✧ He was my desire; I was his obsession. ✧
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*
"I will not chase you, and I am certain that once you leave, you will vanish from the face of the earth. However, know this, Taara: the instant I noticed a movement on...
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I swiped and tapped, feeling a rush of satisfaction every time I cleared another level. Just a few minutes of peace and mindless fun away from the endless cycle of expectations. My fingers moved quickly, the character on the screen jumping over obstacles, collecting points. A new high score was within reach, and for a moment, I felt something rare—a flicker of joy.
Muktha di got me this new phone; yesterday was my birthday; I turned ten. Everyone was there but not Bhai; I missed his presence.
But then the door slammed open.
I froze, my heart dropping like a stone. I knew who it was without even looking up. My mother's presence filled the room, heavy and suffocating. I tried to hide the phone under my pillow, but it was too late. She had already seen it.
"What are you doing, Athwa?" Her voice was cold, each word precise and cutting.
I swallowed hard; my throat suddenly dried. "Nothing, Ma," I lied, the phone now burning a hole under the pillow. "I was just..."
She stepped closer, her eyes narrowing as she took in the scene. "Wasting time on that game? Didn't I tell you that your time is precious? That every second counts?"
My pulse quickened, and I could feel the walls closing in. "I finished my homework."
Her voice dripped with disbelief. "And you think that gives you permission to waste time on nonsense? Do you think this will help you succeed in life, Athwa?"
I whispered, trying to keep the desperation out of my voice. "I just wanted to relax... just for a bit."
"Relax?" she repeated, her voice rising. "You think you have time to relax? Your future is at stake, and you're here playing games? Do you think the people who succeed waste their time like this?"
My voice is barely audible. "I'm trying to do everything you want."
"Trying isn't good enough," she snapped, her eyes blazing with a cold intensity. "You need to be the best, Athwa. There's no room for mistakes, no room for distractions."
I felt the anger rising within me, but I pushed it down. I couldn't let it out. Not here, not now. "It's just a few minutes."
her voice like steel. "You're going to be someone important, someone who doesn't waste time on trivial things."
She reached under the pillow and pulled out the phone, her expression one of utter disdain. My heart sank as she turned it off and placed it high on the bookshelf, far out of my reach.
"You'll get this back when you've earned it," she declared. "Until then, you'll focus on what matters."
I bit my lip hard, tasting blood, to stop the tears that threatened to spill. I wanted to scream, to tell her that I was tired, that I just needed a break, and that I wasn't a machine. But I knew it wouldn't change anything. It never did.
