Ch-3 Friends Can be Forever

I was still feeling sleepy. I had slept only for 3 hours. I was trying to understand why the hell would that old man wake up the whole of Asia at night. 15 minutes had elapsed since I filled the form.

The screen had been totally changed to a directly connecting platform as it had now options like world chat, direct chat, conference calls and so on. Language change automatically according to the receiver.

How are they going to select the future elders among such a large number of candidates---

They are giving us guarantee of our lives but how can we trust them--

Still, they have power and we, the humans, have always been hungry for power--

Who needs trust when you have power----

.......The world is really rotting......

The screen again started to show his face. The Old Man was turning the pages this time too. He flipped the file onto a side table.

"I hope you all are using the given screen well. I was wondering what would be the reactions of our candidates. And,your reactions are just as we thought of. Uhm.. I should not delay now. The next step you all are going to do, is to make teams."

Well, this sounds good.

I am feeling like a anime character.

"You can make team with your friends, siblings or you can also randomly select your team from your respective country with the help of 'only my country' option in the chat box. As of now, we will select the candidates country-wise for the starting selection rounds. After that, we will merge everyone. You can also make alliances of many teams. That idiom, I remember, 'The more, the merrier'.

Now idioms, this man is just a normal old man who will sit on a bench in the middle of a park full of people and say, "Politics is ruining our country", I believe.

"But you have only one hour to do everything you want to do. From building teams to saying goodbyes, anything you want to do. You must be in a team to come further in the selections. I hope you all will cooperate. See you all, very soon."

Agbelo ended the call and the screen went back to chat box state. Nitin started to text me furiously.

"Aj, we are gonna be in a same team, right."

"You aren't gonna leave me alone."

"We will kick everyone's *** there."

"Hey, are you listening or not."

"Aj-- Listen moron."

I did a video call to him and then, his thin face was now covering the screen. We were discussing about who is gonna be our team's third and fourth member.

"So, you thought something, like always, right?", he said while furnishing his hairstyle.

"Nope. No. Nothing."

He made the face he used to make always when I was serious about anything, the worried face.

"You are, again, missing that same particular person. I know I am right so there is no need to ask."

"Maybe."

"Your one word answers are annoying me. Look, talk to her. Clear things out. Tell her what you did at that time was-- exceptionally correct. Just do it. She understands you, not more than me, of course."

Just then, Agbelo came again.

"I apologise as I forgot to tell you. Your team must have equal number of both genders, 2 male and 2 females. If you are from LGBTQ, you can be the gender you want to."

Nitin's face was clearly showing his confusion.

He said, "What the heck is this?"

I replied, "Gender equality, son."

After exchanging some curses, he took the responsibility to find smart girls for our team. I didn't have much friends like him and my cousins were all punks.

I had some friends who were the part of my life but then, they left me empty. Fault was mine. More I was thinking about them, especially my bestie, more I felt guilt and sadness.

Just at the same time I was lost in my thoughts, she called me. But, she cut it off at the same second. I couldn't bring myself to call her.

I felt the guilt raising my anxiety. The more I thought about it, the more I felt like a goddamn -- betrayer, but the reality, I knew I just did the right thing. No matter what the world barks.

I knew that -- Triyansh killed her in front of me -- no matter people say that the girl doesn't exist -- I know -- and he also know. Amayra -- killed by our own friend -- Triyansh.

But what I did 3 weeks ago, portrayed me as a title again, given from a not-by-me-respected newspaper --- Maniac One.

Again, someone called. This time, from the girl I could never expect. The biggest liar came in my life, Diya. I rejected it immediately but she called again and again and again --

I picked the 12th call at last, for our past relation sakes. She bursted up like a lioness, "Why are you just rejecting my calls? -- Aren't you aware of the situation right now? -- What in the world were you doing? -- Say something dumb."

"Why did you call me?"

"I was -- I just wanted to ask are you going or not. I am going if you gonna ask."

"Nope, I wasn't."

"Stop being so harsh on me. I said before and I am saying again, I am sorry. I am really sorry. I should not have said those words. I should have been with you, even if you almost killed someone, the certain someone."

She started sheding tears, again.

"Stop your acting already. I know you feel sorry for nothing, just creeping me out and you are not among the ones who cry."

I could see her little smirk now.

"My friend knows so much about me. I feel proud to have such friend."

"Come to the point."

