Chapter 2: Set Up
The car, a battered old sedan, groaned as Ravi navigated it up the winding mountain road. The radio hummed softly, playing a tune that was vaguely familiar yet difficult to place. The windows were rolled down, letting in the crisp, pine-scented air, a stark contrast to the stale atmosphere inside the car.
Kavya, wedged into the backseat between Vikas and Raj, was trying her best to ignore the cramp forming in her leg. She looked out at the passing landscape, the vibrant greens and blues blurring into a watercolor painting.
Vikas, beside her, was engrossed in his phone, his thumb swiping absently across the screen. Kavya sighed, turning her attention back to the front of the car. Ravi was in his element, driving with one hand on the wheel, the other gesturing wildly as he regaled them with stories from his last backpacking trip.
"…and then, out of nowhere, this massive stag just appears, right in the middle of the trail! I swear, I thought I was a goner," he laughed, glancing back at Kavya and Raj. "You two should've seen it.
Kavya here, frozen like a statue, and Vikas, well, he was busy trying to climb a tree!" Ravi chuckled, his eyes catching Kavya's in the rearview mirror. She felt her cheeks flush at the memory, and she playfully punched Vikas' arm.
"Hey, in my defense, I've never been that close to a wild animal before," Vikas protested, rubbing his arm. Raj let out a hearty laugh from the passenger seat.
"Yeah, yeah, we know. City boy and all that," he teased, winking at Kavya.