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Chapter 9 - Left Behind

Fiza had a restless night, plagued by unsettling dreams. Images of Alan and Mownika laughing at her merged with visions of grotesque bugs crawling all over her. In one moment, Alan was holding her tenderly, and in the next, he transformed into a giant centipede, its numerous legs entwined around her while menacing pincers clicked near her face. She jolted awake, gasping for breath.

Neha had yet to return. Glancing at her phone, she saw it was 5 am. There was a message that Neha had sent her last night : "Saw you leave with Alan. Heading to CC." Fiza set her phone aside and tried to shake off the lingering unease, hoping to catch a few more hours of sleep.

Her mind wandered to Alan, imagining him being with Monica at that very moment. Would they still be together, or had he taken an autorickshaw back like he did last time? She pondered how long it typically took to have sex, her knowledge limited to books and movies rather than personal experience.

Fiza had never watched porn. Her philosophy was simple: if an action was wrong to do, it was equally wrong to watch it. She briefly wondered what Alan was into, what his experiences were and what he had possibly experimented with.

She tried to brush away those thoughts, rubbing her eyes in an attempt to clear her mind. No way she wanted to date Alan. They were completely wrong for each other. Trusting him in a romantic relationship? Not a chance. She couldn't possibly satisfy him anyway, she reasoned.

But she couldn't deny the joy she felt when they were together. The way they sang and teased each other, the way he had come to her rescue today, the way her heart had raced when he had held her.

It was just friendship, she tried to convince herself. Sure, she found him fascinating because he was so different. His life was interesting, and she couldn't help but be intrigued. But that didn't mean she was in love with him or wanted anything more than friendship.

A tingling sensation ran through her lips as the memory of his touch lingered. She hugged her pillow tightly. Fine, she admitted to herself. She was attracted to him. But that wasn't the reason she hung out with him. She genuinely wanted to be friends. He was a good person, and she enjoyed his company. That's all it was. Tossing the pillow aside, she turned onto her stomach and tried to drift off to sleep.

The harsh rays of the sun pierced through her closed eyelids, jolting Fiza awake. It was already 11 am. She had missed the prize distribution ceremony. Panic washed over her as she realized that Neha's and Anjana's bags were gone. Why hadn't they woken her up? Their bus to Bangalore was scheduled for 12.

In a rush, Fiza hastily packed her bags, making sure she had all of Priya's clothes, her wallet, charger, and contact lenses. Putting on her glasses for the bus ride, she cautiously made her way to the shared bathroom. After checking for any creepy crawlies, she took a quick shower and hurried to the community center. To her dismay, it was deserted. Panic welled up inside her, and she immediately called Neha.

"Mam, I'm at the community center, and everyone has left," Fiza blurted out before Neha could even greet her.

"Okay," Neha replied calmly. "Let me send you my location on WhatsApp."

Fiza checked the location and realized it was about a 15-minute drive from the campus. On foot, it would take much longer. Luckily, she spotted an auto-rickshaw and hailed it. She gave the driver the address and watched as her college mates stood by the bus. Anjana and Neha approached Fiza, and Neha enveloped her in a hug.

"Where were you?" Neha inquired.

"I was at the hostel. Why didn't you wake me when you got your luggage?" Fiza blurted out trying to keep accusation out of her tone.