Song of the chapter is The Rush by J. J. Wilde

-47-
-Zoya Afreen-
-Present-

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Jaiswal Residence
20 December, 2019
4:06 pm

" What do I do?"

Ahaan asked me for the hundredth time, pacing from one corner of his room to another.

It was Thursday evening and time for Ahaan's first date with Daniel. And needless to say, he was freaking out. Veronica and Himanshu were out somewhere, doing god knows what, and had bailed out last minute. So as a result, I was Ahaan's last resort.

It was a bit annoying, if you ask me.

" Just wear something casual! It's a first date, not prom." I said, flinging myself on his bed in annoyance.

" Yeah, but.... have you even seen him? " Ahaan turned towards me. " He practically dresses up like it's prom everyday. You know.....all...."

" Is sexy the word you're looking for?" I smirked.

" Shut up."

I laughed. "Come on, Ahaan, it's gonna be fine. Just wear one of your stupid nerdy outfits! He'll like it anyway."

" You think?"

" Of course." I said, sitting straight. " He likes you for however you are. No matter what outfit you wear."

His gaze lingered on me for a while before sighing, "Do you think I'm doing the right thing?"

" Ahaan, " I gave him a look.

" No, Zoya, seriously." Ahaan looked at me with a tensed look. "I'm kind of doubting if this is a good idea."

I pulled the hem of his shirt to make him sit beside me. "What's the matter, sugar boo?"

He shook his head. " Um...well, for starters, I'm afraid how people are gonna behave when they.....find out about us."

"Do you mean your mother?" I asked.

" No.... I mean....not just her.....the society in general."

" The society?" I gaped at him. "Ahaan, fuck society."

" Easier said than done."

I grabbed his face. " No, Ahaan, look at me." He turned to face me with a nervous look on his face. "They don't get to decide who you want to be. The society might see you as someone who is different from them. So what? Who cares what they think?"

" I do. " Ahaan stood up abruptly. "I'm afraid of scrutiny, Zoya. I'm not as brave as you are."

" Then why did you say yes when Daniel asked you out?"

Ahaan hesitated before speaking, " I wasn't thinking straight, I told you. It just happened....it came out... I couldn't control it."

" Yeah, and you know why that happened?" I stood up, facing him. " It happened because you wanted it to happen. You wanted to go out with him, and that's why you said yes."

" Who cares about what I want?" Ahaan asked. " No one , Zoya. It doesn't matter what I want. The society wouldn't understand. My own mother wouldn't understand."

I tilted my head to a side and crossed my arms in front of me. "So what now? You're gonna cancel on him?"

Ahaan hesitatingly pursed his lips and looked away. I shook my head and grabbed his phone which was kept on the nightstand. I grabbed his arm and handed him his phone. He looked at me questioningly.

" Here, call him. Tell him that you don't want to go out with him. Go ahead."

" Zoya-"

" No, do it. Come on, Ahaan. Tell him that you wouldn't be able to go out with him tonight because you are a coward who has difficulty accepting his own goddamn self and is too invested in what the society is gonna think of you." I said, determined. " Go ahead, do it."

Ahaan opened his mouth but words failed to pour out of it. He looked at me , then at the phone and then back at me. I raised a brow.

" So what's it gonna be? You're gonna embrace who you are proudly? Or are you gonna run away from it for the rest of your life?"

Ahaan inhaled a deep breath, and threw his phone on the bed. " Fine, Zoya. You made your point."

I smiled wide. " Attaboy!"

" Now help me pick something for the date." Ahaan said, as he went back to sifting through his clothes. I picked up a blue and white flannel shirt and tossed it to him. " This. Wear this."

" Are you sure? Blue isn't my favourite colour." Ahaan asked, analysing the shirt.

" Just wear it, dingleberry!" I insisted.

" Okay, okay."

After about another half hour of the same, Ahaan finally stepped out of the washroom looking adorable as ever. If he hadn't been  gay and a man-child, maybe I would have even given him a shot.

Okay, ew no, that would be gross.

But the main point was that he looked pretty good for a first date and it was because of the one hour of hard labour by moí.

" Do I look okay?" He said, nervously shifting his weight from one leg to another.

" Yes. " I chuckled. " You look more than okay."

