Arshi FF: Jeene Laga Hoon (NOTE pg. 68) - Page 4

The gang had decided to stay in a lodge for the night, since heading out to the campsite at this hour could prove to be fatal. The lodge owner had only one room left, saying that many people were visiting Manali at this time. The six of them decided to take the place, reasoning that something was better than nothing. The elderly man, who was sitting on his stool, plopped down and grabbed his cane that was hanging on the edge of the table. As he took two steps, Khushi stopped him and stated that they would go to their room on their own and that there was no need for him to go through the trouble. Although the man was hesitant he saw the girl's companions agree that they could make it to the room. He smiled and nodded, handing Khushi the keys in the process.

The group found the room with no trouble at all. Khushi, who had the keys, opened the door and stepped in first. She flipped the light switch on and found that the room was quite large. Two of the room's four walls were floor-to-ceiling windows. Because it was night, the view was not clearly visible. Against one of the window walls was a large couch and a recliner adjacent to it. Against the long, solid wall were two queen-sized beds with large blue comforters neatly folded on them. Everyone else had now entered the room to gaze at the simplicity yet perfection of the room. The bathroom, which Akash glanced in, was actually quite modern with a large glass shower and sleek features. As they threw their bags in a pile in an empty corner of the room, the group silently realized that there were only two beds, and they would now have to decide who slept where. It was almost midnight, and they wanted to get some sleep before waking up early to head out to the campsite. So if they wanted any sleep, which from the looks of it they all wanted, they were all going to have to come to an agreement and soon.

"So who is sleeping where?" Arnav asked as he stretched.

"Well there are six of us," Payal said. "So two people can sleep on each bed. One person will have to sleep on the recliner while another person gets the couch."

Akash spoke up, "Why don't we give the ladies the beds?"

"Well one of us would have to sleep with one of you," Lavanya said to Akash. "And I'm sure none of us are comfortable with that."

"Well how about two guys get one bed, then two girls get the other bed?" Arnav suggested. "Then only one of us and one of you will get the couch and recliner."

"Sounds fair," NK said. "But the question is: who?"

There was a moment of silence as everyone looked at each other. The tension began building up until it burst in one moment. NK, Akash, Lavanya, and Payal ran two the beds and jumped on them. As they landed, they noticed that they weren't piled on each other or getting pushed off. However, Lavanya ended up on the same bed as NK and Payal on the other bed with Akash. In the midst of it all, they hadn't decided which bed was for the guys and which one for the girls.

Seeing Lavanya in the same bed as him, NK yelled with a horrified look on his face, "AAAHHH! What are you doing in my bed?!"

"Your bed?!" she retorted. "I don't see your name on it! This is my bed!"

"I don't think so! I'm already in the blanket," NK quickly wrapped the comforter around him. "There is no way I am giving up my spot."

Lavanya laughed and raised her eyebrow playfully, "Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

Lavanya grabbed the pillow and began beating him with it. NK let out small yelps as she hit him over and over again, both of them laughing at the same time. Payal and Akash, who were embarrassed to find themselves in the same bed, saw the commotion next to them and grinned simultaneously.

Payal grabbed a pillow and stood up on the bed, "Attack Nandkishore!"

She jumped onto the other bed and began beating NK, who was laying on his stomach and hiding beneath the covers. Between the gentle blows he yelled out for help.

"Akash...Nan...av...hel-p! Girls! Attacking! Me! Not! In! Good! Way!" NK shouted.

But no one came to save him. Instead, they were all laughing away at the scene. Eventually, NK wiggled off the bed and crawled over next to Akash, who was leaning against the headboard. NK put his face on the pillow and mumbled something.

"What did you say?" Akash asked.

NK pointed a finger at him and said, "I will remember this."

Arnav and Khushi, who were watching them, glanced over at each other.

"You take the couch and I'll take the recliner?" Arnav asked.

Khushi nodded in agreement. As they both grabbed blankets for themselves, NK, Payal, Lavanya, and Akash stared at them with mouths agape. They just casually decided where they were going to sleep without even getting into a battle to the death like NK and Lavanya. How was it so simple for them?

"Aren't you guys going to argue and try to take the bed?" Payal asked.

Arnav and Khushi both laughed and shook their heads in unison, "No!"

"Payal, you can have the bed," Khushi said. "La kicks in her sleep anyways. I'd like to make it to the campsite without any pains in my back."

