“Anu, wake up. Good morning”, Ria entered Anu’s room with two hot cups of tea.

“Ria, it is 7 am. Why do you have to wake up so early, especially when we are on vacation? Well, at least I am”, Anu sat in bed, rubbing her eyes.

“Come on Anu, we have to capture beautiful clicks for my next blog. Have you forgotten?”, Ria said, clinging to her cup and Anu’s. 

“Of course I know that, but it’s too early to leave and it’s a crime to wake up early when you are on break from work.”, Anu said, making a face and sipping her hot tea. 

“Come on, don’t be a spoiled sport now. Wake up. We are leaving in the next 15 mins”, Ria said as she walked towards her room and continued, “and yes, I am leaving in the next 15 minutes with you or without you.” And she smiled sarcastically. 

Ria was getting ready. She looked elegant in a blue t-shirt and black denim. Then she stroked her hair with a brush and she applied a light pink lipstick. And to top it all off, she wore a warm winter jacket.

Ria and Anu are on a mini vacation. When Anu proposed taking a break from work, Ria immediately said yes, as she was getting a chance to think and work on her next assignment in order to go live with her blog. Ria and Anu are co-workers and college friends too. They are close friends with each other but a little opposite of each other. Ria was an enthusiastic person, but Anu is different from Ria. She is the one who enjoys her own pace and enjoys life’s momentum.Anu was ready as well when Ria walked out of her room. 

“Oh wow, here you are”, Ria said, seeing Anu ready. 

“I had to be right. You did not leave me any choice”, Anu said while tying her shoes. 

“Let’s go,” Ria was very excited.  

Both walked to the straight road from the guest house where they were staying. Ria was busy taking scenic pictures. Anu was walking a few steps behind Ria and she was enjoying nature’s beauty and cold weather around. 

Soon they reached a nearby lake and stopped at the food stalls to grab a bite.

“Parathas? My god. I am so loving it,” Anu said excitedly when she looked at the menu. 

“There is nothing like it. Such cold weather and hot parathas,” Ria said, scanning the menu.

“Bhaiya, ek cocktail paratha aur ek aaloo paratha,” Anu ordered.

“Bhaiya, aap do cup chai dijiye, aap tak parathe tayar ho rahe hai,” Ria said, rubbing her hands together. 

“Ji behenji, abhi deta hoon,” The boy at the stall said. 

“Wonderful weather, na? I am just loving all of this,” Ria said, looking around. 

“I swear. Thank God I came for this morning walk with you. Did you get some good clicks?” Anu enquired. 

“Oh yes, but this is just the beginning. I still have to cover a lot and I don’t want to miss a single opportunity to get featured. See this.” Ria showed her mobile to Anu, showing the clicks. 

“Oh you will do it. I am so sure about it.” Anu said. “Wow, you can tell this is my favourite.” Anu pointed to one of the pictures. 

Soon they grabbed the parathas and started their walking journey again. 

“Anu, come, let’s go to the lake. I want to feel the cold water. It is going to be fun.” Ria said.

“Why not? Let’s go, let’s go ”Anu joined. 

They removed their footwear in the corner and walked towards the lake. It was freezing cold. As they stepped into the water, both almost screamed from feeling the cold. 

“Oh god, I think we should go. We will fall sick otherwise. This is so cold.” Anu complained after enjoying cold water for a few minutes. 

“I swear, but it is fun. You would not get such cold weather in Mumbai.” Ria was busy jumping in the water. 

While Anu turned to leave the lake, something got stuck at her feet. She bent to see what it was and she found a bottle. 

“Ria, look what I got,” Anu said, picking up the bottle. 

“Wait, let’s just go out and see it is,” Ria said and both walked out of the lake. 

“What is it?”

“Is it a wish bottle?”

“Oh yeah, that’s right! There is a note inside.” Anu said excitedly. 

“Should we open it?” Ria was curious.

“What? No, you never know, a person who must have thrown it must be around and watching us.” Anu said. 

“Seriously, Anu? Look around. There is no one around. Okay, let’s do one thing. Let’s wait for some time and we will see if someone comes, or else we will take it with us.” Ria said. 

“That makes sense.” Anu agreed.

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Hello, everyone! If you liked this Short Story, do check out the related posts. Comment and like if you would like to read more similar works from the author. And don’t forget to share this on your social media channels.

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Editor: Anushri

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