It was one of those cold winter days. My roommate and I retired to sleep after a heck long of an uneventful day- too busy to do nothing at all. Before I narrate the most beautiful memory, I would like to tell you about my roommate. Well, she is relatively taller. RELATIVELY! You know what I mean. She is undeniably genius. Simple, because she is a computer science student. My theory weaved around the fact that the most logical earthlings on this mother earth are computer science students. Well, let me not get into my not-so-logical theories now. Apart from being tall, she has a beautiful disease. Yes. She is a LIGHT SLEEPER. Do you know what I mean? Let me delineate. Her sleep counted the sins that I committed, like turning a paper, switching the light, or even me walking around. She being an amazing girl as she finally started guaranteeing my sins a little rest and adjusted into my nocturnal life.
The clock ticked half past one, and I was slowly drifting into sleep when I suddenly felt a jerk from under the bed. I freaked a little and calmed my beating heart, telling it that it was the regular dynamite stunt from the nearby coal mines. But at this time of night... strange.
"Hey... Did you hear that?" I called out to her, but she got irritated "Hear what..." and tossed to the other side, calling out n number of profanities in the languages that she knew 'coz I disturbed her sleep.' Pushing my drifting thoughts I tried sleeping again but this time, the impact came so hard that my roommate and I sat up straight on the bed. There is definitely something wrong. Very. Very. The dark room making it more difficult for us to comprehend the happenings around.
Sending thousands of prayers to the upparwala. I looked at my friend. We felt it again, that sound, so very clear like someone is pushing our bed upwards. Freaking hell.
"WHAT'S THAT?" she shrieked, and I shushed her.
"Shhh...Shut up"
She crawled to the center of the bed, and we looked at each other. Oh ho! Mind wandering to the infinite possibilities of dangers. Were we invaded? Is it the extraterrestrial creatures? Did they finally find me after years of searching? Oh my God! 'Shut up. Will you?' the reasonable part of my mind shushed my hyperventilating head.
*thud*
Again came the loud bang from the bed.
"What's that? What's happening?" My roommate hyperventilated, not helping me at all. And the sounds became more clear now.
We turned to each other and let out a gasp. Isn't it obvious?
"There is someone else in the room," I said in a low voice, trying not to stutter.
She closed her eyes trying not to cry loudly. I closed my eyes, regaining the hope and confidence left in the so-very-brave-Sharma that I acclaimed myself since so long.
"Switch on the light" she spoke out in bouts, terrorized.
I nodded and turned but again came the thud making the remaining sanity in me go into drain.
'What the duck?' Hey, Bhagwaan! Are we playing this 'let's-check-if-you-are-brave game?' I thought.
"We have only one way. Look under the bed and figure this out," I said as silently as I can.
"NO!!! I. AM. NOT. DOING. ANY. OF. THAT. SORT" she gritted.
Nothing left in hope, and I slowly moved to the edge of the bed muttering 'give me strength' and when I was about to bend to see, but we heard a loud bang of our locker that lay far across the edge of our room.
I stood straight. Startled and out of breath. 'Chill. Chill' I shushed not to go mental.
"There is definitely something wrong in this room and we are not the only ones," she said slowly but the truth evident in her fearful voice. The next second there is a bang from under the bed. I am pretty sure this is all the result of the horror movie marathon taking a toll on us. Nightmares can't be so realistic. Can they? Even if it is a dream, I have to fight.
"Okay. I am gonna see what is this" I said confidently and moved to the edge and slowly and very slowly, very very slowly bent down with eyes closed and suddenly opened and then freaked out and went cold when I saw two glimmering blue eyes back at me and then they were gone in a second.
I stood straight on the bed.
"Don't tell me this is real," I said closing my mouth and gulping to clear my dry throat.
"What?" she asked as she moved closer. So did I.
"YOU.NEED.TO.SWITCH.ON.THE.DARN.LIGHT" I said slowly but steadily not letting my voice break.
She denied. Downright. She shook her head and moved closer as the noises inched higher.
In an impulse, I went and switched on the light and found the room all empty.
"What's going on?" she knelt down catching her head in a helpless state, trying to absorb the sob. My throat was getting heavy too.
*thud*
Another loud bang.
This time again I dared to look under the bed and so did I. Trying to think of the possibility of a devil, demon, venomous snake, zombie and what not to lay under and ready to pounce on me when I look down.
'Okay.Chill' I sent a silent prayer to God and bent my head again and what I saw left me in a shock.
It was a very huge and a white and black spotted, blue eyed CAT.
"It's a CAT!!!" I shouted, and she looked at me appalled equally.
"What is that thing doing under our bed?" she asked confusion etched and the crease in between her brows lifting a notch higher.
"THAT my dear is not the question to be answered." I seriously pointed.
"Let it out," I said to her, and she said NO.
"Do you REALIZE THE FACT THAT I AM SHORT AND MY LIMBS BETRAY ME IN REACHING TILL THE DOOR?" I shouted in a breath.
I thought that would work and she would open the darn door sitting on the bed. But she simply denied. On my face!
"NOW," I said trying to put as much as effort as I can to intimidate her. That was somehow amusing.
She conceded and sat on the edge of the bed and opened the door and as soon as she did, the cat flew away from the room. Literally.
Then we sat in silence as soon as she locked the door.
For a whole minute, we sat still, trying to regain our breath. We glanced at each other and broke into fits of laughter.
The light that remained whole night told the plight of our night nuisance to rest of our friends in the next morning.
PS: Good old days. :D
