Agent 024

WAIT WHAT?

I got out of the ring and followed Abhay to the exit. The blood had stopped flowing out but the pain got worse.

"Breathe through your mouth, okay?", he said as we walked and I pinched my nose as I sucked in air in my mouth.

The infirmary was a good distance away and thanks to the no-vehicles policy besides the ambulance, we had to walk the entire distance. Somehow calling an ambulance for a nose bleed didn't seem very agent-like to me although Abhay did suggest it.

"Infirmary is too far.", he said, looking at me as I dig in my fingernails in my palms to distract myself from the pain.

"I'll run and get an ice-pack from the hostel. Jut wait here okay?", he said and I nodded.

I went and sat on the elevated footpath and looked at the green fields in front of me. I saw a momentary golden light in the distance and focused my eyes on the spot. And then it revealed itself - a whole colony of fireflies. I smiled as I watched them in their dance around the jack fruit trees, diving in and out, encircling the tree in their own fairy light. The last time I had seen fireflies were in the rural areas of my hometown. I realized that I gotten so wrapped up here that I had forgotten to take a break and just be with myself for a while. Maybe behind all this unresolved conflict and anger was just the need to understand myself first.

"Hey, got the icepack.", Abhay said as he jogged towards me.

He was no longer wearing the blood soaked grey shirt. He had put on a black turtle neck sweater.

"And a new sweater.", I smiled.

"Yeah, well, my room is right next to the refrigerator on our floor and I didn't think running around the Academy at midnight in a blood soaked shirt was a good idea.", he said as he handed me the ice-pack.

"Thank you.", I said, looking at him and nodding and he smiled back.

"We'll still have to go to the infirmary though. Apply a decongestant spray. Afrin should do it.", he said as he looked at my nose.

"What?", I said, all of those terms were foreign to me.

"It's something you apply on a nosebleed. I grew up getting those so I'm a bit of an expert on these now.", he chuckled.

"Look.", I said, pointing to the fireflies.

"Ahh yes. It's been a while since I saw them.", Abhay said.

I nodded watching this golden spectacle as the tree was adorned with golden ornaments all over in a beautiful apparel.

"Let's get some medicine on it. It'll heel sooner.", Abhay said, getting up and offered me his hand.

I took it and he pulled me up while I kept the icepack on my nose with the other.

"So do you get in a fight with all your ex-flames or am I special?", Abhay smirked as we walked towards the infirmary.

A part of my heart felt disappointed when he used the word ex. Disappointed because I was angry at myself for not being able to forget Abhay when he had moved on so easily and also because a part of me wished he hadn't, that he had fought for us.

"I have never been in a relationship before. And turns out for good though.", I said, pointing to my nosebleed.

"What? I cannot believe that!", he said, "No high-school flings, back-bench romances, bunking classes to meet your boyfriend?"

"No, none of that.", I shrugged.

"Why?", he asked. I looked at him. It was a genuine question, with no underlying sarcasm.