| Masked feelings |

11. Do you love him?

A stressful day ended as soon as I jumped into my bed to get some peaceful sleep. Pulling the comforter over me, I covered my whole body with it. I found it so comfortable and safe to sleep under the warm sheet of cloth on such cold nights. It always hid me from the external unwanted intrusions like a wall around me and it protected me throughout the night from the bloodsucking vampires, if there is any.

The city was still wide-awake and the lights from the streets illuminated my room slightly. Smiling happily at those cute lights peeking through my window, I fell asleep. Though before I could even get a half an hour sleep, a loud noise blared inside my room from my mobile making me jump a few feet above the bed level. Groaning at the person's timing who decided to call me at the unusual time of the hour, I snuck out my hand to pull my phone from my bedside table. As soon as my eyes met with the caller's name, I frowned.

He never called me at this hour.

A sick feeling took over me and bile rose up in my throat. Controlling my heart beats, I calmed myself before accepting the call.

"Hey Shivam,"

His name rolled out of my tongue dryly and I smacked myself for that. I know he could easily pull out the uneasiness of my tone. I was currently sailing through a guilty boat, making things awkward. However, his reply surprised me.

"Hey baby," he slurred.

Is he drunk?

I grimaced at what he called me. Baby! Such a cheesy word.

"Are you drunk Shivam?"

"Yup, I am...No, I am not drunk, but I drank a little." He giggled and I rolled my eyes at his stupidity.

"Where are you?"

I stood up from my bed after removing the blanket, which was tangled in a mess around my body. I was out of my sleep, all tiredness went out of the window.

"I am at a barrr" he stretched the letter r'. This time I stopped myself from rolling my eyes at him.

"Cut the call Shivam, don't disturb her."

I heard a familiar faint voice from the background.

"Are you with Swayam?"

"Yup," he popped p'.

"Is he drunk too?"

"No, he isn't."

"He said you will pull his eyes out if he drinks." He said that with an emotion, which I could not really fathom, his tone was different. He dryly laughed along with it as if he was challenging me to correct him. "You have never told me that," he accused.

"Because, I've never told that to anyone, this Swayam," I muttered. He might have reasoned.

"Give the phone to Swayam."

"Why? Now you don't want to talk to me too."

"Shivam you are drunk, tell him to bring you to the hotel." I was frustrated by the time; he was simply testing my patience.

"I am at the hotel babyyy, but at the barrr in the basementtt." He stretched it how much he could, and I cringed at his Baby'.

"Shivam, bas now stop it...we will go back. You drank too much." I heard swayam talking.

"Hehe, I know that Swayam," Shivam said, and hearing them talk, through a phone made me feel a third party trying to eavesdrop.

"Let's go,"