Parinayanantaram

Where to sleep?

{Is she is a woman or a warzone? But I was still attracted to her, like she was a magnet and I was a piece of iron. Oh god! …}

I had to calm myself down. So I closed my eyes in an attempt to sleep. But my mind seemed to follow her like a puppy; because I was aware of her every movement. That is why, when she was about to slip and fall, I caught her.
{Blame my reflexes.}

“You are not asleep yet?”

“Umm … no. How can I when you are making so much noise in this room?” Her face fell.

{But she gave me so much torture until now, so let her face it.
But dude! She doesn’t even know why you are getting irritated by her.
She is not that innocent. She knows it.
It is not fair on your part to show that anger in this way!
Then what am I supposed to do?}

“Sorry!” She whispered.

“It’s ok. Why don’t you too sleep for a while.”

“I have lots of work to do.”

“It can be done. Now take rest.”

She smiled. I was expecting her to come and lie next to me. But instead, she went into the living room and settled in the couch. To say that I was hurt, was an understatement. I must make her realise where she belonged. I sat beside her.

“Are you not sleeping?”

I did not answer her. Instead, I asked her. “Why are you here?”

She must have sensed the seriousness in my voice. She stammered a bit. “You … you … were sleeping there … so …”

“So what?”

I tried my best to keep my voice low, so that I don’t disturb my sleeping parents. She straightened up in fear. I grabbed her arm and pulled her closer. Now her scared face was merely inches away from mine.

“Why are you behaving like this? I am not going to eat you, if you stay in my room.”

She lowered her face. I sensed that she was uncomfortable by my intense gaze on her. But I did not leave her. {She needs to know how I feel.}

“But … but you said that me being in the room will disturb you. So …”

“For your kind information, I said I cannot sleep if you make noise. That means, I can sleep if you lay down quietly in my room.”

“But what is your problem if I sleep here?”

{Shit! Now what will I tell her?
Tell her the truth.}

I smirked. “I don’t have any problem. You can sleep anywhere, as long as you are able to answer my parents satisfactorily when they ask you why you are not sleeping in our room.”

I got up and headed towards our room, not waiting for her reaction. After few minutes, she too came in and laid down on the other side of the bed, with a considerable distance between us. I turned my back towards her. Immediately, sleep took me into her arms.

When I woke, I found an arm around my chest!

{When did the goddess of sleep materialise?!!}

I turned around in shock, but found my goddess instead. I could not peel my eyes away from her angelic face. Her face was close to me and it was a torture to keep my hands to myself. A knock on the door woke her. But the moment her eyes found me close, they became wide. Before she could scream, I placed my palm on her mouth.

“Shh …!” I said and she nodded.

That is when she realised that her arm rested on me, and she immediately jerked herself away from me, like an electric bolt hit her. She jumped from the bed and opened the door. Mom was standing there.

“Want some coffee?”

“Ma! I am sorry, I overslept. Why did you take the trouble? I could have made it.”

“It’s okay dear! You have worked so much during the morning, and also made us tasty lunch. You must have been tired. And anyways, this is not a big job since I was making it for myself and your pa.”

“It has been a long time since we had coffee together.” I said, while settling beside dad on the couch. Mom sat beside me, ruffling my hair. Siri was observing the three of us, with a smile. I raised an eyebrow and she just gave me an evil smile.

{What is wrong with her?}

Having my coffee, I enquired my parents about their well-being. {I did miss them a lot. Well, I was their only child and was very attached to them.}

I heard the door bell and opened the door to find Paaru and Shiva standing there, not to forget Ganesh in their arms. She hugged me tight. Then I got a brief hug from Shiva.

“Will you people spend the whole night there itself?” Mom’s voice teased us.

Looking at my parents, Paaru jumped in excitement. She handed Ganesh to me and ran to them, pulling both of them into a bone-crushing hug.

“She is such a kid at times!” I heard Shiva murmur, while shaking his head and I chuckled.

“I missed you both so much … more than my parents.” She pouted, laying her head in my mom’s lap, while dad patted her head. {Yes, she used to spend her whole time in my home, when we were kids. My parents treated her like their own kid. We were a Family. Well, we are still a family.}

“Look at this family. We are the only lonely outsiders.” I heard Shiva complaining to Siri with a pout.

“Yes Brother.” She sulked and he pinched her cheek. I rolled my eyes.

The dinner too was noisy … all because of my Paaru and her chatter. After they left, we finally retreated to our rooms.

I was about to sleep, when I observed Siri standing near the door, staring at me. I raised an eyebrow in a questioning manner.

“You are such an obedient parents’ kid aren’t you?” She teased with amusement.

“What is wrong? I respect them and love them. They are the reason why I am here now. So I don’t feel embarrassed to agree that I am mom’s and dad’s boy.”

“Aww so sweet!” She came closer and pulled my cheeks. I frowned and she seemed to realise what she was doing, immediately after which she moved away from me. She grabbed a pillow and started moving out, when I grabbed her arm.

“Where are you going?”

“To sleep.”

“I asked … WHERE?”

“Umm … I don’t want to trouble you like, … during the noon. So …”
She looked embarrassed.

{But why? If only she knew how much I liked her beside me. But will she ever know that?
She will, if you tell her!
You just shut up! You always complicate my life.
But I am being practical here! She will only know what you feel, if you TELL her.}

“No … No … I actually liked it.”

Her eyes widened in shock and in a moment, I saw that fear again. {The fear that reflects in her eyes, when I am too close to her.}

I let go of her immediately, feeling hurt. {I don’t like people getting scared of me. Especially if it is someone who is close to me. I am not a monster. It might be true that I have issues with anger management, at times. But my anger is not meant to scare them or to shoo them away from me. I only want them to see my point or understand me. I never want to hurt someone’s feelings.}

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Early update!

What can I say ... Except ... Enjoy! ;)