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.
Nikhil tilted his head, casting a slanted glance at Nayan, and whispered in his thin voice, "He's coming this way… what do we do now?"
"Well, we've already dragged our heads into the mortar, so obviously they're going to get crushed. Couldn't you have figured this out earlier, Sagar? That Nayan Sir might show up here?" Vedanshi replied in a trembling, tearful voice.
"How was I supposed to know he'd be here?" Sagar protested, his own voice sounding equally pitiful.
"Don't you know? He's a living ghost. He can appear anywhere, anytime. Now what do we do? Is he getting closer, Nikhil?" Vedanshi whimpered again.
"Which living ghost are you talking about?" a voice spoke from behind.
They all froze. Nayan was standing right there, directly behind them.
None of the four realized that Nayan was actually smiling at that moment.
Vedanshi squeezed her eyes shut tightly and stuck her tongue out ever so slightly, bracing herself.
"And by the way," Nayan continued, masking his smile, "may I know what you're all doing here? You were given leave to work on your reports, weren't you? So why are you wandering here? And you, don't you always take the temple road? What special business brought you this way today?"
One by one, they all turned to face him. Nayan raised his brows.
"Uh… well, Sir, we just came out for some fresh air. It was hot over there," Akshay stammered.
The other three smacked their foreheads.
"This idiot will get us killed for sure," Vedanshi muttered under her breath.
Nayan narrowed his eyes. "But there are trees over that way. Here, it's hotter. Why come here instead?"
"Um… Sir, these three said they'd never been this side before, so I brought them here," Sagar added.
The other three glared at him furiously.
"But there's nothing here except houses. What's there to see?" Nayan asked, his tone laced with suspicion.
None of them had an answer. Silence hung in the air.
Nayan shook his head. "Enough. Go on. Get back to work today itself. No need for useless wandering."
They started to leave, dragging their feet reluctantly, as if they had no desire to go. Their gait was almost comical—like hooligans trying to act innocent after harassing someone.
Watching their strange mannerisms, Nayan understood clearly: the four of them were definitely up to something.
He turned back, got on his bike, and rode away. A short while ago his face had been clouded with anger, but now it carried a faint, serene smile.
The moment he disappeared around the bend, the four turned straight back.
"Escaped with our lives, worth a million!" Vedanshi exclaimed in relief as they hurried inside the gate.
The house was no less than a palace. They stepped through the grand doorway into a massive hall lined with luxurious, expensive sofas.
"Come in, come in. We were waiting for you," a sweet voice greeted them.
Vedanshi and her friends were now inside the palatial house.
The sheer grandeur of the place dazzled their eyes. Every corner whispered luxury, every object screamed opulence. It was as if comfort and extravagance had found their perfect home here.
Right in the center of the hall stood an enormous, regal sofa, so vast it could seat at least twenty people at once. The house boasted no fewer than thirty rooms, and directly ahead rose a grand staircase, sweeping upward from both sides like the wings of a castle. Vedanshi and her friends had only seen such splendor in movies. Exotic decorative pieces adorned the interiors, and the walls were graced with paintings that looked nothing short of priceless. All these elements came together to make the house breathtakingly beautiful.
Their eyes scanned every detail, soaking in the magnificence, when a soft voice reached their ears. Instinctively, they turned toward the sound and there she was.
Standing gracefully on the grand staircase before them was a striking woman, seemingly around thirty, though she looked no older than twenty-four, Vedanshi's own age. In fact, she could easily be mistaken for a girl rather than a woman.
Her hair was cropped short in a boyish cut. A sleek smartwatch adorned her wrist. She wore a tailored coat and trousers over a crisp white shirt. Black shoes covered her feet, and a delicate platinum chain with a pendant hung around her neck. Her entire presence exuded strength and elegance. She looked like someone important, perhaps an officer. It seemed she had just returned from somewhere, as she hadn't yet changed out of her formal attire.
She smiled warmly at them. "Please, make yourselves comfortable. I'll be right back. Manan! See to the refreshments for our guests," she said, before ascending the staircase with effortless grace.
As she disappeared upstairs, Vedanshi and her friends resumed their exploration of the space.
"Wow, what a house!" exclaimed Sagar, sprawling across the luxurious sofa. "I've lived in this town my whole life, and I've never seen anything like this. Thank you, Vedanshi. This is all because of you."
The others joined him, settling into the plush seating.
"But who was she?" Vedanshi murmured, her gaze still fixed on the staircase.
"Are you crazy, girl? That's the mayor's daughter, The Psycho Sanjana Rathore," Sagar blurted out again.
"But the way she spoke… I didn't find her psycho or dangerous at all," Akshay replied, puzzled.
Sagar leaned back with a smirk. "Even a goat gets grass before its throat is slit."
