ASLEEP YET AWAKE

innocent discoveries

I swear it was one heck of a job to find my cell phone in the pile of clothes on my bed. By the time I managed to fish out my mobile my room was a freaking mess with clothes strewn everwhere. Thankgod mom is not home or else she would have fainted on seeing the condition of my room.

I recieved the phone call without even checking the caller's name.

I could hear someone's footsteps as if they were running and then I heard Anna's voice filled with panick and terror. Her breathing was heavy and her voice was muffled.

"What is your house number? Quick". Anna barked in the phone.

"Forty.. forty three". I stammered.

And then she disconnected the phone call. My heart began pounding heavily and my palms turned cold. Beads of precipitation lined my forehead. It would be an understatement to say that I was freaking out because I was literally dying of tension.

A lot of 'what ifs' clouded my mind and I began pacing around the room in anticipation. I always had this habit of nail biting and I couldn't let it go. I found myself chewing at my nails this time even though I haven't done it in a while.

It was then that my door bell rang. I jumped as the door bell took me by surprise. My initial thought was that it must be Anna. I began moving towards the door to open it but to my surprise someone began pounding on the door frantically. Fear clouded my mind and I became grounded on the spot. I gathered all the courage I had in me and began walking to the door slowly. I looked through the peep hole and the fear filled face of Anna came into view. Relief rushed through my veins and I pressed my back to the door in order to calm my trembling body.

Anna again pounded her fist on the door and this time with double force. She might create a hole in  my door if I take any longer to open it.

I quickly gathered myself and opened the door with a swing.

A sweat drenched Anna barged straight into my house and closed the door behind her with a thud. She pressed her back on the door as she stood there with with wide eyes and heaving chest. Sweat was dripping down her face.

She closed her eyes for a moment in order to calm herself and then walked to the sofa and crashed down on it.

I stood there speechless. I was myself feeling numb at the sudden disaster this night has become.

I walked to the sofa and sat down beside her. I placed my hand on her shoulder and whispered,"are you all right?"

She turned to look at me with wide eyes and seeing my expression of horror she began laughing wildly.

My expression turned from horror to shock on her reaction. Was this girl insane ?

"What the heck Anna? Is it some kind of prank you are playing on me? If it is then I tell you that it is not funny...". I began yelling at her but she cut me of in middle.

"Calm down. Will you? It was not a prank. I just couldn't contain my laughter on seeing your face. You looked... hilarious". She said and again burst into fits of giggles.

I rolled my eyes and huffed loudly to show my irritation. Then I grabbed the cushion from behind me and threw it at her face. It hit her straight in the middle and her laughing became more wild.

After she has sobered up I asked her again,"care to explain?"

"I probably haven't ran like this ever in my life. Me and Ame were coming from the store when the street dogs attacked us. I turned street after street and then came across the street where you live. Thankgod you picked up the phone or else those canine freaks would have had us as their dinner for tonight". She told me dramatically.

I sighed with relief on hearing her story. Then I realized that she was not holding Ame. I panicked.

"Where is Ame?" I yelled on top of my voice.

She gave me a million dollar expression at my sudden outburst. I swear if it wouldn't have been for Ame I would have laughed like she did a few minutes ago.

"What is it with you and yelling? Can't you cool down a bit?" She said to me in a calm tone.

"COOL DOWN! Anna where is Ame?" I yelled again.

She sighed and then opened her bag that she has been holding in her lap the whole time. As soon as she opened it a little face poped out and meowed with confusion.

I dropped back on the sofa on seeing her. It is enough drama for one night.

Anna took her out of her bag and placed it on the sofa next to me. Ame climbed into my lap and settled down. I picked her up in my arms and pressed my nose to hers. She meowed again. This made me giggle. I placed her back in my lap.

"I put her in my bag when the dogs came charging for us". Mia told me in a I-am-proud-of-myself tone.

"Very thoughtful of you but you suffocated my poor baby". I joked petting Ame on the head.

She giggled. "You should have seen those dogs, the canined monsters running after us and I probably ran like a leopard". She joked.

"But how did you reach here? I am surprised that you remembered my house so well even though that day we parted at the corner of the street". I said with amazement.

She waved a hand at me dismissing me. "This part of town is well known to me. I had been here several times. I know this area like the back of my hand. Blindfold me and I would still somehow reach here". She said in a nonchalant tone.

"Oh really? How come you know it so well?" I asked her in a challanging tone.

"A friend of mine used to live here but now his family has left the country. You know we were really close. Even our mom's used to work at the same place. You see I started working at Jenny's full time after he left. Because I had no one to spend my time with as it was the holiday season and all my friends were out of the town". She told me.

My heart froze in my chest and I swear I missed a beat. I looked at her with wide eyes and an expression of shock. I gulped and finally managed to ask her,"what was his name?"

She looked at my face searchingly. "Why do you look like you have seen a ghost?" She asked me.

When I did not reply her forehead creased. "What in the...". She began but I cut her in middle.

"Tell me his name Anna". I asked her again.

"Why are you behaving like this Lara. What is it that...". She stopped in the middle as her gaze fell on my face. My expressions must have shown my desparate state because I did not need to ask her again as she herself told me.

"His name was Ryan". Anna said. Her face was clouded with confusion.

I felt like someone was crushing my heart under their heels as I felt a sharp pain in the left side of my chest. My throat clogged with unshed tears as I lowered my gaze.

Anna reached forward and grabbed my hand holding it tightly in hers. "What... what happened?" She asked me quietly.

I did not lift my gaze nor did I reply.

Her hold on my hand tightened as she asked me again,"what is it Lara? Did you knew him?" She asked me in an urgent tone.

Tears clouded my vision and my vision became blurred. I lifted my gaze to her and whispered,"He was my boyfriend".

As soon as I said it a tear dropped from my eye and trailed it's way down the curve of my cheek.