Hues Of Dusk

Chapter 100. Life

(🚨 Long chapter ahead 🚨)

🛎️ Trigger Warning:- Following chapter contains scenes of sexual assault, so please don't proceed if you are not comfortable reading.

∆~×~∆

Is it really okay for me to be here? Should I just return even though Ayush didn't object on me coming to his house for group project? Would it be better to bail out and let others do all the work?

"Why are you standing like a statue, Sandhya?"

I looked over my shoulder and noticed my group members, Kriya and Bindu, heading toward me. They stood beside me, and before I could reply, Kriya rang the bell of Ayush's home and commented how big the place was.

Bindu agreed with her, and they were really shocked to know that I had been to Ayush's residence before.

"Wow. I didn't know you two were friends," Bindu said.

"Yeah." Kriya nodded. "Do you know how much it must have cost-"

"Hey, girls," Ayush greeted after opening the door and motioned for us to come inside.

"Thank you for having us." Bindu smiled and entered the home with Kriya in tow.

"Do you need a separate invitation?" Ayush asked me.

I shook my head and followed the girls, who were gaping at the interior. After expressing their awe and bombarding Ayush with a lot of questions about his personal life, they calmed down and decided to begin with our work.

"My room is upstairs." Ayush pointed at the first floor and told us to follow him.

"You live alone in this huge house?" Kriya inquired.

"No, my grandfather lives with me," Ayush replied.

"And your parents?"

"They are divorced: Mom lives in Guwahati, and Dad visits me whenever he gets time."

"I am sorry." Kriya gave him a sad look.

Ayush waved her off, and let us inside his room. Even if it wasn't my first visit to his home, it was the first time I had seen his room. While Kriya and Bindu arranged the study materials on the soft velvet rug, I roamed my eyes around, trying not to let my emotions take over.

The room was decorated in a minimalist style; a white coloured bed placed in the middle, a matching study table and wardrobe taking the space near the large window and on bed's left side respectively, a huge bookshelf was proudly standing on the opposite side of the bed, and trophies were lined up on wooden shelves with a few photo frames hanging on the white wall.

My eyes zeroed in on the frame in which Ayush was smiling towards the camera, standing between Ved and me. The photo was taken by his mom at the end of our third grade and only Ayush was glowing because Ved and me had pissed off expressions on our faces - we had a fight just a moment ago about whom Ayush considered his bestest friend.

I was actually surprised to see that photo placed in the middle of all frames, but I didn't voice out my thoughts. I didn't want to hurt myself by thinking too much about it; Ayush must have kept that picture beacause Ved was in too. Still, I was thankful that he hadn't cropped me out.

"Are you here on a vacation? Do some work or leave," Ayush scolded.

"Yes, Sir." I nodded and sat down beside Bindu.