Ophelia? (Entered In 2022 Wattys Award)

Tour To The Bitter Past (Part 1)

A droplet of sweat is visible on Sandra's forehead. She looks so exhausted.
She came to the terrace for a chat with her parents. She talked for a long time; letting all her fears and sadness out.
She wished that her fear turned into vapor and vanished from her life.

It's been a week since that nasty phone call.
She couldn't get an ounce of sleep from that day. That psycho called her repeatedly for a whole week.
He sometimes says sickly sweet things that make Sandra disgust him more and more.
On the contrary, he snaps at her most of the time, for no reason at all.
He continuously said that she made a mistake by being born!

Sandra doesn't know what her fault is.
What did she do to earn such a miserable fate?

Although the stalker stopped calling Shawn, he didn't stop hurting him.

Yesterday, Shawn almost got into a fatal car accident that could've hurt him severely.
But he survived. Only his car was destroyed. It looked like the car saved Shawn by switching its fate with him.

Later, Sandra found it was that psycho caller's doing, the stalker. He did it to frighten her; to keep her under control.

Amelia also became a victim of this heinous game. She was attacked at her apartment by some thieves. The girl was so afraid that she was shivering when Sandra found her.

When Amelia was stable, she told her about the robbery experience. But it was strange that the thieves didn't hurt her at all. No valuable things were taken too. It was as if they came to frighten her.

Sandra understood it very well. He did it again to frighten her more.

Sandra named him Mr. Stalker. She didn't say anything to anyone; not even her friends. She was threatened not to tell. Or they might face dangerous consequences.

Some time ago also Mr.Stalker called her and wished her a very good night!

That sick bastard! How more will he stoop low? How could he wish her when he is the one making her sleep-deprived?

Sandra is becoming paralyzed with fear.
She realizes her confidence is diminishing day by day. It's pretty helpless as she can't even help herself let alone her close ones.

"Can I sit with you? "
Her train of thoughts halts abruptly when Sammy asks her.

She sits beside her. For some time, silence engulfs them.

"I know you heard me that day. "
Sammy breaks the silence first.

Confusion takes over Sandra's face.
" I am not following. What did I hear? When? "

Sammy shifts awkwardly beside her.
"The day when I told Shawn why I hate him. "

Realization dawns on her. She understood what her aunt was trying to say.
She did hear those conversations. But she made an excuse of taking time to find the meds.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to...."

"No. That's okay. I wanted to tell you this for a long time but couldn't understand how.
Because this involved your parents too.
I didn't want you to remember their deaths again. "
Sammy softly says.

"No worries. I am patient and grown enough to hear whatever you want to
say."
Sandra encourages her.
"Go on. "

Silence again takes its place between them.

Sammy starts saying her story; the part of her life she wants to forget, mistakes that she wants to amend......

Sammy's P.O.V

We used to live in another city then. Sara and I were living with our parents.
Sandra's grandparents.
I was three years younger than Sara. We were best friends. She loved me....a lot.

We had a neighbor who was Dad's colleague, Thomas Wood. He had a boy.
Richard.

Richard was Sara's classmate. I met him when he came home one day, for notes from Sara.
Then he started coming to play or study with Sara, almost every day.

As I was younger than both of them, I never really hung out with them. But Sara never left me alone to play. So, I had to play with Richard too.

At first, he wasn't as carefree with me as he was with Sara. I used to think.... maybe he didn't want me to hang out with him. I might be interrupting their time. I was thirteen years old then.

So, I stopped going with Sara. I tried to make believable excuses. Otherwise, Sara wouldn't have gone to hang out with Richard leaving me alone.

I was THAT significant in her life.

When it was my sixteenth birthday, I met Richard again. He looked so handsome in his leather jacket and jeans.

Sara turned nineteen and Richard was twenty later that year. His father was invited by Dad. And Sara personally invited Richard.

He had a gift in his hand; beautifully packed in ash-colored wrapping paper.
He came near me and gave me a heart-stopping smile.

He gave the gift in my hand and said,
"Happy birthday, Sammy boy! "

If any other people called me a boy, I would've gotten angry, maybe hit them.
But I wasn't concentrating enough to comprehend his nickname as an insult.
Because I was busy hearing his melodious voice and the heartbeat of my over-excited heart.

That was when I first started having feelings for him.

When he was leaving, he ruffled my hair and again said with a teasing smile, "See you again, Sammy boy! "

I was afraid that all my emotions might be visible on my face. I surely would've gotten a heart attack if he smiled again.

Sara had met Jonny the same year, in a local library. She developed a crush on him.

After a long time, we started hanging out together. Richard was so gentle with me.
Always helping me, teasing me, and coaxing me if I got angry.

I was pretty confident that we had a special bond between us.

US. Saying " US " really would make my heart flutter.

Soon Sara fell in love with Jonny. She was twenty then. She would make my ears hurt talking all about Jonny. I met him too. He was a very handsome and benevolent man of twenty-five.

After Jonny came into our life, Sara reduced hanging with us, Richard and me.
We both started spending time alone.

That period was bliss for me. Because only I was getting Richard's full attention.
But it ended very quickly. Richard was sad as Sara started neglecting him. I was also angry with her. It was bad for me to see him sad.

We chatted a lot. But our hangout lessened day by day. I foolishly blamed Sara for it.
As Sara was the thread connecting the three of us, we separated with the major connection getting loose.

Jonny and Sara decided to get married when I was 21. Our family was happy and gave consent for their marriage.

But Jonny's father wasn't so easily convinced. He didn't like Sara so much.
So, Jonny threatened his father, Robert Fields emotionally. He had to say Yes as Jonny was the only child and he loved him dearly.

Sara was confident that she would win her father-in-law. She didn't have to worry for Jonny's Mom. She was dead for a long time.

After having a long argument with my inner Sammy, I decided to confess my feelings for Richard. I thought the day of Sara's marriage would be the best for it.

I was so happy! I helped in the arrangements of the marriage of Sara and Jonny; dreaming of my own one day.

To be continued...........

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