As the sunlight-absent morning progressed, Syafa found herself replaying with increasing clarity the nightmarish scenes she had dreamt. True, she felt better but it had remained a thorn inside. She wondered about the nightmare's origin and how much of it was her growing anxieties due to their continued incarceration at God knows where.
"Coffee, my dear?"
Sivanathan's question startled her. He was the odd one out and nobody seemed to know why he was cooped up with them inside the containment cell.
She guessed correctly the young man was from the security services and around her age. She had asked if he knew why he was there only to receive a shrug from the bald man built like a boxer and sporting a nicely trimmed beard.
"I just know I'm glad to be here," he had told her during their first chat. Yeah, he was a real charmer. Syafa noticed too how Bernice had opted to stay away from Sivanathan, and him, her.
"Thanks, Siva. I think I better get a meal first before taking my first dose of caffeine. Join me? I can have one sunny side up for you," she said, and not waiting for an answer, hollered: "Uncle Mohir, we're having fried eggs. You want one?"
"Yes, please," was the answer she and Sivanathan heard, followed by a polite, "I'd loved one, too, if it's no problem".
Bernice… That's a surprise.
Syafa waited to hear another to respond but none came from Saari, who was donning his shirt as though expecting to be let out of the place that very day. She tossed aside thoughts of his strange aloofness and switched on the hotplate in the pantry of their temporary residence.
"Right. Four sunny side up coming," she said.
Sivanathan poured coffee into three additional mugs, as the whole bunker woke up to the combined savory aroma of coffee and eggs.
"Why is everyone so bloody cheerful?"
The sudden retort shocked Syafa and she could see the rest were surprised as well. Eyes blazing, she turned around, ready to trade angry words against an inconsiderate so intent on adding further negativity to an already grave situation they were in. Her eyes locked into Saari, looking spiteful.
"We could be here for a long time, and you are treating this like a summer camp. For once in your life, why can't you act like an adult, Syafa!" he hollered.
"We ARE all grown-ups. Why don' you be the leader that you are supposed to be? Getting us out of here, for instance. Instead, here you are, moping around like the rest of us."
"Ooooh… Looks who talking. Miss bullshit congeniality Syafa goddamn Ainur. Talking about responsibilities as if she knows the meaning of the word!"
"Come one, Ari. That was uncalled for. She's only trying to …" chipped in Mohir, sitting on his bed, one hand scratching his back.
"Trying to what, old man? Perk your libido? Huh? You've got the hots on her too, is it? How long has it been that you've been able to get it up?"
Almost without thinking, Syafa threw the eggs she held at Saari. Stunned at her reaction as the missiles smacked against the chin of the man she thought she was in love with. Unable to hold back her forming grin as the whites and yolk ran down Saari's crumpled shirt.
"You bitch!"
She saw him lunging towards her, hands raised high. Suddenly between them was Sivanathan.
"Calm yourself Doctor."
Silence followed as the two men stared at each other. Subconsciously, Syafa slipped behind the younger man as Saari glared at the duo, his face flushed. She saw in his eyes rage and hatred.
"Bullshit!!"
She remained behind Sivanathan as Saari backed away from them, made his way to the bathroom and upon exiting, went straight to his bed. She watched him as he laid still, staring at nothing above him.
The whole bunker had gone silent.
I get it we're all stressed out, but what's that about? Why is he so mad at me?
Syafa just couldn't deny the hatred she saw in his eyes. And recalling the viciousness of the version in her nightmare.
Is this a point of no return for me with this man I thought I knew?
****
As he lay in bed, Saari tried his best to calm himself down but there was a loud buzzing in his mind clouding his perceptions. He kept hearing his teams chattering, most times too loud, too annoying. And none more so than the very woman he once adored.
For the past few days they were locked in together, Saari saw her moving from men to men, toying with Mohir, getting friendly with the beefy Sivanathan and even playing coy with Rahman, who had slept through the whole morning spat.
bitch is flirting with everyone to spite you
In his mind, Saari played back scenes where he saw her touching Sivanathan. Fingers feeling the muscles in the young man's arms, caressing his chest, rubbing his thighs when they should be on him. Him. Saari knew she was playing with his emotions by flirting with the others, and that goaded him into a building rage ready to explode.
Why is she doing this?
He was positive she was doing it on purpose. Manipulating their feelings of the men within the bunker they had been confined in for God how many days at ends. Perturbed to find it was only him who seemed able to see the devilish scheme she was hatching. Pitting all of them against him. His friends.
not Siva he can join the bitch in hell bet you can hasten their journey there
The thought cheered him. As did the sudden focus on sweet, masculine, Bernice. Saari stared at the ceiling and saw her in his minds' eye. Then undressing his colleague to reveal fair skin glowing hot white in his mind. And in the background, hearing the buzzing that got stronger, hammering lusty thoughts again and again.