"And I will never sleep with NK again," Arnav said. "Last time I woke up to find him hugging me!"

Lavanya stifled a laugh.

Arnav glared at her, "It's not funny. There was drool...in my ear...for two days!"

NK looked at him innocently, "It was an accident."

Akash looked from NK to Arnav, then said, "...Maybe I should've just taken the couch."

Arnav hopped on the recliner and reclined back, "Too late."

Payal yawned and covered herself with a blanket, "Let's just get some sleep."

It wasn't even five minutes that passed before the voices quieted and the even breathing of the six friends filled the room. They were all too tired to even change out of their clothes. The mishap in town had exhausted them, not to mention the train ride to Manali was no picnic. NK was already spooning Akash, who was too tired to even notice. Lavanya was huddled in a corner of the bed while Payal sprawled herself on the mattress. Her leg was plopped on Lavanya's. Arnav laid on the recliner, with the blanket covering just his legs. His arms were behind his head. Khushi was completely knocked out on the couch covering herself completely with the blanket. Although they were all used to the hustle and bustle sounds of Delhi nightlife, the silence of Manali was comforting all the same.

~

The following morning brought about the break of dawn and a newfound determination from the group. The much-needed sleep strengthened the weary travelers as their new mission began. Everyone quickly showered and changed before heading out to the campsite. They managed to hitch another ride, thanks to Lavanya, and reached the forest within thirty minutes. After that, the route to the spot had to be taken on foot. Despite the long walk into the dense forest, the view became well worth it. The private campsite, which was completely alienated from all other campers, was located directly next to the lake. The morning sunlight glistened on the water, reflecting brightly beyond compare. The gentle breeze created small waves, caressing the foot of the wooden dock into the small lake. The trees that cocooned their site sheltered them while the leaves danced in the wind, welcoming them all. The sun just passed the peak of the mountains, signifying the new day.

"Wow, this spot is amazing," Lavanya said.

"Nice job on choosing the destination," Payal added.

"Thank you. Should we set up camp?"

"Yeah, if we do it quickly then we could probably go on a small hike," Akash said. "You know? Check out the surroundings?"

"Sounds like a plan," NK said. "I want to enjoy every moment, so let's not waste it by just sitting around."

The girls began setting up their tent while the guys set up theirs. It didn't take long for them to hammer their ropes down and secure their tents. The gentle breeze did cause one of the ropes on the girl's tent loose, but the guys managed to help fasten it to the ground. If strong winds managed to arrive late in the night, neither of their shelters would falter. To make sure that they wouldn't have to go into the forest in the middle of the night, the girls went and brought wood for a bonfire that they would most likely light that night. The guys, in the meantime, rolled two, large logs for sitting to the site and placed them around the hole they dug for the campfire they would have later.

After a quick snack, they went on their short hike around the surroundings. The mountain pass nearest to them had a barely noticeable windy path that showed signs of previous use. As they took the road most traveled, they caught glimpses of various birds and even some deer that were casually strolling along like them. The sun peaked through the branches of leaves overhead, creating streaks of sunlight that guided them. There was a small, steady incline as they continued through the forest, showing that they were slowly climbing the smaller of the many mountains around them. But no one really seemed to notice. They were each laughing and cracking jokes on each other along the way.

NK took a stick and tossed at Lavanya and Payal, pretending it was a snake. The fake hissing sound he made caused them to scream loudly, and when they found out that it was NK, they slapped his arms. Arnav was busy taking photos of the scenery and his friends. He was walking ahead of them all, capturing shots of the lake view between the trees, the birds that swooped down on the ground, the deer that gazed back at him, and much more. He even snapped a photo of Payal and Lavanya chasing after NK to hit him. Arnav looked over to his side and found Akash and Khushi conversing with each other. He took one quick shot of the two chasmishs' conversing before continuing forward, letting the two continue their conversation.

"Are trips like these something you guys do a lot?" Khushi asked.

"Not really," Akash responded honestly as he put his hands in his jean pockets. "We usually just hang out around Delhi. We went to Goa once. That was...interesting."

"Interesting how?"

"That's when NK drooled in Bhai's ear."

Khushi laughed.

"The funny thing is, NK was on the sofa when we went to bed. How he ended up in Bhai's bed...I will never know."

"That must have been some trip."

"Oh it was. But that may be the only crazy trip we've ever gone on. I was a little uncomfortable with it, to be honest. I'm not used to such settings."

