AISHA: The Cursed Name

Chapter 38 Rishab Mahavanshi

Rishab Mahavanshi

'Since he is gone, I've not had any orders from my soul. It has been quiet and peaceful since then. I don't know what, but something seems missing. There is an emptiness. And, this emptiness feels nice. But, something seems, empty. I don't know!'

Everyone was back to school. There was life, laughter, fun, fights, romance and drama echoing through all the corridors. Aisha was sitting in her room, waiting for her friends to come since she was a little taken aback after the holidays.

"I knew that you will keep sitting here!"

The door was open and Swara walked in complaining. There was a gorgeous smile on her face and she looked fresh and more beautiful than earlier. Aisha jumped out of her bed and threw her hands around her saying,
"I missed you so much!"

Swara replied the same way, hugging her tightly. After a moment she pulled away and looked at her face and said,
"You...look... More bony but fine. You are still pretty and have maintained your health, no you haven't. I'll feed you like a mother now and help you gain a bit. And... Then we have a lot of time to talk to each other so you can tell me everything you did during the holidays."

Aisha nodded her head and looked past her towards the door.
"They all will come, don't worry."

Swara sat beside Aisha giving her a faint hope. She took her hands in hers and said,
"Hey! Look at me. Why are you so lost?"

Aisha raised her head and looked into the black eyes of Swara, her huge lashes mingling with the light winds. Her pink lips were adorned by a calm smile and her cold hands held onto the warm and shaky hands of Aisha, giving her extreme relief.
"I'm just a little insecure. Everyone is back and...(in a low voice) and Siddharth is not here, will it work?"

"What did you say? Siddharth? When did you start wondering about him? And how does it even matter if he is here or not? Forget him, talk to me."

All of a sudden, there was a quick transfer of cold relief throughout her body and she smiled. The poison had worked, Swara had no interest in knowing or even talking about Siddharth. Aisha smiled and quickly covered up,
"Oh! Yeah, sorry. How were your holidays? Though you mentioned it in the letter, and I'm sorry I couldn't reply, I was stuck on something. I'll tell you later. But, I would like to hear everything from you."

"That's my girl! I'll tell you everything but not today, tomorrow, today I'm too tired to talk, see, I'm speaking so less."

And the two burst into laughter when the door was knocked and there stood Bani, Ishita and Namrata. There was an awkward silence among them and a conflict visible in their eyes. But soon, they walked in and hugged Aisha like a lost sister they found after ages.
"I missed you guys so much!"

Aisha had her eyes swelled with tears and they all shed the old disputes and insecurities with the sour water slipping down the edges of their eyes.

The night darkened, and everyone left the room, leaving Bani and Aisha together. Bani latched the door and sat on the bed with Aisha and said,
"I met your father. He visited us. He was worried that you haven't talked to him for a long time and he couldn't even trace your magic here. This is possibly correct cause you have none. However, he is still blinded by the lies you have told him. He is unknown of all the mishappenings here and your condition. Poor man believes that you are happy, safe and in power like us all. Little does he knows the cruel reality you have hidden all this time.

It was hard for me to keep him bound in the ties of lies you have chained him in. It was hard for me to keep your condition out of his knowledge. And it was hard for me to lie to a father who loves his daughter so much even if she is not his own. But... I did! I lied to him, in every sentence, in every breath and nodded my head even if it was wrong. I kept on lying to him, for you."