The Scarlet Moon

#8. Demise.

Saayudh did not turn up after that day. Saasha had caught a cold and was home. I was attending classes alone though I have many friends. I was walking down the hallway thinking about a lot of things. The internals were coming up and I had to study. Saayudh was haunting a part of my mind. So many things were going on in my mind that I skipped a step and lost balance on the staircase. You would expect a hand to catch hold of me and our eyes would meet and love begins. Unfortunately ....no. I went tumbling down the stairs and landed with a bump at the lowest step. Ouch. I picked up my books, stood up and dusted my skirt. There was a guy in front of me holding my ID card and reading it. With a smirk he tossed the card at me and mumbled 'butterfingers' and ran up the stairs. What the hell?!?! Do I even know that guy?!? Does he know me?!? And there he was smirking at me!!! Aaaarghhh!!! That bakaaa!!! (Idiot in Japanese) I was going to shout back BAKA but what if he was a senior. Damn. So I just moved on.

"Yo sistaaahh!!! What happened?!" shouted Victor.

I turned to see Victor and Bhuvan run towards me. They were good friends who adopted me as their sister and I always address to them as brothers.

"Yo! Bro! Slipped. I'm good." I replied.

Victor became my friend when we came to know we had same interests in guitar. Bhuvan and I were fans of Anime and had become friends. Those two were day scholars. They're sweet chaps and fun to hang about.

"Did u do any studies?" I asked.

"Nah! Gaming. And of course bound to what's app." replied Victor with a sly smile.

"And I'm watching a new series!! Ao Haru Ride! You should try it!" said Bhuvan.

"Aye aye capt'n!" I said smiling.

We went to the canteen and had something to crunch on as we spoke about our life.... And the elections that were going to be held. I was thinking of standing for the representative post. We had to elect one for sports,culturals and literary too. But I had no known talent in the other fields but I had leadership quality.... so my mom said.

That evening I was vexed with studies so I decided to sit in the park for a while. The sun was almost down and the skies were a beautiful yellow orange with streaks of scarlet across it. I was sitting on the swings and riding it. Suddenly my leg touched the sands and twisted. I screamed and fell off the swings. There was someone standing in front of me. As I looked up I realised it was that guy from the morning.

"Butterfingers." he whispered again and walked off.

"Oiii... What are you thinking of yourself?! BAKA!!!" I shouted but he had already vanished off into the shadows.

It was already 7:30 and it was getting dark. I got up to leave to hostel when I saw someone walking up to me. The silhouette was that of a strongly built man someone I was familiar of. As he neared .... his face became clear. The same face that was once an unwanted friend, the same lips that once spelt my name, the same eyes that once stared into mine and the same look that made me faint the other day..... It was Saayudh.

"Nina..." his husky voice said. "Nina... you never replied to my messages, you avoided me all this time. Tell me... Do u love me or not?"

"S..S..Saayudh... I didn't mean to avoid you... I ...look... Its not that I hate you..." I stammered.

"DO YOU LOVE ME OR NOT?!" he shouted.

"Saayudh... Please understand... I'm only doing my first year. I'm still immature and can't decide my life yet." I reasoned.

"SHUT UP AND TELL ME IF YOU'LL BE MINE!!" ....his face showed anger and determination....and terror. "TELL ME NINA... WILL YOU STAY WITH ME? WILL U BE MY GUARDIAN?"

He put his hand into his pocket and drew out a knife.

"TELL ME IF YOU WANT TO LIVE OR DIEEEE!!"

And he came running towards me...... The scarlet moon was up stained the clouds a blood red... and in the moonlight I saw the sharp edge of the knife over his head and the black glove he was wearing. This is it....I have no way of escape...My legs failed to move. I froze.I slowly closed my eyes and waited for the worst. Waited for the pain. Waited for my demise.