Knock at the door.

Everything happens for a reason."

Ana.

With long strides Ana enters inside the huge school gate. She saw few of her fellow classmates walking ahead .

“An…An… wait …girl..” 

Ana swivels around hearing her name yelled and slowed down her steps. There arrives her bestie who hopped down from the blue sports bike of Alvin Russo, her boyfriend. He's a football player. Ana had met him few times because Elsa was hell bend on tagging her along in their initial dating period. He was funny  and very protective towards Elsa.

When Alvin saw Ana,  he waved at her which she returned waving back with a sweet smile. For the last time Elsa  wrapped her arms around his shoulder in a hug. After that she bid him and spins to leave. Hardly she had taken a step when she jolted up with wide eyes when  Alvin smacked her butt playfully. She turns to face him with a gasp. He winked at her with a mischievous smile, with two of his fingers blew a kiss . Elsa giggled and leans a bit ,then blew back a kiss.

‘Jesus!!!’

Seeing their PDA, Ana turned around purposely avoiding the awkwardness and walked slowly through the campus. Her cheeks heated up. She wasn’t comfortable with such open display of affection. But who was she to say anything to Elsa. It was her birth right to do whatever she wants. The boom , boom sound of the bike caught her ears and  gradually distanced indicating his departure.

Just then a hand wrapped around Ana’s shoulder and she already knew whose  it was.

“ damn girl, why didn’t you wait for me?” Elsa wiggled her brows teasingly and Ana rolled her eyes. Both climbed up the stairs passing through the students scattered all around the hall.

Ana dodged aside her unnecessary question and asked, “ Leave it. Will you come to my place to stay for a week?”

“ A week? When? ” It wasn’t the first time Elsa was going to stay with her. Whenever Aunt and Uncle were  out for some work Elsa was the only company she was left with.

“From tonight because Aunt and Uncle will be leaving for some work .” Ana answered.

“ Tonight ! impossible, Alvin’s parents also won’t be at home and he want me to stay for a night out. And I can’t refuse him. It’s been a month we hadn’t make out during nights. I'm sexually frustrated.” Elsa said with sadness in her eyes. Ana's  mouth hung open and almost touched the floor. This information surprised her. 

“Are you even listening to what you are saying? ” Ana exasperated and scooted her eyes ,conscious. After that she leans near her ears and continued, " Dont tell me you did it?"  Ana whispered so than nobody heard them. Elsa rolled  her eyes with bored expression.

" yeah, I did.... what's the big deal..... I love him. It's normal between couples. " 

Ana stared at her with an unbelieving look. Her bestie was so carefreely accepting her  wrong doings like it was a small matter.

Ana was never in favor of any kind of physical intimacy before marriage.  Her Aunt once conversed with her that a girl should protect and preserve her modesty only for her husband. Even its written in the bible that sex before marriage is considered sexually immoral.

They had  reached the locker room. Ana opened her locker and collected her book.

“You shouldn’t El. You shouldn’t be doing this before marriage. Not even with your boyfriend.  Its  a sin you know that. God wont forgive if you give into evil.”  Ana tried to explain her closing the small locker door. After all she can't let her best friend commit sins which are offensive in the eyes of God. It's her duty to protect and show the right path.

 

 Elsa stood beside and turned to face her, fixing her with a glare" ANA STOP FUCKING BEHAVING LIKE A NUN ALL THE TIME. SEX ISN’T A TABOO THESE DAYS. DON'T TELL ME YOU ARE PLANNING TO STAY VIRGIN THE WHOLE LIFE. NOBODY CARES IF YOU ARE VIRGIN OR NOT.” She blurted loud and clear. Sometime Ana's good moral lectures gets into her nerves. 

 The moment those words echoed, Ana placed both her hands in front of her mouth. This girl has no control over her mouth. Embarrassment heated Ana’s cheeks as she searched around to see if anyone heard them. And her eyes fell on the two boys who were standing few distance away from them but their eyes were on her and then on Elsa. They were from economics department. One of them, his name is Arthur who tilted head to the side and smirked at her.  Oh Lord. They heard each words and now she was mortified beyond imagination. How badly she wants the mother earth to swallow her . The next she turned her heels , covered her face with her hand like a shield head hung low , and marched out from the place leaving Elsa behind rooted on her spot.

