The Addiction of Love

V

Since Zara had a restless night, she was not able to wake up on time the next morning. She knew Shayaan wouldn't allow her to sit in his lecture, so she decided to skip it.

She got dressed in a pair of light blue jeans, with a plain black top with spaghetti straps. She finished the look with a yellow and grey scarf.

There was some time left before the second lecture started, so she went to the garden in front of the college building. The weather was slightly cold and breezy. She was strolling when her eyes fell on a girl sitting below a tree. It was Sandy. As Zara neared her, she noticed that she was crying.

Zara knew that it was probably none of her business and that she should just walk away. But her heart didn't agree to it. So she padded towards her.

"Sandy?"

Sandy's head snapped towards her and she hastily wiped her tears. She looked down trying to hide her red eyes from Zara. "What are you doing here?"

"Are you okay?" Zara asked.

"I'm fine." She was now trying to fix her hair.

"You don't look like you're fine." Zara commented.

"It's none of your business, damn it." Sandy looked up in fury and said in a harsh tone. Her eyes were still filled with tears.

Zara took off her sandals and sat in front of her.

"What are you doing? Just leave." Sandy was still angry.

"I'm not leaving you alone in this state." Zara said.

A frustrated growl left Sandy's mouth. "Who the hell do you think you are? My mother?"

"No, I'm just a girl who is trying to support another girl in her moment of weakness."

Sandy heard that and a tear escaped her eyes.

"Why are you trying to help me? We're enemies. Shouldn't you be happy to see me crying?" Sandy asked helplessly.

Zara shifted a bit closer to her and held her hands. "Sandy, I've never thought of you as my enemy. Maybe just a girl with whom I've loved fighting." She winked and Sandy let out a chuckle.

Zara wiped her tears and asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Sandy stayed silent for a while before opening her mouth. "My parents are very rich. They've given me every luxury that money could buy, but what they never gave me was their time, love and support. I've an older brother who has been a prodigy in school and college. And that is why I was always expected to match up to his level. Be it studies or sports, my parents always compare me to him. I thought that maybe if I score well, my parents will show affection to me. But I was wrong. Every time I used to come first in my school, instead of a warm hug and kisses, they just used to buy me some expensive gifts.

"From a very young age, I was taught that I've to be perfect at everything: studies, sports, beauty. And if I fail at something, they just taunt me about how I am a shame on the family name." Sandy was crying hysterically by this time, while Zara was horrified listening to all this. She couldn't imagine that someone could treat their own child in such a heartless way.

Zara enveloped Sandy's crying self in a hug and rubbed her back to calm her down.

"You know, this was the reason why I always used to be mean to you. Because I always came second to you, and then mom and dad used to call me useless and stupid. I know my feeling for you was irrational, still I couldn't help but feel immense hate for you when they used to scold me." She spoke while crying and hugging her back.