"We've seen this since childhood—what's so special about it now?" someone scoffed.
Vedanshi turned to face the group, her voice firm yet thoughtful. "Everyone knows how polluted these water bodies have become. But there's more to it. This riverbank holds several archaeological sites, and the garbage dumped here is damaging the lower layers. I read an article on the college website that explained how this pollution is causing serious harm to those sites."
She paused, scanning their faces. "Can't we do something about it?"
Sagar shrugged. "What can we possibly do? The department has already approached the city mayor multiple times. Initially, he agreed to send the city's plastic waste for recycling. But his daughter—she's the real obstacle. Apparently, she's stubborn and interferes in most of his decisions. People say she's a bit... psycho."
Vedanshi frowned but didn't respond to the comment. "Still, something can be done. If we clear this mess, we could preserve many archaeological sites. That same article mentioned how pollution interferes with carbon dating of Stone Age tools found here. Because of the contamination, it's hard to determine their actual age."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Akshay leaned forward. "Actually, my hometown has several recycling plants. My aunt works at one of them. I'll talk to her—maybe they can help."
"But I think we need to start something ourselves first," Nikhil added. "Only then will others take interest. Then we can approach the mayor."
Vedanshi extended her hand dramatically. "So, what do you say, fellow garbage warriors? Ready to clean up some trash?"
Nikhil chuckled. "Why are you trying to steal the ragpickers' jobs?"
Everyone burst into laughter, and one by one, they nodded in agreement.
It was 9 a.m. Vedanshi rushed into the department building, clearly late. As she turned a corner, she collided hard with someone, sending her assignment papers flying across the floor.
"Oh, shit! Damn it," she muttered, scrambling to gather the scattered sheets.
The boy she'd bumped into looked down at her with a smirk. "You archaeology people are good at digging up trouble, huh? Never on time, always causing chaos. Can't you watch where you're going?"
Vedanshi looked up and instantly recognized him. The same guy who'd picked a fight with her on the very first day. She stood up, clutching her papers, her eyes blazing.
"If you keep standing in my way, I won't hesitate to kick you. Now move aside, I'm already late. If you're so fond of guarding things, go apply for a museum security job," she snapped.
"Oh really? And what if I don't move? What will you do with those delicate little hands of yours? Where are your monkeys today? They're usually swinging around you," he taunted.
Just then, Pranay and the others arrived.
"Looks like someone's asking to be bitten by those monkeys," Seema said from behind.
"No wonder he's barking like a street dog," Nikita added.
The boy's face turned red with rage.
"Time for the monkeys to climb back to their trees," he growled.
Vedanshi stepped forward, her voice sharp. "And when monkeys bite, you need more injections than a dog bite. But don't worry, you won't need any. Injections are for humans, not for stray—"
She stopped mid-sentence, letting the implication hang in the air.
The seniors exchanged glances and burst into laughter. The boy took a step forward, fists clenched, but just then, Professor Dhyani entered.
"What's happening here? Why is there so much noise? Your exams are around the corner, and you're busy fighting? Everyone, back to your classes. Now!" he barked.
The group scattered instantly.
Later, after class, the friends gathered in the canteen. Sagar and Nikhil were busy stuffing their faces, while Akshay suddenly remembered something.
"Hey Sagar, that day you were talking about some rumors regarding Professor Nayan. What was that about? You never finished."
Vedanshi and Nikhil turned to look at Sagar, who was still chewing.
Vedanshi recalled that moment too—Sagar had started to say something when Professor Nayan had walked in, cutting the conversation short.
Now all three stared at Sagar expectantly. He swallowed, took a sip of water, and finally spoke.
"We heard there are some legal cases filed against him."
The trio froze.
"What kind of cases? What did he do?" Vedanshi fired off questions rapidly.
The boys stared at her.
"Okay, okay. I'm listening," she said, calming herself.
"I don't believe he did anything wrong," Sagar added. "He's one of the most honest and hardworking professors in this college. I don't trust these rumors."
Vedanshi fell silent, lost in thought. She remembered seeing Professor Nayan and Mithil at the courthouse yesterday.
"But why? What are the cases about?" she asked, sipping her water.
Sagar hesitated, then said, "Apparently... his own wife filed them."
Vedanshi choked on her water, coughing violently. Akshay quickly patted her back.
Once she regained her breath, she whispered, her voice trembling, "His wife? He's married?"
"Yeah... it's been about six months," Sagar replied casually.
Vedanshi felt the ground slip beneath her. Her head spun, and tears welled up in her eyes.
"Ved... you?" she murmured, barely audible.
Just then, Vedanshi learned the truth—Nayan was married. She froze.
Her body went numb, her heart pounding violently inside her chest. It felt like something was clawing at her from within, a scream rising silently from the depths of her soul. Her eyes welled up, and the urge to cry became unbearable.
"Vedanshi! Vedanshi!" Sagar was calling out to her, his voice loud and urgent.
She snapped out of her daze and turned toward him. A single tear rolled down her cheek.
"What's happening, Vedanshi? Why are you crying? There are tears in your eyes—are you okay? What happened all of a sudden?" Sagar bombarded her with questions, none of which she could answer.
"Huh… what? What are you saying?" she replied in a distant, hollow voice, as if she hadn't heard a word.
"Why are you crying? Did something happen? Did someone say something to you?" Sagar asked again, concern etched across his face.
"I… I need to go to the washroom," Vedanshi said abruptly and stood up, walking away without another word.
Sagar sat there, stunned.
As soon as she reached the washroom, a sharp pain pierced her chest—deep, aching, as if someone had sliced through her heart.
"Ved… you're married? But when? How? Why didn't I know anything? You never told me… not even once. Why?" she whispered to herself, her voice trembling. "You were my best friend…"
She kept muttering, her thoughts spiraling, her heart breaking quietly behind closed doors.