to get in as soon as possible.

I managed to get myself in the hallway just in time. I got to my classroom and slumped down in my seat. I was exhausted. There was still time for the first lecture to start, so I went to the washroom to dry myself up after resting for five minutes.

Since I was wearing a T-shirt and jeggings, it didn't take me long to dry myself up. I brushed my hair and put it in a loose braid. If I had left it all open, then it would have become a bird's nest. I went back to the class after tyding myself up.

"Oh my god! What happened to you?" Parth asked and gave me a once over.

Was I looking that bad?