Draped for the Devil

Draped for the Devil - 5

As the function came to an end, Ananya returned to the hostel with a food packet in her hand. The campus had grown quieter, and the last of the crowd had begun to disappear into the night.

When she stepped into the room, she saw Zara sitting on her bed—legs pulled to her chest, arms wrapped tightly around them, her chin resting on her knees. She looked lost in thought, as if the world outside no longer existed.

Ananya walked over, her voice soft with concern.

“Zara… are you okay? You haven’t looked alright since you came down from the stage. What happened?”

Zara didn’t answer. Her eyes slowly lifted toward Ananya, but she said nothing.

Ananya frowned, her tone turning a little more firm.

“Zara Iqbal, I’m asking you something.”

Zara looked away for a second. Then, in a quiet, shaken voice, she finally spoke.

“He… the chief guest. Sir, who handed me the award… he said I’m looking too beautiful.”

Ananya’s expression froze.

“What?” she asked, not sure she’d heard right.

Zara’s grip on her knees tightened.

“He didn’t say it like a compliment,” she whispered. “It didn’t feel normal. It felt like something else. Like a warning… or a message. And the way he looked at me… I can’t explain it. It just… scared me.”

Ananya sat down beside her—slowly this time. The teasing tone she usually carried was gone.

She looked at Zara carefully.

And in that moment, she understood.

Zara wasn’t overthinking.

She was truly disturbed.

Something had happened in that moment on stage—something that had shaken her in a way words couldn’t fully explain.

Ananya reached out and gently touched her arm.

“Zara… I’m here, okay? Just tell me everything.”

Zara’s voice trembled as she spoke again, her words rushed, uneven.

“I don’t know... I don’t know, Ananya...” she whispered, her breathing shallow. “The way he said it... the way his eyes looked at me... I’m scared, Ananya. I don’t know what’s happening.”

Her voice cracked as she clutched her knees tighter, her shoulders trembling slightly.

“And even when I left the event… I checked again. I looked back to see if I was imagining it. If maybe it was all in my head.” She paused, her eyes wide with fear. “But it wasn’t. It was clear.”

She turned toward Ananya, her voice lowering to a trembling whisper.

“He was looking at me.”

Then, slowly, she reached out and took Ananya’s hand—like a child searching for something solid to hold onto in the middle of a storm.

“And you know…” she said, barely able to finish the sentence, “he said something to the man beside him. He looked right at me... and said something.”

Zara’s eyes welled with tears—not just from fear, but from something deeper. A feeling she couldn’t name. Something she didn’t ask for… but now couldn’t escape.

“I didn’t hear the words,” she added. “But I know it was about me.”

Ananya stared at her in stunned silence, the weight of Zara’s fear sinking in fully now.

There was no overthinking this. No exaggeration.

Zara was truly afraid.

And something about this man—this stranger, this powerful guest—had stepped into her life without permission…

And shaken the ground beneath her.

Ananya didn’t speak for a moment. She simply looked at Zara, really looked at her—at the fear trembling in her eyes, at the way her voice had broken like something inside her had cracked.

Without another word, Ananya reached forward and cupped Zara’s face gently in her hands.

“Zara… it’s okay,” she said softly, her thumbs brushing away the tears before they could fall. “I’m here now. Don’t worry. You’re not alone.”

Zara closed her eyes for a second, leaning into the touch like she needed to borrow strength from her friend.

“I believe you,” Ananya continued, her voice warm and steady. “If you felt something wasn’t right... then maybe it wasn’t. But maybe—just maybe—he was just admiring you. You did look really beautiful up there.”

Zara opened her eyes slowly, the fear still lingering.

“I know you’re scared,” Ananya added, “but don’t let your mind spiral. He’s already gone, right? He left. And you’re safe now. We have all the faculty, the principal, the entire management team around us. Nothing can happen without someone knowing.”

She gave Zara’s hands a small squeeze, firm and reassuring.

“So don’t keep scaring yourself more than needed,” she whispered. “I’m with you. Always.”

Zara nodded slowly, the tight knot in her chest loosening just a little.

But in some corner of her heart… that look in his eyes still lingered.

And no matter how many times she told herself she was safe—

Something didn’t feel over.

Not yet.

Ananya didn’t leave her side.

She brought over the dinner she had packed from the event and sat beside Zara, gently coaxing her to eat.

At first, Zara shook her head in refusal, but Ananya didn’t give up. She tore a small piece of roti, dipped it in the curry, and held it out.

“Just one bite,” she said softly. “For me.”

Zara hesitated... then finally opened her mouth. Slowly, quietly, Ananya continued to feed her, bite by bite, like a mother calming a frightened child.

When the plate was empty, Ananya set it aside and climbed into bed beside her, pulling the blanket over them both.

She wrapped an arm around Zara’s shoulder, her presence warm and steady.

Then she began to talk—softly, like a lullaby. About the event. About the silly skits the juniors had performed, about the cultural dances, the offbeat songs, the principal’s outdated speech. She mimicked a few expressions, exaggerated her voice, and even imitated the boy who forgot his lines during the drama.

Zara let out a small laugh, a real one, for the first time that night.

Ananya smiled, tightening her arm around her.

“That’s better,” she whispered. “You’re safe here. I promise.”

Zara didn’t reply, but she felt it—that warmth. That comfort. That small corner of peace Ananya had created around her like a shield.

And slowly… her eyes fluttered shut.

Ananya stayed awake a little longer, watching her, making sure her friend finally fell asleep.

Only when Zara’s breathing grew soft and even did Ananya close her own eyes, still holding her gently—like she could keep the nightmares away, just by being there.

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