After Rain ✅

[ nineteen ] after-currents

Note: Unedited

After Rain

Chapter Nineteen

I sat on the floor in my room, barefoot, with my back against the bed. The windows were closed, the door was locked but even after shutting everything down, it was impossible to shut the memories.

The flooded my mind like a storm; leaving behind images I wanted to forget so badly yet couldn't. The flashbacks started every time I tried to block them and they continued until there was nothing left to be drained from me. The scene was repeating in my mind. Over and over again.

I wasn't sure how I ended up in my bed after that day. I woke up with an insane fever and dropped back again. After two days, when my eyes were completely open, Ronnie said they already buried her.

It had been three days since I had sat in my room, alone. Five days since they buried her. Five days, eleven hours and ten minutes since Maleeha Aqaab was murdered.

''Nicola! Honey, please eat something.'' Mom asked me for the fifth time that day, and I sat unbelieving, my tongue sealed by an unknown force. My heart quenched in something darker than sadness.

Had I cried? I couldn't even remember. The only thing I remembered was her screams, mingled with my own.

''Nic, you'll fall sick again. Please eat something.'' Ronnie tried after five minutes. They continued knocking the door lightly and pleading me to open it. After a few more tries, they left me alone.

The next few days were a blur. I didn't go to school anymore and no one forced me too. I woke up everyday, sometimes in my bed, sometimes on the floor and once in the bathroom tub. My days were stretched between mom force feeding me toast and me going back to my room, where she brought me something for dinner. I ate some and threw away the rest.

''How long is this going to continue?'' Ronnie was asking mom one day when I was coming downstairs, ''its been three weeks already. She's got exams as well!''

''I know but she's in a fragile state right now honey. I can't force her...''

''She'll ruin her life like this!''

''She saw her best friend commit suicide in front of her eyes. Let her grieve. They grew up together, Maleeha was almost like her sister. All we can do right now is be more understanding.''

I walked back upstairs with quiet steps, locked my door, went to the bathroom and turned on the faucet with full flow.

My body was frozen with shock and my mind was trying to process their words.

Suicide? Suicide?

Everyone thought it was suicide? I ran a hand through my hair and paced the bathroom, my heart beating fast beneath my skin. She was murdered. She was killed mercilessly right in front of my eyes!

Before even thinking, I ran back to the room and started looking for my phone. When I did, I saw the missed calls and messages from my classmates and teachers. Some came from our cousins and a lot came from Keith. He had even tried to call me many times.

And then I saw the list of messages from Zaid, and my heart sank when I scrolled through them. There were so many times he had begged me to meet him, so many times he had asked me what happened, so many messages that claimed he knew his sister woudn't kill herself.

''Nicola?'' Zaid's voice sounded distant on the phone, raspy, broken.

''Its me'' I breathed out.