Chapter - 63

Sometimes there are some noises which also have the comfort of silence and loneliness, there is such a peace in these noises that you search for it in your family or you search for it in that building of stones/home which we call home.

Next day morning, we woke up at five in the morning like yesterday and start getting ready for the day. While doing so, we keep passing smile at each other plus keep talking about some little or big things. And by the time when we come back in our tent the other four girls were all set too move out of the tent but before doing that the one with curly hair speak up...

Tia: (With raised eyebrows) Hey, I want to ask something important from you.

Me: Yeah go ahead. 

Tia: Why you four always woke up so early to get ready for the day?

Asher & Me: Because

Me: (Looking at her) You say.

Asher: Okay. So, basically the reason behind is the there are many students and most of them woke up just thirty minutes before the alarm sound. During that time, chaos type situation started to happen as everyone wants to get fresh first, so, we thought why not to woke up this much early and get ready peacefully.

Tia: Okay, got it and thanks too you girls because of you only we are able to get ready early too.

After this all four of them walk out of the tent, we lay down on our sleeping bags and probably like me they also got preoccupied with their thoughts or with the things they are doing on their phones. After some forty minutes, all four of them came back and lay down again on their sleeping bags like all of us. Like as usual, at same time alarm ring up and we move out of the tents towards field where jogging will be done.

However, just before it could be done the coach announced that for today to upcoming next four days, we will be doing one adventure sports activity daily and the sequence for this will be like, bridge crossing by using suspended ropes, river crossing using harness tied around one's waist, parasailing and last day will be a sports a day, where you will march the post then ending with playing games with all of the other students.

After hearing all of this we all got excited, while jogging many of the students started to talk among themselves. Nearly, after covering one kilometre Asher started to walk, seeing her like that I follow her steps too. However, soon she started to talk...

Asher: (Slightly panting) How beautiful this place is, right?

Me: (Panting) Yeah right.

Asher: (Looking at some distance, may be thinking about something) Do you know what, I feel that sometimes one should go to a place like this, away from the fast-paced life of the city, there is a different kind of peace here.

Me: I know and I guess such type of peace that we often try to find in our home and among our family members but may be we can never found them there.

Asher: Hmmm but whatever is wherever available is also good. 

Me: Right. Hey why is it seems easy to talk to people like you? I mean I have never been an expresser or talking type person but with you it seems easy, why so?

Asher: (Chuckled out lightly then in slightly singing tone) May be, because I am the best.

Me: (Laughing out hard, in sarcastic tone) O really, what if in this case I am the best?

Asher: Well, I guess we both are best and good for each other.

At this we both laughed it out then with a smile on our face we completed, rest of the four kilometres. As per the our time schedule here, we walk inside the canteen to eat the breakfast. While eating the food, two of our friends i.e. Savannah & Carissa keep talking about god knows what because me & Asher are literally busy with ourselves keep talking in almost whispering tone.

Me: What is your family is like?

Asher: We are typical middle class family, they are are the mix of orthodox and moderate thoughts but you can say we are close knitted families, including cousins and other extended family of course.

Me: Wow, that pretty cool. Whenever you guys have some kind of get together or functions then you guys must be having full fun?

Asher: Yeah right we actually have blast during such occasions. 

Me: That's great.

Carissa: (Out of sudden) Hey, Asher let's go back in the tent to lay down for sometime, right after the breakfast.

Me: But we have a class to attend.

Carissa: (Shrugging off) O please, these classes are time wasting.

Asher: (Hesitantly) Umm I don't want to go back to the tent, its good to be outside here.

Savannah: Yeah, even I think the same. Well, right after breakfast we have a break for some twenty minutes so, lets enjoy the nature no?

Me: Yeah, Savannah is right.

Carissa: Okay but I am feeling little sleepy plus my back is aching.

Michiko: (Standing beside me) Okay so, you go and rest. We will be enjoying the nature.

