30 Isll become Strong (1/2)

The sound of the knocks in the door woke me up from my short nap. I groggily rubbed my eyes and looked around at the room.

It was a small room that Rahul had alloted to me. Although it was not very spacious, it had a lot of windows, thus I liked this room and settled quickly in it.

Upon opening the door, I found a girl of around my age waiting outside. She was quite pretty which surprised me in a way.

'Weren't all the beautiful women taken by to the army camp?' I thought but still smiled politely and asked ”How may I help you?”

”I want to join your team.” The girl said in a low voice.

Looking at her made me realize that she was feeling uncomfortable about something. I looked down and realized that my defensive suit had a lot of blood in it and I had still not cleaned it so far.

'The smell must have made her uncomfortable.' I thought with a bitter smile.

After living in the forest and going through several life and death situations in the past few days, I stopped caring about the blood in my defensive suit. After all, the defensive suit was very comfortable to wear whether there was blood on it or not.

As for the smell, I had long gotten used to it. But just because I was used to that smell doesn't mean that others were too.

”Sorry for the smell.” I said ”My brother's room is up there. Climb that set of stairs, take a left and climb to the roof of the next house. You'll find his room there. You should talk to him if you are interested in joining the team.”

After saying that, I expected her to leave and turned around to close the door but she held the door before it could close it properly.

”Huh… Is there anything else you want?” I asked in confusion.

”Umm… that…” she held her dress as I looked at her curiously.

”Hmm?”

”That… I want… I want to join your team.” She said with some effort.

”But I'm not taking in anyone.” I replied. 'This girl is weird.'

”I… I know. But… I still want to join your team.”

I looked at her face once again, but this time, I was trying to figure out what she wanted to do.

'She's not trying to seduce me for benefits, right.' I thoughts, but looking at her haggard expression made me feel that there was more to her than meets the eye.

”I am not really interested in forming a team you.” I said ”Specially if doing such a thing might cause any problem for big bro. You should really go and talk with him.”

Saying that, I closed the door and went back to rest.

But when ten minutes passed by and I still didn't heard any footsteps. I lost my patience and opened the door once again.

That girl was still standing in the same place.

”Is there anything you want?” I asked. Although I was getting a bit annoyed by now, I was also a bit impressed by her.

If someone had rejected me like that, I would have left long ago. But that's just me.

She looked at me for a few moments before her eyes started to turn red.

'Oh no. Oh no no no… This is not happening…' I thought hurriedly but in the end, it happened.

Tears started rolling down her cheeks and she started to sob silently.

I became a bit frantic as I saw her crying. Shit! What the hell am I supposed to do with a crying girl.

I hoped others don't see us at this moment, as it would be really easy to misunderstand the situation.

'Oi Lily, what should I do now?' I asked in an urgent tone.

Other might think that I was over reacting but I really couldn't see her crying like this anymore.

'You fool. Tell her to sit down somewhere. And then ask what's wrong with her.' Lily said.

Alright. I held the girl's hand and took her to sit on my bed.

'Not inside your room you fool.' Lily's irritated voice rang in my ears. 'And definitely not in your bed. Do you even know what such an action means in the society.'

'Well, there is no other place to sit in here.' I said in a dissatisfied tone.

Indeed, there was no chair or table in the room. And she was the one who told me to do such a thing. I was feeling wronged now.

'You're such an idiot.' Lily shouted 'Well… forget it. Ask her what happened to her.'

”What happened to her?” I asked. ”I… I mean, what happened to you?”

'Ugh… this idiot. Ask in a gentler tone. You're not interrogating her you know.'

'Alright.' I thought and then used the gentlest tone I could come up with and asked.

”Lady. What happened to you?” This time the girl looked up at me with a surprise.

'Oh my god. I really can't take it any more. How can someone be so bad at this. I'm really going to die of embarrassment here.'

'But… but… I was gentle as you asked me to be.'

'I meant gentle to a girl. Not gentle to a two year old baby. Seriously. Why is a person like you still alive.' Lily said in anger and then started cursing in the background.

The girl looked at my vacant expression and giggled.

'Oi! What the hell are you giggling about.' I looked at her fiercely and she jumped in fright before she started sobbing once again.

”Wait! No. I… that…” Ah! I really didn't mean to scare you. It's all because of that Lily. I should have never asked for her help.

'What did you say?'

'Nothing.'

”Now tell me. Why are you crying?” I asked once again, in my normal voice. I could hear Lily sighing in the background but I ignored her.

”I… You…” The girl wiped her tears and looked at me with sadness in her eyes ”You don't remember me?”

”Am I supposed to remember you?” I asked reflexively. But when I saw expression crumble, I instantly panicked once again.

”No wait. That's not what I meant. I meant to say…” I saw her expression getting normal for a bit but…

'What the hell am I supposed to say now. God this is so awkward.'

'Ask her about her name.' Lily finally gave a good suggestion.

'Well the hell are you thinking. I always give good suggestions. It's you who always ignores or misinterprets them.'

'Yeah. Sure sure. What ever.' I said and chose to ignore her ramblings.

”May I know your name?” I asked in a gentle tone that I use to talk with Neha.

”Ashok… have you really forgotten me?” she said with a pained expression.

'Oh god. Isn't this story going in the wrong direction. Aren't I supposed to fight those Abnormals and grow stronger. Why the hell is there suddenly a girl in my room.' I felt like crying but had no tears to shed.

But then I looked at the girl once again and felt that she does indeed look a bit familiar.

But I really couldn't recall seeing her ever before.

'Is it really possible that I know her from someplace.'

”You do look familiar.” I stared at her face closely. But perhaps I went a bit too close and her face turned red as she went back immediately.

'Idiot.'

”Ah… Sorry about that. May I know your name?” I asked immediately, to diffuse the awkwardness in the atmosphere.

”My name is Sera. Sera Sharma. Do you remember me now.”

”Sera Sharma…” I repeated the name. It indeed seemed to be familiar.

'Sharma. Sera Sharma… Ahh!' I suddenly recalled everything.

”You're that skinny girl from back then. The one we scared away with the prank.” I blurted out at once. But then, I suddenly felt ashamed at my own words.

After all, bullying a girl and then making her cry was really not something I was proud of. My face turned a bit red with shame.

Sera's face also turned red when she heard me say that and she asked ”Is that how you remembered me.”

”Ah! No… that's not what I meant.” I could already hear Lily sighing countless times in my mind already.

”But… Are you really… Sera Sharma?” I scrutinized her face once again. Though she did have the same eyes as back then, hasn't she become a bit too… beautiful.

”Yes.” She said and didn't speak anymore.