Morning light spilled through the hotel corridors, painting everything in a soft golden glow, while the noise of rushing footsteps, dragging bags, and excited chatter filled the air.
Students poured out of their rooms, laughing, yawning, stretching, and teasing each other, their energy wild and restless, ready for a full day of travel and chaos.
Outside, the buses waited with engines humming, impatient, like beasts eager to run.
In the middle of the crowd, Aljasheem, Benedict, and Lakshman stood near the entrance, scanning every direction, their eyes searching anxiously.
They checked their phones, looked toward the road, then back at the hotel gate, repeating the cycle again and again.
Yet Shiva was nowhere to be seen.
"He should've been here by now…" Aljasheem muttered.
"Maybe traffic?" Benedict said, though his voice lacked confidence.
Lakshman folded his arms, silent, but his eyes carried unease.
The road stretched endlessly before Shiva, thin and empty, the early morning air still heavy with mist and distant temple bells.
His bike cut through the silence, engine humming steadily, headlights slicing through the fading darkness.
Fields, broken houses, and lonely tea shops blurred past him as he rode forward, focused, calm, and determined.
The wind rushed against his hoodie, tugging at the loose threads, while his mind replayed fragments of the prison meeting — his father's face, his mother's trembling voice, the unshed tears.
He tightened his grip on the handle.
He didn't slow down.
Then…
The engine coughed.
Once.
Twice.
And then — silence.
The bike shuddered violently before rolling forward helplessly, its power completely gone.
Shiva's foot slammed onto the ground, barely steadying the weight.
The sudden quiet felt deafening.
He turned the key again and using kicker again and again.
Nothing.
Not even a spark.
A long breath escaped his lips.
"Tch..."
He looked down at the fuel meter.
Empty.
For a moment, he simply stood there, staring at it.
Then he exhaled slowly, pushing the bike forward, step by heavy step, along the deserted roadside.
The sun slowly climbed above the horizon, painting the sky gold and blood-orange, while Shiva dragged the silent machine behind him like a burden.
Every step burned.
Every breath felt heavy.
Yet his face remained calm.
Far behind him, the hotel and buses waited, sweat trickling down his temple as exhaustion weighed heavy on his body.
The fuel tank was empty, the engine dead, and every step he took felt like punishment for a mistake he never planned.
Yet his face remained calm, jaw clenched, eyes steady, refusing to show weakness.
The hotel slowly came into view, its walls rising before him like a final checkpoint.
Shiva adjusted his hoodie, pulled his gloves tighter, and pushed the bike around the back side of the building, hiding it carefully behind stacked supplies and broken crates.
Then he walked calmly toward the front entrance, controlling his breath.
Near the bus, Professor Rajasekaran stood with a clipboard, counting students, while Franklin Iyer tapped his watch impatiently, irritation visible on his face.
"Is everyone boarded?" Rajasekaran asked sharply.
Franklin Iyer scanned the crowd once more, then shook his head.
Before either could speak again, Riya stepped forward, her expression hesitant.
"Sir… Shiva hasn't come yet."
The moment her words landed, both professors stiffened.
"What do you mean not yet?" Franklin Iyer snapped.
"Where did he go?" Rajasekaran demanded.
Riya hesitated, then answered softly.
"He went out early morning… I don't know where."
The air instantly grew heavier.
Murmurs spread among the students like ripples across water.
"Unbelievable…" Rajasekaran muttered.
"Always these irresponsible students," Franklin Iyer added angrily.
Both of them turned sharply toward the hotel entrance, clearly ready to explode.
Just then, Shiva walked out through the main doors, calm, composed, eyes unreadable.
For a brief second, even the air seemed to pause.
Everyone stared.
"There he is!" someone whispered.
Riya's eyes widened, confusion flickering across her face.
Aljasheem and Benedict exchanged quick glances.
Rajasekaran frowned.
"You were inside the hotel this whole time?"
Shiva nodded slightly, his expression neutral.
"Yes, sir."
Behind him, Lakshman's brows furrowed.
Benedict leaned closer and whispered.
"How did you enter before us?"
Shiva walked past them casually, murmuring under his breath.
"Back entrance."
Their eyes widened, realization dawning slowly.
Riya looked from Shiva to the hotel door again, unsettled, unable to understand how he suddenly appeared from nowhere.
Something about the moment felt… off.
But before she could think further, Franklin Iyer clapped loudly.
"Enough. Everyone board now."
Students rushed toward the buses once more, bags swinging, laughter resuming.
Yet beneath the surface, tension simmered quietly.
Shiva stepped forward.
"Sir… I won't be coming by bike."
Both professors turned sharply.
"Why?"
Shiva answered calmly.
"Fuel ran out."
A few students snickered.
Some whispered.
Others simply stared.
Then..
Students climbed into the bus one by one, filling the narrow aisle with noise, laughter, and shuffling bags.
Seats filled quickly, windows fogged slightly from warm breath, and the scent of dust and diesel lingered in the air.
The engine remained silent, waiting.
Shiva stepped inside last.
Lakshman slid into the window seat beside him, Benedict took the outer seat, and Aljasheem settled right behind them.
Riya sat with aljasheem, her posture tense, her head slightly turned, listening.
Before the doors could close, Chandramani stood up from his seat near the middle.
His shadow stretched across the aisle, long and deliberate.
Every laugh in the bus slowly faded.
"You came by bike?"
His voice was calm, but the tone underneath was sharp.
Shiva looked up, meeting his eyes.
"Yes."
A slow grin spread across Chandramani's face.
"Then show me your key."
Murmurs rose around them.
Shiva hesitated.
Lakshman stiffened beside him.
Benedict shifted in his seat.
Slowly, Shiva pulled the key from his pocket.
Before he could react, Chandramani snatched it mid-air.
"Oops."
A few students laughed nervously.
Some looked away.
Others watched eagerly, waiting for drama.
"Give it back."
Shiva's voice was low, controlled, but trembling with restrained anger.
Chandramani leaned closer.
"You broke my friend's arm."
Santhosh and Santhosh Shivam rose beside him, blocking the aisle.
Their bulk filled the narrow space.
"So this is your punishment."
Chandramani tossed the key upward and caught it again.
The metallic sound echoed inside the silent bus.
Shiva's fists clenched.
His nails dug into his palms.
His chest tightened.
Before he could speak, Franklin Iyer's angry voice cut through.
"What is happening there?"
Rajasekaran stood up, glaring.
"Why are you standing, Shiva?"
"Answer!"
Their voices struck harder than fists.
Shiva swallowed.
His throat burned.
"Sorry, sir."
Chandramani burst into laughter.
"See?"
"Even teachers know his place."
Santhosh slapped Santhosh Shivam's shoulder.
"Silent hero."
More laughter followed.
Lakshman leaned closer.
"Let it go."
Benedict whispered.
"Not now."
Shiva slowly released his clenched fists.
His jaw tightened.
His eyes burned.
But he said nothing.
Chandramani tossed the key to Santhosh.
"Keep it safe."
They returned to their seats, satisfied.
Only then did the bus engine roar to life.
The vibration spread through the floor.
The journey began.
Shiva leaned back against his seat, staring at the window.
The reflection staring back at him was calm.
Then he muttered
"This is why I'll go in bike only"
"Fuck!, I should buy gasoline before I go to the sathankulam! "