Together, we three slightly nodded our head in agreement of enjoying some together time surrounded by the nature. Seeing this Carissa huffed, then after what seems like two minutes, she finish off her breakfast and then walk out of canteen, well, I guess towards the tent to lay down. Soon after that we four also, walk out of the canteen and start walking towards the area what seems like to be a park. However, in the middle of it we hear the Ms. Hai calling Savannah name so, later only we three left. Once we settled down on the bench, Asher started to speak...

Asher: Hey, Michiko, how are you?

Michiko: (Monotonous tone) I am fine, I guess.

Asher: Okay. So, are you excited of the adventure sports?

Michiko: (Boringly) Well, not really. It just that I don't want to do it, but I guess I don't have any other choice. So, I have to do it.

Me: Ohhh okay but why you don't want to do it?

Michiko: Because, I am not fit enough to do such activities.

Asher: (Getting worried and in concerned tone) Why? What happened to you? Do you need doctor?

Me: Should I ask Ms. Hai to look after you?

Michiko: Hey, both of you chill bro. Actually, it just because I am fat plus such long in height so, I don't think I will be perfect fit for these activities.

Me: (Getting annoyed) What nonsense are you talking about, bro?

Asher: (Warning tone) Siya!

Asher: Michiko, why you think so? In fact, people much fatter and taller than you do all these activities and they don't have any problems. 

Michiko: Okay, but I don't like it or feel okay doing it.

Me: Ohhh then no need to do it, do whatever makes you feel comfortable.

Michiko: Okay. 

At this moment, someone shouts from a distance and calls her, and we all look in that direction together. There we saw one of her friend, standing there and was calling Michiko so, that she could go to class with her. Soon, Michiko bid good bye to us then walked away with her friend, leaving Asher & me behind. After, a minute Asher started speaking...

Asher: Bro, don't you think you should chilled out little while talking to people like Michiko. You shouldn't have got annoyed.

Me: Hey, but I was just being concerned and this is my way of taking care.

Asher: I got that but one should remain calm, while talking to individual like Michiko because they can get triggered at anytime.

Me: Hmmm yeah okay, I will try to be more calm.

Asher: (While standing up from the bench) Come let's go, we shall go for the class now because its almost the class time.

Me: (Standing up too) Yeah okay.

Together, we start walking towards our class and while doing so, we keep talking.

Me: I think, Michiko doesn't like her body at all.

Asher: And why are you thinking like this?

Me: I don't know but the way she talked about how she is fat and tall plus the other think she is thinking about.

Asher: Hmm this thought come in my mind too and may be this is because, of what happened in her past.

Me: Yeah may be that's the case only, but if she is okay and comfortable in doing none of the adventure activities then its okay and completely fine.

Asher: Yeah right, one should never do anything forcefully.

Soon we enter inside the room where class is about to start, where they told us how mental health facilitators used to help in military healthcare departments. The class continues till almost two hour and throughout the whole class I keep yawning, well, in between I also try to keep my focus intact on what is being taught but I keep thinking about Michiko's recent words.

Once the class got over, the coach take us to open field for bridge crossing adventure activity. When all of us assembled there, they put us in a line which is quite long enough so, technically this whole activity will took around two hours to get finish. Our group i.e. me, Asher, Savannah & Carissa are standing in the last so, we are just chilling out because we knew that our chance won't be coming anytime soon.

Well, while waiting for our chance to come, we are actually not getting bored because of the entertainment acts done by the fellow students. Seeing them like this, we sometime smile, laugh or just roll our eyes and after what seems like twenty minutes, how much I am enjoying all this. To this some random thoughts start popping inside my head...

how different all this is, how bad and boring it feels to get entangled in useless household chores or matters but I'm sitting here literally doing nothing except talking nonsense, laughing or just passing the time watching other people of my age. To be honest, this is how I want to live, some days or moments like this with people like me or people of my age. I am still young and I want to live a similar life to the struggle that such people do. After all, who would want to spend their youth in the trouble of their family members? 

Out of sudden my train of thoughts halted stopped Asher's right hand on my shoulder and calling out my name slightly,

Asher: (In calm tone) Siya.

Me: (Getting out of trance) Hmmm yeah.

Asher: Come on, its almost our chance to do the activity.

