CHAPTER 14: THE CONSTANTS

Meera and Anya reached the room, undressed, and went straight to the bathroom for a hot bath. Both were traumatized and exhausted. After their bath, Meera went to the window, green tea in hand, and stood silently, staring at the woods. The night's events replayed in her mind over and over, the thought of what could have happened haunting her.

Anya sat on the bed, equally shaken, with her own cup of green tea. She thought about how foolish she had been to agree to Raj's idea to go into the forest. After a few minutes, she looked at Meera, who was still standing at the window. Concerned, she walked over and gently asked, "Hey, Meera, are you okay?"

Meera nodded without looking at her, remaining silent. "That was stupid," Anya said, now also gazing out at the jungle. "I mean, me agreeing to Raj's idea." Meera finally turned to Anya, her eyes filled with turmoil. "We could have been killed," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Please, Anya, promise me we'll never go back there."

Anya met her fearful gaze and nodded. "I promise. I didn't realize how dangerous it could be. I feel so guilty for dragging you into this." Meera sighed, her shoulders slumping. "It's not just that. There was something out there, something more than just an animal." Anya's eyes widened slightly, fear mingling with curiosity. "What do you mean?" Meera shook her head, struggling to find the words. "I don't know. But I felt it. We shouldn't go back."

Raj was scared too, but more than scared, he was exhausted and concerned. Regret etched across his face. "I could have gotten them killed," he thought, the events of the night replaying in his mind like a movie. The weight of his actions bore down on him as he made himself a cup of tea and went to the window, sipping it slowly. "I need to find out everything about the forest," he murmured to himself. 

"But how? How can I do this?" His thoughts churned as he stared out into the darkness. Suddenly, he noticed something glowing red, like a pair of eyes, blinking and staring directly at the college. Alarmed, he set his tea down on the windowsill and hurried to find his flashlight. In a flash, he was back at the window, torch in hand. He aimed the beam at the glowing eyes and began to synchronize the light with their blinking, creating a signal in the dark.

Here, while talking, suddenly Anya also spotted the glowing eyes and instinctively ducked down, pulling Meera with her. Startled, Meera asked, "What are you doing? What happened?"Anya whispered, fear evident in her eyes, "There's something at the edge of the jungle, like a pair of glowing red eyes, staring straight at us."Meera's eyes widened, and she cautiously peeked over the windowsill. Instantly, she ducked back down. "Oh my God, what is that?" she asked, her voice trembling as she shook with fear.

Raj saw the glowing eyes moving closer to the fence. He narrowed his eyes, trying to discern more, but could see nothing beyond the eyes. Suddenly, the creature turned and sprinted back into the woods, leaving a loud howl echoing in its wake.The girls heard the howl, and their hair stood on end. Meera ducked down further, while Anya peeked out the window again, seeing nothing now. 

"It's gone," she whispered. As she pulled back, she noticed strange scratches on the windowsill. "What is this?" she muttered, surprised.Meera, still crouched down, looked up at her. "What?""These scratches," Anya said, pointing. "Who made these marks?" She asked, her voice a mix of curiosity and fear, as if seeking answers from Meera and herself.

Meera cautiously peeked out to ensure the creature was truly gone, then turned her attention to what Anya was pointing at. "Maybe a cat or a bird made them, or a monkey," she said, though her uncertainty was clear.Anya gave her a skeptical look before nodding. "Perhaps you're right. It feels like the jungle incident has me seeing things that aren't there." 

Standing back up, Meera said, "I think you're right. Now that you mention it, those glowing eyes were probably just an animal. Animal eyes reflect light, making them glow at night. We're just too shocked to think clearly."

Anya nodded. "It feels like that," she said, managing a small smile. Meera smiled back, and it lightened the tension in their hearts and minds.

"Let's go to bed now. I'm really exhausted from all the shocks," Anya added, smiling as she gently tugged Meera's hand.

Meanwhile, Raj's curiosity grew, nearly overshadowing the fear from the jungle incident. Seeing the eyes retreat into the woods, he quickly moved to his bed where his backpack lay. He opened it and took out the notes and photos they had taken at the jungle site. Holding them, he thought, I should show these to Professor Sinha; he knows about ancient things.

Deep in the jungle, Amavas sat silently on the stones the trio had been inspecting earlier. His hands rested on the stones behind him, supporting his seated position as he gazed up at the moon. "How many centuries have passed just like that?" he mused. "Everything has changed—the world, the humans, the technology, clothes—everything except for a few constants, like me and human curiosity. 

Though this curiosity has brought them great advancements, it has also led to their demise. Is their curiosity more precious to them than their own lives?" he asked himself."It's been two weeks since I returned here. I've wandered the world for centuries trying to forget this place, but it kept pulling me back, as if my soul is tied to it. 

And now that I'm here, it feels like my soul truly belongs here. I thought this place would remain unchanged, even if the world evolved. But this college has changed it, and these reckless students... What is going to happen to them?" 

Suddenly, he heard a gust of wind, and his senses became fully alert. He looked around, trying to pinpoint the source of the sudden gust. His ears caught every sound clearly within a 25-kilometer radius, his glowing eyes traced every moving creature in the darkness, even an ant, and his nose detected every scent within 10 kilometers. 

Every muscle in his body was ready to pounce at the slightest movement or hint.Despite his heightened senses, he couldn't pinpoint the cause of the gust. In a flash, a hand landed on his shoulder. His own hand moved with the speed of light but was stopped midway by the intruder. He heard a chant, "Bam Bam Bhole." 'Another constant' he thought.