My Roommate is a Ghost… and She Won’t Pay Rent! - Almost - Part 9
It started becoming dangerous.
Not horror-movie dangerous.
Emotion dangerous.
Far worse.
Raghav now did things automatically.
He bought extra snacks.
Moved aside on the sofa.
Left space beside him.
For a ghost.
Even worse…
it felt normal.
One evening…
Rain poured outside.
Thunder shook the windows.
Electricity gone.
Entire apartment dark.
Raghav lit a candle.
Meera appeared beside it instantly.
“Ooo,” she whispered.
“Mood lighting.”
“It’s a power cut.”
“Romance doesn’t care about electricity.”
Raghav rolled his eyes.
“You make everything dramatic.”
“You make everything emotionally constipated.”
Thunder boomed loudly.
Raghav flinched slightly.
Meera noticed immediately.
“…Are you scared?”
“No.”
Another thunder strike.
He moved closer accidentally.
Meera smiled slowly.
“Interesting.”
“I’m not scared.”
“You almost climbed into my soul.”
Raghav looked away.
“It was reflex.”
“Cute reflex.”
Rain continued.
Soft now.
The whole apartment quiet.
Peaceful.
For once.
Meera sat near the window.
Watching the rain.
Raghav sat beside her.
Closer than usual.
Neither mentioned it.
“You know,” she said softly,
“I used to love rain.”
“Used to?”
She smiled faintly.
“…Ghosts don’t really feel weather properly.”
Raghav looked at her.
Something inside him tightened.
“So you just… watch now?”
“Mostly.”
Silence.
Not empty.
Heavy.
Then suddenly—
“I miss pakoras,” she said seriously.
Raghav blinked.
“What?”
“I said emotional thing. Now balance with snacks.”
Raghav laughed quietly.
“There she is.”
He stood up.
Went to kitchen.
A few minutes later…
returned with burnt pakoras.
Very burnt.
Historically burnt.
Meera stared.
“…Did you cook these or fight them?”
“I tried.”
“These look cremated.”
Raghav grinned slightly.
“Ghost joke?”
“I’m evolving.”
She took one bite.
Paused dramatically.
“Oh wow.”
“What?”
“I can die again from this.”
Raghav laughed loudly.
And Meera just watched him.
Smiling softly.
Too softly.
“What?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
“You’re staring.”
“You laugh differently now.”
Raghav looked away.
“…Maybe because of you.”
Silence.
Immediate silence.
Both froze.
Brain stopped.
Weather paused emotionally.
Meera blinked slowly.
“…Excuse me?”
“I meant—”
“No no. Continue. The court is listening.”
Raghav panicked instantly.
“I meant the situation! The environment! Oxygen!”
“Oxygen again,” she whispered proudly.
“Classic Raghav.”
He groaned.
“I hate talking.”
“I love when you panic.”
Another thunder strike.
This time…
Meera moved slightly closer too.
Their shoulders almost touched.
Almost.
Raghav looked at her.
She looked back.
No jokes.
No sarcasm.
Just that stupid quiet feeling growing again.
And then—
The candle went out.
Complete darkness.
Raghav felt something cold hold his hand.
Softly.
Carefully.
His breath stopped.
“Meera…?”
Silence.
Then her voice came quietly from the dark:
“…I forgot what it feels like to not be lonely.”
Raghav’s heart did something extremely unnecessary.
Slowly…
very slowly…
he held her hand back.
Or tried to.
Ghost physics were confusing.
Meera laughed softly.
“You’re trying very hard.”
“Shut up.”
“Never.”
And for one tiny moment…
everything felt strangely perfect.
Then lightning flashed.
Raghav screamed.
Because Meera’s face was two inches away.
“WHY ARE YOU SO CLOSE?!”
“I WAS HAVING A MOMENT!”
“You look terrifying in lightning!”
“That’s racist against ghosts!”
The moment broke instantly.
Destroyed beautifully.
Classic them.
But later that night…
while pretending to sleep…
Raghav realized something terrifying.
This was no longer “almost.”
He was already gone.
Completely.
Hopelessly.
In love.
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