The parrots chirped to the sky on the wires as the breeze slapped my face. Around me, old houses with stone roofs and peeling walls stood anciently. Beside me, my cousin, Aarya was talking to my sister, Nithya as we walked on the mud road with weeds growing out at random places.
The sky was clear except a few patches of white cloud stranded in the blue as the scorching sun stared at the earth.
It looked like no one was living in the houses. From the windows on the cracked walls of the houses, I could see nothing but darkness.
We came to my mother’s village. As the grown-ups were busy chattering. Me, my sister and cousin thought of exploring the village. The wind started to whistle as we followed a tiny gurgling stream, not bigger than the size of a rope.
We trudged along the mud path stringed with old houses until we reached a fort.
“Come on,” Aarya, my cousin beckoned us towards the leftmost path, which had desolated trees on either side.
“No, let’s stick to the houses,” I said, looking to the right-most path. Nobody disagreed.
I looked at my watch, it was 3:18 p.m.
We told our parents that we’d be back by 3:20 p.m.
Before I could speak, Nithya, my sister complained
“Can we go home now? I’m hungry”
My stomach grumbled in acceptance. “Okay fine”
“But um… do you know how to go back?” Aarya asked hesitantly.
“We could… go back the way we came.” I answered, not completely sure.
So we turned back.
After a while, I realised we were in a different place. There were big metal gates that led to a veranda. That wasn’t there before.
“Uh… guys…” I called out to them.
Their faces were blank.
After a while of going here and there with no clear way of going back to the house, I started to worry.
“We’re lost.” Aarya sighed.
I didn’t mind that. It was a small village. We could find our way back somehow. Right?
I took in the new environment.
The floor was now rock, with a few cracks here and there. There was a stone ledge beside us and two directions we could go. Back and right, or straight.
Panic swelled my chest. It finally dawned that we were hopelessly lost.
My sister looked on the verge of tears, Aarya looked around hopefully.
I checked my watch. It glowed ‘ 3:22 p.m.’
We should’ve been home by now. Not stranded in the middle of nowhere.
Yet I felt a strange sensation of excitement along with the stabbing fear.
It’s not everyday you get lost. I’ve read enough books to long for something unexpected.
“It’s fine” I assured my companions, “ Let’s go straight”
I looked around, the wind became silent. The parrots disappeared. Only the tapping of our feet to the rock was heard. The air smelt green, like plants.
My legs started to ache. We were no closer. Fear and anxiety danced in my gut as my heart hammered against my ribs.
I gulped.
The time was 3:30 p.m.
What if everyone was worried?
All the energy and hope started to drain out just before I saw a familiar thing. I grinned.
It was our car. The one we came in.
That meant the house was just nearby.
The sight of the vehicle lifted all our spirits.
After a while of searching every corner, we saw the familiar two-storeyed, stone roofed house. All my fear melted at once.
We rustled inside, sweaty and tired. I was never that excited to have been lost, then found our way back.
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