❝ So much more was said in the unsaid.❞

🍃

The following night wasn't at all charming like other days. The dim light of the radiated moon vanished somewhere behind the dark clouds. The leaves of the long Ashoka and Gulmohar trees were still at their places with no movements in them. The chilled breeze was blowing fluently like other days; today seemed to be unnatural and creepy all of a sudden. Middle heigh windows were flung open, giving good space for the scalepan to burst out for the upcoming danger of nature. It was the exact silence before the storm.

The time was nearly 11:30 pm when Siya revised through her lessons in her room. Riya wasn't in as usual; probably doing her all-time job to stick with the boys and spent the night with them- Leaving Siya in the room alone. Though she was happy enough to not make contact with her at least.

However, she couldn't concentrate on her studies as her eyes impatiently went back and forth between the vast window and her books- praying silently to God that her thoughts shouldn't be true. But sometimes, something is beyond our reach, we can't stop it from happening. Dangers will surely come, without informing its arrival.

A sudden flash of light chilled her nerves, making her flinched back from her seat.

'The jeopardy has just arrived.' Her mind warned.

She abruptly stood up.

Before the light could again flicker- her free hands made contact with the glass surface of the window, in an attempt to close it.

But unfortunately, her hands halted in the mid-air as the neon purplish branches of electricity quickly passed through; cutting the chest of the clouds as she instinctively hid under the edge of the window and closed her lids, as if it would create a shield to protect her.

The extremely hot lightning heated the air around it five times hotter than the sun's surface. This heat caused the surrounding air to rapidly expanded and vibrated, as the pealing thunder roared after a short time; breaking the eerie silence of outside. However, this was nothing less eerie for her.

The electricity got cut off, leaving the room in complete darkness.

Sweat beads started dripping down from her temples but she didn't bother to wipe them off. Her heart was pounding in unfathomable beats as she sometimes missed to catch her breaths. The thundering didn't leave a chance to flicker; making her state even more vulnerable.

"Radhe radhe...ra-radhe...ra-dh-ee..." she kept chanting to distract her mind yet nothing was working as continuous groans of lightning was filling the adjacent.

Shutting her eyes off as tight as possible, she kept both her palms on her ears, though she could feel the white flashes were still coming contact with her covered sight.

Each flash made her shutter and the next moment a deep cringe sound vibrated the sky along with the ground. She couldn't sense when her back hit the cold marble floor as she crawled in a corner; shaking terribly. As soon as the light had been stricken a blood-chilling sensation formed in her chest, and her breathing became irregular.

When she was busy with her frighting state, the door of the room cracked open as Riya entered with a weird look on her face to see Siya in a snail's position. The room was saturated with her blabbering and little sobs while Riya didn't mind to pay any attention to her as she made her way towards the bed, already exhausted from her day.

But before she could reach there, she felt a light grip on her leg- only to meet with Siya's puffy red eyes, tear strained face looking at her with a pleading look.

"Mi-miss Ri-Riya pl-plea-please ca-can you ju-just close the wi-window. I-i'm very sc-scared, ple-please..."

"What's your problem huh?! Can't you get any peace without disturbing me? First, you snatch MY Danish from ME, and now what kind of drama is this?" she roared at her while jerking her hands off from her leg as she flinched backward. By the time a thunderstruck more harshly, only for her to catch the edge of her skirt again.

"Ple-please Mi-miss sta-stay by my si-side this ni-night. I-i pro-promise I'll never di-disobey you. Pl-please." she cried more bitterly.

"JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU BITCH! Am.I.your.servant.to.take.orders?" she spat in between gritted teeth and pushed her roughly by her shoulder and with a thut, her body again fell to the ground.

Riya remained silent as her sobs grew louder. Siya firmly put her palms onto her mouth, to prevent the sounds.

With a blurry vision she took a view of her lying figure on the bed; covered in a blanket from top to toe. And there she was, trying hard not to lose her senses yet her eyes started drooping with every passing second. Some fainted voices surrounding her,

"Haha! See what, you're exactly looking like a wet pussy."

