It is oppressively hot. The white moon in the grey sky seems to melt. Rhea splashes some lukewarm water on her hot face. She comes back into her room and lies down to catch some sleep. But sleep evades her like a long forgotten beautiful memory that the tongue of her mind tries to lick, but finds none. She tosses and turns in her bed. The clock on the wall reads two a.m. The night seems long and interminable like a darkened hallway with no end in sight. If only she could escape. Escape the night, the looming loneliness, the racing heart, the sinking stomach, the dread that inches up her throat like an oily eel. Then she hears footfalls. Small and dragging. She sits upright. Her heart slowing down like a malfunctioning watch. The door to her bedroom yawn opens like the jaw of a monster. And there she is. Reena. Reena walks towards the bed, her feet heavy and tired as if they’ve walked long miles.

“Why are you here?” Rhea exclaims, alarmed as if an intruder has come into her private space. “What do you mean?” Reena says as she sits in the bed. Rhea rises to her feet. “You can’t sit in the bed. It’s not your bed anymore!” “But I am so tired. I need to lie down.” She says in a small, tired voice. “Go back to where you’ve come from.” “But this is as much my house as yours. It’s not fair. It’s my bed too.” “It’s not fair for you to come and invade my space. Please just leave.” Rhea says looking at Reena with disgust and trepidation in her eyes. “I am not leaving.” “Yes you are.” “Then make me go. Let’s see whether you can do it or not.” Reena says vehemently, her small voice becoming firmer like melted wax becoming solidified. Rhea squeezes shut her eyes, balling her hands into tight fists.”You are shameless.” Reena says with her eyes still closed. Reena lies down and closing her eyes tries to sleep. Rhea leaves her room and after a moment comes back in with a steel plate and steel drinking glass and starts beating the plate with the glass right in Reena’s peaceful, closed-eyed face. Reena snaps open her eyes; she looks like a deer under headlights, small and shrunken and sad. Rhea continues beating. Her own version of drum roll and its beats. Reena gets to her feet, her palms covering her ears. “What you are doing is very cruel. You know I am really tired, my feet are hurting.” Her voice small and wet with wearied melancholy. “I am also very tired. And what you are doing is inhuman.” Rhea says. “Coming home to one’s bed is not inhuman. It’s very human and normal.” “Oh really. Do I’ve to spell it out for you?” “Spell what?” “You really don’t know. Don’t you?” Rhea asks sadly. “I don’t know what?” Reena asks with fear in her eyes, dreading what comes next. Rhea closes her eyes and lets out a shaky sigh. She opens her mouth to speak, but words don’t come out. Like no phlegm coming out of a dry, itchy cough. “Tell me what you are trying to tell.” Reena asks impatiently and fearfully. Rhea goes over to the desk and picks up the mirror from it and then she brings the mirror close to Rhea’s face. Rhea recoils in horror. A grotesque, deformed face stares back at Reena. Reena brings her wrinkled, bony hand to her ridged, gaunt face: her cheeks sunken, her brows exposed, her skin rough like that of a rhino’s. Her fingers coming away swollen and bruised as if they rubbed against sandpaper. “Who am I?” Rhea asks, her whispery voice barely audible. No response. “Tell me what am I?” Reena asks loudly. Rhea shudders as if there is chill in the hot air. “You are dead. You died in a bus accident.” Reena’s face crumples like a soft,yellowed paper turning into a mush. “No it can’t be.” She says bursting into tears. “I am sorry but it’s true.” Rhea says with a tinge of apology in her voice. “But how can I feel so tired if I am dead?” Reena asks. “Maybe you need deep rest. And you must go back to where you’ve come from.” Rhea says calmly. “But I don’t know where I’ve come from. I don’t really remember.” Reena says, her eyes burning as she rubs at them with both her hands. “All I know is that you don’t belong here. It’s the land of the living.” “Can I stay here for one night? I am feeling so tired.” “No you can’t!” Rhea says sternly. “Just one night.” Reena begs to her sister. “No you can’t.” “Please for one night.” Rhea in response brings the mirror right in front of Reena’s face. Reena steps back in horror, dreading her own image. Rhea looks at her sister defiantly, still holding the mirror upright like a chain of garlic for the cold blooded vampire. Reena steals a glance at herself in the mirror. This time she does not recoil; she looks at herself tenderly and then looks over at her sister.”Everything comes down to looks huh?”