Shades of Lies ✔ [Completed] #Book1

38. In the Shadows of Instability

I know I am not wrong in sensing other's intentions and emotions, I could read her through her emotionless eyes.

Eyes that spoke more than her lips. 

They were not calm as they seemed, indeed they had chaos going in them.

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Athulya's POV

"Are you okay?" That's what I heard when I got back my consiousness. It was Yuvaan looking at me, with concern in his eyes. I rubbed my eyes and realised I was still at their house, with people surrounding me. 

"How are feeling now?" I looked up to see the same doctor, Robin's brother. I just hummed in response.

"Will you tell us what exactly happened?" Aarushi was sitting beside me on the bed.

"I-I don't remember, t-they were some strange images." I stood up not wanting to lay in bed any more. I am not that weak.

I knew who they were, I don't know who they were.

Argh.. I can't explain.

The doctor signalled others to leave, they looked at me and left the room. Now there were three people apart from me present there. Aaryaveer, Aarav and the doctor itself. Wait! Didn't I have bullet wound in my bicep? Damn! Explain now!

"You have a bullet wound in your arm and bruises as well," the doctor calmly explained as he sat down. However, I was preoccupied with my phone and merely hummed in response.

"What hmm?"

"I knew it, so what am I expected to say?" Irritation welled up as he bombarded me with questions.

"I was asking the reason, and there wasn't any bullet inside, but the wound wasn't treated as well."

"I am not answerable to you." I decided to keep the information to myself, especially with these two guys present in the room.

"Then answer your father; he must be coming," Aaryaveer dragged a chair for him, speaking nonchalantly as he rolled the chair backward and forward.

They called my Dad.

Oh no! I don't want anyone to know about this Mafia stuff.

What now? I have other things to do as well.

"I was trying my gun and accidentally shot myself in the arm. I removed the bullet with... uhm... a knife."

I spoke, offering a half-truth, half-lie. It was enough to make me feel embarrassed. Didn't I jokingly tell Mr. Sanki not to accidentally shoot his foot?

He smirked, or I should say, mocked me intentionally at my response, but the other two were quite shocked.

"You removed the bullet with a knife?" Aarav asked his expressions stating he wa shocked.

"Yeah! I think that's what I said."

"Do you smoke?" The doctor's question hung in the air, and for a moment, I felt a subtle unease. Smoking was a vice I kept hidden, a crutch I leaned on when the weight of the world became too much. However, this wasn't a query about my physical health or a casual conversation about habits; it was a question that threatened to unravel a part of me I preferred to keep in the shadows.

I smoke. Sometimes.

Rarely, but I do. 

It's an escape, a momentary departure from the chaos within. It's a habit I've tried to shed, knowing it brings only momentary relief while giving an Asthama attack instead. Panic attacks are a storm within, and smoking is the deceptive calm at its center.