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Words spat in the heat of the moment might not contain truth, but they are sharp enough to cleave a heart into two. Sometimes, people say certain things in complete rage and later, they give justification saying they don't mean it. However, what they don't realize is that the damage has already been done. And once the words are spoken, no amount of justification can dwindle their impact. They are going to affect; maybe not explicitly but subliminally for sure.
In the mess of everyday life, we always forget to show our love for our loved ones. We spare time for every work but not for the people we have been working for in the first place. We don't tell our loved ones how much we love, admire and adore them. The only time we express ourselves fully without shying away is when the person is separated from us; to another city or another world.
This is what she had been expecting; a soppy, teary reunion, warm hugs and confessions of love, not a boorish remark and that too from her sister; the one who knows how sensitive she is. It was not the first time that she had been at the receiving end of a mockery. She had grown habitual to these remarks, if not then she would be surviving in a brown family. Living in a desi family, mockery is something that you get as frequently as you take air to breathe. However, today being the last day of her in this house, made her a little more sensitive and perhaps this is the reason why those words were still reverberating in her ears.
Before she could drown in the abyss of melancholic thoughts anymore the doorbell rang, putting an end to her thoughts. Her mother having a lot of work to manage in the kitchen, ordered her to answer the door.
The chances of dinosaurs coming back to life are still possible but getting a good cry in a brown family is impossible.
She exhaled exasperatedly, closing her eyes and inhaling a big puff of air. Getting up she wiped her eyes harshly, trying to get rid of any remaining unshed tears. Walking towards the main door she looked into the mirror placed outside the drawing room and noticed her red puffy eyes and slightly messed up hair. She stroked her already combed hair using her hands and blinked her eyes rapidly to not give out any hint of what she had been doing.
Opening the door, she welcomed her father who had returned from work. Just one glance at him was enough to make her feel like crying. With much effort, she was finally successful in keeping her emotions at bay.
Great, she hasn't even stepped out of this home and is already homesick!
****
The affair at the dinner table went smoothly with no one getting even the slightest hint of her crying session that happened minutes before. However, she could feel sadness lingering in the air. Her father might have allowed but his sullen face tells otherwise. He never liked being away from his family, especially her daughters. He had always been like this; deeply attached to his family. Since childhood, Zoha had seen her parents as the perfect couple. Their love was to die for. No matter how tangled his father was in his professional life, he never neglected his personal life. So, except for her father's gloomy temper, almost everything went well. Everyone loved the food and she was praised.
