Chapter 2 – The Hill Station Trip (VELMOOR PG)

The hill station trip wasn’t planned at all; it was just one spontaneous decision when Aira, Zaina, Renzo, Aizen, Noxen and Vorin said, “Chalo, hill station chalte hain,” and left in the middle of the night on their two-wheelers. The city was quiet, the roads nearly empty, and the cold breeze made the ride feel almost dreamy. They stopped for chai at a small stall, clicked random photos, joked around, raced each other for fun, and kept enjoying the climb as the air grew colder and cleaner. Aira laughed and talked like everyone else, but somewhere deep inside, a strange heaviness lingered—a feeling she couldn’t understand or explain. They didn’t stay long after reaching; they sat for a bit, watched the sky slowly lighten into early morning, and then began preparing for the ride back.

As they began riding down the hill, Aira sat with Aizen driving the bike and Renzo sitting behind her, the three of them balancing and laughing as the morning cold brushed past. Everything felt normal until Aira glanced toward the roadside and suddenly stiffened; that same man stood there again—silent, still, emotionless—watching her just like before. A strange chill went through her. “Aizen… slow down,” she said quietly, but he didn’t catch her voice. She tightened her grip on his shoulder and repeated sharply, “Aizen, slow! Accident hoga.” Something in her tone made him immediately reduce the speed, and barely a few seconds later, they reached a curve where a car had crashed, glass scattered and people rushing to help. Renzo instinctively tightened his hold on her waist, shocked at how close they had been to reaching that exact spot at that exact moment.

Aira didn’t speak for a long minute, her heartbeat still unsettled. When they finally crossed the accident site, she exhaled and said slowly, “I saw someone… that man again.” Aizen looked at her through the mirror, confused, asking if someone was standing on the road. Aira nodded and told him, “Same man… same way… just staring.” Aizen felt uneasy, but Renzo behind her didn’t say a single word. He stayed completely silent—too silent—as if the moment had shaken him far more than he was willing to admit.