Vikram leaned forward, his eyes filled with curiosity, and asked, “So, what did you call us here to discuss?” The question seemed to hit Pavan like a gust of wind, shaking him out of his reverie and forcing him to confront the very thing he’d been avoiding. His heart raced, pounding against his ribcage as if it wanted to escape. For a brief moment, he wanted to retreat, to keep it all inside. But no—there was no running away now. He inhaled deeply, steadying himself.
Whatever happens, happens, he thought, attempting to calm the storm brewing inside him. With a quiet resolve, Pavan stood up, his face masking the inner turmoil as he gazed at the sky. The evening sun was beginning its slow descent, casting a soft, golden light that bathed the world in warmth. The sky had turned into a canvas of orange and pink hues, each stroke of color reflecting off the tranquil surface of the valley below. It was the kind of beauty that could make anyone pause and forget their troubles, if only for a moment.
Pavan, lost in the fleeting beauty of the moment, took another deep breath, then turned to his friends with a quiet determination in his voice. “Follow me.”
Vikram, sensing the gravity of the situation, didn’t ask any more questions. He stood up silently, following Pavan without hesitation. Krishna, on the other hand, wasn’t so quick to comply. “Wait, hold on!” he shouted, scrambling to his feet. “Pavan! Where are we going? And seriously, if this is about that stupid mistake earlier, I already said I’m sorry! What more do you want?” His voice was tinged with nervousness, but neither Pavan nor Vikram responded. They just kept walking, their steps steady and sure, as if Krishna’s complaints didn’t even reach their ears.
Frustrated, Krishna stumbled after them, muttering to himself, but he couldn’t shake the growing unease inside him. It wasn’t just the lack of answers—it was where they were headed. The cliffside. The very thought made Krishna shudder.
Soon, they reached the cliff's edge, where the ground fell away into a vast, breathtaking panorama of the valley below. Krishna’s nerves flared, his voice trembling as he asked, “Why are we here? Near this… uh, giant drop?” His unease was evident, but again, no answer came from the other two.
Pavan moved closer to the edge, sitting down with his legs dangling over the precipice, staring out into the horizon. Vikram joined him quietly, both of them mesmerized by the breathtaking view below—a serene valley painted in the golden hues of sunset. The crystal-clear lake reflected the fading sunlight, like a vast mirror of molten gold, shimmering as if it held the secrets of the world. The green fields beyond were swaying gently, their patterns forming a patchwork of life and beauty. And in the distance, an enchanted train—one that seemingly defied the laws of nature—glided over the valley, laying down magical tracks that disappeared as quickly as they appeared. The entire scene was otherworldly, like a dream suspended in time.
Krishna, however, could not appreciate the beauty. His anxiety grew, as he awkwardly crouched down, trying to stay as far from the edge as possible. “Guys, I’m serious. I said I’m sorry. Can we please go somewhere less... fatal?”
Vikram shot him a sharp look, silently telling him to stop. The intensity of Vikram’s gaze was enough to make Krishna fall silent, guilt replacing his fear. He reluctantly sat down beside them, now completely on edge.
For a while, the three friends sat in silence, the weight of the moment hanging over them like a dense fog. Pavan finally broke the silence, his voice soft but carrying the weight of his confession. “I’m going to Triveni Gurukul.”
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The words fell like stones into a still pond, sending ripples through the quiet. Vikram and Krishna froze, stunned into silence. They stared at Pavan, their disbelief evident in their wide eyes. Pavan continued, his voice barely above a whisper, “Remember how we all took the entrance exam for Triveni? Well... I passed.” His hands trembled slightly, but he pressed on, his voice faltering as he mentioned his family. “My mom... she’s so proud. She wants me to go, just like my brother, Govind. She’s already made up her mind.”
For a moment, it felt as though the world had stopped. The quiet stretched on, and Pavan braced himself for the backlash—the protests, the anger, the pleas for him to stay. But none came. Instead, what followed caught him completely off guard.
Both Vikram and Krishna, after a brief silence, suddenly broke into wide, gleeful grins. Before Pavan could process what was happening, they tackled him, pulling him down into the grass with them. “Are you serious?!” Vikram shouted, his voice filled with an excitement that echoed through the valley. Krishna laughed uncontrollably, joining in on the playful attack.
Pavan’s immediate reaction wasn’t joy—it was terror. “You idiots! We’re going to fall off the cliff!” he shouted, trying to wriggle free from their grip.
But instead of fear, laughter filled the air. The tension that had loomed over them like a dark cloud burst, replaced by the simple, childlike joy that only comes with lifelong friendship. They wrestled in the grass, laughing until their sides hurt, rolling away from the cliff’s edge and into safer ground.
As they finally caught their breath, Pavan sat up, shaking his head in disbelief. “You guys are celebrating that I’m leaving? What kind of friends are you?”
Vikram, still grinning, sat beside him and clapped a hand on his shoulder. “We’re not celebrating that you’re leaving, idiot. We’re just excited. You’re going to do something amazing!” Krishna, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes, nodded. “Yeah, man! Besides, who knows, maybe you’ll finally learn how to think like Vikram,” he teased.
The playful banter carried on for a few moments before Vikram’s tone grew more serious. “But wait—are you really not joking? You’re actually going to Triveni?”
Pavan nodded, brushing off the dirt from his clothes. “Yeah, it’s real. I’m going,” he said, and for the first time, he felt a sense of finality in those words. But then something struck him, and he looked at Krishna with a raised eyebrow. “Wait a minute… when you said ‘me too,’ did you mean you passed the entrance exam too?”
Krishna, now defensive, crossed his arms. “I mean… I could have passed. But let’s not talk about how much or how little I answered on that test!” he blurted out, clearly trying to deflect. Vikram shook his head in disbelief, smirking. “You really left the sheet blank, didn’t you?”
Pavan’s eyes widened. “Wait… we all left our answer sheets blank? How is it possible that any of us passed?” His confusion mirrored on their faces. They sat there, dumbfounded.
Vikram sighed. “Yeah, I don’t get it either. But I got the acceptance letter this morning. That’s why I’ve been so nervous all day.” Krishna chimed in, “Same here. My dad got a letter too. I thought maybe he pulled some strings, but now it looks like we all somehow made it.”
For a moment, Pavan sat there in stunned silence, trying to absorb the impossible truth. Then, slowly, a grin spread across his face. “So… we’re all going to Triveni Gurukul. Together?”
Krishna nodded enthusiastically. “Seems like it.”
The realization hit them like a bolt of lightning. Pavan jumped to his feet, laughing uncontrollably. “We’re all going to Triveni together!” Their laughter echoed through the valley as they embraced, celebrating the unexpected twist of fate that had brought them here.
As the evening deepened into night, the three friends began their walk back to the village, their spirits light and their hearts filled with excitement for what lay ahead. They joked and laughed, planning their new adventure as the stars began to twinkle in the sky above them.
Just as they neared the temple, something strange caught their attention. A flash of light burst from the forest behind the mountains, illuminating the night sky. The ground trembled beneath their feet, a low rumble following in the distance. They stopped, looking at each other with wide eyes before turning toward the forest, their previous joy now replaced with uncertainty.
“What… was that?” Vikram whispered, his voice tinged with both awe and fear.
The peaceful night had suddenly shifted, the stillness replaced by a sense of foreboding. Whatever was happening, they knew it was only the beginning of something much larger, something that would change everything.
Without saying a word, they exchanged glances, silently agreeing to fac
e whatever was coming—together.
To be continued.........