The Wrong Number

55

Alankrita woke up with a shiver. It was cold. Where was her blanket? She opened her eyes a smidge and instantly regretted it when she was assaulted by a blinding ray of sun. She hadn't drawn the curtains? She turned on her side and found that her pillow was wet. Ugh, she'd been drooling in her sleep again. She wiped her mouth and just lay in bed with her eyes closed, trying to find a reason to get out of bed. Gingerly, she sat up and assumed her post-waking-up position, with her elbows on her thighs and her head in her hands.

Last night's movie had been awful. It had been so predictable in fact, that she began getting drowsy after the first twenty minutes. She'd even felt sorry for Ruhan, who'd had to endure it with her, even though he hadn't complained. She didn't even remember how it ended. Making a mental note to have a word with Anu about her bad taste in movies she picked up her laptop which was still resting on the end of the bed from the night before, putting it on the other side of her double bed so that it wouldn't fall off. She decided she couldn't procrastinate getting out of bed any longer and, yawning loudly, swung her feet off the edge one at a time.

She was half awake until she realised they'd landed on something squishy.

"Aaargh!" she screeched, and jumped back on to the bed as she stared at a human figure on the floor double over on its side. A human figure she recognised.

"Ruhan?!" she asked in bewilderment, as he coughed and sat up slowly, "You didn't go home?" Ruhan squinted at her, trying to find his bearings after being jolted awake by a kick to the belly. "Ow," he gurgled, and tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes. Alankrita was rocking back and forth on the bed, gnawing on the nails on her right hand furiously. "Oh god," she muttered, "You didn't go home. You fell asleep. In my room. I'm so dead."

Her words made enough sense to Ruhan to make him feel queasy. "What?" he asked, finally beginning to wake up. He looked over the edge of the bed to meet Alankrita's eyes, wide, unblinking and slightly red. "Blink, why don't you?" he said, picking himself up, "I think I fell asleep on your floor. The movie was really boring."

"Gee, you think?" she snapped at him, switching from her right hand to her left and chewing away at the nail paint on her fingers, "Shit shit shit shit."

Ruhan stretched and said, "Oi, don't get mad at me, it was an accident." She glared at him for a second before sighing and saying, "Yeah, I know. Sorry, it's a lot to wake up to is all."

He just shrugged for lack of better response and was about to ask if he could use her bathroom when there was a knock on the bedroom door. The two teenagers turned to it and then to each other with pure unadulterated fear in their eyes.

"Kanna?" a groggy voice said from the other side of the door, "Are you okay?"

"That's my mum," Alankrita whispered, leaping off the bed and grabbing Ruhan's wrist, "hide under here and don't come out until I say."
"Wha-" Ruhan started but Alankrita was yanking him down by the arm. He fell to his knees and she started pushing him under the bed. He squirmed his way into the gap and watched Alankrita's feet walk to the door. He heard the door open. "Hi, ma," Alankrita said breathlessly, her voice sounding slightly muffled to Ruhan.

"Are you alright, kanna? Why did you shout?"
Her mother sounded groggy, like she'd just woken up. Ruhan shifted uncomfortably. This was too small a space, and it reeked of old wet socks. "Oh I just fell off the bed, ma," he heard Alankrita say, "I'm okay. I'm sorry if I woke you up." He could see her picking at the hem of her shirt.

"No, no, kanna it's fine. Are you sure everything's alright in there?" her mother asked as she leaned to the side to get a good look at Alankrita's room.
"Yes!" Alankrita squeaked and shifted to block her mother's view, "it's all good in the hood, mummy jee."

Before Ruhan knew it he was muffling a laugh. He threw his hands over his mouth immediately. "What was that?" her mother asked, and he froze. Alankrita stammered, "It's the cats, they're fighting again okay you go back to sleep, bye!" and slam the door shut. Her feet came closer to him and she crouched down. He looked at the big brown eyes glaring at him and whispered, "It's all good in the hood?" and giggled when she rolled her eyes. She tugged once at his sleeve, indicating he had to get up and walked towards her door. He spilled out of the gap and scrambled to his feet. "So what are we-"
"Sshh!"

He shut up, only slightly offended, and Alankrita eased her door open. "My parents' bedroom is across the corridor. All we need to do is get you down the stairs, and then you can leave, alright?"
"What if your parents are downstairs?"
She laughed once. "Weekends are when we don't wake up before noon. Don't worry; you just have to be quick," She stepped out of her room. He nodded and crept down the corridor, following closely behind. They tiptoed down the stairs and reached the landing. Ruhan exhaled loudly and Alankrita slapped a hand over his mouth. "Mmmph!" He exclaimed and she whispered, "Just because my parents aren't downstairs doesn't mean they are deaf," pulling him by the hand towards the front door.

"Okay," she said, as she eased her door open, both of them wincing when it unlocked with a loud 'click'. "Bye, Alankrita," he said, to which she replied with a smile and a nod. He stepped out the door and she followed him, and they stood on the front porch. It was cold, and the creepy crawlies from last night were just returning to their resting nooks for the day. The chill in the air had kept the morning joggers inside, and presently it was just the two of them outside. Ruhan's green vespa was parked on the other side of the road.

Neither of them had said anything for a few moments, and Ruhan swallowed audibly. "Thanks for the pizza," he said, "and, uh, everything else. I had fun." Alankrita smiled. "Yeah, so did I." He nodded, his palms clammy despite the cold. Alankrita held her arms out and he realised she was asking for a hug. He wrapped his arms around her and breathed into her shoulder. She didn't let go for a while, and when she did, she squeezed his arm and said, "Call me when you get home, okay?"

He gave her a thin lipped smile and turned around. She waited until he'd sputtered out of sight before going back inside. When she did, she was greeted by her mother, standing at the living room entrance with her hands crossed. "Ma!" she exclaimed, trying to recover from a near cardiac arrest, "I was just-"
"Yeah, yeah, I know what you were doing," her mother said with a knowing look on her face, "Early morning 'walk', no?" Alankrita could feel her face heating up. 'So this is how I go,' she thought, 'Here lies Alankrita Sundar, skinned alive by her own mother, may she rest in peace'.

"Um.."
"Don't worry Kanna, I know he's a good boy."
'Wow I'm even hallucinating. I must be dead already.'
"I'm not going to kill you, so can you stop acting like you're on death row?"
"Wh-what?"

Her mother smiled. "I came into your room last night. You two were fast asleep. He looked cold on the floor so I put a blanket on him. Did you think your brother never had girls over before? Kanna, I'm a seasoned parent, I know things." Alankrita smiled weakly, still not sure where this was going. Her mother ambled up to her and placed her hands on her shoulders with a 'thump'. "Tell you what," she said. "Why don't you bring your boyfriend over for dinner this weekend? I think it's about time Ruhan gets acquainted with his in-laws."
"Amma!"

Her mother laughed and walked up stairs, leaving Alankrita standing at the foyer. "What," she mumbled under her breath, "What just... what..."