After talking with Farhan, Aria returned home, her mind still replaying his words. As soon as she reached her room, she picked up her phone and opened the school group chat.
Her fingers moved quickly across the screen as she typed:
> To all Batch 6 students —
Meet at the address below tomorrow morning. Don't be late.
She added the location, then paused for a moment before sending another message directly to Ruby, the Batch 6 leader:
> Ruby, make sure everyone shows up. I'm counting on you to take charge if I'm late.
With that, she placed her phone aside, exhaled deeply, and lay back on her bed. The weight of the day — Farhan's story, her own thoughts, the plans forming in her mind — slowly began to blur as her eyes grew heavy.
Before drifting into sleep, she whispered to herself,
"Tomorrow… everything begins."
The next morning, Aria reached Farhan's house — or rather, the tiny colony where he lived. The houses stood close together, their walls faded but alive with small plants and hanging clothes. The lane was so narrow that even a bike had to squeeze its way through.
To her surprise, all the students she had messaged the night before were already there — including Ruby. Farhan's house was far too small to fit everyone inside, so some of them sat on the doorstep, a few others on the low boundary wall nearby, and a couple perched casually on parked scooters and bicycles along the roadside. Even though the space was cramped, laughter and chatter filled the air, turning the narrow street into something bright and full of life.
Farhan moved between them, balancing a tray of cups and serving tea to everyone with a shy smile. The students sipped happily, teasing and talking. Aria noticed Ashwin sitting on a scooter, waving at her cheerfully — she waved back, smiling.
But her eyes soon found Ruby. She stood off to the side, arms crossed, looking completely out of place. Her expression was twisted with disgust, her gaze sweeping over the tiny houses and narrow street as though she were trapped in a place she didn't belong.
Farhan, ever polite, walked up to her with a small cup of tea. "Here," he said gently.
Ruby looked at the cup, then at him — her expression sharp, almost mocking. The tension was clear even from a few steps away.
Seeing her reaction, Farhan's shoulders slumped. He mumbled a small apology and stepped back, quietly returning to the others.
Aria frowned. She started walking toward them, and the laughter slowly faded as the others noticed her. But before she could speak, Ruby strode up, grabbed Aria's arm, and pulled her aside.
"Why did you bring us here?" Ruby hissed, her tone filled with disgust. "This place is filthy. And who is that kid? He's such an—"
"Enough." Aria's eyes flashed as she interrupted, her voice low but sharp. "Can you, for once, behave like a leader? I made you one because I thought you were brave — someone strong enough to understand people. But right now, you're disappointing me."
Ruby froze, her pride stung. She opened her mouth to respond, but Aria had already turned away, walking back to the group with quiet authority.
Ruby stood still, watching her, her anger burning under the surface as laughter once again filled the narrow street.
Aria smiled as she walked toward the group. The students, still holding their half-finished cups of tea, turned their attention to her instantly — their eyes curious, eager to know what she was about to say.
"Sorry for making you all wait," Aria said with a small smile.
One of the boys sitting on a scooter beside Ashwin waved his hand energetically.
"Hey, that's okay, that's okay! Just tell us — what's the mission today?" he asked, full of enthusiasm.
The others chuckled and joined in, cheering lightly, the mood lively and playful.
Aria grinned. "Actually… there's nothing much to do here," she began. "We'll be heading somewhere else. I just wanted you all here first to help Farhan carry some things from his house — and maybe, you know, blend in with him a little."
Ashwin raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Hey, we already know him, Aria."
"Oh really?" Aria laughed. "Then I guess I should apologize — I keep forgetting that everyone in KHSS somehow knows everyone else."
That made the group burst into laughter. Someone teased, "Yeah, especially you, Aria — you're the one who makes sure of that!"
Aria rolled her eyes but smiled anyway, shaking her head as the teasing continued.
Just then, Farhan appeared from inside the house, carrying a few wooden tools and small boxes tied with string. A couple of students rushed to help him, grabbing what they could. The tools weren't heavy — mostly small hammers, chisels, and carving items — so some of them carried them easily while chatting along the way.
As the group started walking, the narrow street filled again with the sound of footsteps and laughter. Ashwin, as usual, was at the back — hands in his pockets, walking lazily and glancing around at random things.
Aria slowed down her pace until she matched his steps. She looked at him sideways and said, with a playful smile,
"Hey… why do you always walk like someone dragged you into a wedding you didn't want to attend?"
Ashwin smirked, glancing sideways at her.
"You know," he said, "Zorvath told me the exact same thing once — but in a much harsher tone."
Aria laughed. "Did he,.
"Mhm." Ashwin nodded lazily, his lips twitching with amusement.
Aria smiled and then said, "By the way, I've seen your Instagram page. You've got some pretty cool artwork there."
Ashwin raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised. "You… saw that?"
"Of course," Aria said casually, tucking her hair behind her ear. "And that's why I wanted to talk to you. Today, you're going to handle the furniture designs for our café. Farhan already has a few ideas in mind, but while he's working on the clay models, I can't always tell you exactly what to draw. So I'll need you to figure it out from his work — adapt as you see fit."
Ashwin frowned slightly. "Is that really necessary?"
Aria chuckled. "Of course it is. You're good at this — and don't worry, some of the others know a bit of sketching too. But you'll be in charge of the design section. Tomorrow and the day after, the other groups will join us, but you need to come here every day."
Ashwin tilted his head, smiling a little. "So… in Mission Café, I've got an official post, huh?"
Aria gave a satisfied nod. "Exactly."
He grinned. "Then I'll try not to disappoint the boss."
She laughed at that, and together they finally stepped out of the narrow colony lane. The others followed, chattering as they waved to the locals. Soon, they split up into several autorickshaws — Aria riding in one at the front while the rest followed behind her in a small convoy.
After about twenty minutes, the autos stopped — in front of a huge house.
Calling it a mansion wouldn't be an exaggeration; the tall white gates, the glass windows, and the wide lawn made it look straight out of a film set.
The students stepped out, stunned. Some stared with wide eyes, others exchanged whispers.
"Uh… Aria," one of them said, glancing around, "are you sure we're in the right place?"
Ruby, however, looked completely at ease — almost too at home. She tossed her hair and said smugly, "What's there to be surprised about? It's just a house."
Aria smiled and gestured toward the gate. "Yes, of course. Come in."
And with that, she led them through the tall gates, the sound of their footsteps echoing as the team entered the mansion grounds — ready for the next stage of Mission Café.