It was the longest night of the year. I was ten then and was sitting on a couch with the television working in front of me. It gave the impression that I was watching it when in reality my mind had drifted away from it a long time back. I was thinking about Jane and how her face lit up when she witnessed or found something she had never had the pleasure of witnessing before. The glow on her face in such moments was as bright as the sun and my mind often wandered to find that very face during my young years. On that dreadful night too, my brain had been occupied by her. I wished to get up and run to her house just to see her but I didn't think that that would have been a good enough reason for my visit. She would not have appreciated it if I showed up at her house randomly. No, that probably wouldn't have worked. The exhaustion of the day was enveloping me and my eyes had started drooping when the doorbell rang breaking my state of peace.
As I went to answer the door, the aroma of apple pie took over our household. I opened the door to find her. Her face looked pale even with the reddish tinge in her cheeks. Her eyes were swollen, bloodshot. At the time, we had known each other for a good six years and I had seen her crying for the silliest things imaginable but that day was different. Just by looking at her, I could tell that it was something serious and I wasn't wrong. It was not only serious but also life-changing. The chilly wind didn't hesitate to enter my home uninvited when I pulled her into a hug. She started crying, something she had been doing for several hours by the looks of it.
" Can I stay here tonight?", she asked, more like pleading, hardly managing to get the words out of her mouth.
"Yes, of course", I answered, " you should not be asking this. My home is yours as much as it is mine"
"Thank you" she mumbled. She looked as weak as a vampire in daylight, barely surviving the torture she was undergoing.
"Come inside lest you will catch a cold," I said concerned about her health. I didn't want her to have any trouble due to a physical illness when her mind was not at rest. We went inside and settled on the couch I had been sitting on before she came. We paid no heed to the television or the noise that came from it. The only matter of concern at that time was the reason for her despair.
"Who is it dear?" my mother asked unaware of Jane's presence.
" Its Jane mom" I replied.
At the mention of her name, my mother came rushing into the living room. Her excitement at Jane's arrival was enormous. She really loves her like a daughter.
"Hii Jane dear"
Jane turned around to greet my mother. The smile in my mother's eyes vanished when she saw her and a darker expression took its place.
"Hii Mrs Warner" Jane said, her sadness not hidden in her speech. My mother moved forward and held her in her arms consoling her. After a long stretch of time, when my mother was satisfied that Jane seemed better, she broke the silence.
"Do you feel better now dear?" she asked.
A nod was what she received in the form of a reply.
"Would you like to share?" my mother asked, uncertainty clear in her voice.
"Hmmm" Jane replied.
"I will bring something for you to eat. You take your time and try to calm yourself down. Yeah?"
My mother left the place leaving the two of us alone. I didn't know what to do. I raised my head to look at her. Tears were threatening to come out of her eyes. She tried her best to stop them but they didn't listen. They were like the prisoners who had been kept in jail for too long and were planning to escape as soon as possible. She let them go. She let those prisoners free; even though the crimes they committed were unforgivable, she found it in her heart to forgive them. It broke my heart to see her like that and at that time I didn't wish for anything but the strength to beat the person who had made her life miserable.
"It's okay. Shhhhh. Everything will be fine" I said letting her into my embrace.
"He hit her. He hit her, Bin" she muttered. It was not clearly audible but I heard. Thinking about that day even today hurts the same as it did back then. That was the day her life changed.
Chapter seven completed. What do you think about this one? You got to know something about Jane's disturbing past. What do you think her story is? Share your views. Vote, comment and follow.
YOU ARE READING
Not A Couple
General Fiction"In my defense, a person who does not like Nutella IS THE BIGGEST IDIOT TO HAVE BEEN BORN ON THIS PLANET" "People can have different opinions" "Yes, of course people can. But they are people, what do they know? You, on the other hand are an alien fr...
