In Sunshine or In Shadow ✔ [Completed]

Chapter 6.2 - Touch

Riddhima felt uncomfortable being alone in her apartment but she hadn't wanted to go back to the pharmacy with Viraj to pick up her sleeping pills. She hated that place now, it was a constant reminder of the last time she had walked through the doors. She didn't want to give the pharmacist the chance to remember that she was the rape victim that had acted like a complete basket case.

Instead she had stayed home and tried to ignore that paranoid feeling that was quickly becoming a constant part of her life. Riddhima did her best to focus on something else, which is how she read the second act of Titus Andronicus again. She looked over the ravishment of Lavinia for probably the hundredth time. It was worse now that she'd seen the film and she could imagine it all so well now. Lavinia on her knees begging Tamora to kill her, pleading to die rather than face the horrors of violation. All the while the horrible queen simply smiled and replied, "So should I rob my sweet sons of their fee. / No, let them satisfy their lust on thee."

Helpless and frightened. That must have been how Lavinia felt when Tamora said those words and sealed her fate. Riddhima knew that feeling well, she was feeling something akin to that right now.

She was turning the pages to when Titus first sees Lavinia again after Marcus found her but there was a knock on the door. Riddhima jumped and immediately hid the book underneath the couch, she wasn't entirely sure why she did that, but she didn't want Viraj to see it. The fact that Viraj had a spare key didn't cross her mind.

It wasn't her younger brother back from the pharmacy, it was Vansh.

"Really? Again?" she asked, this was only the third time that Vansh had come by to check up on her that week.

"Really? That's how you answer the door?" he said with his angelic smile. Riddhima rolled her eyes and stepped aside to let him in. "Hey at least I'm not offering up terrible excuses like bringing coffee and doughnuts. I am honest."

"And you're honestly overprotective," Riddhima replied. Not that she could blame him, only a few days ago she had been sitting in her bathtub after freaking out in front of TV reporters. And of course two minutes ago she had hated being alone. So she smiled at him with gratitude, "Thanks." Riddhima closed the door and walked him over to the living room. "Would you like some tea?"

Vansh shook his head, "No, I'm fine." He looked around for a moment. "Where's your brother?"

"He went to the pharmacy," She replied and immediately regretted it. There was only one reason why someone would go to the pharmacy and it wasn't for the reasonable prices of stationary.

"Judging by the deer-in-the-headlights look you are giving me," Vansh said, "I'm going to guess he is not there for mouthwash."

Riddhima slumped down in defeat. "He's getting my sleeping pills."

Now Vansh nodded. "You had your first therapy session today. I should have known; your body language was obvious."

She glared at him. "That's not true."

He gave her is inquisitive look. "You're general stance, the slump to your shoulders and the tell-tale crinkle between your eyes. All tells." Riddhima gave him an even more pointed glare, which only seemed to make him happier. Vansh simply grinned. "What happened?"

Riddhima shrugged. "Nothing. Her name is Dr. Nancy Cargill, blonde, British, nice. I went. We talked. I left. It was fine."

Vansh studied her for a long moment. "No it wasn't."

"Yes it was."

He looked in her eyes. "Let me guess how it went. You spent a half an hour doing nothing but sitting in silence before you finally spoke. When she asked you questions you gave her the minimum response you could manage before escaping early."