Roommate (ASHAANGI)

Seventeen

The day flies by, and Ravee and Swetha walk their way back home silently, engulfing the comfortable silence that has been hanging around in the air. Neither of them utters any word as Swetha enters the house. She looks behind her to see Ravee keeping his back to her.

Later that evening, when everyone else has gone to bed, Saesha slowly and carefully tucks her inside the blanket. A text pops up on her screen and her heart starts to beat wilder at the possibility of receiving a text from Ajay. She looks around the room to make sure Akshay is still in the washroom and she slowly checks her phone, only to be faced with the demon she has been trying hard to forget about. She clutches her phone tightly before opening the messages.

Unknown: If I was you, I'd be a good girl and listen.

Unknown: Let's not do this anymore. Come home now or I'm coming there.

Saesha: what do you want?

Unknown: This is why I love you. Playing very hard to get.

Saesha: Ajay, please stop. You're grossing me out.

Unknown: that's it. I'm coming to your little apartment.

Saesha inhales a sharp breath and realizes he doesn't know about her whereabouts. He doesn't know about her staying at Akshay's house. Not knowing if she should sigh out in relief or cry at the thought of him going to the apartment, she shakes her head, in an attempt of clearing her mind.

"You good?" Akshay's voice startles her and that's when she realizes he has been standing near the bed for quite some time.

"Yeh. Just a minor headache" She lies and turns to the other side to ignore Akshay's pair of eyes drilling holes into her head. She sighs out in relief when he doesn't say anything for a while and she forcefully shuts her eyes, trying to forget about everything that has happened today. After some time, she could feel him lying down on the bed. Pulling the blanket to herself and leaving some out for him, she clutches the fabric and tries her best to fall asleep. After a while, she finds herself drifting off to sleep and Akshay does the same.

It was around 2 in the midnight when he could feel vigorous shaking of the bed. He slowly opens his eyes to find Saesha moving her legs up and down. He instantly sits up and sees her having trouble breathing, as she tips her head back and tries to breathe, her eyes still closed. Not knowing what to do, he slowly taps her cheeks, and when she doesn't stop forcing her legs.

"Saesha" he calls out. He watches her bringing her hands to her throat and trying tochoke  herself. Quickly, he pulls her hands off her and shakes her gently. When she still doesn't open her eyes, he grows worried as he knows what she is dealing with.

"Saesha" This time, he forcefully shakes her and taps her cheeks several times. Tears starts to roll down her eyes and he grows even more worried. He very well knows it'd take some time for her to calm down and open her eyes. Leaning against the head board, he watches as she starts breathing normally and more tears roll out of her eyes. After some time, she gasps for air and instantly sits up, breathing heavily.

"Hey, it's okay. I've got you" He says as he moves closer to her and drapes his arm around her shoulder. She quickly buries her face in his neck and grips his shirt, as she lets out a sob.

"I can't... do.. this" her voice comes out small as she holds onto him tight.

"We will get through this" he tries to assure her. The room is now filled with her helpless sobs and him whispering comforting words.

"How long have you been dealing with PTSD?" he asks, once she calms down. She clutches his shirt tighter at the mention and shakes her head against his neck when she can't bring herself to talk about it.

"It's okay." He says and strokes her hair. She leans into him even closer as he removes her hair from the bun and lets it down her shoulders.

"I'm sorry for waking you up" he could feel her crying against him and he heaves out a sigh of frustration.

"Don't ever apologize for things you can't control, Saesha" he speaks and she slowly lifts her head off him.

"Please don't look at me. I'm... This is.. Embarrassing" she says as she covers her face with her hair. Akshay turns the other way and switches off the night lamp, leaving the room in complete darkness.

"Thank you" she breathes out and leans against the headboard.

After some time, when their breaths match each other, he plays with the scrunchie he has removed from her hair and wears it on his wrist.

"Akshay?" her voice comes out small and he turns towards her and realizes he can't see her.

"Yes?"

"you haven't slept yet?" she wonders out loud.

"You can't sleep?" he asks, slowly.

"No" she replies and sighs.

"do you want to get out of bed to clear your mind maybe?"

"no no, it's fine. I just.. don't want to wake up like this again" she admits, pulling her legs to her chest.

"Let's try to get your mind off whatever happened minutes ago. Okay?"

"okay"

"Good"

"you know, I always wonder...." she trails off, shaking her head at the silly thought popping in her brain.

"What is it?"

"If watermelons exist, then fire melons, earth melons and air melons should also exist, the elemelons" she sighs at her thought.

"....."

"Your silence is scaring me"

"You need sleep" He says after a while.

"I really do"

"Am I keeping you awake? You can go ahead-"

"No, I want to stay awake" he cuts her off and pulls at the scrunchie.

"Are you sure? I can stop talking-"

"No. Keep talking" She quickly places a hand on her stomach when she could feel someone doing weird flips inside her tummy.

"Do you read?" She asks, ignoring the funny feeling in her stomach.

"Yes"

"What do you read about?"

"Science fiction"

"Hot" she clamps her mouth with her hand and curses under her breath

"I mean, science fiction is hot" Akshay smirks and lets out a low chuckle.