**Hotel 'Himalay Bliss'**
Afternoon shrouded in mist.
The mountain breeze brushed coldly against cheeks, weaving an eerie, mysterious stillness into the air.
Anurag Sir stepped into the hotel lobby.
Exhaustion marked his face and eyes—long travel, sleeplessness, dust and grime from mountain roads all combined into a weary yet grave expression.
Bag over his shoulder, black jacket on, but that familiar gentle calm still lingered in his gaze.
Yet one question burned inside his mind:
"Where is Sneha?"
As soon as he entered the lobby, he asked the hotel manager,
"Are all the students from Pratapnagar Girls' High School and Meghmala Girls' High School back at the hotel?"
The manager hesitated slightly before replying,
"No, Sir. Today, a group of students from both schools was taken by local guides into the forest—for a nature observation activity as part of their joint project."
The moment he heard those words, Anurag Sir's eyes widened.
A quiet dread spread across his face.
"Into the forest?"
Without wasting another second, Anurag Sir rushed toward the forest.
---
**On the Forest Path**
The mountain trail was so densely canopied that the sky seemed to have vanished.
The air carried the scent of pine and damp earth, mingled with the ceaseless drone of crickets—an unsettling, heavy silence.
Anurag Sir was breathing hard, yet he didn't stop.
Only one name echoed in his mind—"Sneha."
As soon as he reached the forest edge, he heard the anxious voices of teachers and local guides.
Panic was written on every face—
and in that instant, he learned the devastating news:
Sneha was missing.
Anurag Sir froze as though the world had stopped.
This was worse than his worst nightmare.
His voice trembled as he spoke,
"What are you saying? What do you mean you can't find her?"
Terror filled his eyes, then quickly turned to fury.
He spun toward Anirban Sir in one sharp motion—
"Anirban! Where were you? I entrusted her to you! How did you let her out of your sight?"
Anirban Sir was trembling violently. His face pale, voice heavy.
Eyes downcast, he said slowly,
"Anurag… I… I couldn't keep watch over her… I'm sorry…"
Anurag Sir stared at him for several long seconds—eyes red, breathing labored.
Then, in a shaking voice, he said,
"If anything happens to her…"
He didn't finish the sentence.
Suddenly he turned wildly and ran into the forest.
Only one name echoed through his cries—
"Sneha! Sneha… where are you!"
Anirban Sir had never seen his calm friend so frantic, so completely broken.
His heart ached terribly for Anurag Sir.
At the same time, deep guilt gnawed at him for failing to protect Sneha.
---
Meanwhile, in a dimly lit corner of the hotel, four girls sat in silence—Medha, Rupasi, Tanushree, and Atreyee.
Fear shadowed their faces, terror in their eyes. No one spoke; they only looked at one another.
One single fear consumed their minds:
"If we get caught, what will we say? If anyone finds out…?"
They kept reminding themselves—"We won't tell anyone. No one will know."
Tanushree whispered, trembling,
"If she's still alive… what will we do? She'll definitely tell everyone what we did! Police… then our parents…"
Rupasi whispered back,
"And if she's dead? If they find her body?"
Everyone shuddered in fear.
Tanushree said shakily,
"Should we tell the Sirs the truth?"
Atreyee quickly cut in—"No, no—we can't. If we confess, everything is over."
Medha sat completely silent.
Her hands shook, her heart pounded.
Her own cousin—Sneha.
They had left her in the depths of that terrifying forest.
A wave of pain washed over her. No matter what Sneha was like, she had never once treated Medha badly.
Deep remorse began to take root in Medha's heart.
Yet she kept trying to convince herself—
"She deserved it… it's because of her…"
But the more she tried to justify it, the heavier her chest became.
Fear, remorse, and the dread of impending disaster filled all four girls' minds.
---
Evening light descended.
The sun's glow melted into the mist, turning everything even more eerie and chilling.
Torch beams flickered between leaves; every sudden call of a wild animal made everyone jump.
From far away came Anurag Sir's voice—
"Sneha! I'm here! Your Anurag Sir! Where are you!"
His voice cracked, breath ragged, yet he didn't stop.
He swept the torch into every shadow behind every tree, under every bush.
A thousand fears raced through his mind—
Who knew how Sneha was lying there!
Her hypoglycemia.
In this cold forest, if her blood sugar suddenly dropped, glucose wouldn't reach her body properly.
At night the cold would worsen; low temperature could send her sugar levels crashing even further—that thought alone drove him frantic.
And the insects in this jungle—countless kinds.
And snakes? There were snakes too!
The fear for Sneha consumed him.
What if she had fallen unconscious? What if some animal—
Just thinking it brought tears to Anurag Sir's eyes.
He stumbled forward wildly, ignoring everyone.
The other teachers tried to hold him back, but he wouldn't stop.
As though the whole world had fallen silent, only one name remained in Anurag Sir's heart—
"Sneha…!"
Moonlight slipped through the pine needles.
Somewhere far off, a wild animal called suddenly.
Anirban Sir ran behind Anurag Sir.
Guilt, sorrow, and regret churned inside his chest.
Only one sentence repeated in his mind—
"If only I had kept her in sight…"
Anurag Sir was nearly mad with desperation as he searched for Sneha.
A wild, frantic look filled his eyes.
The other teachers couldn't hold him back—his steps were swift, his voice relentless—
"Sneha! Sneha!"
To be continued...