Just then, Mithil's voice broke the silence behind him. "Nayan, I think something's burning here."
Startled, Nayan looked around quickly, then turned to Mithil with questioning eyes. Mithil burst into laughter.
Nayan scowled.
"What's the matter, brother?" Mithil teased, lounging on the chair with his hands behind his head. "Why are you burning up inside without even smoking? Not even ten cigarettes could torch a heart the way watching that guy did to yours."
"What are you trying to say?" Nayan asked, placing his hands on his waist.
"That's what happens when the heart gets involved," Mithil said, spinning in his chair with a wink. "The mind stops working. Logic goes out the window."
"Everyone here's gone mad," Nayan muttered, rifling through a file and running a hand through his hair. He didn't even know why he was angry, he just was. Mithil continued to smile faintly.
"What now? Why are you flashing those teeth at me?" Nayan snapped. "And clean that green veggie stuck between them first."
Mithil quickly shut his mouth.
"Brother, work will always be there," Mithil said, rising and draping an arm over Nayan's shoulder. "But you've got to lighten your heart sometimes. Burning it alone won't help."
"I've got more than enough work," Nayan replied, shrugging Mithil off. "And why would I burn my heart? My research is still incomplete. I need to focus. Now get out."
Mithil stumbled slightly but grinned. "Alright, I'm going. But if you ever feel like burning your heart again, just call me. I'll keep a pack of cigarettes ready."
With a dramatic flourish, Mithil exited the room. Nayan shook his head and glanced out the window one last time before burying himself in his work.
By six in the evening, Vedanshi and her friends had reached Sanjana's house. The mayor was home too, though his health had been declining lately. Most responsibilities had fallen to Sanjana. Parth and Parthavi were already there, waiting.
As soon as they stepped inside, they saw Sanjana and Parthavi seated on the sofa.
"Come in, come in! We've been waiting for you with bated breath," Sanjana said with a sharp edge of sarcasm, her eyes scanning them coolly. Vedanshi and her friends paused in place, unsure whether to smile or retreat.
Just then, Manan, the house help, arrived with a tray of tea, as if it had been prepared in anticipation.
"Please, have a seat," Sanjana said, her voice now butter-smooth. One by one, they settled onto the sofa.
"Well, I don't usually have time for such trivial matters," Sanjana began, sipping her tea with practiced elegance, "but since you students have come with such earnest requests, I didn't want to disappoint you. I've spoken to a few recycling plants. I can help get the plastic there, but the collection from here, that's your responsibility. I'll arrange a location for you. You'll have to manage it yourselves."
After a brief discussion and sorting out the logistics, Vedanshi and her friends stepped outside.
Parthavi had turned her face away, clearly uninterested. But Parth, who was making coffee for himself in the kitchen, had heard every word.
Once the group had left, Parthavi snapped, "Di, why are you even helping them? You could've just let it go."
Sanjana gave her a crooked smile.
"You really think I did this without calculating the benefits? First of all, if they stay busy here, they'll stay away from Parth and Nayan. And second, don't underestimate Sagar, Parthavi. Even if I hadn't helped, that boy would've found a way. He's a master of jugaad. I can't afford to ruin my image in his eyes. I'll need him soon. Sanjana Rathore never makes a losing deal," she said, her pride unmistakable.
Meanwhile, just as Vedanshi and her friends stepped out of the gate, Nikhil muttered, "Well, we're dead now."
"Hey! I haven't even finished my studies or gotten married yet, and you're already talking about dying?" Sagar said, smacking Nikhil on the head.
"Look ahead!" Nikhil winced, rubbing the spot where Sagar had hit him.
They all turned their gaze forward and their eyes widened.
"Oh no. We're actually dead. The living ghosts have reappeared!" Vedanshi gasped. "Hide! Quick! Find a place to hide!"
Panic spread like wildfire.
Nikhil and Sagar dove behind the lush decorative plants to the left. Akshay ducked behind a bench nearby. Vedanshi, unable to find a proper hiding spot, slipped behind a large ornamental tree on the right though its trunk was far too slim to offer real cover.
