Short Story: The Fourth Floor

The STORY..

If you should believe only what you see, then your nightmares should be your truest reality.


"Hurry up, Shreya. We will be late!"

I heard my mother shouting at the top of her voice as I finally zipped the big fat bag and headed downstairs where my family was already waiting.

It was almost after a year that we were all going out together, though not somewhere far but still, somewhere.

The fact that it was going to be just a two-days outing didn't keep me from having a heavy bag. Fashion obsessed, they call me.

Asansol  wasn't a new place for us. Our extended family stayed there. Not that the place held something fascinating, but anything away from Kolkata's heavy crowd was always a welcome change for me.

"Come on now, you kids get inside the car."

Dad ordered us and we followed that earnestly as we got inside the white Scorpio waiting outside our house.Being in a joint family has its own set of merits and demerits. For now, only the merits counted. 

The utmost of which is enjoying with your cousins and siblings. Although I am the only child of my parents, I never felt alone. The reason is of course the bunch of trouble makers in the name of cousins that I have at my place. No, I am not complaining. 

It's really fun to have them around. Especially, when you had to spend two days away from town...I tucked the headset of my phone into my ears as I browsed through my playlist. 

Ayaan and Mishti left no stones unturned to prove they were the youngest of all as they continued their silly fights even in the running car.

"Hmph! No doubt they are just 12 years old!"

I thought to myself.

.

.

Right next to me sat Ananya Di.

She's my paternal uncle's only daughter. A perfect synonym for geek.

There hadn't been a day in my life where I had seen her without a book in her hand. It was like a perpetual prop meant to stay with her forever. In other words, her true soul mate.

She was good at heart, but god knows what in words, for I hardly heard her talking. It was hard to tell that all these years, we shared the same house! But given the strict ambiance in my house, I never dared to question her about something even out of curiosity. She was three years elder to me, in her final year of graduation. 

Moreover, I was complacent mingling with the younger kids in the house, so anything else didn't really appear needful to me..

"Huh!"

I sighed as I heard the constant chitter chatter of my family members, simultaneously looking at the passing objects from the glass windows as our car sped.

Still browsing through the playlist, my finger finally halted on a desirable song. Sparing a second I took another glance of the atmosphere around me.

Talkative family, Violent kids, Nerdy elder cousin, carefree driver and then Me.

I pouted as I concluded how jobless I was and hence, without a second thought I tapped on the precious song from my playlist, finally falling oblivious to my surrounding as the loud volume occupied my senses entirely.

But in the back of my mind, one thing was still ringing.\

".. It's gonna be a long, long day.."

.

.

.

"Unbelievable"