"Right, who on earth becomes scared like you? Then what'll you do when you've to go outside in thunderstorms alone? Siya, everyone will make fun of yours!"

"Ma..maa please, co-come here na, I fe-feel very much sc-scared i-"

"NO! I ain't coming, you come and sit beside us, here. You've to overcome with it."

"Maa. I can't br-"

"NO SIYA!"
..........

"See, don't stress her like this. She has a rare phobia, so it's natural for her to react in such way which may be silly for us to think. Make sure she feels protective, otherwise the panic attack will again come and that time it'll affect her health a lot."

Before she could process anything, a lightning flickered very loudly.

Her teeth slowly pressed together, as she let the darkness engulf her.

A panic attack!

🍃

The next morning Siya found herself lying down on the floor with dried tear strains on her cheeks as the bright sunny morning welcomed her from outside, indicating the danger was gone.

She felt something on her hand as she looked down to find her Radhakrishna idol was resting between her chest,

"How did it come here?" She was in high dilemma of last night's events.

Shrugging it out of her mind she hugged it more tightly and kissed their forehead. She got up with a sharp pain all over her body but she managed to stand straight.

Her eyes shot a glance at the wall clock- realizing it was already late. She made her way towards the washroom and splashed cold water on her oily tired face. The sprinkles caressed her cheek to reduce the little redness on it. Quickly taking a warm bath she headed towards the practical lab.

Entering the room, she found Raghav was busy with the notes. So she thought to not disturb him and quietly engaged with her work.

"Ma'am is pretty early today!" He remarked sarcastically but when didn't get any reply, he noticed her facial features- pale, bloated eyes while the red branches could visible from the sclera.

"You cried?" She froze at her place.

'How did he know?'

"Yo-your handwriting is amazing, I'm noticing now!" she tried to ignore his intense questioning gaze.

"It's not the answer-"

"Let's start the work na or it'll rain again like yesterday."

He paused, not wanting to force her to tell anything against her will. But somewhere he found pain in those eyes- he saw at the very first time he met with her, which she tried to hide from this world but failed miserably in front of him to do so.

Didn't she trust him enough? Or maybe he expected too much from her.

She knows how to hide emotions well.

They continued their pending work though he didn't stop himself to lighten up her mood by cracking silly jokes but it seemed to be impossible, as every time she plastered a fake smile on her face.

"Don't you read today's newspaper?! Today an elephant has been seen climbing on a tree! Can you IMAGINE?" he laughed at his own joke while she too tried to laugh but it felt like it was gone far away from her reach. She liked; if she too could smile like him, even in the worst situations.

"Tum hasti kyu nhi?"

"Maybe that doesn't make for me."

🍃

She was hustling to reach her apartment after seeing the dark clouds gathering up together all again.

Today there was a short session as their projects came to an end after this week and they had to practice the lessons well.

Grabbing her bag tightly she put forth quick steps towards the dormitory. Raghav assured her to leave as he might be late for some time.

She flinched in midway upon noticing the crystal neon light appeared and vanished quickly, mingling into the chest of the cloud; leaving the area vibrated with its sound.

Her face scrutinized in fear as she stepped back- this time the lighting struck with greater force.

Breaking the calmness, the drops of rain started falling, harder and harder as she stood on the empty road, all wet, unable to move.

She was about to collapse on the ground when a strong hand pulled her and she faced an Raghav who was holding an umbrella.

"What's the fun of standing he-?" He couldn't complete his sentence as she threw her body against him- clutching his shirt tightly, she buried her face in his chest, covering her eyes as his cologne made a perfect balance with the wetness of her top.

He could feel her shaking terribly like a leaf under his arm which was wrapped around her back while the other gripped the umbrella handle firmly.

The loud bang shook her once again as she flinched, "I-i have Astraphobia."

🍃

Who wants to hug Siya and break Riya's not so beautiful face?