ACRO

Friend

Salima sat beside Sam, as cool winds blew into the room, from the window. It was a quiet night. Youssef stayed outside the entire day and the days before, not speaking a word to Sam.

The door unlocked and he entered, his eyes locking with Sam's. As soon as he looked at her, his face hardened in silent anger and he banged the door behind him.

He went into the bathroom, after taking off his shoes, banging the door once more. Unfazed, Sam looked at Salima.

"How long has he been.."

"Three days." she said, emotionlessly.

"Oh." said Salima, her eyebrows raising.

"Did you bring what I asked for?" asked Sam, her tone lowering, as the shower in the bathroom started.

Salima nodded, quietly, her hand sliding into a cloth bag on her lap. She took out a pin from it and handed it to Sam.

"I will come in the morning." she said, as Sam nodded at her quietly.

She stood up and saw herself out, closing the door behind her. The next moment, the bathroom door swung open and Youssef rushed out, in a towel.

"Calm down, I'm not running." said Sam, rolling her eyes.

He kept quiet, glaring at her once more, and locked himself in the bathroom.

An hour passed and he moved about in the room, sharpening his knives, pumping himself with pain killers and adrenaline injections, but not uttering a word to her.

"Can you stop?" said Sam, quietly, seated on the bed.

His eyes averted to her, throwing yet another glare.

He looked away, still ignoring her.

"Are you kidding?"

"So, this is what you do when you're mad at someone? Give them the silent treatment?"

"Yes. 'Cause what you did was fucked up." he snapped, finally.

"I did it to help you." she said, quietly.

"Well, look how well it worked." he said, sarcastically.

"You are weak, okay? You needed to rest. You still do." Sam explained.

His face turned tense, and his eyes darkened.
"That isn't rest. It's being trapped in the same nightmare everytime I close my eyes." he said, and turned around, walking away.

Silence resumed for a couple of minutes.

"When I close my eyes, I see four faces." said Sam, her voice dead quiet.

Youssef stopped, his back facing her.

"Everytime I close my eyes, I'm back in Gwalior. The same night, the same thunderstorm, those four faces."

Silently, he turned a little, looking at her in intrigue.

"They fucked me over." she said, gravely.

"Literally." she scoffed.

Youssef's eyes lowered, feeling terrible.

"It's hell both in the land of imaginary as well reality. There's nothing we can do about it."

He remained silent for a moment.

"Does it ever stop?" he asked, quietly.

Sam sighed, her face grim.

"I don't know." she said.

"But look at the bright side. We're in this together." she said, making the two scoff.