Strike a balance

Chapter 3: Safe place pt2 (Sneha's Pov)

" She is so mean to everyone, look at her. apart from studies does she understand anything?.She is ugly ." Sana clearly hated me. "You shut down your damn mouth, i had enough. i do not want to be your friend. who becomes friend with stupid people" I shouted at Sana. " You are pretty dumb and ugly" Ruby called me ugly again. I could clearly see, they did not want to my friend, nor did i. I was not understanding anything what was happening. "Enough" Zain shouted. His ocean blue eyes turned red in a moment. No one in his group dared to speak, everyone was kinda scared of him. "I just thought it would be great if we made sneha our friend, yes she is a bit different but it would be amazing to make new friend. but sneha and you guys fight not only in the class but here also" everyone became quite . "You shut up now, who told you to come here and i did not say i want to become friends with stupid people" I was about to cry again cause of the words they told me, their words were bitter it gave pain in my heart.

I just left that place. These people are so bad...i thought. All saying bad words to me except for Zayn. He was different . Now I can't go home or to that riverside. I was feeling so helpless . I had to go home. When i entered again dad and mom keep shouting at me as why i came second in class..... i did not dare to make any eye contact just went running to my room and i was sobbing. I didn't understand why do grades matter so much ? If i get full marks, my family says to to better next time.....if i get 1 mark less than any other person, i am almost finished that day.

While laying down on my bed i thought of my parents and Zain friend group what people want I don't know and can't understand well. While thinking i went to deep sleep. I was really hurt by all of their behaviour.  I didn't go to school for 2 days,couldn't eat anything properly. The words of my parents were really brutal i had digested those words enough, i had no mood to eat anything. I looked like a ghost in my own house. My family member were really worried about me, yeah mum and dad scolds me much they were worried as i was not eating anything and skipped school.

Mom tried to talk to me, I didn't utter a word. I was really stubborn and i had my share of pride too. I was not gonna talk to them after so getting so much embarrassment.

Suddenly the bell rang. My dad opened the door and he looked puzzled for 5 mins straight, yeah I was counting the time  because I didn't see my dad so shocked in my 8 years of living in this planet. "Hello sir......" Zain greeted my dad. " Hello dear, do i know you guys?"  My dad was so puzzled, i could clearly see he was in so much shock.

"We are Sneha's friend, she didn't come to school for a few days we decided to visit her" Saif told my dad. "My daughter has friends........." dad shock didn't end until " yeah she has friends, now can we come in sir?" Zain spoke confidently. "Yes come in my dear children"
Yeah you could guess not only Zain came but he bought everyone in his group. I was sitting in the dinning table not knowing how to respond. None of my friends ever visited my house, cause i had no friends. Seeing people in my own house made me feel a bit uneasy. Sana came running towards me and hugged me " Sorry Sneha i called you by bad names will you forgive me ?"
Saif,Ruby and Ilma came running and said the same things. They bought gift for me. I was so confused......., "Its okay i am sorry to, I should not have said such things too".
"Yayyyyyy,so are we friends now?" Sana looked at me with those hopeful eyes. I finally smiles after 2 days. "Yes" i said.

It seemed dramatic right ? This is what happened that day. I didn't imagine the people i hated so much yesterday was my friends today. And yes nothing seemed to be artificial. I could feel it they were actually apologising to me from their heart. My parents just stood there being hapyyyy for me.

Mom arranged dinner for my friends. "So kids, how did you find our home address?"
"I asked my dad he told me" Zain replied. "Who is your dad son?" My mother was really curious. "Bilal Ahmed, you must know him." " oh my Bilal bhai, how is he it's been so long since I didn't saw him,sneha zain's dad and your dad were best friends since school, but Bilal bhai is so busy these days he doesn't have time" Dad was in his room when he heard the name Bilal he came running.

"You are my Bilal's son" My dad's became full with tears he hugged zain. " how is he, I didn't see him for years?" "Uncle, dad is in abroad he seems to do well, he didn't came to visit in this 8 years" "what ?" My dad was more puzzled. After zain's mother dead he left zain with his dadi***,and went to middle east to work.When zain mother's died giving birth to him, his father was devastated he loved him mom alot
and blamed it on zain, So he left him and went. He visited one time in these 8 years when zain was 3 years old.

We all were eating and there was silence all around when told told him about his father. His father is a very talented businessman. The day Bilal lost his wife everything shattered, he left without saying anything and from them he has no contact with anyone not even my Dad. My dad was extremely hurt by his action.

"I am sure your Dad is really proud of you" my dad couldn't finish his sentence , Zain  instantly replied " No my dad is never proud of me, he calls me his bad luck each time we talk he says the same thing, i got to know from my grandma that you and my dad were good friends, so i asked him,he told me your address, we recently moved here so my grandma couldn't pay a visit." Zain was brutally honest.

I was just speechless 😶. He was so honest, didn't hesitate to say anything. "Do you love your dad" my mom asked. Zain did not say a word. "Mummy, can you pass chicken to Sana" I changed the whole topic. Our dinning table was really lively that day.

My brothers was out . We enjoyed the company of my new friends. " You know few days back, when we had a fight Zain was really upset and we all were upset too. We went to Zain's grandma told her everything she is a really cool person, she told us that you are our friend we should not fight so we came today" Saif emplaning the whole situation.

"I am sorry to, i should not have said bad words" " Hey its alright we are sorry to, i know Sneha never says sorry, you are saying sorry to us, it means that you consider us as your friends" Zain said. After finishing the lunch we all went outside to play near the park.

While others was playing i saw Zain sitting near the river side crying. I went to them. " 10 teardrop" i said. He looked at me and smiled. "Are you going to fight again,now?" "No i won't,why are you crying tell me otherwise i will"

"I miss my mom" He replied. I couldn't understand how to comfort him. "Umm it's good you don't have a mom you know my mom always scolds me" I shouldn't say those to him at that moment, he smiled nevertheless. I couldn't arrange my words properly and couldn't say the things he needed to hear. But he always understands me nevertheless whatever i say.
" yeah you are right". Out of curiosity i asked Zain "do you love your dad?" He instantly replied, "No, I don't love him, don't tell anyone it's a secret between us" "yes i won't promise"

Then we started to run and played with others. We played seesaw,hide seek etc etc.From that day own Zain,Saif,Ruby,Sana and Ima became my safe place. Whenever i had anything in my mind we would always share with each other hesitantly. I would always tell so many things, They patiently listen. Among 6 of us, Zain didn't told his problem the least. He shared everything with me instead, though i would say gibberish he didn't mind.......anyways these 5 people were my safe place 😌.