It's All In The Mind √

Chapter Twenty Four

Shaahid woke up in the middle of the night only to discover his fever vanish in thin air. He threw away the blanket and sat up on the bed. He then slowly got down and walked out of the room.

The corridor was still lit. He checked time. It was only twelve thirty. Which meant he had been sleeping since evening, and it made him feel it was already dawn.

He walked upto Sakina's room. Pushed the door slightly open.

And then he saw her.

Standing at the table with her back towards the door, carefully checking on something.

Shaahid coughed out loud.
Sakina shivered and turned, the thing in her hand flew away and fell at Shaahid's feet.

He picked it up.
The strip of red pills with five missing.

He widened his eyes in horror and stared at her.

" You......you....have you taken these pills again, Sakina ji? "

Sakina now made a weird face, and went to sit on the bed. She stared at him dumbly.

" I'm asking you something!!! Did you take these pills? "

Sakina slowly nodded her head. But something was wrong with her demeanor.

" But why???? " , Shaahid screamed.

" Because.....because.... I was feeling lonely!!! You did not come to me!!! Salman isn't here!!! I was missing everyone, qdamn it!!!!  " , Sakina screamed back.
" But...... " , she drifted away.

" Are you insane? Who does this again and again??? " , Shaahid walked upto her and shook her head.

Sakina jumped down from the bed.
" Shut up!!!
I can do whatever I wish to!! If you won't pay me attention, I'll choose to die!!

But, last time when I had taken five pills, I fell asleep immediately.

How come I'm not going senseless even after two hours of taking them, this time? "

Sakina stared at Shaahid, distressed.

Shaahid too stared back for sometime.

Then, to Sakina's horror, he burst into an immense laughter.

Shaking, falling here and there, lying and cycling on the bed, running around, Shaahid returned after a tremendous fit.

Then, somehow holding his breath together, he uttered,

" Madam, those that you gulped aren't sleeping pills. They are red colored sugar coated balls, exactly similar to them. I had replaced the sleeping pills from your drawer that day, when I got its location after your fever. I knew you might do these childish antics anyday.
Look, I was so tight. " , Shaahid still caught his tummy.

Sakina stared as if she was seeing a ghost. Then crashed on the bed while Shaahid somehow balanced himself to sit on the chair.

" But what the hell led you to gulp those?
Goodness me!!
I was sick, and as soon as I felt steady I walked upto your room. There's a limit to every kiddishness! "
Shaahid said after sometime.

Sakina immediately twisted her lips and broke into sobs.
Shaahid stared.
" What now?
You want another bunch of sleeping pills to mourn the flopped plan of making me feel guilty? "

She looked at him with welled up eyes.

" Tha...a...ank....you.... " , she was sobbing.
" So...oo...oo...rry... " , she sneezed while sobbing.