Greentext · 2 minEarplugs

>be me

>final year engineering student

>college hostel in Warangal

>Tell me about it

>AC works like an oven fan

>Roommate named Rohan is the issue

>Rohan snores like a diesel engine starting up

>I try to sleep

>Woke up at 4 AM sweating

>Coughing out dry throat dust

>Look across the bunk bed

>Rohan has one ear open

>Mouth wide in dreamland

>Panic mode activated

>Scrub my pillow for foam

>Find nothing but lint and sweat stains

>Remember my trusty earplugs from the campus pharmacy

>They were soft, beige, and felt like heaven

>Dive into the pile of clothes near my feet

>Reach deep into the cotton jacket pocket

>Fingers brush against smooth plastic tube

>Heart skip a beat

>Pull out the earplugs

>Squeeze them gently

>They feel real again

>Toss them back into the pocket with reverence

>Climb back into bed carefully

>Close eyes tight

>Listen to Rohan's rhythmic snoring

>Try to synchronize breathing with his

>Minutes pass in thick silence

>Suddenly a rustle from below

>Rohan shifts position with a grunt

>Falls silent instantly as if deflated

>Stare at ceiling tiles peeling off

>Feel the familiar heaviness of exhaustion

>Reach for earplugs again before sleep takes me

>Pocket feels empty

>Touch the fabric lining my hand

>Cold air seeps through thin cotton

>Look down at the beige tube lying on the floor

>Half crushed under my own shoe

>Gasp loudly without waking up

>Slide it back into pocket slowly

>Pat down the fabric gently

>Whisper thank you to myself

>Drift off finally after forty minutes

>Wake up suddenly with a jolt

>Rohan is gone from bed

>Empty space where his bunk used to be

>Folded blanket on floor in neat square

>Note attached to the corner of pillowcase

>Read note aloud in trembling voice

>"Sorry about tonight, I'll fix it"

>Sign says nothing but initials R.K.

>Look around messy room one last time

>See another pair of earplugs dangling from Rohan's neck

>He was wearing them while snoring loudly all night

>Stare at his throat moving silently now

>Realize he thought I needed the protection most

>Sleep comes easy this time

>Dreams of foam floating like clouds