Trigger Warning: Mentions of Self-harm, Blood and unhealed trauma
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[Time: Noon]
A loud ringtone echoed in the apartment as the blanket on a bed muffled in irritation against the sound. After a few rings, as the limit of endurance was broken, the blanket was abruptly lifted and out was the drowsy figure of Aashna, aggressively stepping to turn off her alarm. Turned out it wasn't an alarm, but a call.
"Hello?" Her hoarse voice enunciated before it vanished into a yawn.
"OPEN YOUR BALCONY DOOR, QUICK!!"
"Hein?" She wasn't conscious enough to process anything.
"MISS VAMPIRE, OPEN THAT GODDAMNED DOOR BEFORE YOU DIE IN AN ARSON!"
Forcing her eyelids open, she dashed towards her balcony only to witness a fatal fire on her balcony grill. Her bathing towel, which was once dark purple-coloured, was now stained in a darker black with flames erupting from all over itself. She stepped aside and leaned over a bit to catch a glimpse of her building's rooftop. All she could see was welding work, as the spatter fell directly on the hanging towel, causing the scene.
"Oh god!" She hastily extended her hand in an attempt to save whatever was left of the towel and avoid any further spread of fire. "Ah! Ouh!"
"Stop touching the fire you dumb!" She heard the voice over the call.
She stepped back and brought her phone in front of her to see the caller ID. "Oh, Abeer. Good morning." She said while adjusting her wild hair. Nothing could be done about the towel anymore and she was, by then, up enough to realise that the fire wouldn't spread through the grill. Hopefully.
"Yeah, an absolute good of a morning. Why were your clothes out all night anyway?" Abeer chuckled over his phone as he saw Aashna safely entering her room before closing her door again. He veiled his window, too, through which he had been watching a thriller-turned-soft movie.
"I'm mostly out all day so I usually do laundry in the evening. Anyway, gotta get ready for the College round today. I'll talk to you later?" She said, all ready to drop her phone on the bed and pick up the blanket to be folded.
"Sure thing. All the best!" His voice wavering, contemplating an extended conversation.
"Thank you!"
Before she could hang up, she again heard metallic decibels exiting her phone. "Umm... Aashna?"
"Hmm?"
"Could you... text me once your presentation is done, please?" His voice was an octave lower than before.
"Mhmm... Done!" She finally uttered after giving up the thought of wondering about the reason for his request and the addition of a 'please' to it.
- X - X - X - X - X -
Colourful posters outstretched everywhere like stars in the night sky, firmly metonymizing the unfathomable hard work and contemplations engraved in most of the participants. Some were busy taping their posters on the designated walls, while others never quit rehearsing their presentation scripts. Amidst the pre-round chaos, the hall fell short of one participant, Abhimanyu.
The moment she was done setting up her poster and a notepad, Aashna's attention shifted to the hall's door. The same door that awaited the arrival of him. Sooner than anticipated, Abhimanyu entered the hall and his unwavering steps sought the way to Aashna.
YOU ARE READING
His Favourite Book
General Fiction*MATURE BECAUSE*: It contains serious, sensitive and triggering topics like self-harm, unhealed trauma, assault, murders, etc. Reader discretion is advised. We are all flawed in some way or another, aren't we? How far can we go into our real persona...
