On the road: 15th July Friday: 8:00 am:

Two jeeps whizzed past, blowing the dry leaves scattered on the road.

“Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me, as is ever so on the road. How appropriately Jack Kerouac wrote this line."

Billy said while fixing his dreamy eyes on the road ahead. Both the jeeps were running on the smooth pitch-black road. The trail of lush green trees cast the shadow on both sides of the deserted road. The cold and misty morning breeze and chirping of early birds were refreshing everybody's mind. Suddenly Micky grabbed Nina's right hand with his left and placed their entwined hands on the gear stick. Nina was startled for a moment and then wobbled her head in disbelieve. Micky smiled to see her and pressed the accelerator while putting his jeep in fourth gear.

"Micky, what are you doing? Please slow down. You know I hate speed. Please slow the car."

Nina yelled in fear and like a child, kept on pleading to Micky who was laughing to see her whining.

"Woooo......hoooooo..... here we go....... nobody can catch us........ Nina I...LOVE.....YOU...."

Micky whooped on his top. Nina shut her eyes forcefully and was trying to push herself back to control her discomfort. She was continuously trying to free her hand from Micky’s grip on the gear stick. The cars on the highway were whizzing past them. Billy was observing all these immaturities of Micky for a while. Now, he couldn't resist himself to stop him.

"Micky, stop all this bullshit. You are scaring her like hell man. Look at her. Slow down the car. NOW."

He bawled in exasperation. There was definitely something in his voice that Micky, the epitome of arrogance released his foot from the poor accelerator. Maya who was equally enjoying this puerile insanity, couldn't realise the solemnity of the situation and shouted,

"What the hell Billy? It was so fun? Why have you stopped Micky? You are boring, that doesn't mean we all have to become dull and bland. The road is so inviting and you want to cover it like a bullock cart?"

Micky drove so fast that Alex's jeep was not visible behind them. So, Micky took aside and stopped the jeep. He himself got down from the jeep and stood on the road by resting his hands on the waist. He was feeling pissed off. At first, Billy's tone made him hell angry and on top of that, Nina's silence about all these dramas added fuel to the fire. On the other side, Billy and Maya were still arguing while Nina was sitting mum with her head down. After some fitful minutes, Nina said hesitantly,

"Where are the others? They were coming behind us. But now there is no trace of their jeep."

She sounded worried. Billy turned towards her and retorted,

"Well, all credits go to your boyfriend. I mean poor Alex might not know that our Maglev train is going to reach the other world. Or he could have tried to match up the speed"

He uttered the words in sheer scorn. The lines poured into Micky’s ear like molten lead and he turned to his jeep with gritted jaws.

"And I should have known that all these melodramas are going to happen when the brother-sister duo is here."

Micky hissed in pique. Billy might have replied to him in the same manner if Maya didn't yell.

"Look, Alex's jeep! They are coming."

All turned their heads to locate a yellow spot that was getting cleared amidst the green background.

........................

Amidst the deserted road: 15th July Friday: 9: 30 am:

Both the jeeps were resting by the roadside. All the people were standing on the road. A small but important problem was being discussed.

"I tried to call you, Man but there was no network and after that, you just vanished from my sight."

Alex said to Micky and shrugged.

"But now what? We left all the shops behind us. We had to get the firewood and tent. For a moment, forget about the tent but I think firewood would be necessary if we decided to go towards the hills. And I don't think there would be any shops."

Peter sounded perturbed.

"Fine; all are my faults. I wanted to have some fun instead of a boring journey, and that turned into a problem. Now, tell me what should I do? Leave the trip and go back home or apologise to everyone?”

Micky hissed with the flared nostrils. The whole pandemonium turned him into a hell pissed off mood.

"Buddy I didn't mean that. It is a petty problem and we can handle it. Nobody is blaming you."

Peter said in a calm voice and rested his hand on Micky’s shoulder while he turned his face to the other side. Cody was munching on chips. Now he came forward and muttered,

"If you all didn't forget we need a more important thing than the tent and firewood. And I am sure this deserted road amidst this jungle would not provide it to us."

Natalia frowned and asked,

"Come on Cody, don't create mystery. Say clearly, what do you mean by the more important thing?"

Cody paused a little and replied in a staccato,

"P..E..T..R..O..L. I think we were supposed to get that from any petrol pump on the highway. But now we are in our own way. "

He stopped and disappeared some chips into his mouth. The reaction of all the people would have been more normal if a bomb would have dropped there by any chance.

"What the fuck! How could we forget? We need petrol at any cost if we want to go for a long trip as we planned."

Micky said in desperation.

"In that case, we will have to be back to the highway and search for a petrol pump."

Nina said firmly.

"I think she is right. It's 10 now. So, we can get back to the highway around 11."

Alex suggested.

"So don't waste time. Let’s go."

Alisha said and stormed towards Alex's jeep.

"Alisha wait! Peter and you come to my jeep. Nina will be in Alex's jeep. We are in a hurry now and I can't drive my car as per her expectation. So, better to be sorted in advance."

Micky said sternly while Nina stared at him with teary eyes and silently sat in Alex's jeep. Micky jumped and sat on the driving seat and pressed the accelerator. Both the jeep rushed towards the highway but who knew what uncertainty they were going to face.

“Because the whole future lies in uncertainty. So better live immediately.”