Suramya

Chapter 7- Night wanderers.

[A/N:]
Many of you might find this a boring chapter. There aren't any dialogues or interactions in this chapter. But according to me, this chapter seemed quite necessary. It shows more of their inner monologues and their thought process and just how each of them takes in their surrounding. I wouldn't mind if you'd like to skip this one but yeah this might help you know the characters more.

XOXO.

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Samukta stared up at the cold muddy walls of the hut while laying on the mattress. He had grit his teeth when he was shown the room. He wouldn't be caught dead sleeping in a hut. But as much as he hated to admit it, this place was more than comforting to his cursed soul. Cursed soul. Dramatic, isn't it? Well, one would call themselves a cursed soul if they had a dead sister, I suppose. And problematic parents. And all of that being your fault.

He wasn't able to sleep. He never is, truly, but today was different. It wasn't just the seasonal insomnia but the sense of unfamiliarity too. I mean, big day, new place. How could he sleep?

Kavi had his eyes closed, but he was wide awake underneath the act. Raina, Inara, Evara and Ruchya. All of them, awake.

The six didn't realise– and even they did, they wouldn't admit it– but the reason for their inability to sleep was trauma. They had it, and so did everybody else. It's not a big deal. But, is it really not? They had gone through major events and maybe that was the reason they weren't able to sleep.

The course of their lives were going to change from the next day, as they believed it.

But it would change in a way they wouldn't expect to.

Was it because of excitement that they couldn't sleep? No. It was because of fear. It was because of the reminder that they had to move on from their past lives. Because of change.

Abruptly, Kavi got up from his mattress, drank some water from the pot and sat down on the floor, with his back against the wall. There was no meaning in pretending to sleep when he knew it wasn't going to work.

Evara kept turning over, messing up the sheets of her mattress. She tried humming a song, and even counted to 100. Yet, nothing worked. Back at her residence, she was usually just too tired after roaming around the entire city. Hence, when the moment her body touched her bed, she fell asleep. And today, she was more tired than ever, and yet, she was awake as a little fox.

Raina gave up trying to sleep and she sat up in her bed. Normally, this was around the time she cried. Late at night, when the river of emotions flowed. But today, her eyes were cold. Strained. She wanted to sleep. Then why couldn't she? It was unfair, wasn't it? I want to sleep, please let me, let me! She shouted silently to nothingness. Who was out there to listen to her anyway? Well, even if there was, they surely didn't care about her existence. Or else she would've died a long time ago.

Inara couldn't help thinking of the others. How Evara had made it look so easy to be free. She hoped to catch the same confidence as that girl, as it would help her make good friends at the hostel. And that girl Raina too. She admired her ability to stay upright in every situation. She wondered what their paths were, and where they would lead them.

Little did she know hers and theirs were intertwined.

Ruchya stared at his guitar, thinking of his father and reminisced about all those times before when he couldn't sleep and his father used to sing songs to him. He played his father's voice in his head, trying to make himself fall to sleep, but even that didn't work.

Finally, Evara gave up trying. She felt like she was drowning inside this little space, even though there was no water around. Her lungs felt as if they were collapsing and her eyes felt like they were itching. She got out of the hut and breathed. Deep breaths and her nose hurt for a few seconds when the cold air hit her. She wrapped her arms around her torso and rubbed her arms trying to comfort herself.