𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑹𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒐𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑹𝒊𝒅𝒆

PART-70

*Mention of suicide. Readers' discretion is advised. *

-*-*-*-

Ira entered the room firmly, the door clicking shut behind her as she locked it. Her jaw was tight, lips pressed into a thin line that screamed irritation held a second too long. She dumped her bag onto her single bed, the one pushed up against the window, and dropped down beside it.

"What happened?" Nidhi looked up from the study table near her own bed, pen pausing mid-sentence.

Ira contorted her face, her voice grinding through clenched teeth. "I seriously feel like killing these so-called grown-up women."

Nidhi raised her eyebrows, blinking.

"You know, just this afternoon—I brought two water bottles and put them in the freezer." Ira's fingers curled into the bedsheet. "And those witches took them. Right from the refrigerator." She scoffed.

Nidhi exhaled, the sound long and tired, as if this wasn't new. She took a second, then got off the bed. "Come with me," she said quietly, catching Ira's wrist, and walked to the door, then unlocked it.

The corridor outside was dim, light faintly slipping through room ventilators.

They stopped before a shut light-brown door four rooms away from theirs in the opposite. Its surface was cluttered with taped photographs of Bollywood actors and actresses.

Nidhi knocked. Twice.

No reply.

She glanced sideways.

Ira's earlier fire had dulled; her brows drew together, shoulders stiffening, fingers twitching against each other. "Are you gonna fight with them?" she asked, blinking, swallowing.

Nidhi looked at her, eyes narrowing for a second before the tension slid off her face. She stepped aside, nudging Ira forward with her shoulder and slipping back herself. "You do that?"

"Huh?" Ira's brows shot up, mouth falling open slightly.

"Yup." Nidhi crossed her arms, settling her weight on one foot. "They took your water bottles, didn't they?"

Ira nodded, uncertain.

Nidhi nodded back. "Then get it yourself." She shrugged. "It's not like I'll be there for you always. You need to learn to tackle things alone."

"You talk like my brother," Ira complained as she stepped forward and knocked again – not loud, but not kind either. "Is there anyone inside?"

A few seconds stretched. Then the door opened just enough for a face to appear.

A woman peeked out – round face, big eyes, deep brown complexion – her smile hovering somewhere between hesitant and shameless. "Hey, girls." She waved.

Ira forced a polite smile. "Hello, di... umm..." She glanced sideways at Nidhi.

Nidhi, completely unbothered, was inspecting her plain nails.

"Ira, do you need anything?" the woman urged.

Ira shrugged her thoughts. "My water bottles, please."

"I don't have your water bottles." The woman scrunched up her face.

"Oh," Ira said. "But you and your two roommates have been... using them for the past few days. So..." She paused, recalibrating. "Never mind. Can you please check? Maybe your friends have them. We're running out of water, actually." She added softly, "Please."

The woman nodded quickly and disappeared back inside, the door shutting with a hollow sound.

"You're way too polite," Nidhi commented under her breath, eyes fixed on her friend.