Me: Okay

After hearing this only I realised how the time passed so quickly and how much I got lost in my thoughts that I did not realise, that now it's my turn to do some activity. Once reaching close to the bridge, the coach guided us how to perform the activity so, basically...

Carissa, Savannah, Asher & Me we will be doing this in the same sequence, first we will climb some twelve steps of the stair then we will start walking on the suspended ropes from starting point to ending point of the bridge.

Hearing this, I smile brightly because it seems an very easy thing to do. However, when my chance come to this activity, I started it while feeling an adrenaline rush in me. At one point I am excited to this thing but on the another one I am feeling a little scared because a thought keep poking inside my head...

what will these people will think, if I perform bad or not able to do it.

However, when I keep doing the activity, this thought of mine literally brushed off. Initially, doing this was quite an easy task, I am thoroughly enjoying this moment. Well, when I am about to reach on the centre point of the bridge, then it started to swing lightly because of air flow and the may be almost no support in the centre part of the bridge, I guess. And, now walking become little bit tough but still the excitement level in me, keep holding me to complete the activity.

After, nearly ten minutes, I completed the activity and I climb down back the step then walk towards where my friends are standing. Upon seeing me, they smile brightly and for the first time I smiled cheerfully in return. Once all of the other students finish the activity, the coach ask us to go and have our lunch then we could rest up for two hours and after that we will meet for evening march past practice at five.

As per the coach order, we all have our lunch in the canteen then after nearly forty minutes we all entered inside our tents to relax for remaining two hours. However, the resting period got disturbed with Carissa's voice...

Carissa: (Excited voice) Girls, the activity was too much fine, right?

Chorus: Hmmm

Carissa: (With raised eyebrows) Didn't you guys enjoy the activity because you are giving me such dull response?

Michiko: (Annoyed voice) Yeah we enjoyed it but right know all of us are tired so, we are not interesting in talking to you.

Hearing this, all of us look up between these two, Carissa's face turned a little serious and Michiko keep looking at her phone screen. Seeing this, I felt the need to cover up for her because I am sensing these words has already hurt Carissa's feeling. 

Me: (Covering up for Michiko plus to make situation a little light) Actually, I guess the thing is that the since we have woken up quite early then jogging, after that we had this activity thing and later the whole lunch thing. In short, all this things tired all of us so, we all have literally no energy to do anything, including talking two.

Asher: (Agreeing with me) Yeah she is right so, please don't mind.

Carissa: Ohh okay, in that way. No issue, I can understand.

While saying this, she lay down on her sleeping bag and before, laying down myself on the bed I look at Michiko and she rolled her eyes at me then lay down on her sleeping bag but not before muttering 'that was not needed'. After taking a deep breath I also lay down, however, I sudden voice of Asher from my left...

Asher: (Low voice, only for me to hear) Thank god, you speak up and made the situation little bit comfortable because I was expecting a verbal fight to happen at that moment.

Me: (Initially, getting a little startled but soon with a little smile on my face) O yeah that, actually to be honest, I sense that so, I thought why now stop it from happen.

Asher: (With the same pitch of voice only and with a smile on my face) That great, I am proud of you.

After this we both get occupied with our things, I mean she started seeing something in her phone and I started having conversation with my mind like as usual...

Mind: (Laughing at me) Yet again, you shut up when she give you a compliment.

Me: (Getting embarrassed) Hmmm, what can I do? I am actually used to complements.

Mind: (Smirking) I know. Well, what happened just now was truly amazing.

Me: (Smiling) Yeah I know. To be honest I was not expecting all this to happen.

Mind: But what you said in the last to Carissa, I really disappointed with it.

Me: (Rolling my eyes at him) O please, I did that too balance the situation or else the argument must have happened.

Mind: Bro, then it would be fun.

Just like this my two hours of rest happened, where I keep having this kind of provoking discussion with my mind. Around, five fifty five the alarm ring and we started to move out of the tent, once everyone gathered in the field the coach started the march pass practice, this goes till seven thirty then he told us that we are done for the day. After having dinner, we eight students played some games inside our tent and around eleven in the night we fall asleep.