Agent 024

NEW TIMES

I scrolled through my Instagram feed as I waited in the car for my family. Yup, I was the one going to college, I should have been the one to be late while packing my stuff but no my twin brother needed that glory to himself too. 

"Karan, I swear to God we're gonna leave you behind.", I screamed, leaning  out of the car window.

"Calm the hell down, woman.", he said, emerging down the stairs.

With the car finally packed with the entire family, we proceeded to the airport.

Yeah, you guessed it right. I was going to USAT finally. I had just completed my Class 12 Examinations and after a month of holidays, it was time for me to join the place of my dreams. For their own safety, my family couldn't know the exact nature of the course I was signing up for nor the dangers my profession would likely involve. However, it was a call I had to make and I felt I couldn't settle for anything else than what USAT would offer.

Preparations were all set in the car. my dad had selected the most upbeat music to play to ensure no one got too emotional before time. they had all bought sunglasses with them. Nah, it wasn't sunny. they knew they were gonna cry when they saw me leaving. Well, I couldn't blame them, I had a pair on too.

My dad shifted the gear to neutral as he bought the car to a halt. We all got out and started empting by bags out of the car. 

"ID card?", my dad asked.

"Got it."

"Ticket?", mom asked.

"In my phone."

My brother and I lifted all my bags into the trolley as I pressed the handlebar ready to go ahead.

"Come here.", my mom said as she englfed me into a hug. I had strictly prohibited any teary farewell or hugs but mom...

"Oh damn it, my daughter is going away. I have very right to be emotional.", my dad joined in the hug.

Great, make me cry right now family.

Through the hug, I eyed my brother warning him not to join in this hug which was already sucking my last breath out of me.

He gave me the 'don't even think i would" look.

"I love you people.", I said 

"Okay fine, time to go - let go people. Honestly get a hold on yourself, parents."

"You tell me this when your kids go off to college." mom retorted.

"Jeez woman, relax.", my brother said and started dragging my trolley to the entrance before the situation grew any more emotional. 

He stopped at the door.

"I am getting to drive your activa.  Don't think I'm going to miss you."

"Uh okay.", I said.

"Bye, Tisha. I love you, take care okay? And if ever you get into trouble, just run okay, that's the best way, don't get in a fight."

I smiled. 

"Tisha.", I heard Akansha call and I saw my homies running towards me.

My brother immediately let go and grew really nervous. I knew he had a thing for Akansha although he would never confess it.

"No more teary farewells for godsake."

Instead they all brought me into a group hug.

Snigdha handed me over a big bag with the strict instructions not to open it till I reached USAT.

As she hugged me, she whispered, "And that Abhay guy please ask him out or I'm going to come to USAT and make you."

I laughed. Only Snigdha knew about all my secret crushes. 

"Bye guys.", I said as I walked inside the airport.

I turned back. There was my family, my friends all standing together waving at me. And my brother, bloody hell waving with both hands. He might as well be standing with a 'Simon, go back board.', he looked that happy. I laughed as I walked towards my terminal.

I walked out into a new city and ordered an Ola to USAT. He dropped me at the gates to what was the largest campus I had ever seen.

I took a deep breath as I entered the gates of USAT. I reached the reception where a smartly dressed 20  something girl greeted me.

"Hi, I'm Tisha. I'm new here."

"Hey, let me check the records."

"Utkarsh, yeah, Tisha is here come down.", she spoke into 

"Welcome Tisha.", she said looking up to me.

I smiled at her.

"How you doin?", the guy who walked down the stairs asked the receptionist and she smiled at him.

"Tisha?", he asked turning towards me.

"Yeah."

"Well let's go then.", he said lifting half my bags and walking ahead.

I lifted the other half and ran behind him.

"Where are we going?", I asked the guy who was blatantly semi-jogging out of the academy with my bags.

"The academy of course."

Was this guy insane? Or is he a thief? 

"The university is what we left right behind sir."

He stopped at his car. He pulled his ID out of his pocket and showed it to me. 

"You honestly didn't think agents would be training in the same grounds as other normal graduate students?"

"No?"

"Common, Tisha. We're a covet organisation of agents. Gotta keep the secrecy game strong."

He swiftly brought the car on the main road as we started driving towards the Academy.

"I'm Rohan by the way."

"Tisha."

"Why not just tell me to drive to the Acedemy directly?", I asked.

"We can't exactly be on Google Maps, you know. Can't let Ola and Amazon services happen to a secret academy."

"Right. So you're a agent too?"

"Yes. But  I chose to train other agents instead of going out there in the field."

"And here we are.", he said as we drove into the gates of the Academy.

"Why have the Academy linked to USAT - the most popular academy. won't that attract attention?"

"The Academy didn't link itself to USAT. The Academy started USAT. We'd get new recruits right out of high school and we'd need a good cover story to tell their parents. Hence USAT started. But since some of our passed out recruits became trainers there, the Academy soon became a point of excellence pretty soon."

"Here I leave you, Tisha. I'll see you around.", he said as we reached the steps of the reception.

I went to the reception and a guy in a black hoodie with brown hair and a  warm smile greeted me

"Welcome Tisha.", he said.

And I nodded. It begins.