Tossing and Turning

Ashi(P.O.V)

As soon as we got reached home, Sidhi told everything to mom and dad. There was no need to tell them. Unnecessarily, they got worried about me. I convinced them that I was fine and it would not be repeated in future.

Meanwhile, Mom served the breakfast and we planted ourselves on the dining table. It was a four-seated French-polished dining table set in the right corner of the kitchen. The aroma hit my nose, I couldn't dawdle anymore so, swiftly took a toast and started spreading peanut butter on it. I chewed a mouthful of bite silently and washed it down with a slug of oat milk. Watching everyone eating silently, dad took the initiative of breaking the silence.

"Many cases have been documented this week.", he mumbled between the bites. " You both should be on your guard. It's a bit risky out there. you should stay home often." He added as he shovelled stuffing into his mouth.

"Yeah! dad, teach something to this silly brat!", Sidhi got the words out through a morsel. I shot a glare at her. I was speechless how she dared call me silly just like that. I could only whine about why she used to be so nosey in my matters like she was all perfect.

"cases like what?", I asked around the bites curiously shrugging everything else off my mind.

He sighed, put down his glass and collected his thoughts. "It's not clear yet." He was looking for what was called a better choice of words. "Perhaps, the animal attack. It...it should be..." He paused, "It must be that". I never saw him with a grave and long face like that before. Something must have cropped up. Sidhi nodded in acknowledgement to the same.

" What happened!? dad", she asked alarmed looking in his direction.

"oh, nothing...It's nothing for you both to worry about. I'll handle it." he said completing his breakfast. As soon as he finished, he grabbed his duty belt, handcuffs, taser gun and rushed to the police station.

My father was a cop. He used to be the busiest person on earth as he had to work round the clock for the safety of the city due to which he barely had time for the family.

we also completed our food and headed to do stuff. while I helped mom washing dishes, sidhi sank onto the bed to do her assignments.

No sooner did I step into the room, she called me to assist her. As I glanced around the room, I knew it was a challenge to get everything in order. My anxiety grew so did the mess. Papers were flying everywhere like that of the Harry Potter scene, crumpled ones were thrown beside the dustbin, files were scattered on the bed covering all of it. Sidhi was sitting in the midst of all that. I was awestruck. 

 "Don't gape", she frowned. " I am swamped, I will make it up for you later. Just help me now". 

 As she said that, she already amassed some files to hand over to me. "How can I help in your work?" I asked doubtfully. 

 "Don't worry! You just need to copy them. I have sent the work on your phone. It's not rocket science. " she said not looking up. 

"Okay!" I checked my phone and mounted myself on the desk. I didn't understand a single word what it was about but yeah, I did copy them quite well. I completed it within no time. 

 As sidhi started arranging them, I asked her opinion on where to apply for further studies. 

"Hey! Tell me, what do you think? Where should I take admission for graduation? 

" what to think in it? Of course, in my college so that I can keep an eagle's eyes on you." She jested. 

"Seriously?" I rolled my eyes at her, Though I, myself, thought about it. It's not that bad. Her college was quite good and reputable with all the facilities that a student needed like an incredible campus at a beautiful location, a rich library, and well-equipped laboratories. 

"Why not?" She asked seriously. 

"Yeah, you are right. I can consider it. Let me know when the application forms are out. " I thought it would always be better if I had someone trustworthy with me in the world full of double-faced people. 

Not willing to think anymore, I took a novel from my newly-purchased collection and slouched myself in a relaxed position. 

 As time passed, I kept tossing and turning. I didn't take a note of the direction in which my thoughts started wandering around aimlessly.

"It's funny how people assure they never gonna love anyone and then they outgrow their own decisions once they thought would never happen. Life keeps leading us on the journey we would never want to go on if it were up to us."

At that time, my eyes started getting heavy and no sooner did I fall asleep.

"I saw...eyes...two beautiful eyes...the colour was not something that could be found easily. They were hazel eyes with gold flecks. The softest brown colour of all, infused with gold as if it held the sun glistening on the ground where anyone could rest and breathe. Those two eyes were staring at me with some impenetrable desire that didn't electrify but actually petrified my body. Everything was vague and engulfed with darkness except the eyes."

When I woke up, I wondered if I dreamt about the same boy I saw in the morning. I shrugged my thoughts off pondering how could that be possible. We just met once, probably it was his incredible eyes that made me have that nightmare.

In the evening after dinner, I strolled in the same park I used to go to often. It was already dark as the long shadows cast on the ground. The street was not barren, hustle-bustle of people could be heard from the distance. I sat on a nearby bench and looked up to glorify the beauty of the night. The black tranquillity of twilight married to the poetry of stars.

The night is defamed for nothing when actually it's its softness that calls body and brain to rest and let the heart go to its steady rhythm.

I was not sure why my heart felt so heavy out of the blue, it felt like I had been so numb for those last years I spent and woke up just then. It felt like something ignited a fire within me but I was baffled about what it could be. I didn't have a slight clue of what was happening to me and why I became so thoughtful suddenly.

"wait!? what nonsense I am spouting? shut up you foolish! uffff...again you have started. what it is? nothing... it's nothing...stop thinking nonsense." I scolded myself. What was wrong with me? I wondered if I had a dramatic personality disorder. sometimes, I used to get lost in my thoughts and would start imagining scenarios in my head.

Just then someone called my name, "hey, Ashi! ". Repulsively, I tilted my head to see who was it.

" ohhh! you? Hii!". I waved back at him. For as long as I remembered his name was Mark, the boy I met in the morning and then again.