Agent 024

ALMOST NOON

"Put off the damn light.", I said to no one in particular as a blinding light disturbed my sleep. A little bit of light shook me when I had an hangover and this light was as bright as if someone had put the sun right inside my room.

I shielded my eyes as I opened them up. The sun was up in the sky.

"What time is it?", I asked a group of people who were passing by.

"Almost noon.", one of them said.

I nodded and got up slowly. My head still shook and this hangover was going to be worse than the previous one. This time, Aradhya has passed out before me and I had literally drank half the liquor at the party.

I made my way across the carpets carefully trying not to trip on a passed out dead asleep person. Trust me, those are the ones you should never mess with.

"Finally, a familiar face.", I said, clutching on to Irrfan's shoulders as I steadied myself.

He turned to face me while all the while making sure my hands still grasped his shoulders.

He took one look at me and chuckled.

"So what will it be - the hospital or the rehabilitation center?"

I smiled dryly.

"One of your honey lemon water would do.", I said as I put my head against his chest to stop it from reeling.

"Yeah, you need it.", he said as we walked forward and clutched my shoulders to support me as we walked.

"So, you just got up too?", I asked.

"Naah. I came back because the campus guard was wondering why people were sprawled on the grass on a hot Sunday afternoon and I told him to let them be as it was part of a self care session.", Irrfan shrugged.

"Boy, you don't leave any chance to mess around here, do you?", I said, as I clutched my forehead.

"Where's the fun in that?", he asked.

I was thankful when we reached the mess. The heat was driving me crazy.

"Anna, some honey and lemon.", Irrfan said to one of the cooks.

"Yes da. The whole first year is passed out on the lawn. Saurabh got a heart attack while patrolling the campus today.", Irrfan said.

The two exchanged a laugh while Irrfan mixed the ingredients.

Now that Irrfan's cover was blown and he was no longer an undercover agent in the Academy, he freely exchanged conversations and laughs with almost every member of the Academy. It was so obvious now. He had practically lived two decades here and yet no one could have guessed that until Irrfan had chosen to make it obvious. All these agents were experts at deception and it suddenly pained me to realize that it would soon form a part of my life too. I would have to fake it in front of my family, Snigdha, all my friends. I had signed up for a double life, and I was just figuring out that it wasn't easy.

I hung my head between my arms as the ringing got louder.

"Here, this will help.", Irrfan said handing me the glass.

"Thanks.", I nodded as I took the glass.

"Don't let me drink again.", I pleaded as I sipped on the liquid.

"You're a wild wolf Tisha. You can't be tamed even if you wanted to.", he chuckled.

I pressed my head as I drank the liquid.

"I think I'm going to go freshen up, probably throw up first.", I said, holding the chair as I stood up.

"You sure you'll manage to walk to the room?", he asked.

"Or what? You're going to escort me inside the girls hostel?", I asked, raising my eyebrow in challenge.

"I'm an Agent here now. I'm sure I can figure out something.", he said, tilting his head, in response to my challenge.

I chuckled as I made my way out of the mess and into the hostel.

"Bye, Irrfan.", I said in a sing-song voice as I went to my hostel.

Thankfully, the mess was connected to my hostel. I took the lift. Trainee cadets were often dissuaded from taking the lifts. It was only meant for the Agents. However judging by the fact that I was stinking of alcohol, no one would really question me.

I went into the room and found Priya sleeping in her bed.

I closed the door behind me and rushed into the bathroom as I felt as surge of vomit as soon as I entered the room.

I stayed bent over the commode as I get out all the vomit out of myself. I looked at myself in the mirror. I looked like I had been homeless since weeks. 

I removed my clothes and stood under the cold shower. Some consciousness finally hit me and I wrapped myself into a towel I kept on the door hooks.

I changed into fresh clothes and threw the old ones in the laundry basket. I was going to have a busy Sunday, I realized looking at my already filled laundry basket.

I checked my university phone as I lay down. No important texts in the official group, no submissions pending, no sessions forgotten. I was free to sleep. Even the spam groups were silent unusual for a Sunday afternoon when it was generally buzzing with plans being made to hang out. Most of my class was still passed out on the lawn.

I put my phone on airplane mode and pulled up my blanket. I took the dispirin from the drawer mixed it into my bottle and drank.

I yawned as I pulled my blanket closer and slept.

"Hey, let's head out for some food.", someone said pulling my blanket off. People really needed to stop doing that. I loved my blanket and my sleep.

"Aradhya?", I asked, looking up at her.

"Yes, in flesh.", she said giving me her hand. I took it and sat up against the wall.

I saw Priya tying the shoelaces of her blue sneakers.

"Common", she said, "it's birthday Aviral's party".", Priya said.

"Didn't we just have that?", I asked rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

"Yeah, this is the sober one and this involves food.", Aradhya said, pulling me off the bed.

"I'm in.", I said, picking up clothes from my cupboard.

My stomach growled and I realized I hadn't had something since morning.

"You've got five minutes.", Aradhya said as I ushered both of them out of the room so that I could change in peace. I closed the curtains and put on a pink tank top and white jeans. I put on my white sneakers and tied my hair into a loose one sided plait.

"Ready.", I said to myself in the mirror before walking out the door.