It Has Always Been You..

5. Her First Step

Aaron Knight

Ariana stares at me with her big doe eyes. Clearly she wasn't expecting this from me. I patiently wait for her answer.

"Why?" She questions.

"Why, what?" I asks confused.

"Why are you helping me?" Ariana explains.

Well, she is right on her part as I am just a stranger to her. Plus in this cruel world, nobody helps each other without any motive. And if there are some selfless people who just wants to help the ones in need, her past experience wouldn't let her trust them.

I sighs, "Look, Ariana.. Don't get me wrong. I just want to help you without any ulterior motive. I heard your story and I feel that you deserve the second chance to live your life as best as you could."

She contemplates further about my words. "O.K.", she replies.

I smiles at her. " Well, if this is sorted out, then we can decide where should you start from, when I would return from office.. Till then, you can think about what you want to do and feel free to use anything here. I will see you later."

She nods and I leave for my office.

George opens my gate as soon as he sees me, with his greetings.

I nod at him and sit inside the car. My office is one hour away from here, my penthouse. I close my eyes and thinks about the recent events.

The condition in which she met me, never in my dreams have I thought to meet her this way. Sure, I was searching for her for four years..

The day she met me for the first time, I could never forget.

I was dealing with the difficult phase of my life.. My family is on the brink of bankruptcy, all because of my father.

He got in a wrong company and started gambling and drinking. My mom started fighting with him when he came home drunk. It became a regular occurrence. But things gradually went out of our hands when we started losing our assets. Nobody wanted to invest in our company seeing my father's behavior. Lenders started coming to our doorstep for their money and when they didn't get any, they threatened us.

At that time, my siblings were only three years of age. They used to get scared of the shoutings. I and my mother used to calm them with our soothing words.

But one day, my father arrived home early, he was panicked. He started packing his bags hurriedly. When my mom asked about it, he said that he was leaving as the lenders were coming to get him and he couldn't pay back.

My mother was shocked. I was listening everything from the staircase. "What about us, David? What I am going to do with our kids? You can't leave us. We will go with you."

But he didn't listen. When mom tried to hold his hand, he pushed her as he was in a hurry.

My mom's head got hit hard on the table and blood surfaced on her skin.

I couldn't stand there any longer and came in front of him. Never have I ever raised my voice in front of elders, but this man didn't deserve my respect.

I confronted him about his duties and family which he was supposed to take care of.. But it didn't phase him. And when I stopped him from going, he slapped me hard. His last words I can never forget till now..

"I don't care and I can't bear the burden of your mother and siblings."

These words as if pierced through my heart and I remained still.

He left.

My mother's sobbing broke me out of my trance and I immediately went towards her. I tried to console her that everything will be all right but in reality, I knew that even I doubted my words.