CHAPTER 2

It was 12am at night and we all lied down to sleep usually around

this "time. I was constantly thinking about that incident and

hoping to miss school tomorrow somehow.

"So, tell us a story mummy." I spoke breaking the silence.

"What are you? Kids? That I should tell you stories at night."

mommy muttered annoyed.

"Oh, come on, can't you do this much for us?" my brother asked

her grinning.

My mother glared at him while he laughed.

"Okay, but do not interrupt. I will tell you one from my childhood.

We lived in Mumbai before in a rented house. It was a big house

and we were given a portion of it. We were quite small so I don't

remember much but my mom told me. There was a room on the

other side and it was always locked, the landlord asked us not to

open it. My mom said that at night when she would put us to

sleep, she would hear sounds from that room and those were

sounds of musical instruments." she paused.

"Turns out that the room belonged to a young Christian boy who

aspired to be a musician but couldn't become one and he

committed suicide."

"So, he used to play those instruments at night." I asked her.

"That's not possible, are you making things up mom?" said my

sister.

"No, I am not it's true." my mom muttered clearly annoyed with

the three of us.

I closed my eyes, cleared my mind and fell into a deep slumber.

"Get up do you plan to miss the bus." I heard my sister scream.

I hate mornings and the people around me seem to take out all

their anger on me for some reason.

"Arghhh, why are you screaming all the time." I shouted back at

her.

"Because you keep sleeping like an irresponsible person all the

time." she shouted back.

I quit, let's not make this into a heated argument. I got ready and

went down to catch my bus. Within 30 minutes we reached the

school and I had to dragged myself to the classroom. I averted my

eyes from everything around me not wanting to have an

encounter with her. After yesterday's incident I didn't even want

to think about her anymore.

"Why would she scream at me like this, was there a ghost behind

me?" I was lost in my thoughts.

"Fatima did you watch Spider-Man: No Way Home? It's amazing.

I watched it and now I want to talk about it. Are you even

listening? Hello come back from your fantasy land, wierdo."

Hajera waved her hand in front of me to get my attention.

"Sorry, what were you saying again, I was thinking about

something,"

We were sitting in the garden located across from our school. It

was 5 in the evening. The golden light from lamps in the garden

were glowing and creating a beautiful atmosphere. We were

having tea and I was lost in her thoughts again.

"Ya you are always zoned out when I am saying something

important."

"When do speak about important stuff and I heard you, you were

talking about Peter Parker's movie."

"Look Aqsa is looking at you."

I tried hard to not look but out of curiosity I turned back and saw

her looking at me, she quickly looked away.

"What's with her, why is she always creeping me out like that."

"Creeping you out, what did she ever do to you?"

I sighed.

"Nothing, you wouldn't understand."

"Then maybe you should try to make me understand."

"You can't explain some things Hajera, they are complicated and

they badly mess up with your brain. And besides, I don't even

want to talk about it."

"So, sin2 A+ cos2 A=1."

Miss Fouzia was teaching us basic trigonometry when we all heard

a fist banging on the table. We all turned around to see an angry

Aqsa glaring at the girl who sat beside her.

"What's going on?" Miss Fouzia shouted angrily.

"Ma'am I Didn't bring my textbook so I asked Aqsa to share her

book with me, when she didn't reply I tried to keep the book in the

center so she banged her fist on the table." The girl replied

confusedly.

"What's wrong Aqsa? Why are you overreacting on such a petty

matter?"

"Ma'am this isn't the first time, she has overreacted several times

before."

"Okay, now settle down class we can't waste our time on such

petty matters. "Miss Fouzia turned her attention back to her topic.

I looked at the girl and saw her muttering something in a whisper.

"What did you just say?" Aqsa shouted, her voice loud and shrill.

"Nothing." the girl muttered lowly.

"No, you did. You cursed me, I heard it." she shouted angrily.

'Enough' Miss Fauzia's voice boomed across the room.

"You have reached 10th standard and you all don't know how to

behave in front of your teachers. Focus back on the topic and no

disturbance in my class. Understood?"

I turned to look at her and I saw something promising in those

eyes. She was looking at the girl sitting beside her and there was

so much venom in her stare that it seemed she was ready to

pounce on her. I looked away and soon the period came to an end.

"What's wrong?" Hajera asked me bringing me back from where I

was lost.

"Don't you think there's something off about Aqsa?" I muttered

absentmindedly whilst toying with my pen.

No, but I think there's something wrong with you. Why are you

always talking about her these days?"

"There's something wrong Hajera."

"Yes, with you"

"Being able to see what the eyes can't see is a blessing".

"Which movie did you watch yesterday?" she scoffed mockingly.

"I heard it in a series."

"Let's go its lunch break now."

I was standing in the school ground near the washrooms and I

heard a scream. Probably everyone turned to look in the direction

from which the scream came from.

"Ahhh, it's gone. My ear it's gone."

Sara came crying hysterically, holding something in her hands.

Blood running down her head. The girl who sat beside Aqsa. The

same girl with whom she had a fight this morning. With horror

filled eyes, tears rushing down her cheeks and blood oozing from

the side of her head she came running towards us. I saw her

falling on her knees and crying hysterically. I walked towards her.

"My ear, its's gone." she muttered between her hiccups and holds

up something in her hand to show us. I took a closer look and

stepped back. It was her ear that had been mercilessly cut. She

passed out in front of us, after that everything happened in a blur.

The teachers came and she was rushed to hospital. Soon

afterwards I saw her coming out of the washroom smiling and

looking satisfied. I frowned, as far as I remember she never

smiled. Shocked and scared by today's events we all were

dispersed early today. I lied down to take a nap as usual trying to

get my mind away from the incident. The image of her walking

out with a creepy smile on her face was the last thing on my mind

before I fell asleep.

I was walking down the stairs into a dark alley where I was sure

no sane person would come. It smelled horrible. Rats running and

cockroaches crawling across the floor. I stopped in front of an old,

broken wooden door. I pushed it open and saw a girl crying

hysterically, holding her ear in her hands then she looked at me

and screamed asking me to run. It became hard for me to breathe.

I felt as if someone was choking me. I tried to run but I felt as if

something held my legs in place. The image of that girl crying and

screaming was the last thing I saw before I woke up gasping for

air.

I looked around, I was in my room and my sister was sleeping

soundly beside me. I looked at the time, it was 6 in the evening. I

had a nightmare again or should I call it an afternoon ware.

"What's the hell is wrong with me? I asked myself mentally and

then rested against the headboard of the bed.