That Familiar Sound!

Reha trod cautiously, stooping low, careful not to bump into any low lying branch. The dark of the night couldn’t deter her. Though she had a torch, it just made a halo of light where it was projected to and all she could see were tiny bushes and plants. Not the source of the sound she was after...

Reha was out with her friends, Heera and Seema on a camping night. All was fun. They had laid out their tents, set up a bonfire, and had their dinner of instant noodles and a few fruits. They had just settled in the tent...when...

“What’s that?” asked Reha, “What’s what?” chorused Heera and Seema. “Jinx,” they said and started laughing. “Shh shh” said Reha “Stop shhushing us and say what it is” said Seema. “If you can stop talking, then I could listen” shrugged Reha. “What...” Heera was about to say something, but Reha was already walking out of the tent with a tiny torch in her hand.

“Wait” screamed Seema and Heera together. But Reha wouldn’t listen; she was out, curiously following the source of the sound.

Now, as she was in the deep jungle all alone, the sound was crystal clear, she could hear it but wasn’t able to identify it. She just knew she had listened to it earlier but was not able to recollect. It was the known sound in the unknown jungle that was driving her to follow it.

 “Where am I going?” Reha questioned herself she wanted to turn and rush back to the tent but the sound wouldn’t let her. She wanted to look up at the clear night sky and enjoy the sparkling stars but the sound wouldn’t allow her. She just couldn’t, the sound was drawing her towards itself. She knew she had to do something to stop it, but she was in a daze, she didn’t know what to do, the sound was growing louder, louder, louder.....ahhh!!

“Reha, why can’t you turn off that alarm clock of yours by yourself”, it was Reha’s mother. “It is 6:30 already get up, don’t you want to get ready for the camping night of yours”?

 “Oh yes Mom, I want to,” said Reha stretching her words also along with her hands. She got up and hugged her “Thanks for turning off the alarm Mom.”

Reha got ready early, she ensured that she had kept the tent; Heera arrived with a bag full of fruits along with the essentials. Reha couldn’t stop smiling seeing the fruits. Seema was the last one to come, “Hey Seema, so you carrying Instant noodle?” asked Reha, Seema nodded and said, “Yes, our dinner tonight!” The three girls grinned and set out together looking forward to an eventful night.

“Wait, wait” cried Reha, “I am forgetting something”, she checked her backpack, “Of course, my tiny torch” she remembered to pack it in. “And something else, Oh yes! I have to disable the alarm setting from the clock!” Seema and Heera looked at her confused.