Chapter 54 - Ripples After the Hills

📅 October 14 – Devgarh & Nandanpur

Morning Ride to School

The sun had barely risen, yet the eight of them were already on the scooters, weaving through wet paddy fields.

Ishanvi drove with Vrinda behind her, Raghav followed with Vivaan, and Abhay led with Vaidehi and Aariv. Simran rode with Meera, enjoying the morning breeze.

"Did anyone else feel… weird after the hills?" Simran asked, tightening her scarf.

Ishanvi glanced at Abhay. "Weird how?"

"The air felt different," Simran continued. "Like the wind was… alive."

Abhay frowned, but didn't reply. He, too, had felt it — a faint pull, almost like Sudarshini itself was whispering to him.

School Hallway Unease

By the time they reached Devgarh High, the hallways buzzed with chatter about the upcoming sports event and recent Navratri celebrations.

Yet Ishanvi couldn't focus. Every step she took, the floor beneath her seemed slightly warmer — just a whisper, but enough to make her pause.

Abhay, walking ahead, noticed the fountain near the school gate. Water rippled upward unnaturally as he passed, forming tiny circles, then settling back without explanation.

He clenched his fists, confused.

Simran, walking behind, noticed both incidents — and for the first time, realized something extraordinary was happening around them.

Science Lab Incident

During Physics, the class performed an experiment with electricity and water.

Abhay leaned over a beaker to adjust a tube, and the water inside suddenly surged, spilling over slightly — though no one had touched it.

Ishanvi, standing near the Bunsen burner, felt her palm heat as if the flame had leapt onto her skin. She jerked back, knocking over a test tube — but it didn't break. Instead, a small glow lingered where it fell.

Both froze. Teachers glanced briefly, assuming accidents, but the group exchanged nervous glances.

After School Ride Home

The ride back was quiet. The sun dipped low, casting long shadows across the wet roads.

Ishanvi's hands trembled slightly on the handlebars. "Do you feel it too?" she whispered to Abhay.

He didn't answer at first. The river in the distance glimmered strangely in the twilight. Its surface seemed to shift, almost as if it was alive, watching, waiting.

Finally, he nodded. "Yeah… something's changing."

Vrinda leaned forward, asking, "Changing how?"

Abhay shook his head. "I don't know. But it's stronger… and it's waking up."

Simran, holding onto Meera, whispered quietly to herself:

"Whatever this is… it's bigger than them. And maybe bigger than all of us."

As the scooters disappeared into the village, the Sudarshini's waters reflected the sunset — two faint glimmers pulsing in rhythm, one red, one blue, hinting at the fire and water that were slowly stirring within Ishanvi and Abhay.