♛| epilogue : the naive rebel |

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|the naive rebel|
━━━━ ━━━━

| e p i l o g u e |
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

word count - 4533



is it bad, that i wrote the epilogue when i was on chapter 4?

but no, i had to re write the entire epilogue again..

just. I RE WROTE THIS chapter for like three times. cause i wasn't just satisfied. but now when i am writing this. I am sure. and this is the last official chapter of The Naive Rebel.

🤍 do drop your reviews and comments. 🤍

i have a lot to say, but I guess i'll wait till the author's note for that. lol. there's so much of ranting done there in the next update.

enjoy their tale

for the last time.

;-)

love,

HAPPY READING.

*To all the those future readers like me, who read the epilogue or the last chapter, first to judge a book, and then decide whether to continue it or not. Kindly do not read this chapter, it's going to be a major spoiler and if you like spoilers (again like me) go
ahead!*

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Third Person

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a year later.....

You know what it is said,
'You may not end up where
you thought you were going,
but you will always end up
where you were meant to be....

"They are ready." The old woman sighs looking at the glass bowl she is holding. She looks clearly exhausted and tired, specifically cause of the continuous bickering the so-called adults were engaged in.

"Good. Now, let's defeat them." Tia smiles snickering at her opponents. She carefully sits on the sofa chair, one hand on her baby bump and the other on her back. She then, looks at Inaayat and Mishti who are standing on her side and then at Kabir, Ishaan, Nikhil and Sameer who are standing on the other side.

"Ah. As if. We are going to win and if you haven't noticed this yet, let me tell you-your team is already losing baby," Kabir coos at his wife.

"We are four and your team only has two members. As you aren't allowed to go for the hunt." Kabir continues, a smug smile dancing on his face. Tia, who is nine whole months pregnant looks at her husband frustratedly.

"Aunty..." She starts in her extra soft sweet tone when the old lady, Mishti's grandmother raises her hands in surrender and tells her that she will by no means play this childish game. She hits her forehead and mutters something about how this war (as they call it) is so unnecessary.

"We are three and you are three." Inaayat confidently announces when the boys look at her puzzled.

"Sameer is in our team." She fakes a huge smile at the baffled Sameer who is now under the scrutinising gaze of his ex-teammates.

"And why?" Nikhil questions. Even though Nikhil had asked her the question, she can feel Ishaan's undisputed glare at her. Things weren't okay between them, currently. Something is off, disturbing. Weighing the situations heavy, and making it depressing.

"Because, if he decides to join our team, he'll be the first one to know my book's title." She throws her words at them. Kabir and Nikhil's eyes widen and Sameer jiggles his ears, hiting his palm on his left ear, to make sure he had heard Inaayat correctly.

"What?" Mishti whispers in a very low voice, only to be shunned by Inaayat's glare shooting at her. The situation looks tense but she is sure enough. Yanking Sameer towards her team, she doesn't even let Sameer announce his statement.

"But, Angel.." Sameer tries forming words but he zips his mouth when Tia tells him to shut up. The team is now divided and the players are ready to play, only...

"Is it really important? I mean you both can just discuss and sort it out?" Mishti's grandmother who had now become the group's favourite aunt and her farmhouse had become their favourite place for vacationing.

"Exactly. Act like adults. Sit down and talk." Ishaan voices, he is already irritated by the drama and show no interest towards the hunt. He would rather go and sleep or watch television.

"Huh. Look who is talking." Inaayat murmurs, biting her lips to make sure that her words aren't heard but Ishaan still catches the taunt.

"What did you-" He is cut off by an anxious Kabir who tells him,"Yes. This. Keep this anger and help us win the game. Now there will be no discussions. I can't let Tia win."

"And I won't let you win." Tia stands up again, this time with Inaayat's help and points her forefinger at Kabir.

"God help them." The old lady is weary and closes her eyes. The living room is now burning with heated gazes. Everyone has a different reason, but they all are ready to win the task.