"Oh God. Everyone says Nayan sir doesn't live with Sanjana ma'am, and yet every time we come here, he's lurking around," Vedanshi muttered to herself, her voice trembling.
She squeezed her eyes shut in fear, then slowly turned her head and cracked one eye open. No one was there.
"Thank God. I think he is gone," Vedanshi whispered, exhaling deeply as she glanced toward the bushes where her friends were hiding.
But the moment she lifted her head, she let out a loud scream and stumbled backward, landing flat on the soft grass. Her hand clutched her chest as she gasped for breath, eyes locked on the very tree she had been hiding behind.
Because right there, arms folded and gaze fixed, stood Nayan, staring directly at her.
Her friends collectively smacked their foreheads.
"Why did she choose that tree?" Sagar muttered under his breath. "The trunk's so thin, even a lizard couldn't hide behind it."
"Everyone out," Nayan barked, eyes still pinned on Vedanshi. "I'm not here to play hide-and-seek."
One by one, heads bowed in shame, the rest emerged from their hiding spots. Nikhil had a small scratch on his hand from the bush, and Akshay was rubbing his forehead where he'd bumped into the bench. At that moment, if a stranger had walked by, they'd have mistaken the group for petty thieves. Nayan shook his head slightly. Sagar, Akshay, and Nikhil walked up and stood before him.
"Should I get you a mattress and blanket too?" Nayan said dryly, looking down at Vedanshi, who was still on the grass. One hand was braced behind her, the other still pressed to her chest. Her knees were slightly bent, and though her breathing had calmed, the ghost, very much alive, was still looming over her.
"Now tell me," Nayan demanded, with suspicion in his voice. "What exactly are you all doing here? And if you're here for something, why were you sneaking around like burglars? What's going on? Speak up."
"Sir, we were just… um… getting some… air…" Sagar stammered, but Nayan cut him off mid-sentence.
"Oh, so you broke into someone's property for fresh air? And what kind of special breeze were you expecting behind those bushes, under that bench, and behind this tree? Do you think I'm stupid? What kind of scheme are you cooking up?"
The group stared at the ground, silently praying for the earth to swallow them whole.
"Scheme? Oh yes! Khichdi!" Akshay suddenly exclaimed. "Maria must've made khichdi for Vedanshi. Come on, Vedanshi, you weren't feeling well, remember? Let's go. Maria must've finished cooking by now."
Without waiting for a response, Akshay grabbed Vedanshi's hand and whisked her away toward the gate. Sagar and Nikhil watched them go, utterly bewildered.
Neither of them had the faintest clue what had just happened.
"You must be craving khichdi now too, right? Then go quickly," Nayan said, his tone dry but pointed.
"Y-yes… I mean… no… Sir… khichdi… D…yes, yes!" stammered Sagar and Nikhil, before darting off like startled deer.
Nayan watched them leave, muttering under his breath, "Always accusing me of hovering around Sanjana. As if I have nothing better to do. Hmph." With that, he turned and walked back inside.
Outside, the moment the group regrouped, the blame game began.
"This is all your fault, Vedanshi! You chose to hide behind that skinny tree. Seriously, don't flatter yourself thinking you're that slim and trim," Sagar snapped.
"What do you mean I'm not slim and trim?" Vedanshi shot back. "There was nothing else around to hide behind! And you, weren't you the first to bolt like lightning?"
"Well, we got caught, didn't we?" Sagar grumbled. "Sir really is a living ghost. Honestly, I think he might be an alien sent to spy on Earth."
"Oh yeah?" Vedanshi said, raising an eyebrow. "And of all places on Earth, he chose Nagot Town to spy on and that too, Sanjana Ma'am?"
Sagar rolled his eyes. "Exactly. Makes perfect sense."
"Alright, guys," Akshay interjected. "Before the ghost reappears, let's all head back to our respective hideouts."
"You three go to your hideouts. I've got to get to the restaurant," Vedanshi said, striding off with purpose.
"That girl… her brain always runs in reverse," Sagar muttered, shaking his head as he watched her disappear around the corner.