Their hushed chatter was still underway when Sanjana descended the staircase once more but this time, in a completely different avatar.
She now wore a matching upper and lower set, boldly emblazoned with the words Devil Girl across the front. Her smartwatch was gone, replaced by bare wrists that somehow made her look even more casual, yet no less commanding.
Just then, Manan, the house help, arrived with a large tray carrying tea and snacks. He handed Sanjana a glass cup filled with a crimson brew, tea that shimmered with rose petals floating on top. Unlike everyone else's steaming cups, hers gave off no heat. Vedanshi couldn't help but stare at it.
"Oh! It's rose tea," Sanjana said, catching Vedanshi's gaze. "That's what I drink."
She had clearly noticed Vedanshi's curiosity. "You see, milk and sugar ruin beauty," she added with a smile. "But you don't need to worry, you're already beautiful." She gestured toward the tray, inviting them to try her kind of tea.
Vedanshi found the comment oddly unsettling. Compared to Sanjana, she felt like nothing. Is that why Sir married her? Because she's so stunning? But he never seemed like the kind of man who'd marry just for looks… Vedanshi was lost in thought when Sanjana's voice pulled her back to the present.
Everyone had picked up their cups.
"Well, I got a call from Sumit," Sanjana said, sipping the last of her tea. "He mentioned someone wanted to meet us. What he didn't say was that Netaji himself would be dropping by. Who doesn't know Netaji? You're the most recognized youth leader from our college. We might need you anytime, right Netaji?" She emphasized the title with a teasing sharpness, her eyes glinting as she set her cup down.
She said it all in such a way that no one could quite tell, was Sagar being praised, or roasted?
Everyone turned their eyes from Sagar to Sanjana, trying to decode the tone. Sensing the attention, Sanjana smiled and spoke again, "Oh, it seems you all haven't yet grasped Netaji's brilliance. No worries, once the elections roll around, you'll understand. Just attend one of his speeches, and you'll see for yourselves. Isn't that right, Netaji?" she added, once again emphasizing the title with playful sharpness.
"Now then, how may I be of service?" she asked, reclining comfortably as she picked up a banana chip from the tray.
Sagar began, "Ma'am, this is Veda.." but before he could finish, Sanjana gently interrupted him, her gaze softening as it landed on Vedanshi.
"No introductions needed. I know all of you," she said, pointing one by one. "This is Akshay," she gestured, "and that's Nikhil." Then, turning to Vedanshi, her voice grew warmer. "And her, I know even better. I've read her reports. At such a young age, you've studied the archaeological sites here with remarkable depth. Truly commendable."
She spoke with such poise and ambiguity that no one could quite tell whether her words were genuine praise or veiled sarcasm.
Everyone looked on in awe, except Sagar. The rest began to think, She's actually quite nice… and she knows us personally. Maybe she really will help us.
Sanjana then turned to Sagar and listened intently as one by one, they shared the issue about plastic pollution and their proposed solutions.
When the conversation came to an end, a brief silence settled over the room. Sanjana seemed lost in thought, then finally spoke, "Alright. This won't be easy but I'll do my best."
Her words lit up everyone's faces, except Sagar's.
"I heard you all have a trip coming up. Go ahead with that. Once you're back, we'll meet again. In the meantime, I'll think things through," she said, rising to her feet.
As everyone prepared to leave, Sanjana walked over to Vedanshi. For a moment, Vedanshi was taken aback, almost shocked but she quickly composed herself.
Leaning in close, Sanjana whispered in her ear, "Vedanshi, I have no grudge against you, nor do I wish to have one. Just stay away from Nayan. I've heard he hovers around you quite a bit. You managed to escape Parth that day, but I'm far more dangerous. So stick to your purpose study. That's what you came here for."
She smiled sweetly and stepped back.
Vedanshi's eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Sanjana. Now she understood why people called her psycho and the goat analogy made perfect sense. Was she the goat now? But she said nothing and walked ahead.
Just as they stepped outside the door, Parth and Parthavi arrived on a bike. They hadn't yet noticed Vedanshi and her friends but Vedanshi and her group had definitely seen them.
"What the hell are they doing here?" Nikhil exclaimed.
"Don't tell me Parth followed Vedanshi here," Sagar muttered.
"Vedanshi, we don't call you 'Khajoor' for nothing," Akshay said, playfully tapping Sagar on the head. Sagar rubbed his scalp with a wince.
"She's crazy! Who'd bring that drama queen along just to follow Vedanshi?" he muttered.
"Well, you're not wrong," Sagar replied.
"Enough, you two. Just walk straight out. We have nothing to do with them. No need to even look their way. Let's go," Vedanshi said firmly, striding ahead.
Just then, Parth and Parthavi began walking toward them from the other side. They too looked surprised, as if trying to figure out what this group was doing here.