Only Yours

Chapter II

The sun was rising, bidding farewell to the night and spilling softer shades of vermilion in the dark sky. giving birth to a new day. The day people wished dawn never came. The day that would possibly put an end to our existence or would let us live in prolonged suppression.

If mankind had lived alone with no bonds or people to love, death would not have pained them so much: but with the burden of a family on your shoulders, death is the farthest future you could dream of. 

"Love is such that it does not allow you to live, nor does it allow you to die."

*____________________*

We were having breakfast when there was a harsh knock on the door.

We could hear the coarse voice of the person tear through the door that separated us from the world outside. But a piece of wood wasn't a big deal for such sort of people, was it?

Father looked our way and assured us that everything would be fine. As soon as he opened the door, it took no longer that they barged in. There were two men raging towards us like bulls; they looked scary and were yelling in Latin, the language spoken by Romans. I had no idea as to what they said, fear crept through me and I held onto my brother's arm. He immediately put his hand where my hand was as he looked at me.

The glance of comfort and security my brother gave me was broken as the guards pushed me and my brother, not before groping the length of my back. I felt as though I had been defiled and discomfort grew within me. 

I pulled my brother close to me and asked him to stay with me as we were walking out of the house, down the streets. 

We were not the only ones walking down the streets, forced out of houses; there were many people. I could hear children cry and men trying to calm their families. We were driven now and again and directed to walk fast. My eyes had begun to surface tears. Silent tears. Tears of...fear and defeat. 

It had not taken long before we reached the town entrance and before us, there was the sight of people being tortured. My body recoiled at the view before me, wanting to run yet having no area to run. People were segregated into men and women as they stood on either side. I looked at my mother and father who were processing the situation just to be helpless. Father called brother and me close to him and said to us, ' Do not worry! Just do not give them any reason to hurt you and listen to what they say. Everything shall be fine!' He pulled me close to him and rested his chin on my crown. As I raised my face to look at my father, my brother came closer holding mother by his, who looked at us in tears as we had our unknowingly last embrace.

Abruptly a guard came and pushed us apart along with his yells in a language I had not known. Father and brother were taken to the side where men had collected whereas I was taken away from mother to where young girls of my age stood. Being pulled away from my family and made to stand alone with no hand to hold onto rose inquietude within me. Standing alone in an unknown precinct had never provided me succour. I gripped my hands together to the front of my body as I sought for my family within the crowds. 

Unable to see my family in the midst of all the faces, my eyes streamed through the place in fine when I heard a lady scream, 'Leave my daughter! Leave her alone. please!'

I looked to where she stood. She was held by her face by a guard with her body pressed against his. The guard was showing no justice to her body and he said something inaudible in her ears to which reflected an appalling appearance. 

'No! God curse you! You shall not do that! Leave my daughter alone!' She cried. Her face was panic-stricken as she cried for her daughter who stood before her, in the hands of another guard. Her daughter was a child, probably 9-10 years of age, she was crying too, pained to have lived this day.