Banter

"When will we reach there? We've been walking for one hour," Rish complained, scowling with his face all red and pale from walking.

"You have less energy than ants, your feet are bigger than all of ours, and yet you still have the guts to say this. Can't even walk properly," Levi commented on her brother, who is behaving all dramatically.

Alisha just smiled, remembering all the kids from the orphanage. Though she never had real blood siblings, they were never any less to her.

And why would they be, when she literally spent her whole life in the orphanage, never getting to know who her parents are, and not even wanting to find out.

But there is some part of her that she wants to find, to know why they abandoned her like this when she was just a baby.

What makes them hate her so much? Her heart always feels pain from thinking about this, that's why she always tries not to dwell on these things.

She doesn't believe the pain she feels by thinking about it, she wants to lock it away and throw away the key.

Because before meeting Alice, she had a good life. A mother figure like Mary, so many kids who were like her own siblings - Alice threw it all off a cliff, making her end up like this.

That day when Rish came home and told her that everything was fine at her orphanage, she felt so much relief. Now, after two years, she is all healed and they are going to Maya's hometown.

She is pretty excited and a bit tense, because she is trusting strangers so much. But then again, she has no money, no place, no hope, and the city is scary to think about because she believes if she goes there, Alice will find her.

The outcome for that, she doesn't even want to think about - it's going to be deathly.

At least now she can be tension-free about Mary and the kids, and the past three days she spent with Maya, Levi, and Rish. She can see how genuine these three are, so she willingly wants to trust them.

"What are you thinking, Alisha? Is there any discomfort you are feeling?" Maya asked, seeing Alisha lost in her thoughts.

"I am fine, Maya," Alisha smiled and then sighed. She was so glad that she found Maya in the forest.

Maya gives her the same exact vibes like Mary, and she doesn't feel like a stranger.

The family always makes sure that Alisha doesn't feel unwanted, and she could never be more in debt than she is now.

"I'm telling you, Alisha, these two ladies have the stamina of a ghost. How about let's sit on a rock and rest? You just recovered and walked for such a long time, it's not good at all," Rish nudged.

"We have stamina, and you have a deficiency. It's only a few minutes away, a waste of time to wait. It's already going to be night in a few hours, and the forest, we all know, is not safe at night," Maya chuckled, looking at her son, who is throwing his hands around from time to time due to walking.

But in the forest, they wouldn't have any vehicle, so of course, they had to walk.

Then again, she waited for Alisha's injury to get cured due to it too. Maya is a bit sad too because she thought her husband would reply to the letter and come to help.

But that didn't happen, so as per the plan, Maya is now taking the step. She doesn't know if it will be alright.

She doesn't know if it will be alright. All she knows is that they have to keep moving forward.

"Mom, my feet are going to get cut if we keep walking. How are you three ladies even doing it?" Rish hissed in pain as he massaged his feet while walking.

"We're not wasting energy by talking and complaining too much; we're using that energy for walking. How about you try it?" Levi chimed in, rolling her eyes.

Hehe!

Alisha giggled at Levi's comment, finding it quite funny.

"Wow, you're on her team now, Alisha? Don't forget I made such good food for you these three days, you traitor," Rish faked hurt in his voice dramatically.

"Then I walked with her, and we enjoyed indoor chess and stuff too. So don't you think it's me she bonded more with?" Levi smirked as she reasoned.

Alisha shook her head, seeing them both. In the days she lived with them, she found it pretty comfortable.

In just three days, Levi and Rish both made sure to make her feel like she was their friend, and they were quite fun, to be honest.

She never had friends, not even the one she made in college that day. It only lasted a few hours, and then she couldn't meet her due to Alice and whatever happened after that.

Now, with Levi and Rish, she felt so good and happy. Both brother and sister are crazily hilarious, and she enjoyed the banter.

Their lighthearted bickering and playful banter made the journey more bearable. It was a welcome change from the constant heaviness she felt in her heart.

As they walked, Alisha couldn't help but reflect on the newfound bond she shared with Levi and Rish. They accepted her without judgement, something she hadn't experienced in a long time.

Suddenly, a rustling in the bushes ahead startled them. Instinctively, they stopped and exchanged wary glances.

"Did you hear that?" Rish whispered, his eyes wide with alarm.

Before anyone could respond, a wild boar burst out from the undergrowth, snorting and thrashing its tusks.

"Run!" Maya shouted, grabbing Alisha's hand and pulling her along as they sprinted away from the charging animal.

Heart pounding, Alisha ran as fast as she could, adrenaline coursing through her veins. She glanced back to see Levi and Rish close behind, their faces etched with fear.

Finally, they reached a clearing and collapsed onto the ground, panting and exhausted. Alisha's heart raced as she tried to catch her breath, grateful to be alive.

"Is everyone okay?" Maya asked, her voice trembling slightly.

"We're fine, just a bit shaken," Rish replied, her hands still trembling.

Levi and Alisha nodded in agreement, their eyes wide with adrenaline-fueled excitement.

“So close”