TO THE STARS THAT LISTEN

CHAPTER 28: Panic Attack

Ahaan

I got off work later than usual. The day was already tiring enough, and the co-pilot on my last flight was super irritating. He won't shut up about how his girlfriend has a guy bestfriend who is after her. I mean okay, I get it, but please just shut up.

It took me about an hour to reach home because of the traffic and I just wanted to pass out. Technically it was Ira's turn to sleep on the bed but if I request her I know she would let me. We always do things like this like when she studies till late, I sleep on the couch and give her the bed and she does the same when I am too tired from work.

I reach home and take the elevator to the 8th floor.

"You are back late," Chachi says from her seat on the couch.

"Don't even ask Chachi. It was so tiring today and my co-pilot on the last time was infuriating." I go into the kitchen, dropping my bags on the living room floor, and take out a bottle of water from the fridge.

"Oh." She makes a cute face and keeps the laptop off her lap to get up. "Go. Freshen up. I will have Mona bring you dinner." She says reaching me.

"Thank you." I give her a light hug. "Where are the others?"

"They are all in their rooms. We had our dinner." 

"Ira too?" We usually wait for each other to have atleast one meal together. I don't know why we do it, but it just seems right.

"She went directly to her room. She came back over an hour ago and Saanchi saw her going into her room." She never does that. She always comes to the living room, meets everyone, especially Coco and Aariv and then goes to our room to freshen up. 

"That's odd," I said still thinking.

"Don't worry. She must have been tired after a 24-hour long shift. Saanchi went to call her for dinner but she didn't answer the door, so we let her rest." She smiled at me with her right hand over my shoulder.

"Yeah, maybe you are right. She must be tired. I will go up and see if she wants something to eat." I say and walk up to my room.

I try to open the door but it's locked. This doesn't seem right. We never lock our room. Technically we should but we really don't have anything to hide given there is no need for privacy from others because we do nothing.

"Ira?" I knock on the door but there is no reply. I try again. "Ira?" I tried again, but still no response. This is creeping me out.

I take out my key to the room and unlock it.

"Ira?" I take a look at the bed and the couch on my left, but she isn't there. A creepy feeling crawls over me. "Blossom?" I hear a faint murmur from the right corner behind the Eames couch. I switch on the lights and there she is.

"I am a child. NO. I am 7. I am a child. NO. I am 7. I am a child. NO. I am 7. I am a child. NO..."  She sat there with her knees clutched to her chest, her chin resting over them and her hands clutching a blanket for dear life. Her face was tear-stained and her eyes, red. She was shivering so badly, that her body rocked back and forth. A white bottle was 

Oh my, God. My heart thumped in my chest.

"Oh God, Ira." Panic floods my veins and I stride towards her.

"No." She shouts.

"Okay." I stop in my place and pull my hands up, in surrender. "Okay. I won't hurt you, Blossom, I promise. Please let me help you." I reach my hand out to her and she shrinks into the corner even more.

 Oh God, what happened to my baby?

"No. I am a child. Please don't hurt me. I didn't do anything wrong. I will be a good girl. I promise. Please don't hurt me. Please leave me." More tears rushed out of her honey browns which were all red, as she stood up in her place, clutching the blanket even more.