Whispers Of Unseen Wounds

EPISODE 7

*Two more years have passed*.....

Two more years passed, though they felt like an eternity to me. During these years, nothing about me really changed. My behavior remained the same—I was quiet, withdrawn, and barely spoke to anyone. I didn’t go out, didn’t engage in conversations, just followed a monotonous routine: go to school, come back home, eat, sleep, study. I even distanced myself from my parents, which worried them deeply. They tried talking to me, asking if anything was wrong, but I would always tell them that nothing was the matter. Even my brother, who had just returned home after completing his studies abroad and started working here in the US, tried to reach out to me. But I told him the same thing—that I just wanted to focus on my studies and nothing else. I didn’t want to burden him with everything I was going through.

Today, we had our farewell party at school because our 12th-grade exams were over, and the results had already been announced. I had scored really well, and my parents were happy and proud of my achievements. They told me once again how proud they were of me and how well I had done. As I was getting ready for the farewell party, I chose a simple black dress and paired it with high heels. I started doing my makeup and styling my hair when my mom came into my room. She looked at me and said, "My daughter looks so beautiful today. I wonder if you’ve ever really looked at yourself and seen how beautiful you are." I tried to brush it off, saying, "I don’t look that good, Mom. You’re just exaggerating." She laughed and said, "Hurry up, or you’ll be late," before leaving the room.

Her words lingered in my mind, and for a moment, I stood in front of the mirror, really looking at myself. I realized that I had never truly seen myself as beautiful. But before I could dwell on it, I quickly turned away from the mirror and headed downstairs, where my dad was waiting. He smiled at me and said, "My daughter looks so lovely today." I just thanked him and smiled back, and we left for school together. Dad insisted on dropping me off today, and when we reached the school, I said goodbye to him and went inside, where the party had already started.

As soon as I entered, I saw Anna walking toward me. She looked stunning in a white floral dress with high heels. When she reached me, I teased her, "Oh my God, who is this gorgeous girl? So beautiful and such a drama queen!" She laughed and replied, "Look at yourself! You look absolutely amazing, gorgeous, and beautiful." I shyly asked, "Really? Do you think so?" We both laughed and then joined the party.

After some time, the party came to an end, and we gathered with the teachers. They congratulated us and wished us well for the future. As I listened to them, memories of their farewell day came flooding back. Suddenly, I found myself picturing his smiling face again. But I quickly snapped out of it, pushing the thoughts away. We thanked our teachers and started heading home.

When I finally reached home, exhaustion hit me hard. I went straight to my room, changed out of my dress, and collapsed onto the bed. My mind started to wander, thoughts creeping in, but I closed my eyes tightly and reminded myself that today was the last day of my school life—a day that had passed well. With that thought, I drifted off to sleep.

...............

After the farewell, a few days passed by in a blur. During that time, I didn’t do much—just rested at home, spent time with Anna, watched movies, and let the days slip by quietly. Then one day, Anna told me that she had enrolled in a fashion design university because she was so passionate about becoming a fashion designer. I smiled and said, "That’s amazing! My friend is going to be a fashion designer!" I said it proudly, and we both burst out laughing. After a while, she left for home, and I sat in my room, thinking about my own future. I knew I needed to start planning for my higher studies as well.

So, I opened the laptop that my dad had gifted me and started searching for universities abroad that offered programs in technology and science. I had always wanted to study technology in another country, and perhaps another reason now was that staying here, I was constantly haunted by memories of him. I wanted to go somewhere far away, where I could find some peace from those thoughts.

While searching, I came across a university in London that really caught my eye. It seemed like the perfect place for me, so I filled out the admission form and applied for a scholarship since I didn’t want to burden my dad with too many expenses. The thought of the upcoming scholarship test made me a bit nervous, but I decided that from the next day, I would start preparing for it.

And so, I began my preparation the very next day. Days went by quickly, and today was the day of my online admission test. It went really well, and now I was anxiously waiting for the results. I told my parents about the test, and although they were a bit sad at the thought of me leaving them, they knew how much I wanted to study in London. They supported my dream and gave me their permission to pursue it.

I was sitting in front of the laptop, my heart pounding, with my mom right beside me. Today was the day my scholarship admission test results would be announced. Fear gripped me tightly, and I couldn’t help but silently pray, "Please, let me pass." I clicked on the result link, but before the page loaded, I squeezed my eyes shut, too scared to look. Slowly, I forced them open, and when I finally saw the screen, I couldn’t believe my eyes. My breath caught, and tears of joy started streaming down my face—I had passed! Not only that, but I had also secured the scholarship.

I turned to my mom, who was sitting beside me, still deep in prayer. I threw my arms around her, hugging her tightly, and exclaimed, "Mom, I did it! I got in!" Hearing this, she too was overwhelmed with happiness, her eyes filling with tears as she held me close. She immediately called my dad and brother to share the news, while I dialed Anna’s number.

When I told her I had passed, she let out a loud, ecstatic scream over the phone, "I’m coming over right now!" We hung up, and soon after, my dad, brother, and Anna all arrived at the house. We celebrated together, throwing a little party and savoring the joy of the moment.

Later that evening, Anna and I retreated to my room. I glanced over at her and noticed her face had fallen, a deep sadness reflected in her eyes. I couldn't understand why she seemed so down when everything had gone so well.

I looked at Anna and asked, "What happened? Why do you look so sad? Just a while ago, you were having so much fun downstairs." She turned to me, and I could see her eyes filled with tears. In a trembling voice, she said, "I’m really happy that you got into your dream university, but the thought of you leaving and going so far away breaks my heart. Even though it’s just for some time, I have no idea how long it’ll be before you come back... or if you’ll ever come back at all."

Hearing her say this made my own heart ache. We had been together since childhood, and the idea of being separated was something I had dreaded. I tried to lighten the mood by saying, "Hey, you can always come visit me! I’ll even take care of your ticket."

But she shook her head and said, "Silly, I can book my own ticket. But visiting you for a day or two every once in a while isn’t the same as being together all the time. It’s different, and it’s going to be hard." Then she smiled weakly and added, "But it's okay. Just make sure you study well and land your dream job over there."

I promised her, "I will, I promise."

Later, Anna left, but her sadness lingered in my heart. The thought of leaving her and my parents behind and moving so far away weighed heavily on me then I suddenly  remembered that there will be no slightest chance of meeting him or seeing him now as I was going very far away from this place, although I didn't wanted to see him in my life again but the thoughts are uncontrollable.

The next day, I went shopping to prepare for my trip, as my flight was just two days away. I needed to make sure I had everything important for this new life which was going to start in London.

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Thank you .....