"So..should we start?" Sameer asks, stammering.

"Ah. Obviously. We'll see who wins. And baby, if you have forgotten, we have Inaayat in our team and the chits are made by Inaayat's principal. We are already winning," Tia boasts, while Mishti and Tia simultaneously pat Inaayat's back hard.

"And we have Ishaan, he-" Kabir stops mid-way and turns around, his back facing the girls. He whispers in Ishaan's ear trying his level best to be discrete.

"You must have learnt something from Inaayat, right?" Nikhil snickers at Kabir's statement.

When Kabir notices Ishaan's face and the look he is carrying, Kabir quickly turns around and shouts saying the game has started, before he loses one member of his team. He is equally aware that his team is actually the weaker one.

"Let's see."

Both the captains, Kabir and Tia pick one chit each from the bowl.

The two teams spread out, and read their clue, trying to decipher it.

Everyone had decided to invade Mishti's grandmother's privacy by suddenly showing up at her doorstep with a pregnant Tia. Kabir had been in Mumbai since the past few weeks, for work purposes. While Tia had decided to come here as well as her due daye was approaching.

Mishti in their virtual girl's meeting had suggested them to shift to her grandmother's place. Inaayat was already in Mumbai and therefore, she also decided to join them. And then because of Mishti, came Nikhil who pulled Sameer along.

Ishaan had clearly refused to join them but Kabir's melodrama and fake emotionally draining rants had left him with no other option.

And this led to their mini vacation.

"See, we have to win this okay? I can't let Kabir decide our child's name. For all we know, he wouldn't even bat his eye before naming our child after his favourite web series. And we certainly can't let my child be called Lucifer or wait what if he names the baby as a stranger thing? NO. I won't let that happen." Tia monologues, choosing and cancelling the possibilities.

"He won't, right?" Mishti's voice falters and her face is painted with hesitation. Tia rests both her hands on Mishti's shoulders, crouching a little-bringing her to Mishti's eye level she says,"He can."

"We definitely need to win." Mishti keeps nodding her head, nervously as she utters the statement directing it towards Sameer and Inaayat.

"Read the chit."

'Here for your safety in the dark, I will glow,
with two in the front, you can see where to go.'

━━━━ ━━━━

"Why are we even doing this?" Ishaan grunts, hitting his head on the wooden table. The room is sparkling with the aroma of pages and books, wooden furniture and comfort.

Their first clue, 'It stores the energy that fuels the imagination. They open up windows to the world and inspire us to explore and achieve, and contribute to improving our quality of life.' had let them to the house's library.

The boys team had dashed towards the library as soon as Ishaan told them that this is the quote Inaayat has painted on her bedside. It was an easy start for them, but clearly finding a small piece of paper in the huge room filled with books and only books, isn't easy.

The entire room was converted into a very elegant library, wooden tiles and wooden books shelves covering the entire length of the walls. Lamp shades and a long sofa chair, added to a long wooden table with chairs in the centre.

It is like a place where a person can achieve both silence and peace. Calmness and serenity. Warmth and comfort. Tingling their souls, and lullabying them to solace.

"This place is giving me some real creepy feels," Nikhil alarmingly informs them, but he continues searching each and every book placed in the shelves for the chit.

"Says the person who proposed to Mishti in a library." Kabir chortles.

"We should really focus on finding the clue." Nikhil shoos way the budding topic and Ishaan is pulled up by Kabir who orders him to find the clue. They had to beat the other team.

"I can't let my child be called with a typical boring name. Tia, will make sure our child shares a common name with some other thousands of children who have the same name. Hurry up!"

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"How did your grandmother manage to put the piece of paper inside the headlight? There's not even a single crack on it?" Sameer is astonished to see Inaayat remove the chit by breaking the car's headlight with a stone.

"Uh.." Mishti shrugs focussing on Inaayat who is now reading the second clue.

They had asked Tia to rest in her room as she had faced a sudden pain in her abdomen and Mishti's grandmother had asked her to rest, she was staying the night with her. Her due date is in a few days, and they all are prepared.

