C7 NIGHTMARE

Alex poured in the coffee for them.

Alex preferred his coffee to be sugarless but he didn't forgot to add a spoon of sugar in Sasha's cup.

"I didn't expected you to remember my taste Alex." Sasha said in a monotonous voice as Alex smiled at her and replied, "Some tastes are never forgotten."

Daisy came in with a jar of cookies and settled in.

"OH Alex. Don't you always forget my taste?"Daisy said, adding half a teaspoon of extra sugar in her coffee.

Sasha was perplexed. After years he still remember her taste but how can he forget the taste of his life partner.

"Why don't you try these cookies Sasha?"Alex offered to lighten the air, "Daisy made them at home."

"These really good." praised Sasha, "Thank you so much Daisy."

Daisy looked up at Sasha to see how genuine she was.

"These are healthy brownies, flourless and sugarless. Made with maple syrup. You must have ate it for the first time, but in our house we eat these things only. " Daisy boasted as Alex shook his head, "We take care of our body unlike you all who fill your stomachs like a trash can, eating everything you get."

"We take care of hearts Daisy unlike you who crush them like beetles." Sasha retorted.

Alex's phone rang again, "Okay so ladies you both carry on, I have to go, its urgent." Alex said before leaving.

Silence dropped in the room as soon as Alex left.

"This man is always busy." Daisy shook her head.

A long silence fell in the room as awkwardness fell between the two ladies.

"Sasha." Daisy said breaking the ice. "You must be tired, let me show you your room."

Sasha gave her a nod before following Daisy.

"If you need anything feel free to ask, I will be in the balcony." Daisy said, before turning to leave her alone in the guest room. Though Alex said that she will be staying in the room next door, she brought Sasha here because that room is always locked and its keys are, that always remained locked. Alex said a girl used to live there before but when we returned the room with Alex, Daisy had never ever seen that room. It was technically a different house with a common door was left empty for rent. Alex bought that single room house soon but Daisy had never ever seen the room, because Alex had it locked, always.

"Daisy." Sasha called out, "Thank you so much Daisy. I know it's uncomfortable for you to bear a complete stranger in your house. If it was not for the job, I would have never agreed to stay here, in fact I asked Alex to let me stay in my house, I would report everyday to his office but he insisted me to stay here, so that you can have a company. But if you don't like it I will convince him to let me go."

Daisy was bewildered. She didn't expected that from Sasha. " Honestly I felt bad, actually we are not used to have intruders at our home but it's fine. If we won't help you people, who will? I trust my husband more than myself. I know he will never break my heart, I hope you will keep it in your mind that he is engaged. " She snapped at her, flashing her diamond ring.

"Don't worry Daisy, we are poor but we don't accept second hand things."

Sasha knew very well how to deal with the girls like her, but Daisy wasn't used to insults. Each passing second grew an ounce of hatred for Sasha in Daisy's heart.

----

Sasha wandered around the room. Previously this room was a guest room or let's say a store room for Alex. He didn't liked it at all. He would rather prefer sleeping on sofa then in this room. Though it was renovated and good, it was still had no windows in it. This room was now a combination of orange and brown. Walls were painted beige, except one wall, that was painted in a satisfying orange color with white patterns on it. The color wasn't too odd to eyes, rather it looked beautiful. A king-sized, dark brown bed stood right across the wall covering most of the space, and just few steps far, opposite to the bed was a two door wardrobe in a combination of orange and dark brown. Behind the room door was a small passage that lead to the dresser and then the bathroom. The room was quite sophisticated. It too had a matching orange and brown colored bed sheet on, a brown vase with gold colored flowers and a brown colored tissue box placed on the side table. Several girlish exquisites on the dresser spoke that it was Daisy's room. the wardrobe too was filled with a variety of clothes. Why would Alex let her loving fiancé stay in a room he hated? And why would Daisy offer her personal bedroom to Sasha? Though she had several questions roaming in her mind, she slumped on the bed and let the darkness engulf her

-----

"Where is Sasha?" Alex inquired as soon as he entered the house. A grimace fell over Daisy's face but she immediately masked it with a smile. She stepped forward and offered him the glass of water she brought for him, but instead of accepting it and thanking her with a smile, Alex kept the glass on the table and stood up, "Sasha!" He called out ignoring Daisy.

"She is in my room."Daisy questioned turning her back to him and walking towards the balcony.

"Why your room? Didn't I told you she will be living in that room next door?" Alex snapped following Daisy in the balcony.

"Because I didn't have the keys."

"You ,must've let her rest in my room, why yours? Your bedroom don't even have a window, she must be feeling suffocated." Shaking his head, Alex left, leaving her alone.

