A girl like me

30.

Anamika pov

"Mom.. Anirudh and Sid are leaving after two hours, would you mind coming to see them off?"

"I'm busy with a meeting."

"You would never approve us, would you?"

"Anamika Srivastava, you are a disgrace." She hung up the call.

I remembered one day while I was drawing in a file. The phone of my father's showed some notifications despite being the obedient daughter I always tried to be, I sneakily opened the phone. In a snap of minutes it proved how my dad is persuing some blonde even after being committed to his so called marriage for thirteen years.

I sobbed knowing how my mom is betrayed. My trembling legs moved towards her. "Anamika why are you not studying don't you know you have to score the best in your class?"

"Mom.." tears started flowing down my cheeks. I'm well aware she told me not to cry. "How could you cry!" She shouted and that little 11 year old me flinched.

"Dad.. he's cheating on you!" The words were heavier to come out of my mouth. I looked up just to see an expressionless cold mother of mine. "Don't you love him?" I shouted and cried sitting on the floor. She slapped me and I looked her in shock "This is the last time you are crying for a man!"

"How can you be so cold!" I shouted at her disappearing figure.
"Anamika Shrivastava, you are a disgrace!" She went out of the room.

I woke up and wiped my own tears. Throwing the painting I made of my perfect family in dustbin I knew that incident was the starting of being that cold person.

"I won't cry anymore mother." An eleven year old promised to herself.

I noticed Anirudh frowning in his sleep. I came back into reality. "Wake up, you have to go!" I shook his half naked body. "Five more minutes." He yawned. 

He sneaked at my face from the blanket. "Would you miss me?" His pout made me chuckle. I went closer to him and kissed his forehead. He took me into a hug and I embraced it.

Sid and Anirudh got ready with their bags I packed for them. Somya was hugging Sid before leaving.

"Totally forgot your own brother!" Anirudh hugged her too looking at my unexplainable face standing behind folding my hands.

He stepped near me. I know how we are not going to be in contact for 6 months. "Anamika... Take care of yourself." I nodded plainly. "Is there something bothering you." He tucked a strand of hair behind my ears.

My life is bothering me Anirudh! How could I tell you, I'm so used to being alone that I really never knew what is it to feel loved by anyone! You made me fall for you but never warned me how bad I would fall that I would forget how my mother trained me into this cold woman!

"No." I lied at his face and he just slowly pecked my forehead. "I know you will wait for me." His smiled gave me a comfort in my eyes.

I noticed their disappearing figure as they walked inside the train.

Anirudh pov

She never tells and I never ask. This lady whom I love is like an ocean, what goes inside her head could only be known by her but no one else. She gets hurts over things I don't even know and gets out of it on her own.

Being in love with her taught me a lot of things. When I met her in those previous day's we always got into a fight. It was because I wanted to change her lifestyle and wanted to take all her pains. Now we have been together for this long, I know my woman is capable of fighting all the storms. I just have to wait for her and be there.

Even though I am her soulmate but there's nothing I could do to fight her battles.

A friendly hand gently patted my shoulder. "Being a lover of Anamika comes with a lot. She's quite hard to love." It was Sid who else could it be.

I looked out from the window, she was standing below the Rising sun. "But it's worth it, Sid."

Anamika pov

We were at home now, just me and Som. I opened the messages from my father, all these years he's been texting me but today I decided to meet him.

"Do you want breakfast?" Little girl, Somya came with breakfast in her hand. I took a bite. "Som.. from today you won't cook in place of Sid. I would learn ok?"

She hugged me tightly. "You are like the elder sister I never had." She pecked my cheeks and I laughed. "Som, today's your holiday right? I have to go somewhere so don't open the door for anyone till I'm back." I ruffled her hair hearing her sweet giggles.

I settled inside the car and started it taking a long breath.

The figure of my father, how could I forget. Tall and athletic, even today he's just the same.

We sat inside the resturant, silent and cold unlike a normal pair of father and daughter. "You have grown too much." He breaks the silence just to see a smile of mine in response.

"I've texted you for all these years and you never saw them, just why suddenly today?" His face had a shock still trying to believe that me, his daughter is sitting in front of him.

"Just wanted to see how you're doing." I took a sip being as calm as I could. "I know we were not good parents but-"

"It doesn't matter... Anymore." I smiled at him and he's still trying to believe how could I smile after all those traumas he gave me.

"Your mother, she was hard to love. I could never get her out of that zone. She was cold. I was tired of loving her Anamika." His explainations were something my mother questions in every man! She always thinks that one day a man would get tired of me too.

"I don't have to do anything with your personal relationship... Dad." I cleared my throat and gave him the most formal response possible.

"I.. I understand." He looked down wiping his forehead sweat, might be thinking that how this powerful lady turns out to be his own blood.

"Have you got married?"
"No. I have a lover." I smiled again.
"Congratulations."
"Thankyou, I think I should take a leave now." I stood up and so did he.

"Anamika, I feel proud to see you." He, who once called me a piece of trash, stammered.

I walked away with no feelings inside me. All this time I've avoided meeting my family members, now if met them without being hurt I know I have healed.

You can't loose your blood relations if they are toxic they say but I believe to loose them specially if they are toxic and specially if they are blood relatives.

I stopped and turned "Dad, I hope you would attend our wedding. I want to show you an example of a man who won't get tired of loving a girl like me." I smiled and walked away.

Back to home, I found Somya reading a book. "What are you reading huh!" I rushed back to her. "Oceans.." her eyes glittered.

"Anamika I wonder..." She looked at me. "How did you chose to be so caring like a mother even when.." she paused.

"Even when I never got love from my parents?" This time I smiled talking about my parents.

She nodded. I made her lay down on my lap caressing her hair. "We are not what are situations make us, we are who we decide to be." Words of mine struck her head and she beamed a beautiful smile at me.

I looked at the picture of the four of us kept on the table. I hope we stay like this. Somya fell asleep on my lap, I covered her with a blanket and held the book to read it.