"Rude, I just wanna meet you and say goodbye. I mean it when I say I really feel bad about what I did. Please, come at my house. Please."

"Give me some time. I will think -- about it."

"Ok, we should wash our faces now before our friends see us like this. And -- let's talk more about her because -- I want to know what really happened that day."

I -- I am crying. I hate myself.

"Ok. Talk to you later. Bye"

"Bye"

I washed my face. The water was cold as it was raining outside. My screen was showing calls from Nitin and some people, whose names I never heard of or I just might forgot. I heard knocking on my house door. I opened it to see my neighbour, Neelam. She was a sister to me. Not by blood, but the care was genuine.

"Come inside. Sis, you are also participating, right?"

"I am also 17. Why can't I? Bro I know you are also participating because Nitin is going on a rampage in the city chat box. I think he is gonna make a whole clan."

"Not surprising to me. He is the most silly but brave person I have ever seen."

"Bro, Can I join your team?"

It was just so sudden.

"Uhm, of course you can, but then what about your friends, your classmates? Why aren't you building your team with them?"

"Because I remember how protective you are for me and how much you care for me. I will feel more safe with you than anybody else."

"Safe with The Maniac One..? Really?!"

"I don't believe what anyone says. I know I can believe in you, and I will always be with you.

"I see. You just wanna sit on your brother's shoulder and pass the selection."

"Bro, don't tease me at this time. Can I join or not?" She asked, finally getting irritated.

I smirked and giggled a bit and she also smiled, maybe because of this smile I have now.

"You can you can, sis. I will add you up. Go and say goodbye to your friends now."

"You should also go, bro."

"I will surely."

She went off under her umbrella to her friend's house. Shouting and growling were increasing every second. I was just sitting on my desk, staring at my family photo.

I am going to miss them.

This thought was stirring up my strength. I was in the process of getting involved into something I don't even know. My sceptical feeling towards those ancestors was just growing. The Association, the name itself sounded sketchy.

My team was ready. Nitin brought the 4th member, her girlfriend, Diksha.

I knew it.

They started to decide the team's name. 20 minutes were left. I thoroughly thought about going to Diya's home or not. I finally decided to go. She lived in nearby colony. I went there to see, she was outside. I saw her much before than she noticed me as it was raining.

As I reached there, I saw her sweet black eyes staring at me. Her stare always made me blush and she knew it very well, but not today. I kept me and my umbrella steady. But as a wise man once said, men will be men, I looked her from head to toe quietly. She was wearing a black t-shirt with blue plazo. My favourite colours. She also knew it very well.

"You came here to see me. You still like me."

"Nope".

She was seemingly sad enough, just concealing with a smile.

"Arjun, I just wanted to say goodbye. I am going there with some cousins. They also made alliances with classmates. What is your plan?"

"I assume nitin is announcing everything very clearly on the chat box. See it."

"Can't you be sweet with me like before just for these final moments?"

"I am sweet. This is my sweetness."

"Stop being silly, I like it though."

2 minutes remaining

"We should hug each other. A goodbye hug. We can talk later about everything."

"No. Absolutely no."

"Why?"

"I don't want another good memory of yours in my brain. I have already enough."

"Only some time is remaining now. Please Arjun. I want our friendship to never end. We promised each other."

"You tore that promise long time ago."

"No, your friend is still here. She was just a dumb girl who was blinded by a moron, and what happened with him, still is unfortunate because I really can't make me convince Triyansh can do something that worse but; Arjun, I don't know what is gonna happen there. I want to take a good memory with me. A good memory of you."

Suddenly, our screens appeared in front of our faces and our respective team members were on our screen in 3 halfs. I saw her screen and only recognised her brother. Countdown started.

10, 9, 8...

We tried to reach to each other but we were stuck now in illuminating light coming from the ground. I suddenly started to feel very light. Everybody around me started to become transparent.

6, 5, 4...

Then, everyone started to disappear into thin air. I saw my screen which had Agbelo now. He was smiling with a creepy grin. I didn't know why but I caught a glimpse of darkness in his smile.

Oh maybe, it was just a gap in his teeth. Who knows??

I tried to stretch my hand again to her. She was doing the same. But our hands never touched.

3, 2...

She disappeared. And then, I started feeling sleepy. I saw again on the screen.

1...

Shadows was looking to me as I blacked out ----

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