-----

SASHA'S POV.

He was there in front of me, smiling at me. He looked like an angel, dressed in white, who is always there to save me. I will never get tired of seeing him. His eyes were flashing with love and care. Oh those eyes! They are like a forest, I can lost myself in them easily.

Just then a loud noise echoed around us.

*thud.*

His smile flattered and all I could see was blood. His white shirt was stained in red, His eyes closed as he fell on the floor. I held his hand and shook him vigorously but he didn't moved. "Alex." I called him but he was gone. I felt my lungs choking, it felt like there was no air in the room. I saw blood oozing from his wound. "A..Alex." My voice was hoarse, it was hard for me to breathe.

"Open your eyes. Sasha." I hear someone call to me. It felt like it was Alex. His voice.

I try opening my eyes but it felt heavy.

I felt like I was chained and someone was pulling me in the cave of darkness. I saw them dragging me away from, "Alex, please save me." I called him.

"Sasha." I heard him again. "Open your eyes. Look at me."

My legs were shaking, I felt somebody squeeze my hands and caress my head.

Fighting with the darkness, I battled my lids open. His smell filled my nose, making me question my sanity. I pulled my back as his eyes looked me straight in my eyes.

I looked at his face. He is alive. He is okay.

I stood up immediately getting my hands on his face. I roamed my fingers all over his face, trying to make sure he was actually here.

"Alex." I stared at him in disbelief.

My hands went down to touch his wound.

"Where is the gunshot?" I snapped, "Where is the white shirt?" I remembered the blood that was oozing from his chest, the red color that completely stained his white shirt.

He held my face between his palms and whispered, "Shhh..What are you talking about."

"Blood. You was covered in blood." I babbled, "There was blood everywhere. They dragged me away from you."

Alex's eyes darken as he sighed, "Sasha. No one will take you anywhere. No one can take you away from me."

I felt him pressing me to his chest, as his hands stroke my back gently.

"He shot you Alex. He shot you in the chest." I gave in, squeezing my eyes shut as my body shivered.

"Nobody shot me. I am fine. Look at me." He gently shook me.

I kept my eyes shut, still not believing my ears.

"Look at me Sasha. I am fine. Nobody shot me."

Tears were streaming down my cheeks as my heart was thumping loudly imitating a bird in its cage. I was scared to open my eyes, what if I open them and he is lying in front of me, drenched in blood. What if he is dead. I didn't want to break this delusion. I was scared to face the reality, i was scared to face his death.

"Sasha, Look at me." My whole body was shivering and my heart was literally burning. I sobbed harder, biting my lower lip to control myself.

I felt some one shake me lightly.

"Please open your eyes baby. Look at me. I am fine. No one shot me, it was just a dream."

I don't know how but I slowly opened my eyes and looked at him. He smiled before kissing my forehead. "It was just a dream. I am fine and I will always be with you."

I sobbed harder, as he brought me closer to his chest.

I felt my heart splitting in two, just a thought of his dead brought an unexplainable amount of fear in my heart. I wrapped my arms around him and buried my face in the crook of his neck. Unable to control myself, I started weeping. He hugged me tighter and gently rubbed my back.

"Please." I begged, not even knowing what I was begging for.

"Shh.. It's okay." He soothe me as I continue to cry.

"You are okay?" I muttered quietly, tightening my hold around hi scared that he might disappear if I left him.

Hours passed as we stayed in the same position. Finally he pulled me back, and help me lie on the bed. I was in daze. Everything was blur in my head all I could see was him. And all I wanted was him. I hold his hand tighter, bringing it closer to my chest and let my droopy eyes shut. I tried my best to fight the dizziness I was feeling but my eyes felt heavy. I felt his fingers brush my cheek, stroking away the strands of hair from my face. His smell, his warmth his existence was comforting. I let myself cherish him before I fell into a deep slumber.

——

ALEX'S POV.

I sat there watching her as she slept like a baby. She was snoring lightly. I got really scared when she behaved like that. I have never seen her like this before. Sasha has always been a vibrant, cheerful girl but seeing her break like that, crushed my heart into pieces. For a second I thought she recalled everything, she had remembered everything that happened on Saturday. When she talked about blood, I felt my heart almost froze. But then I was relieved to find that she just saw a nightmare. Though it was quite similar to that night, she couldn't remember what happened. These nightmares are driving her crazy, I am scared, what will happen when she will know the reality? She will be shattered. She shouldn't know the reality. I can't risk her again.

Gently, I pulled my hand from her hold, covered her with the duvet and left the room, keeping the lights open. She might get scared in the dark. I left the door open, for her.