It's All In The Mind √

Chapter Five

Shaahid stepped inside his room only to almost collapse in shock.

What even?
The entire room had turned upside down.

Each and every furniture was glowing. The floor was scrubbed so well that one could see his face in it.
The noisy bed, though yet noisy, looked like a white fairy with milky linen spread on it.

His jaw dropped, he stood with his eyes popping out and he vigorously scratching his stubble.

Someone coughed from behind.
He turned immediately to find the braid swayer standing at the door, her legs crossed, her body supported against the wall, and her lips displaying a naughty smile.

" So it's you who's on a spree to impress me. Good enough. At least Saajid bhai's money will bear some fruit. " , Shaahid was going to drop hurriedly on the bed, but checked instantly and landed slowly to prevent another earthquake. He threw his flippers on the sides.

Sophia watched him carefully.
" The thing is, I cannot sleep in dirty rooms. Since I've gotta spend the night here, I've my own reasons to clean it up. And excuse me, I need to do nothing to impress men. They die for me eventually. "

" I see. Fine then. Bring in your bedrolls and lay on the ground. Keep the door open so that I can escape if you snor. " , Shaahid lay straight on the bed now, staring at the ceiling.

" What the hell? Why will I sleep on the ground with such a huge bed? " , Sophia shrugged. Still swaying her braid.

" Because this ain't my house. And I cannot take the blame of being characterless and thrown out by my landlords. I don't have a place to go. " , Shaahid smiled.

" Hmmph. As if they will ever come up to your room to see. They are idiots and duffers and are always into themselves. " , Sophia disappeared.

And reappeared in a split second with a bedroll that she spread on the floor.

" But Saajid bhai said you people are fond of Sakina... " , Shaahid rested his head on his hand and turned sideways on the bed looking at Sophia.

" Why didn't you have dinner? " , she rather chose to divert and began tidying her temporary bed.

" I had. Outside. Where do you normally sleep? "

" Downstairs. By the way, my sleeping posture is terrible. So if my saree doesn't cover me up properly in the night, control your hormones. " , Sophia winked.

Shaahid rolled his eyes.
" Then why the fuck are you risking yourself to getting molested by laying down in the room of a stranger? "

" Ophho! It's my moral duty to let you know more about the people out here. For that we need time together, isn't it? " , she jumped up and closed the door, latching it.

" Oh no.... " , Shaahid lay straight now, covering his face with his palm. He could not terribly misbehave with anyone, hence he always chose to not get affected much.

Sophia sat on the bed and stared at him.
" Listen. We all love Sakina apa. But the thing is, she hardly reciprocates. She is completely into the ghost of her dead boyfriend. "

Shaahid sprang and turned to her, inquisitively.
" Ghost? How do you know? "

" Arrey, he comes almost everyday to her. Only to her. We don't see, but it's terrible to know that a spirit visits this house daily. "

" I mean to say, how do you know it's a ghost, and not her imagination? "

Sophia stared at him for sometime, engrossed in deep thoughts.
" Errm... Everybody says so... "