Hide & Shadow

Chapter 4.

Sukanya groaned as the sun rays floated through the window determined to poke at her eyelids and make her leave the bed.

She glared at it wondering why the curtains were not drawn. Then she remembered .She had just moved in here the day before and she had chosen to take over this room much to the frowning disapproval of her Aunty.

She would rather face the temporary angry stance of her aunty than stay in his old room.

He might be shifting to a room on the first floor but still she had no intention of staying in the one he had 'discarded'

No way! NOT happening.

Especially since she knew he was also moving into this town after his new job had him 'posted' here.

Her 'stubborn' stance had made her come face to face with a grumpy Sadhna Aunty who refused to do anything to help her in any way to make her room comfortable.

That left her to fend for herself to take care to her room including hanging the curtains.

Last night she had been too tired after dragging her goods to the room to think of doing anything else.

She could hear sounds from the upper level of the house.

She knew some must be made by him and the others must be the tenant coming on to another wing of the house. She was aware of both the arrivals to the house but had been too tired to venture out of her bed to snoop at details.

She pushed these thoughts aside and pulled a pillow over her head determined to ignore the glare of the sun and continue her dearer than life morning sleep.

She smiled to herself victoriously as the sun rays no longer reached her eyes when suddenly the ceiling caved in and she stumbled and leaped out of bed almost falling in her effort to vacate the room before being buried alive. ! As she peeked at the ceiling with half open eyelids scared at the thought of what gruesome sight might meet her eyes only to have her bare and completely intact ceiling stare back at her!

"Well I'll be......." her confused chain of thoughts was interrupted by yet another roof shattering 'THUD' and a part of the ceiling fell on her. AGAIN !

She peered cautiously pulling her hair away from her eyes only to find the ceiling still intact! She turned her head slightly and gave a yelp when she saw a red eyed tiger staring at her!!!

"YOWWW..." then her fuzzy and sleep induced brain decided to start functioning at last and she saw it was one of the many paintings of her Aunty that had yet to find their pride of space to occupy.

Feeling utterly silly she realised that it had been this painting kept beside her on bed that had fallen on her the first time she had thought the ceiling had collapsed and as she tumbled on to the ground it fell on her yet again when the ear shattering sound came again.

Of course she realised it was the new neighbours shifting their goods and making such noise!

Damn her wild and overactive imagination! She always had this tendency to be on her most defensive stance when she woke up.

She gave one last glare at the ceiling and groaned and got up giving up on any further plans of going back to sleep.

Another groan escaped her mouth as she remembered since he had arrived last night she would be meeting him on the breakfast table.

Should she skip breakfast? A loud growl of protest from her tummy was enough to chase away any such thoughts.

Anyways she always had the upper hand in their 'past encounters'. He used to be so baffled that often outside home he preferred to pretend not even knowing her.