AAHARA

MEANING.

"Naani what's a claim?" Little 9 year old Aahara asked her Naani, who was reading the newspaper. The woman gasped, putting the paper down and pulling her granddaughter infront of her, she held her hands while Aahara looked at her with her big doe eyes. Diya was angry at her Baby but one look from her eyes made all her anger evaporate. My Baby is growing up.

She sighed taking Aahara's hands and bringing her to the backgarden where they sat down to watch the sunset together. Diya was thinking of the best way to tell her everything, she wanted Aahara to stay away from these things but she knew being uneducated is far better than being unaware in their world.

She knew Aahara was curious about a lot of things days, the questions she always dreaded were being thrown at her, no matter what she did, she knew the scenarios wouldn't be too pleasant for her but while thinking so her husband's voice rang in her mind. It's not what you want anymore, it's what you know is the best for Aahara.

So, she sighed and decided to do what was indeed best for her Baby and that thing was, being thought the way to avoid these bad things and make better decisions.

"Where did you hear it Baby?" She asked her granddaughter who was looking at the ground now, all of sudden Aahara turned to her and for a second Diya couldn't bear her gaze, after her marriage she had become used to her husband's emotionless eyes, her children's as well but she could never get use to Aahara's. Like they say, you can't get use to good things easily, when all you have ever had was far from good.

Aahara's eyes, much to her relief weren't like anybody in her family, at least not when emotions were concerned, she had the softest gaze with the slightest tingle of mischief in them and Diya often loved looking at them. She would even stare at her child all day if it wasn't so creepy, Aahara was like that to her, she was the relief to her racing heart, calmness to her chaotic life and shield from her harsh reality.

Aahara was her medicine, to all the wounds that people gave her. A blessing she had cried for days and payed the price for years.

"At school, Ruby's Father got her one." Aahara told her Naani, remembering how Ruby bragged about it, since the claim was apparently Ruby's to play with.

"Well, that..." Diya sighed again, she knew how that kid hated her child and she got worried. What if my Baby asks for a claim too?

"I don't want one." Aahara said and there it was, her mature side coming out. She could read people easily and Diya knew that her child would never do anything she didn't approve of, so she smiled at her granddaughter pulling her close as she wrapped the both of them in a blanket.

"So, a claim is someone who was strike a claim on." Diya said and Aahara narrowed her eyes.

"Really helpful Naani." She said and Diya smiled sheepishly.

"Well to elaborate, claiming someone is like ripping them off their rights as a human, claims are usually people taken off the streets who didn't have any better option sometimes other privileged people also give themselves up as claims for their own reasons.

Once someone is claimed they lose their whole identity, everything, even their name. The person who claimed the person becomes their owner, owner in every sense, they can kill, beat, love, use or even marry their claim. It's totally upto them and the worst part is they can't be question about any of this." Diya said while looking at her granddaughter meaningfully.

"People choose this lifestyle Naani?" Aahara asked, who in the right mind would want something like that?!

"Yes, but don't judge them Baby, you don't know what that bond is for them." Diya said while stroking Aahara's hair, running her fingers though it.