Just then, there was a sharp sound of the beeping horn of a car. I peered out his window and found Daniel standing at the front porch of Ahaan's house. I waved to him. He waved back with a smile.

I retreated back. " Come on. He's here."

" Oh god." Ahaan inhaled a shaky breath.

We locked up his room and walked downstairs. As he locked up his house and hid the key under the carpet, he took two hesitant steps back. I realised that he was probably nervous.

I tilted my head and grabbed his face. " Hey it's going to be fine, alright? Just be yourself."

Ahaan inhaled deeply and nodded in affirmation. I smiled and nudged him slightly. " Best of luck."

He nodded again and walked towards Daniel but then stopped and turned towards me.

" Zoya....thank you."

I smiled. " No problem silly! Now go! You don't wanna be late for your date."

He nodded and smiled slightly before going towards the car. Daniel opened the door for him and he got in with the greatest grin I had ever seen him with.
I waved to them as Daniel started the engine .

And as they proceeded to drive off down the road, leaving behind a cloud of dust, I smiled, contended, just hoping man-child wouldn't mess this up in anyway.

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St. Davis Street
20 December, 2019
6:09 pm

I stared at the two-storeyed abode that I called home for a moment.

The house was as dull as it could get. Years old, the house had once been a safe haven for my ancestors, passed down from one generation to the next like genes. It was probably older than any of the other buildings in my area. And needless to say, it needed some repairs.

I sighed before putting in the key and unlocking my front door. The door clicked shut behind me once I was in.

"I'm home." I shouted and as expected, a silence greeted me.

" Welcome home, Zoya." I muttered to myself making my way to the kitchen.

No one was ever home when I came home --- it was always me and this white, lifeless, box.

I kept the groceries on the kitchen slab and turned , then paused. My eyes stopped on the purple box placed upon the kitchen counter. The box was a stark contrast to the white and  black hues of the house - it was divergent. I approached the kitchen counter, my brows furrowed in confusion. The box was relatively small but I still had a bad feeling.

" What the hell." I murmured.

There was a small sticky note plastered onto the box : I'M ALWAYS WATCHING.

My blood ran cold. My hands began to tremble and my mind erupted with a storm of thoughts. I lifted the lid of the box and gasped at the sight of what was inside.

There were hundreds of pictures of me, taken from different angles. But that wasn't the terrifying part.

The terrifying part was that all the pictures were taken from inside my house.

I scanned through the photos and lifted them closer to my face to see them better. Several of these pictures were taken from a distinct corner of my bedroom. Me sleeping, eating, on my phone, and even.... changing.

That sick son of a bitch.

I felt violated beyond reproach but I knew that sitting and crying wouldn't work in any way. So I placed the pictures back in the box and grabbed the kitchen knife kept beside on the counter itself and slowly made my way towards my bedroom.

If that sick son of a bitch was in there, I was not going to hesitate twice before bashing his brains.

I nudged the door to my room and pointed the knife forward. My eyes scanned through the corners and crooks. I looked around twice to double check. But no, there was no one in here.

Just as I was about to turn back after checking the washroom, my eyes stopped on the mirror at the far corner of my room.

I squinted my eyes.

A faint but tiny neon green light blinked in sequences from the top right corner of the brown wooden frame bordering the mirror.

How had I not noticed this before?

I dropped the knife and grabbed the baseball bat kept beside the nightstand. I wasn't scared anymore. I was pissed off. This bitch had the audacity to set up a hidden camera in my room to spy on me! And if he thought he could get away from this, then he was gladly mistaken.

I took two determined steps towards the mirror and stopped right in front of it, facing the neon light.

Channeling all my inner anger, I glared, " Listen here, you sick little fuck! If you're watching this right now, and I know you are, then just know that you fucking messed with the wrong person. The day I figure out who you are, is gonna be your last day on this goddamn earth. So live your life....as much as you can now, cause you'll be dead in no time."

I could almost hear a laugh ricocheting from their lips.

" And this isn't a threat. It's a goddamn promise."

With that, I lifted the bat over my head and smashed the mirror in a swift. The glasses shattered into pieces on the floor.

I breathed a sigh, looking down at the tiny, now broken , camera.

With my trembling hands, I pulled out my phone from my back pocket and dialled. In about two rings, she picked up.

" Hello, Saina?"

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