The Zeroth Law

CHAPTER 6: THE BRANDED VUVUZELA

"Why is the room stuffed with so many cushions?" that was the first thing I had to ask the moment I walked back in our room because wherever my eyes went all they could catch was fluff of pillows and one teddy bear as tall as Arpita that was occupying almost an entire table top.

"And why have we set up a shoe store?" I had to ask this too because I almost fell down as I accidentally stepped on very beautiful burgundy heels. There were nearly six pair of footwear in the doorway more than what I had left back in morning before leaving the room.

"Just why in the world is everything in multiple of half a dozen here?" I finally couldn't help it and asked the room at large with my hands on my hips. I know you wont believe me but there were six extra coffee mugs lining on window sill.

Before any of my flustered room mates could answer I saw a butt sticking out from behind open door of the new cupboard and raised my brows in anticipation. The butt wasn't going to give me any answers so I waited for it's owner to come out and provide some sort of explanation. And when she did I took few seconds to heal my self-esteem. I won't say that she was beautiful, nope, because that would be understatement of the century. She was just like a female version of my mystery guy, someone who had walked out of cover of Teen Vogue.

"H...iii", my broken greeting escaped my mouth as I realised I had come across an exception for the law Rudraansh heartily believes in. "I am sorry, I didn't see you there", I said with a little more confidence this time.

"It's okay", she said brightly, blinding me with her smile. "I am Aisha by the way."

"I am Adira", I provided and looked up once to grimace at God for being such an unfair person before continuing my conversation with my new room mate.

"I do apologize for crowding the place though", she said sounding genuinely sorry, "I thought there will be enough room but I was wrong."

"Yeah, never mind. We will be shifting out of this place next semester any way", I said moved by her sincere apology and saw Shayoni narrowing her eyes dangerously behind Aisha.

"My sister did tell me hostel rooms are small so I didn't bring all my stuff", she went back to organize her things in her cupboard and I looked up helplessly at my three room mates to tell them that we needed space, even if I had already forgiven Aisha verbally for jamming our precious room. "I had to keep behind so many things", Aisha continued her rant from within the cupboard unaware about the silent conversation between me and my room mates.

Kritika gave a non-committal jerk to her head to show that we couldn't help it, an expected reaction. Arpita seemed like she agreed with my concern but then went back to adore the new teddy bear, whom I was here on going to assume as my sixth room mate. I grunted but then what help could I expect from someone with their head stuck in mental age of three years. I looked at my last resort for help but Shayoni had the tough told-you-so look like it was me who had written down Aisha's name in front of our room number on the notice stuck to the bulletin board outside. Before I could stamp my feet and throw a tantrum about lack of space though, Aisha emerged out of the cupboard once again.

"I have no more space left", to our utmost horror she looked at Shayoni when she said that. I didn't realise that just like me even Arpita and Kritika were waiting with their breaths on hold for Shayoni's reaction.

"The cupboard is large enough", Shayoni replied dryly.

"Buy I still have these left", Aisha pointed at the bag at her feet and I saw half a month's worth clothes still in there.

"May be you didn't fit your clothes in there properly", I said walking around the cupboard door to take a look inside. Well, who knew I could come across a dozen panties and bras hogging an entire compartment. "And I was so wrong", I said feebly as I tried to find logical reasoning behind owning these many underwear when you know clearly you are going to share a teeny tiny room with four other girls.