A GIRL LIKE YOU

17

"Would you stop!" I heard a female voice.
"Stay out of this Aaliyah." Mom said as she dropped her arms from my arms.
"What are you doing? Its not her fault. Ansh just told me. Aarav ran because of his ex girlfriend." Aaliyah said and I felt her presence beside as I stood there, with tears rimmed eyes.
"I know my daughter, Aaliayh. I just want to know what she did this time."
What did you do? What did you do? What did you do? What did you do?
The words echoed in my ears over and over again.
"Oh my god, are you stupid? I respect you but you are wrong. Its not her fault."
Aaliyah defended me.
"I know my daughter. I know she did something. I know it. So you can shut up!"Mom said. I couldn't help but sob again because she really doesn't trust me. This actually hurts. Hurst like a motherfucker.
"Thats it. Aaliyah told me to stay out of this because it's your family matter but I can't take it anymore. You should give your daughter a chance to explain instead of blaming her." The voice registered a little late through my hurt soaked heart, when I felt the presence of strong and male beside me. I couldn't help but feel a little good at how Aaliyah and Ansh are defending me, despite myself. I couldn't look up at him because I am starting to believe that it is my fault after all.
It was my insecurity that said that I would never find someone as good as Aarav. Because I thought I'm not good enough. Thats the ideology I've grown up with. But now I know. That I deserved better than this. How I was going to make that wedding work is beyond me.
"You don't tell me how to treat my daughter! Girls like her should know their place. She did something and she is going to tell me what it is. What did you do, Kiara?!" She said again. Again. It echoed over and over again in my head.
I can't stand anymore. I need to sit down. I began sinking down the floor when I felt strong arms around me, lifting me up, holding me there. I chanced a glance to look at the concern on Ansh's beautiful face and the hurt he feels for me evident in his eyes. I felt his heat pressed against me as he held me tight and strongly from the waist.
"Come on Kiara." Aaliyah said. "Lets get you to the room. You need to be away from her for a while."
"You're right." Ansh said and led me out the door, just when I heard my mom said. "Yes. Go away. Take this bad luck away from us. I wish you were never born. You ruin everything Kiara. Everything." I heard her voice broke and I heard her sobs as Ansh led me upstairs and into my room.

***
"Here take this." Aaliyah said as she handed me a glass of water. She's been telling me to not think anything of what my mom said. She is just hurt and angry. And as much as I want to believe her, its just her words that won't leave my head.
What did you do? Go away! You ruin everything Kiara. I wish you were never born. Girls like her should know their place.
Girls like me. A girl like me. Me.
I took the glass of water and drank it because I knew I was going to start crying again. She put the glass away and sat beside me.
Ansh haven't left the room either. He's been on the phone calling and everything, but he hasn't left my side. I felt Aaliyah tug me closer and give me a side hug.
"Everything is going to be okay. Shh."
The words hit me and I was sent back to 6 years ago, when dad got arrested because of me and when my mom held me and said the same thing as I cried and promised her I'll be a good girl. I failed again. I fucking failed again.
I couldn't breath again. Its hard. Its fucking hard to be a disappointment all the time. I need to be away from here. Away from everyone. I can't breath.
"What are you doing?!" Aaliyah said and I realised that I was tugging at my jewellery. I was removing it without even realising. I want to breath. This dress is choking me.
I tugged hard on my bangles and it broke and the peace stabbed in my wrist.
"Fuck!" I cursed as the blood pooled from it.
"What are you doing Kiara. Calm down. Let me help you." Aaliyah said as soon as Ansh entered the room from the balcony. He's been talking to someone about my disastrous wedding day.
"What's going on?!" He asked and approached me. Aaliyah took my hands in her. "I'll get a bandage." She said and ran to the bathroom and I began tugging at the other things. My hair, my dress, my necklace. I felt the pain but it felt good. It felt like I deserved it. I run my hands down my face and smudged everything on my face. I rubbed my lips and saw the liptick on the back of my hands.
"Calm down. Kiara. Hey. Hey. Hey. Stop." Ansh's soothing voice came as he took both of my hands in his. I looked up at him, and saw his concern. I tugged at my hands. I want him to release me. But he held on tight and I couldn't move them.
More tears brimmed in my eyes. "I need to breath." I managed to say. To make him understand that its fucking hard to breath right now with the regret, the guilt, the shame, the disappointment and the hurt. "Please." I begged him to release my hands.
"I will kill Aarav." He said. Before I could understand it, he released my hands and took me in his arms.
"What-" I don't know what he is doing.
He held me so tight, and firm. It was not hard to breath but it was hard to move any muscle as I felt him bury his face in the crook of my neck. I pushed at his arms to release me, to try to make sense of this all, but his strong arms wouldn't budge.
"Breath." He commanded and his warm breath carresed my skin on the neck and I realised what he is doing. He is hugging me. He is helping me calm down. He is holding me so tight as if he could put all the pieces together and stop me from breaking. I forgot about crying and the pain in my wrist as my heart melted and stopped struggling. I relaxed in his arms, in his male and amazing smell as I hugged him back. As if I am giving him permission to fix me. As if I'm asking him to help me. I pulled him even closer as his chest pressed against mine and I closed my eyes and rested my face on his shoulder. I started breathing again.

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