Chapter 4 - Friend or Not

Anaya drew her thick shawl tighter as the autumn wind nipped at her ears. She had forgotten how bitter the chill could be in these Ashcroft woods, even this early in the season. Glancing around the sprawling campus, she half expected the trees themselves to be coated in a layer of crackling frost.

"This place is always so damn cold," she muttered, her breath coming out in impatient puffs. At least the university buildings looked reasonably heated and non-murderous. Small mercies.

She had only taken a few steps when a chipper voice called out behind her. "Hey, wait, you must be new here!." Anaya turned to see an overly smiley girl bounding over, long brown curls bouncing with each step. Her eyes glinted with an almost predatory curiosity as they drank in every detail of Anaya's appearance.

"I'm Arohi Kapoor," The girl, stuck out her hand with a broad smile.

Anaya froze, her body stiffening. No, it can't be. Stop being stupid, Anie. Anaya comforted herself and forced her tensed muscles to relax enough for a handshake.

"I'm Anaya," she replied simply, eyeing the girl warily. Arohi didn't seem to notice.

"Anaya? Just Anaya?" Arohi asked, frowning with a curious look.

Anaya rolled her eyes. Of course. People and their obsession with last name.

"Anaya Joshi." She replied blandly.

Arohi raised a brow at her attitude. "Nice name. You're absolutely new here, right? I mean in this city?"

Anaya opened her mouth to reply but Arohi dismissed with a wave of hand. "Of course you are. Anyway, I can help you here and not just here but help you around the city too."

Anaya stared her, already feeling uncomfortable at her generous offer but Arohi paid her no mind continuing with her tale.

"I'm new here too, I mean university. But I know this place and city really well, and I can tell you a great deal about the professors too. They didn't change from the time my stupid brother studied here." Arohi spoke animatedly.

Anaya shuffled uncomfortably, but Arohi didn't notice, launching immediately into an excitable monologue about campus life and which professors to avoid. Anaya let the chatter wash over her, occasionally nodding or making noises of vague acknowledgment. She had no intention of encouraging further conversation.

Thankfully, the morning passed without incident. As Anaya settled into her new routine, Arohi proved surprisingly helpful at navigating the maze of hallways and tedious class syllabuses. Still, Anaya found herself breathing a subtle sigh of relief when the final bell rang. She had endured all the social interaction she could stomach for one day.

The taxi ride home passed in blissful silence. Anaya gazed broodingly out the window, watching skeletal trees fly by in a blur of gnarled branches and fading leaves. At least here, nature kept to itself. She didn't have to force polite smiles or exchange meaningless pleasantries with the birds and squirrels. Maybe, that's why she love it so much, she mused feeling at peace finally.

As the car pulled up outside her house, Anaya was surprised to see her phone illuminated with an incoming call. A smile lit her face as she noticed the name flashing.

"Hi, Tina, how are you?" Anaya answered the call, getting out of the taxi.

"All good, how are you? Did you reach Ashcrof? How are you settling?" Tina bombarded the questions.

"Am fine too. And am settling well. Just returned from university. It is a nice place." Anaya said, jjuggling with the keys of the front door as she held phone with her shoulder.

"Cool, everything is fine here too," Tina said before launching into details of Mumbai.

Anaya had a smile on her face as she listened to Tina, making her way into the hall and plopping on the couch unceremoniously.

They chatted idly about nothing of consequence, and Anaya wished fervently that Mumbai seemed just a little bit closer.

She ended the call with a melancholic smile. Deep down, she knew relationships like this tended not to last - distance and time had a way of eroding even the strongest of bonds until one day, you find yourself alone once more. For now, she would cherish Tina's company and hope this call was not the last she would receive in the coming weeks of isolation.

The autumn chill only deepened as evening fell over the quiet forest. Anaya sat by the window, gazing broodingly out at the skeletal trees swaying in the gathering gloom. Her thoughts drifted back to her earlier conversation with Tina.

As much as she valued her friend's familiar chatter, it only reinforced how isolated Anaya felt in this remote corner of Ashcroft. Mumbai seemed like another world entirely - bustling and bright, filled with constant distractions—but that was why she left Mumbai and came here. The silnce and tranquility was soothing even though she missed company and felt a bit lonely. But that was nothing new, she always felt lonely even among her friends and in the crowd of Mumbai amid her parents. It was like there was something missing from her life. But again that feeling could be contributed to her awful childhood.

She wondered what Tina was doing right now. Surrounded by friends at some noisy café no doubt, fully immersed in the vibrant chaos of city life. While Anaya...well, her company consisted of shadows and silence.

Her eyes wandered over the familiar woods once more. In the dimming light, shapes seemed to twist and waver at the edges of perception. Anaya told herself it was just a trick of the mist settling over the treetops, yet she couldn't help conjuring imagined movements lurking just out of view.

A faint crackling sound reached her ears, like the crunch of dry leaves underfoot. But when she peered closer, not a soul could be seen on the winding trails below. An unnerving prickle teased the back of her neck, as though unseen eyes watched from the gloom.

Anaya let the curtain fall with a scoff. "Get ahold of yourself," she muttered. Between the long isolation and her overactive imagination, she was turning into as jumpy as a scared rabbit. As if anything more exciting than deer or foxes prowled these sheltered woods.

With a shake of her head, she rose to start a pot of tea, hoping the soothing warmth and gentle diffusion might lift her sullen mood. For now, all she could do was enjoy the darkening solitude until morning light broke once more over the ancient forest and brought another day of predictable routine.

At least there were no strangers lurking in the shadows - of that much she could be certain. Wasn't she?