SOUL-BOUND

CHAPTER 2 : HIS CRUSH-HIS PAST-HIS SORROW

Before Alok met Xavior, his daily life was a monotonous loop of quiet suffering, self-doubt, and fleeting dreams of a life he felt he could never have. Mornings started the same way every day. His alarm clock would buzz at 6:30 AM, and he'd stare at the cracked ceiling of his tiny room, dreading what lay ahead.

The streets outside Angeles were alive with the sounds of vendors and honking cars, but for Alok, it was like background noise to the weight he carried inside. His parents were kind but distant, too consumed by their struggles to notice the bruises he tried to hide under his clothes. Breakfast was a hurried affair, usually a piece of toast or whatever leftovers he could find. He'd sling his old, fraying backpack over his shoulder and step out, already bracing himself for the day.

At school, he kept his head down. It was safer that way. Eye contact could invite trouble. His bullies-led by Karan, a hulking teenager with a mean streak-always seemed to find him no matter how hard he tried to blend into the crowd. Most days, Alok would avoid them until lunch, but when he couldn't, the torment was inevitable. A shove in the hallway. A stolen notebook. Sometimes, a punch to the stomach in an empty stairwell.

But there was one bright spot in Alok's otherwise gray world: Rose.

Rose was everything Alok wasn't-confident, cheerful, and kind to everyone she met. She had the sort of laugh that lit up the room, and her long, wavy hair always smelled faintly of jasmine, a scent Alok had come to associate with her presence. She sat three rows ahead of him in physics class, her head tilted slightly to the side whenever she concentrated.

Alok had been harboring a crush on Rose for years, though he'd never worked up the courage to say more than a polite "Hi" in passing. Every time he thought about talking to her, his palms would sweat, and his heart would hammer in his chest.

One afternoon, during physics class, Alok found himself daydreaming as usual. Rose was sitting at her desk, scribbling something in her notebook. Her pencil slipped from her hand and rolled under her chair. Alok froze as he realized it had stopped near his feet.

"Alok, could you get that for me?" Rose turned and smiled at him.

For a moment, he forgot how to breathe. Her eyes-soft brown with flecks of gold-were focused directly on him. He nodded mutely, fumbling to pick up the pencil. His fingers brushed against it, but in his nervousness, he knocked it further away.

"Sorry!" he stammered, crawling under the desk to retrieve it. He could hear soft giggles from the other students, but all he could think about was the fact that Rose was waiting. When he finally managed to grab the pencil, he practically shoved it into her hand.

"Thanks, Alok," she said, her smile widening. "You're a lifesaver."

"Y-yeah," he mumbled, his face burning. "Anytime."

For the rest of the class, Alok couldn't focus. His heart felt like it was about to burst, and his thoughts spiraled into fantasies of talking to her again, of being someone she might actually notice.

But reality was far harsher.

Later that day, as he walked home, Karan and his gang cornered him in the alley behind the school. "Saw you talking to Rose today," Karan sneered, cracking his knuckles. "You think someone like her would ever look at someone like you?"

The taunts stung more than the punches that followed. By the time they were done with him, Alok's clothes were dirty, and his lip was bleeding. He trudged home, his head hanging low, the weight of the day pressing down on him.

Alok arrived home just as the sun dipped below the horizon, the cool evening air biting at his skin. He quietly slipped through the door, trying not to make a sound, his body aching from the latest encounter with the bullies. His bruises stung, but he forced himself to ignore them.

In the solitude of his room, Alok stared at the cracked ceiling once more, his mind replaying the brief interaction with Rose. Her smile. Her voice. For a moment, he allowed himself to imagine a different life-a life where he could be strong, confident, and worthy of someone like her.

Little did he know, that life was closer than he thought. But it would come at a cost.

"Alok, dinner's ready! Come downstairs!" His mother's voice echoed up the stairs, warm and inviting.

"Coming, Ma," he called back, though his voice was strained. He paused for a moment at the top of the stairs, looking at his reflection in the hallway mirror. His shirt was slightly torn, and a bruise had already begun to darken on his cheek.

He sighed and straightened himself, then headed down to the kitchen where the smell of roasted chicken and potatoes filled the air. His mother, Lily, was busy setting the table, humming a soft tune.

"Sit, sit," she said with a smile, noticing his entrance. "Your father will be here soon."

Alok pulled out a chair and sat down, trying to act casual. "Smells good, Ma," he said, attempting to hide the sharp pain in his side.

Lily glanced at him, her eyes narrowing slightly. "You sure you're alright, Alok? You look a little pale."

"It's nothing," he quickly replied, forcing a smile. "Just tired from school."

His father, Jake, walked in just then, dropping his briefcase with a sigh of relief. "Long day, but I'm starving!" he grinned, ruffling Alok's hair as he sat down beside him.

Alok stiffened but didn't pull away. "Yeah, me too," he mumbled, avoiding his parents' concerned gazes.

They chatted about the usual things-work, plans for the weekend-but Alok's mind was far away. He felt his ribs throb with every bite of food he took, but he kept up the charade, smiling through the pain, grateful for the love his parents offered, even if he couldn't fully let them in.

THE BULLIES WERE THE ONLY CONSTANT IN HIS DAILY LIFE...........

------------THE END OF CHAPTER 2------------

FOLLOW AND LIKE IF YOU LIKE MY WORK AND MY FIRST WRITING

CHAPTER 3 MIGHT COME IN X DAYS🤭

-----------------------SPOILERS------------------------

I can say that in the later parts there would be some mature(A) dialogues mostly in funny way rather than a spice up way and a love angle.I have seen most of the stories in the app involving "A"writings(which I can do too) but as a writer I wanted to present something special for the readers.The story is really vast.I wish to show you that exact picture how I have in my mind,But I still tried my level best to express it in words.