Nun and Her Love, Chapter 2

Walking away from the door, terrified by the old woman, Euthra goes near to Shaycham and jumps on the sofa beside her. Looking at her angrily, Shaycham moves away from her saying, “So smelly!”

“Shaycham? Who is she?”

Ignoring her words, Shaycham keeps changing the channels on the TV. Remembering Zam, Euthra stands up supporting her hands on the sofa, as her head starts to ache from the drinking. Walking down the dimly lit corridor towards the guest’s room where Zam sleeps, she knocks. Even after repeated knocks, she does not respond. To call her, Euthra takes out her phone but the battery is dead.

Now, what should she do now? She has no energy to move the woman out from her room. She feels like vomiting. She rushes towards the toilet swinging her body side to side, as if she is going to fall down. Going inside, she hangs her head inside the toilet pot but nothing comes out. Coming back to the sitting room, she looks at Shaycham, “Shaycham, please help me to move that woman out.”

“Where?”

“Guest room!”

“Do it yourself,” says Shaycham with an angry tone. Giving a stare at Euthra, she switches off the TV, picking up her IPad, walks towards her bedroom, which is a few meters away from her room. What now? Her head starts to ache severely now. She looks at the wall clock and it’s 1AM. She cannot wake her parents and seek help to move the woman out from her room. Besides, she is drunk and they will not be happy to see her in this way. So, what now?

She heads back to her room, feeling frightened as Shaycham has gone and sitting room looks ghostly. Standing in front of the door, she pushes the door slowly. She feels as if the smell has thickened now. Covering her nose, she gets inside and goes directly to the window and opens it letting in the fresh air from the outside. Then she looks at the woman, whose face is turned away. Going to the bed, leaning her face forward gently, breathing heavily, she says, “Hello Angay?”

There is no response. Taking her hands slowly on her blanket, she shakes her body and says, “Angay. Wake up!”

Again, no response. She is not even moving. Not knowing what to do and not being able to bear the headache, she goes to her bed and picks up the blanket and pillow. Switching off the light, she walks outside pulling the door slowly. Walking slowly towards the sofa, she keeps the pillow down and without even changing, jumps on the sofa covering her legs with the blanket. She places her head gently on the pillow, heart throbbing hard frightened by the hollowness of the sitting room. She has no battery to sleep listening to songs. Covering her head with the pillow, she closes her eyes but sleep does not come even after an hour.

Getting up, she gets sleeping pills from beside the TV and takes two tablets. She tries to close her eyes. As soon as she covers her head, she hears strange noise from the outside and dogs start to bark from the neighborhood. She feels as if someone is approaching the door with a knife. Suddenly, the barking stops. But she hears hissing sound from her room. Terrified by this noise, she rushes towards Shaycham’s room immediately. It’s latched. She knocks. But Shaycham does not respond. She might be sleeping by now.

“Shaycham, please open the door. I am afraid.”

She pleads.

“Please.”

After a few minutes of waiting, Shaycham opens the door, looking very annoyed.

“What is it?”

She walks inside the dimly lit room and says, “I hear something from our room.”

Closing the door slowly, Shaycham gets back to her bed saying, “You better sleep on the floor.”

“Please, I will not turn face towards you,” says Euthra, climbing on the bed, feeling very sleepy as the sleeping pills take charge of her. Sliding herself slowly under the blanket, she turns her face towards the wall, away from Shaycham. She closes her eyes when Shaycham stays upright leaning her back up against the pillow, her fingers fiddling with the IPad.

“Ashim?”

On hearing this call faintly, Euthra opens her eyes slowly.

“Ashim?

She hears this from behind her, so turning back slowly, she asks, “What?”

“Angay is screaming,” says Shaycham softly, hiding her head under the blanket.

Not hearing any scream, Euthra says, “Just ignore and sleep.”

“It has been an hour now. Listen carefully, can’t you hear?” says Shaycham, sounding worried.

Room is dark now. No dim lights. Raising her head, a little, Euthra listens carefully. Then she hears a scream, a noise made when someone is in pain. She is not sure if it’s from her room or not.

Taking her head under the blanket she asks, “Who is she? Did parents say something about her?”

“Mother didn’t say a word but Apa said that she is our grandma,” says Shaycham, getting closer to her body.

“Grandma? I have never heard of our grandparents. How comes father brings home a grandma suddenly?”

Euthra asks not believing her words, when Shaycham says, “I think she is sick, because father was helping her to reach your room.”

“Why did he keep her in my room? We have guest room,” says Euthra, when they hear the scream getting louder and louder. Their parents sleep in a room attached to their house, which is a few meters away from their bedrooms.

“Ashim, let’s go and inform parents?”

“Shhh, just ignore. You got battery, play the music loudly,” says Euthra as the scream continues from her room.

Story by: Phurpa Dorji (PJIKKS)

Chapter 3 Tomorrow @9PM