But then when is anyone completely prepared?

'Right under the house you go,

Walk down the stairs below.

Only a person enters the place,

Amidst the darkness and the floating haze,

Turn the light on; this is underground,

This is where your next clue is found.'

"You have a basement also in this farmhouse?" Sameer exclaims and interrogates at the same time. He is so surprised and yet he decides to keep quiet when Inaayat darts a single look at him.

Sameer was included in their team only to deprive the boys from the addition bonus they were getting.

"Why only a person, though?" Inaayat asks Mishti, who tells her that the store room is actually located in the basement and it's a very small room, only two or three people can be there at the same time.

"Oh, fine let's go. We have to wrap all this by the midnight." She continues, Mishti and Sameer nod their heads at her. While they start walking towards the main house gate, Sameer reduces his pace so as to walk next to Inaayat.

"You are going to tell me your book's title? Before Ishaan? Are you sure?"

"Yes." Comes her measured reply. She doesn't want her mind to ponder over him, not now atleast. She is angry and hurt, frustrated and impatient. It is a low patch, and she knows that they have to mend it but Ishaan..

"Here." Mishti points at the wooden staircase next to her grandmother's room. The light there is dimmer and the stairs squeak shrilly as they make their way towards the dusty old store room in the basement.

Standing outside the wooden gate, which though looks clean, has a small flimsy layer of dust coated over it.

"So, who is going in?" Sameer puts forth as he comfortably adjusts and sits on the third stair row from the end. Clearly telling them, that he isn't.

"Aayu?"

"Okay." She sighs and unlatches the rusty old lock. The room is dark, plain dark. She can faintly see the outlines of the old furniture, and books and other old stuff placed and stored inside the room. The light from outside isn't enough and even though the door is open, there's still gloominess.

She fishes her phone out from her pocket, and switches the flashlight onn. There is dust particles dancing in the air, jumping and floating from one place to other. White clothes covering the items, and no switch board in sight.

The single beam of light that her phone produces isn't clearly enough, she tries searching for the lights but there are so many shelves that seem to cover the walls and thus manage to hide the switch board as well.

On the other hand, the boys struggle finding their way to the basement. They had found the clue taped to a book's cover page and the clue directed them towards something as obvious as a basement.

Tired, they had to ask Mishti's grandmother who directed them towards the correct direction. Now, the boys stand outside the room, where Mishti and Sameer are already waiting for Inaayat.

When Mishti notices them, she quickly closes the door of the store room with a loud thud, startling both the already terrified Inaayat and others.

Inaayat is already struggling to find some place to walk when the door closes, drowning the room in an eerie silence and making it a haunting mess.

"Mishti..?" Her voice so low, as it stammers and stutters. But, it goes unheard as Mishti is busy fighting with the other team.

"We reached here first. You aren't going inside. We are winning this." She claims stubbornly. Her statement rendering the boys speechless.

She had taken Tia's words way too seriously. She cannot let the poor child be named after web series.

"No you haven't found the last chit, we are still in the game and we'll even win it." Nikhil walks ahead, facing her. He towers over her, and though she knows her knees are going weak, she still stands infront of the gate, like a boulder.

Meanwhile Ishaan accompanies Sameer in his resting phase, as he sits next to him. The sudden heaviness of Ishaan's glare causes Sameer to open his eyes and face an angered Ishaan. They both speak nothing, while Nikhil and Mishti continue bickering about the game.

Kabir is bitting his nails not understanding the further plan of action. Inaayat, is now feeling extremely suffocated inside the closed room but she still keeps searching for the paper, for their win.

"We are going inside. That's it. Come Ishaan, Kabir." Nikhil announces.

"It says only one person can go inside." Kabir corrects Nikhil. "Ishaan go."

"Excuse me?" Ishaan's tone is hard and rough. Kabir then explains that because Inaayat is already inside, he should be the one going. As he quoted,'You can deviate her mind.' Followed by an unorthodox wink.

