𝙁𝙞𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙚 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚

Chapter 5 - Unspoken emotions

Akshit's Pov

The moon was shining bright, making the quiet halls of our place glow in silver light. After dinner, I decided to eat alone in my room, avoiding the drama with our so-called 'guest'.

In the quiet of the night, my mind was wrapped in the complexities of my case, leaving me a bit tense. Seeking solace, I did something my family wasn't aware of - I lit up a cigar. I'm not a regular smoker, but in moments of tension, it brought a fleeting sense of relaxation. With the glowing tip in my hand, I wandered to the balcony, the only place where I could indulge in this secret.

Suddenly, the stairs echoed with footsteps, sending a jolt of tension through me. In the dimly lit night, Tiara emerged, wearing her glasses, catching me off guard with a cough.

After a bit of noticing me and what I was doing, She spoke, "You will bring harm upon yourself and pose a threat to others as well." Defensive, I retorted, "I don't need your advice." Unperturbed, she fired back, "Of course, because an advice can't fill the void of a brain." I replied "What?" And she said "Exactly." Her words sparked anger and irritation within me, but I chose to ignore her.

Ignoring my dismissal, she abruptly snatched the cigarette from my hand, tossing it into the dustbin. In a swift move, she darted back to her room, leaving me dumbfounded. Powerless to react, I trudged back to my room, a cocktail of anger and irritation brewing within me as I drifted off to sleep.

When morning came, the sun peeked through the curtains, waking me up. I decided to spend a moment on the balcony. But, danger came within the perimeter. Tiara came out of her room at the same time. It seemed like we both wanted the balcony, even though we had to share it.

Tiara, quick as a bunny, claimed the balcony for herself, putting her book on the table like she owned the place. It bugged me, so I decided to finish my breakfast downstairs, purposefully steering away from the balcony to avoid the building tension there.

After breakfast, I walked upstairs and found the balcony empty, except for Tiara's book. While passing through, I heard Tiara's voice from Shruti's room, confirming she was inside. An uneasy feeling settled in me.

Suddenly, with not-so-nice intentions, I decided to check the balcony, especially Tiara's book. Memories of our past encounters flooded my mind, making me remember how she insulted me and left me angry. Overwhelmed by frustration, tearing a lot of pages from her book felt like the only way to let out my emotions.

I tore the pages with a mix of anger and loathe, feeling a storm of emotions inside me. After that, I arranged the torn pages inside the cover with wishing satisfaction for myself. Without making anyone suspicious, I quietly went back to my room. The weight of the emotions lingered, leaving the balcony, filled with an unspoken tension.

Tiara's Pov

Feeling triumphant, I tossed the book onto the balcony table after outsmarting Akshit. A triumphant smile played on my lips as I settled into the chair. I noticed Akshit shooting me a serious look before huffing off downstairs - he probably figured he couldn't beat me. Haha, victory dance in my head; I felt like the queen of the moment! Riding that high, I cracked open my all-time favorite detective book, "Endless Night." Those crime-solving tales? They're my happy place providing me with immense happiness.

Engrossed in the world of mysteries, I lost track of everything. It wasn't until Shruti's voice shattered my bookish bubble that I snapped back. She practically yelled in my ear, jerking me out of my detective reverie. Whoops! I had been so into the book that I missed Shruti calling me. Realizing my literary time had stretched longer than planned, I left my treasure, "Endless Night," on the table.