Aryan's Lethal Obsession

Adah

My life now moves around following what people tell me. I eat when they tell me, I sleep when they tell me, but something about the beach time soothes me. The only time I feel alive is when the breeze touches my skin.

There is a void inside me that makes me feel empty every damn second seems to cease only when I stare at the endlessness of the sea and sky. I want to spend my life just staring at nothing, camouflaging in the serenity of nature. But Dad and Mom won't entertain me no matter how much I request.

I keep zoning out during the conversation. I couldn't sleep at night without the sleeping pills, and even then, I woke up screaming and drenched in a cold sweat. Every time, I have the same dream. Darkness surrounds me, and then a monster promises to give me punishment worse than death. When he was about to swallow me, I found myself with my limbs tied and my body floating. I scream for help, but my mouth is sewn.

Most of the time, I end up waking at this moment.

But on nights when my guilt engulfs me, I wake up at the sight of a bloodied child at a distance and my hands covered in his blood. Even Mom's presence around me when I wake up screaming doesn't calm me down. His screams, calling me a murderer, make me feel like my soul is being shredded bit by bit.

My child.

A tap on my shoulder brought me out of my reverie, and my first instinct was to cower. My body acts on its own, and I draw my knees closer, hiding my face between them. When a cover was put on my trembling body, I realized who the visitor was.

"The temperature will go down in the evening. Don't forget to wear something warm," Dad said, unfazed by the reaction.

He was the only one who didn't mind my absence at his attempt to start a conversation or my lack of talking since the day I learned of my miscarriage.

He continued, "When we came here, it was very difficult to adjust to the weather here or the situation."

He looked around the beach, and I followed his sight. The sun was setting at a distance, and we sat on the beach. I blinked, realizing I had never taken an interest in my surroundings before today.

"My first thought was to protect the family. There were nights when I couldn't sleep or remain calm in helplessness. Your face during the wedding kept haunting me. I used to hear your voice screaming for help," he said, which made me look at his side profile.

He wasn't making eye contact, and I was glad for his consideration. How could I look into his eyes without feeling ashamed?

"One day, I decided to steal the boat and set out to find you even though I didn't know where we were."

I bit my lips and tried to swallow the lump clogging my throat, relating myself to that situation.

"Matt found me. That night was the first time I heard him. Otherwise, I considered him to be an enemy and never let him manipulate me. That night, I learned my daughter makes the best tea in the world," he chuckled and looked down.

I couldn't break my gaze even though my eyes stung. So he knew about me and Aryan.

"Matt said I was lucky to have a daughter like you who is selfless and could do anything for her family. By the way, we got your mother's jewelry back," he said, and I gasped when he faced me.

I expected anger or disgust, but instead, I saw his eyes shining with pride.

"That night, Matt told me everything he knows. He told me he wasn't supposed to reveal everything about your marriage and why we were brought to his house and weren't allowed to go back to our house. But he couldn't see another father suffer, dreading his child's life. He told me many things about his Baba and the extent he will go to save you from the danger his interest has put you into."