Hearing this Ishaan is even more reluctant to go inside, alone. He doesn't want to talk to her, he needs time especially after what she had done. And certainly not today. Not Today.

"Please. Please. I can't lose." Kabir begs and Nikhil picks Mishti up in his arms clearing Ishaan's way.

"Go."

"Nikhil!"

"Unbelievable." Ishaan controls his urge to punch Kabir. Frustratedly, he enters the store room. The door is half shut, and only allows some external light to penetrate. Outside, Mishti fights with Nikhil while Kabir and Sameer discuss the possibilities of their winning.

Ishaan easily spots Inaayat because of the only source of light in the room. Inaayat is busy dusting the old clothes trying to find the paper. The tiled floor is covered with some old stationary and worn out items that makes her stance wobbly.

Ishaan doesn't utter a word and uses his phone for the flash too. Inaayat hadn't noticed him before but the sudden sounds of shuffling causes her to turn around with a jerk. Ishaan doesn't raise his gaze to meet hers and continues searching.

Taking a gulp of disappointment, Inaayat also ignores his presence that keeps daunting her continuously. She is tired, of this game, of their game of ignorance.

It was a mistake and Ishaan is now stretching the matter like a rubber band. It isn't necessary. But, she needed him to be okay. She wanted them to be okay.

Some minutes pass, but they both aren't successful in finding any clue. Their minds are already preoccupied and their eyes are just scanning the place, and not actually working to find the last chit.

The flashlight isn't enough, but they can't leave the room for a better torch cause then the opponents will win. They are abruptly disturbed by the others who tell them that there are only a few minutes left before midnight. Mishti and Sameer are rooting for Inaayat while Kabir and Nikhil cheer for Ishaan.

The room is stuffed and suffocating, a small room where you can not ignore the presence of the other person. The dust is irritating their eyes and tickling their noses. Ishaan and Inaayat know that they are close, when the torches merge and the looming presence become even more hefty. But they don't speak.

Few minutes before midnight.

Okay, she has had enough now.

"You can't possibly still be angry at me." Words wrapped in frustration as she sighs. This is wrong, her mind has been battling her heart but she knows Ishaan would never be the first one to start a conversation, especially when he thinks he is right.

No response, he just shrugs his shoulders and starts shifting things from one place to other rapidly.

"Ishaan." She is angry now, earlier she was hurt and frustrated but now there is pure anger. She hated when he ignored her. She knows, she is at fault. That shouldn't have happened, but it was a mistake.

She pulls him to face her, wrapping her hand around his elbow, his phone falls on the dusted sofa seat from the sudden jolt and the room inundates in an inky shade of dullness.

Only one beam of light, but enough for her to see him. His eyes hold anger, and she knows he is still not ready to let this matter go.

The room is quiet and the dust spots move and twirl around them, like the nosy spectators.

"It was a mistake." She whispers but loud enough for him to hear, owing to their closeness. The room is smothering their souls, as they are almost gulping for the last whits of air left. It's scorching warm, but their souls are almost combusting. There is fire of anger and hurt, the burn of ignorance.

"It wasn't just a mistake." His voice is off, stony and pugnacious. He sneers at her, and quickly takes her phone from her hold, wanting to search for his own.

"It was. You can't hold it for this long, Ishaan. It was just a small moment." She tries clarifying , but he doesn't budge.

Taking a deep breathe, for the last time she attempts,"You can not stretch this matter unnecessarily, Ishaan. You heard them, only some minutes left for midnight. Why can't you just forgive me!" She is anguished and despaired. Her words wounded with viciousness.

And this did the trick, Ishaan raises his eyes to meet hers. Cold and vexed. He stands still for a moment before taking a large step ahead, in her line of space. Holding her right elbow, he pulls her towards him.

The clasp isn't loving or warm, it's harsh and tight. His gaze holding hers in an invisible thread of pain and anger. Unspoken words, but the screaming hurt.

The silence

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