"Neither am I."

Akash looked at her, "So do you go on trips like this with Lavanya often?"

"No," Khushi replied. "This is actually the first time."

"Is it just that she didn't invite you?"

"No, it's just that I've been very busy. I almost didn't come on this trip, but Lavanya was really persistent this time."

"Why did you almost not come?"

"I have so much studying to do. I have my exams for Med school coming up

and-."

"Oh, so you want to be a doctor?"

Khushi nodded.

Akash smiled, "So can you check my jaw to make sure it isn't broken after yesterday?"

Khushi and Akash both laughed. Akash was a sweet guy, and she could tell he was also trying to come out of his shell like her. Compared to Arnav and NK, he was very shy. But just like her, he was trying to ease his tension by trying to talk to the others. Khushi felt like she could relate to him, and it made it easier for her to become friends with him.

Akash finally stopped laughing. As he did, he tripped on a tree root and fell forward. Khushi tried to grab him, but by the time she caught his arm, he was already on the ground. He let out a grunt as he felt something stab his hand he used to support himself. Arnav heard the sound of the thud first. He stopped and turned around to find Khushi kneeling down next to Akash, who had extended his hand out to her. Lavanya, Payal, and NK walked over and stood behind Khushi. As Arnav reach them, he knelt down to see what had happened. There was a cut on the palm of Akash's hand, not deep but long as it almost went from one end of his palm to the other.

"Don't worry," Khushi said as she examined the wound. "It's not deep. You must've just scraped it against some rough bark."

"Why am I the one always getting hurt on this trip?" Akash questioned as he chuckled.

NK rubbed his arms, and looked at Lavanya and Payal, "Believe me, Akash. It's not just you."

Khushi looked at Arnav next to her, "Do you have some water and a first-aid kit?"

Arnav nodded, "There's not much in it. It's just a small one."

"It's fine. I'll make it work. I remember a few things from my Pre-Med classes."

Arnav opened his backpack and pulled out a small container and a bottle of water. After pushing her glasses up to the bridge of her nose, Khushi poured some water on Akash's wound and began plastering it up with a bandage she found in the first-aid kit. As she carefully wrapped the hand, the rest of the gang quietly watched the spectacle. Arnav paid close attention to the way Khushi was completely focused on the task at hand. It was as if everything around her had just vanished and the only thing in existence was the wound that she felt she needed to tend to. She had said she had taken some pre-med classes, right? So she wants to be a doctor...already looks like she's going to be a good one.

Khushi completed tending to Akash's wound and said, "There. It should be fine."

"Wow," NK said. "We have a doctor amongst us."

Lavanya laughed, "She is studying to be a doctor, NK."

"No way! Well, at least if Lavanya tries to kill me during this trip I won't have to go far for medical attention."

Khushi smiled, "I'm not a doctor yet, Nanhe."

"Awww you called me Nanhe!" NK chuckled. "And you're not a doctor yet, but you're more of a doctor than any of us. Doctor Chasmish!"

Payal extended her hand out to Akash. With his uninjured hand, he was pulled up by her.

"You okay?" Payal asked concerned. "How does it feel?"

"Not bad actually," Akash replied with a smile.

He fisted and unfisted his injured hand, and found that it wasn't paining. Akash and Payal began continuing the hike. Lavanya and NK followed in suit. As Khushi stood up and began walking, she felt a sudden tug on her hand. She stopped and turned around to find Arnav holding her wrist. He stood up and smiled at her, that type of smile that made girls blush. And Khushi was no different. She gave him a questioning look.

"I know he didn't say it, but you deserve to hear it," Arnav said. "Thanks for helping Akash."

"It's no problem," Khushi managed to say.

Arnav let go of her wrist, "Come on. Let's catch up to them. I have a feeling NK may need medical attention if he doesn't stop messing with La."

Khushi giggled and nodded. She and Arnav began walking side-by-side. They eventually caught up to the rest of their friends, but they continued to walk next to each other. Khushi watched as Akash and Payal began talking to each other, Akash managing to get her to laugh multiple times. Lavanya and NK seemed to patch up because now he was giving her a piggy back ride while she pointed in the direction she wanted him to go. Khushi glanced over at Arnav to find him amused by his friends' antics. She couldn't help the smile that crept onto her face as she looked at him and then at both her old and new friends.