Taken

Chapter 12

Amyra was cycling back home now, feeling extremely tired and sleepy- the school was bad today. She barely managed to keep her eyes open during the classes and embarrassed herself when her maths teacher suddenly gave her a question to solve on board. She couldn't solve the sum, of course, and was asked not to come to the classroom if she couldn't manage to bring her brains along. Under normal situations, she would have ignored the insults, but this one irked her. Amyra hadn't been able to sleep much lately, and this new teacher had been adding to her frustration for quite a long time now. If he messes with me again... Amyra didn't really know what she would do- only that it wouldn't be nice.

She yawned against the wind hitting her face and thought about her situation. She had been losing out on sleep because the nightmares were bad- they were actually worse than ever before and there were some other things as well. And these other things needed more attention than her nightmares did. But who to talk to? She didn't think her father could help her. She knew he will merely ask her to stop stressing over things and what's more, he would be stressed himself. And then... She thought of her mother. What if he says I'm slipping into the same oblivion as her? The thought chilled her - she couldn't imagine spending the rest of her life as someone tagged as schizophrenic - or worse, having to go to a mental institution.

Her heart ached when she thought of how her mother must have spent those last days in the hospital, staring into nothingness. She was lost, and Amyra was scared that she might face the same fate. Even her dad couldn't deny it outright, careful as he might be about it, that she was so much like her mother in some things. Yet, there were things that he couldn't comprehend - because he always looked for reasons and answers that were beyond her to explain. And this is why she needed to talk to someone who could understand her - someone who wasn't limited by his own beliefs but liberated by them.

She slowed down, paused in the middle of the road for a second or two, contemplating and then started again.

Within the next ten minutes, she was at Vansh's place knocking at his door. He lived in one of the most secluded parts of the city, almost at the outskirts. Despite being offered a room in the hostel, he chose to live here on rent because he wanted to be alone. Totally understandable, Amyra thought. And besides, this place was closer to her home than his hostel would have been- even by walk it would barely take twenty minutes to get here.

He opened the door and Amyra noticed a speck of bewilderment in his eyes over his perfectly calm face, which was there for such short a time that she could have only imagined it.

"Hi," she said and then stood there fidgeting on the spot, feeling suddenly shy and embarrassed for coming here without any prior warning. She had been here only once before, and that was with her father when he was invited on a Sunday lunch by Vansh.

"You came unannounced, is everything fine?" His voice was calm and his eyes were their usual penetrating selves which seemed to be knowing everything. He moved outside closing the door behind her which slightly disappointed Amyra, confirming her fear that she was perhaps intruding.

"Umm... Yes, I guess? Actually, I just wanted to talk, didn't want to go back home yet," she said to him and then shrugged. "But if you're busy, it's absolutely fine. Nothing too important," she added with a little more energy to sound honest.

He smiled politely at her, understanding what she was thinking. "I can't let you in because I was busy with some house-cleaning work and I don't want to embarrass myself by letting you see the filthy condition that my house currently is in."

"Well..." Amyra laughed nervously but she was then immediately at ease as he smiled back at her.

"We can take a walk to the park. And I'll get some things and lock the door... water?" He asked as he turned to open the door.