The falling seasons

Part 15

Haruni's house was crowded. Normally it would have been filled with only Haruni's shrieks and Sunanda's voice other than that the house of Haruni was a very lonely and isolated place. The Chandelier was swaying with the wind as Haruni banged the door of her home. She wasn't a good girl when she was ought to be one as all the eyes were upon her. The first person whom Haruni noted was the lady that visited their home every month with a bag in hand and she suddenly remembered what her mother had said

"Because you are not related to the work we do"

Again work...

Haruni's eyes went red as she ran towards her mother's room without caring every eye that followed her. The lady that Haruni had opened Umbrella to, stood up to halt the girl but it was too late, and Haruni had forced open the door of her mother's room. When the door opened she saw two other men standing at her mother's desk which was lit by a candle. One of the men was uttering few words and the words that went straight into Haruni's ears were

"Ma'am with this kind of situation you cannot finish the work you have undertaken..."

Haruni couldn't control the clenching of her fist. She was about to run towards her mother when she was grasped from behind and was pulled back. All the foldings of her frock getting messed up in the hold of Sunanda.

Sunanda fell back trying to halt the movements of Haruni who was resisting and that made Azuma's eyes flick towards her daughter. For a moment there seemed like a ray of sympathy passing through them, but in the exact moment reality dawned upon her mother, as she stood up from her chair and said to the men who were all suited up with the matching hat adorning their heads.

"Don't worry mister Kuntz, I will do what I have to before..." She coughed and the men nodded as she glared at them for their response. And her very next step was towards Haruni.

"Haven't I said you not to open the doors of my room?" Her voice slowly ascending as Sunanda felt a shudder in Haruni's arms, but she couldn't feel her tensed muscles going back to normal. She couldn't believe when Haruni raised her voice too.

"Hadn't you promised me that you would dance with me?" The word 'dance' coming out of Haruni's mouth as a squeak.

"I couldn't, so what?"

Sunanda couldn't hold on anymore, not because Haruni resisted but because any more than this, she wouldn't hold on her tears because her handcuffs had already started to get warm and wet with Haruni's tears. Sunanda had seen Haruni since the day she had been born, but never could she have believed in her entire life that the girl who had giggled within her mother's arms would be a crying mess because of the same mother. Azuma eyed Sunanda as she left Haruni on the floor and stood up to walk away to the kitchen. All the people who had gathered in the hall room rolled off their eyes just like nothing had happened. Sunanda gave one last glance at Haruni as she went into the kitchen

I hate you for whatever you are doing my lady...

And there came a yell that even Haruni couldn't believe came from her mother

"And all these years... these were the manners you learned?" Azuma made Haruni stand on her feet and gave a hard push away from her making Haruni lose her balance and go back to the ground again. Her eyes were welled up with tears but still wide open for the disbelief every part of her body carried.

"And you dishonor your mother in front of everybody, you were and always will be a worthless child..." The last few words nothing more than a whisper.

And that was it. Haruni felt a clank in her heart as she stood lankily and said rubbing of her worthless tears.

"So... Is your work more important to you... than me?" There were ups and downs in her voice that Haruni couldn't resist.

"Yes, it is... it is very important right now... than spending jolly time with you, because..."

Haruni was not ready to hear anything more. She had felt everything that she had been to her mother was worthless and nothing more.

"So why am I needed?"

She screamed as she went upstairs running as Sunanda came running behind her. Haruni didn't go to her room and instead ran towards the ceiling of the house and her pain felt even worse when with all the things that had happened her mother hadn't even called her back when she had made a run. And as she ran up she locked the door behind her and all that was left was Sunanda's scream for her name and the last of the winds of winter blowing on her reddened cheeks.