Caged Crown

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Word hint:  Doppelgänger -Someone who looks spookily like you, but isn't a twin,

The long rimmed spectacles slipped through the bridge of his nose as he leaned to pick the off-white papers. He was tall and his fair skin turned rosy as he sneezed. It was annoying, so much that I didn't quite catch a word he blabbered. I began yawning as he went on with his boring lessons on the topic ‘energy stored in a capacitor.’

Mr Yagesh, my teacher about whom I was rambling a minute ago, closed his book before giving me a homework. Finally, he left after what felt like a decade. Empathically, I rose from my chair and placed my stuff back on the book shelves.

I can't blame Mr Yagesh because he is a good friend of uncle Haris and a best teacher for me. Aunt Juvairya disliked the idea of me going to school, so uncle Haris decided to bring him home to tute me. I slapped myself mentally, again for calling him uncle because he had asked me to call him 'Dad'.

”Laiha,” I snapped my head at aunt Juvairya.

“Clean every room upstairs.” She commanded and I obeyed. I began cleaning from my room to  Jabir's, then finally I stood before a bedroom with the door closed. According to Jabir, nobody stepped into the room. I opened the door slowly and tiptoed into it. The grey walls welcomed me and a king sized bed caught my attention. Geez, a bed lover!

The doors to the balcony were open, so I wondered who would've opened it if as jabir said, nobody came here. The wardrobes were all a whole mess of clothes and ochered books. Sighing I arranged them. Suddenly, my eyes landed onto a big photo frame hung on the middle of the wall, it was their family picture. My eyes roamed from the smiling face of aunt to Dad and then to brother Jabir  and a new face. It could be brother Junaid. A girl of my age was introduced Between Junaid and Jabir. She had cute dimples like Jabir's, to be particular, afterall she was his Doppelgänger.

Who is she? I wondered.

After about  five to ten minutes of cleaning, I left the room ensuring that the doors of balcony are closed and the room looks tidy.

The lunch hour passed by and I decided to go out for a walk. Staying home and sitting like a puppet, doing chores and not talking with anyone made me insane. Except for brother Jabir and dad, Aunt Juvairya didn't talk to me. She would only order me to do the chores.

“Where are you going with your sandals on?” I saw my brother standing behind me. “I'm going out for a walk, you wanna join? The hazy weather hypnotised me to go for a walk and then my legs were desperate to meet the dust after so long.” I giggled as he mirrored me.

“It's not safe for you to go by yourself. Besides, I have got some works to do, but you can call our neighbour Ziya or Hiba with you.”  I nodded and started walking ensuring that he went in. First of all, I know neither Hiba nor Ziya and second of all, I didn't want anyone to join me because all I wanted was some time alone. It had been quite a while now since I'd stepped out. I can't go to school and for a walk either. Life in the orphanage seemed much better.

Suddenly, a  slosh of water halted my steps and much to my surprise, it had splashed on my body and I was freaking wet. I looked around and found a young guy standing with a bucket in his hands, and a smug smile played on his face told he did it by mistake. He rushed to me and I expected him to apologise, instead he went crazy laughing at my wet clothes. Seeing him laugh made me feel like he is of that kind who laugh at their own jokes. C'mon it wasn't that funny  and he was the problem. I refrained to open my mouth because I know if I did, then I won't stop. Thus, I decided to walk ignoring him. My blood boiled in anger and I didn't expect a grinchy in my evening walk.