ShivOmRu SS ~ Cross Connections

Chapter 8

Somz walked into Anika's room the following morning, she was still in bed, he thought she did look slightly less pale. Somz felt bad. He really didn't expect things to come this far, but then again this was Anne, the gentle, fragile and soft spoken room mate of his - she couldn't have handled it better.

"Anne..?" he whispered softly.

"Hmm.." she snuggled in her sleep.

He tried again, "Anne, will you be coming to college today?" Anika awoke with a start, but she felt very weak. She was deciding whether she would make it to college or not when Somz spoke again.

"Anne, I don't think you should go to college today, take rest and come tomorrow" Anika looked at him uncertainly.

"Why are you being so nice to me suddenly Somz?" she asked suspiciously. Somz couldn't help but laugh.

"Because you told me, you were hooking up with other guys last evening. That puts me back on safe grounds! Hence" he laughed some more.

"What?!?" Anika asked, further confused.

"Arre Anne, I thought you have fallen in love with me or something, you know, after the way you tried to seduce me last Friday with the dress incident!" he replied darkly glancing at her awkwardly.

"Seduce you?" piped Anika uncertainly. Was the fever this bad? Why was her head not functioning properly? She looked confused and looked at Somz for shedding more light into the matter. Somz seemed to read her mind.

"Umm Anika, do you mind clearing this now? Are you fit enough to have a conversation over tea?" he asked cautiously.

"Sure"

Somz got back in the room with two cups of tea, he gave Anika one, and sipped from his cup uncertainly, gathering his thoughts.

"You were saying?" Anika asked curiously.

"Umm..Anne, I can see that staying with me for sometime now, you seemed to have developed genuine feelings for me, but Anne, I never saw you that way - I mean I do love you, but like a sibling - it is not romantic. I got shocked, when you tried to coze up to me that night - hence I reacted badly. But later I understood, we need to talk. We cannot spoil whatever we have because of a small thing like that. Anne, you're with me in this?" he asked softly.

Anika just stared at her in absolute shock. Then it all started slowly registering in her head, Somz really, seriously thought he was a guy? Like this seriously? All of a sudden the revelation explained her behavior completely - she wasn't upset with him anymore, in fact she found it HILARIOUS.

To Somz's surprise, suddenly Anne started shaking on the bed, and then to her amazement, she was trembling in laughter. What was so funny thought Somz in bewilderment. Did the fever muddle Anne's head? He was debating whether to call for a doctor or not, when Anne finally opened her mouth.

"Somz you really really think that I am hitting on you?" and she clutched onto the sides of her stomach laughing hard.

"What's so funny Anne?" replied Somz in irritation.

Anika laughed some more, she was feeling tired now, after all the fever, she felt considerably weakened. Then she stopped and looked at Somz with all sincerity, and gently held her hand.

"Soumya look at yourself properly. Notice yourself. Recognize who you truly are, appreciate your reality. You are Soumya not Somz. Don't deny your own-self your true nature." She spoke softly looking at his eyes.

"Anne, what rubbish is this" he flinched.

"Somz, I wasn't hitting on you. I have pretended for long enough to humor you that you are a man. But I feel it's high time someone shows you who you really are." Anika began calmly.