Orphic

Episode 47.

It didn't even feel like they were entering a few months, they all had gotten over the shock but the one who didn't, was her who hadn't kept any contact with the world outside her room.

The last semester of her university had started and she would leave for university even before anyone woke up. Came home during the quite hours of the day when the evening was just kissing the top of the white haveli. Tiring herself out in her assignments and job in the studio. She didn't go the office again, not wanting to face him. It was better if she kept it that way.

They were worried but he was even more, he couldn't personally keep a hold of her eating schedule, Hadiya would keep him updated from University but he could hear that she wasn't doing better there also. He tried to talk to her, corner her or just have her make his coffee but the encounter would only a few seconds long. 

"Zoya?" He sighed seeing her sit infront of him silently, her back against the couch in his room and eyes gazing at the night ahead of her.

She hummed turning to him, green eyes dull likes still sea in the dark.

"Are you okay?" He asked sitting beside her on the floor.

"Yeah" she squeaked.

"Why do I have a hard time believing it?" He said in the silence of the room.

"I don't know. I'm fine though" she said nodding to herself.

"How's university going?" He asked watching as the rim of the cup touched her lips.

"It's going good" she sighed, shoulders slouching with the exhaling breath.

He wanted to embrace her tightly and not let her go but the indifference in her behavior was far more abnormal than it should be. Her eyes weren't as bright as they used to be, he carved the warmth they held, the joy they brought in their lives was no longer there.

The aura that surrounded her always was gone and only the people around her noticed how unlikely it was for her to stayed this way. Shayla, Minahil and all her friends tried including her in their plans but she wouldn't take part in them as joyfully as she used to.

She left him sitting there in tht silence that never left them. The coffee cold on his hand like his soul that wanted her to burn him with her dazzling smile and loud voice.

Breathing away the tears that gathered in his eyes he got up and put the cup away. He didn't know how his might went but it passed slowly under the weight of his thoughts.

"Let's go shopping today?" Shayla exclaimed jumping in her seat.

"Sure let's go" Minahil added.

"Zoya?" The two asked seeing her lost in her thoughts again. Her eyes turned to them expectantly.

"Sorry I wasn't listening" she said softening her expression in a smile.

"We're going shopping go change" Shayla stated.

"Oh... I... I  Can't... I have work" she said smiling apologetically.

"You always have work. Come on let's go. You can complete the work at night" Minahil argued.

"Mina—"

"Go take a shower, change and then we're leaving" Shayla ordered.

"But guys—" before another word could leave her lips she was pushed up the stairs into her room and forced to change because obviously the girls were lounging on her bed not leaving her alone.