There's nothing to celebrate yet. Listen to the rest first," Mithil cut in, and their excitement quickly turned serious.
"This time, apart from Anthropology students, the History group will also be joining us," Mithil announced, his tone firm and commanding. "From Archaeology, it'll be me and Nayan. From Anthropology, Vikas sir. And from History, Karan and Mishra sir. But listen carefully, there's something you must keep in mind.
Do not, under any circumstances, get into conflicts with Mishra sir or the History students. Stay away from them, no matter what happens. And that boy Ranjit, especially him. Last time, he created a huge mess with your seniors. They were nearly rusticated because of him. Mishra sir is one of the oldest professors here, and he never forgives Archaeology students for even the smallest mistake.
That said, he can be of great help too. But before handing any report to him, show it to us first, so no errors slip through. We'll be around most of the time, but in certain areas, you'll have to stay under his supervision. Wherever his authority lies, you'll remain there. Understood?"
Mithil delivered all of this in a single breath and then fell silent.
"Classes will be suspended for the next three days," Nayan added strictly. "The department always gives this time before a long trip, so students can research the site in advance and prepare their reports from home. You'll work in groups of four, and once on-site, professors will discuss your findings with you. Now go home and start preparing. Don't waste your time wandering around."
The students nodded like obedient children. Nayan's eyes lingered on Vedanshi for a brief moment before he and Mithil turned and walked out.
As soon as they were gone, Vedanshi broke the silence.
"What about our recycling project? Have you people thought of anything?"
"Yes," Akshay said, taking the lead. "I spoke to my aunt about it. She contacted the plant, and here's what they said: they do accept plastic, but only in bulk. Either we deliver daily, or weekly, but if it's weekly, the plastic must be clean, otherwise bacteria will grow. And one more thing, the plastic has no real value. They won't pay us a penny for it. We'll have to manage the transport ourselves. They do have collection centers, but only in big cities."
"Well, at least that clears one thing, they're willing to accept the plastic," Vedanshi said, trying to sound hopeful. "That means we can approach the mayor for help."
"You really think he'll support us?" Sagar cut in, his tone skeptical. "Even if he does, what about his daughter? I know her too well, she won't even look at us, let alone talk properly."
Concern flickered across Vedanshi's face. She exhaled slowly.
"Maybe. But we should at least try. Why give up before even starting? Sagar, can you do something about this? If not, we'll go talk to him ourselves this evening."
"There's one guy I know. He can arrange an appointment." Sagar pulled out his phone and dialed quickly. "Sumit bhai, I need a favor…" He explained the situation, nodded a few times, then said, "Okay, okay," before ending the call.
Moments later, his phone rang again. He answered, listened, then grinned.
"Thanks, bhai," he said, hanging up.
Turning back to the group, he announced, "It's done. We've been called at 6 p.m. this evening."
"That's great. Until then, let's go meet Maria. Anyway, her place isn't too far from the mayor's house," Sagar added.
"But why did he call you to his house? Doesn't he have an office?" Nikhil asked, suspicion heavy in his voice.
"You idiot! The office closes at six, you dimwit!" Vedanshi snapped, glaring at Nikhil. Then she and Akshay clapped their hands in mock applause. Nikhil shot them both a deathly look, while the other three burst out laughing.
"Let's go then," Vedanshi said curtly, and the group finally set out.
By five in the evening, they were seated in Maria's restaurant around a round table, deep in discussion or at least, most of them were. Vedanshi and Akshay sat together, sipping soft drinks and speaking in hushed, serious tones. Their expressions were grave, their voices so low that even the people sitting nearby couldn't catch a single word.
Meanwhile, Sagar and Nikhil were completely absorbed in something else, the food. Since the moment they'd arrived, they hadn't stopped stuffing their mouths. Piles of plates stood in front of them, six or seven already licked clean, with three more still untouched. Whenever Vedanshi or Akshay tried to involve them in the discussion, the two only nodded vaguely without even lifting their eyes from their plates.
Vedanshi and Akshay exchanged a look, their patience thinning. Finally, Vedanshi's temper snapped. She slammed her hand hard on the table. The impact sent a splash of tomato chutney flying, straight onto Sagar's face. He froze, eyes squeezed shut, sauce dripping down his cheek.
The entire restaurant turned to stare. For a moment, silence stretched across the room. Vedanshi offered a stiff smile and a quick apology, and people went back to their own conversations. Then she turned her blazing eyes back on the two offenders.
"We're sitting here discussing serious matters, and you two care only about food! Are you human beings or bulls? If you're not fighting, you're grazing! If you're done eating, can we finally talk about the real issue?" she shouted.
"Sorry, Vedanshi," Sagar said meekly. Then, pointing timidly at a leftover cutlet, he added, "But… um, can I eat that?"
Vedanshi exhaled sharply, visibly restraining herself from snapping his finger in two. With a wordless flick of her eyes, she gave him permission. Inside, though, she was still fuming.
"And you," she turned on Nikhil. "If you want more leftovers, you can pick them straight from the dustbin."
Nikhil quickly shook his head no, swallowing hard.
"Listen," Vedanshi continued firmly, "we have to return here before seven. Otherwise this place will get crowded, and Maria will have a hard time managing alone. The sooner we go, the sooner we'll be back."
She stood up, climbed the stairs, and within two minutes returned, her resolve even sharper.
"Shall we?" she asked, already walking toward the gate.
The rest stood quickly. As they followed, Sagar and Nikhil stole a glance around the table, then slyly scooped up the last paneer roll. Maria caught them in the act and chuckled.
In just five minutes, the four of them reached the mayor's gate. As they were about to step inside, they froze. Coming out of the door was Nayan.
Normally, he never lost his cool. But tonight, his expression was thunderous—anyone could see the storm raging inside him.
The group instinctively stepped back.
"Oh God… shit, shit, shit! What's Nayan sir doing here?" Nikhil whimpered in a trembling voice.
"Oh damn it! There's not even a single place to hide!" Vedanshi muttered, eyes darting around desperately. The others followed her gaze, panic setting in.
As soon as Nayan mounted his bike, his eyes fell on the four of them. He immediately got off and started walking in their direction.