The city welcomed them back with the familiar chaos—honking vehicles, dusty streets, and the rush of life moving on. It was a strange contrast to the haunting silence of Shimla's hills.
As the girls stepped off the bus, their group chat buzzed again for the first time in days.
Swara: "Home sweet home."
Akshada: "But still feels like something's missing."
Prajwal: "Shimla changed us. We'll never be the same."
Classes resumed quickly. Teachers loaded them with assignments, test dates were announced, and students returned to gossiping and racing each other for top ranks. Yet for Prajwal and the others, everything felt... slower. Different.
In the classroom, Apurva and Swarali still sat at their usual spot—front row, notebooks crisp and pens ready. But even they would occasionally look out the window longer than usual.
Rutuja and Khushi didn't giggle over silly things as much. They had grown quieter, more thoughtful.
Akshara—the silly, always-laughing girl—tried her best to bring back her goofy energy. But everyone could tell she now thought twice before cracking a joke.
Anushka and Srushti were still loud, still dramatic—but even their laughter came with a softness it lacked before.
And then there was Prajwal.
She walked into the class, head high as always, cool and mature. But the glint in her eyes had changed. She wasn't just the leader of their group anymore—she was someone who had seen things no one else would believe.
During lunch break, they all gathered on the steps outside the college. Their favorite spot.
Swara said, "Guys, have you realized something? We've faced an actual ghost, survived a haunted hotel, and still managed to finish our assignments."
Akshada laughed, "Maybe we should all get 'survivor' badges."
Prajwal looked at them and smiled, "We survived more than a ghost. We faced our fears, our doubts, our truths. That's something no test or exam can measure."
Swarali nudged Apurva, "So... when are we going back to find that diary?"
Apurva grinned, "After finals. Pinky promise."
The bell rang. As they walked back to class, there was a sense of unspoken understanding between them. They were no longer just classmates or friends. They were sisters bound by a secret trip and a ghost's unfinished story.
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