'Damn' Elsa mentally scolded herself. She knows how shy was her best friend.

“Ana…Ana!” calling her name she raced behind her but the girl walked fast, pretending unheard. Soon they were inside the class. Ana took her seat . Just then Elsa grabbed the nearby seat beside her. Ana wasn’t paying any heed to her.  Elsa was about to say something when the professor walks inside the classroom.

The whole day Ana wasn’t talking with her no matter how much she many times she tried. By the end of the school Ana grabbed her belongings, swung her bag back on her shoulder and walked out.  She reached  the open garden.  She was heading through the driveway when Elsa blocked her path.

 

“Sorry.” Elsa mumbled.” I’m so sorry”. She pulled her ears with pleading eyes. Ana being Ana couldn’t remain mad with her crazy bestie no matter what . She smiled and with a shrill happy scream Elsa jumped on her in a bone crushing hug. Sometimes it leaves doubt in Ana’s mind how the duo were best friends. They were poles apart. Literally different personalities. 

 

“Next time control your big mouth.”Ana warned after Elsa moved away. 

“Yes your honour.” She said and bowed slightly in a dramatic way.

With that both starts giggling .

“ You sure you cant stay?” Ana unzip her bag and places the books she was carrying in her hand.

“ I would love to ,but I can't let him down. Don’t worry I would join you once I'm back.” Ana hummed with the response feeling defeated. This girl will never listen to her. 

“ It that my house will feel like dead . “ she sighed further playing with the strap of her bag as they kept striding out of the school campus.

****

The cloudy sky and loud thunder indicates that soon it will rain. 

As soon as the thought crossed her mind the next second it started raining.

It was nine at night when Ana decides to shut down the shop. She pulls down the shutter and locked it.  Her Aunt’s messaged popped up on the screen that they reached safely. After  typing few messages the girl got busy for her home.

Opening the umbrella she carries every day, her eyes flew for once at the newly opened expensive hotel in their area. Its one of the finest and high rated hotel in her locality. Few visitors traveling in expensive cars  were approaching inside. She minded her own business and walked down the not so busy street passing few passer-by and cars. As it was  raining heavily Ana decides to take the shortcut which is the route behind the old church to reach home early. 

It was ten at night when Ana finished her dinner, washed the dishes and made sure that she locked all the doors and windows for security purpose, after all she was all alone in that two bedroom house. She noticed that the pouring down of rain had reduced by now. She entered the attached bathroom and dressed herself into a faded balloon-printed PJ. 

Generally, she switch off the lights of her room before sleeping but tonight being alone she has no guts to do that. Instead, tonight she kept the lights on of each room. After completing her night routine she sprawled on the bed with a sigh. She mumbled some prayer and later shut her eyes tiredly. Soon she landed into deep slumber. 

****

The sky was cloudy casting a dark shadow on the earth making it more darker . After a heavy drizzle the night was omnious now. Only the croaking sound of frog could be heard from a far. As if they could sense the danger lurking around.

Tick tock tick tock tick tock..

 It was 2:00 A.M.

 

Thud…thud …. Thud…. Thud….

The noise of someone banging on the door stirred her sleep. Groggily Ana  opened her eyes. She sits upright when her ears again  filled with  the  impatient noise of slamming on the door. Entrance door.

Thud…Thud …. Thud…. Thud….Thud...

Who might be at this hour of night?  She thought. 

 

 What if anything happened to Aunt Grace or uncle Albert. As soon as the thought crossed her mind her heart dropped in the pit of her stomach and instantly she got down from her bed. Anxiety palpitated through her body. Her mind went in a haywire. 

Without giving a second thought she sprinted out of her room and entered the living room. The relentless banging on the door increased her pace. Reaching near the entrance door with a click she unlocked it.

She had just grabbed the handle when the door burst wide open. Without realizing her legs moved back on it's own creating some space. It was her reflex action following a shriek which escaped from her mouth as soon as  a stranger loomed  inside from the darkness to the light.

And the next her heart jolted up inside her ribcage in an  alarm.

****