Roommate (ASHAANGI)

Eight

"You're back" He laughs behind her and she freezes. Her feet stay rooted to the surface and her head spins, hearing his voice.

"Surprised?" His breath fans her neck and he slowly moves her hair to her other shoulder. Her breath turns shallow and she stumbles a little. He was quick to catch her in his arms and looks at her pained face.

"Relax, I'm not going to do anything to you" He says, his hands still resting on her arms. Regaining her composure, she stands straight and wraps her arms around herself. She turns around to take a look at his face and exhales out loudly.

"I... I came here to... Take.. Take my files" She stammers and her eyes lower to the ground.

"You're not going anywhere" He says quickly.

"I wanted to take my files. And I'll be leaving" She turns towards the stairs which leads to her old room, but he was quick to grab her arm.

"Please, Ajay. I didn't come here to fight with you" She pleads and Ajay shakes his head, his gaze sharpening on her.

"You're not going anywhere" He grips her arm so tight that his hold has left a bruise on her.

"Youre hurting me" Her voice cracks and she looks at him, hopeless. The wrinkles forming on his forehead ceases and he apologetically lets go of her arm.

"I'm sorry... You don't get it. You're the only person I see" He admits. Her features softens and she looks at him in sympathy.

"Don't look at me like that" He grabs her chin forcefully and she lets out a silent sob.

"Fuck, I'm sorry. Look at me" he forces his hands down to the sides andbreathes, staring down at her.

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She silently unlocks the door, and wipes the beads of sweat forming on her forehead with the back of her hand. Quickly unlocking her apartment, she enters the dark place and lets out a sigh of relief when she realizes she doesn't have to deal with Akshay or Parvathi as they are off to bed.

"Where the hell were you?" The keys flies out her hand and lands on the floor with a loud clatter.

"Jeez, You scared the shit out of me" Saesha exhales loudly and silently groans into her hands.

"Where were you?" He walks near to her and cocks his head to the side. Since the room is dark, he is unable to make out her face.

"I'm tired. Can I answer your questions tomorrow?" she lets out a loud yawn and tries to walk past him. His face darkens and he breathes out loudly, trying to control himself.

"Why are you so adamant? Just tell me where you were. Parvathi was worried sick. She went out searching for you. She could've gotten lost"

"Akshay-"

"You could've at least tried to inform her via text. How long does letting someone takes you?" She drops her gaze to the ground and anxiously pinches the side of her arm.

"Talk Saesha" His tone softens looking at her anxious state.

"I... Was.. I went.. To my" She shakesher head as if she is contemplating on whether or not she should tell him, but quickly refuses to say anything else.

"Breathe. You're okay" He inhales and exhales loudly, indicating her to do the same. She heaves out a sigh and follows his gesture.

"Do you need water?" he asks, when her breathing turns normal.

"No. I'll just go sleep" she refuses to meet his eyes.

"Okay. Let me or Parvati know if something is bothering you okay?" He lowers his head to her level and she nods slowly. He nods back and moves away to let her walk to her room.

"Akshay..." She trails off and looks at her bedroom in horror.

"What's wrong?" he frowns watching her eyeing her bedroom.

"Can you... You please make sure the balcony doors are locked? Please-"

"Sure. If you want you can sleep with Parvathi"

"No, no. Nevermind. I'll lock the door" She tries to walk to her room, only to get blocked by him.

"I got you. I'll lock them" With that, he walks to her room and shuts down all the windows and locks the door to her balcony. 

"Locked" he says and she breathes out a sigh of relief

"Thank you" She says genuinely and he nods, before reluctantly walking to his room.

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"Why did Cinderella get kicked off the football team?
Because she kept running from the ball!" Parvathi snorts at her own joke and laughs out loud.

"That wasn't even funny" Saesha deadpans, leaning her arm against the couch.

"I warned you about my painful humor" Paravathi retorts

"True that. But I didn't think it would be this worse" She says and nods her head slowly at her friend. The question was what's the funniest joke her friend knows by her heart and that turned out to be the lamest one she has heard in her whole life.

"Are you good? Do you want to go out somewhere?" Parvathi's tone laces with concern after hearing what happened at her friend's house.

"No, no. Nee enakaga office ku pogama leave pottathey periyavishiyam. Nee ethuvum pannavenam"

"Yeah yeah, That was hard convincing you. I can even convince buffaloes to move out of the way but not you" Parvathi rolls her eyes at her friend and catches a glimpse of Saesha's lips rising upwards in amusement.

"Promise me, next time you go there, you'll take me with you." Parvathi holds out her pinky finger and saesha joins her