Next day in the morning I sit at my room balcony to enjoy a little warmth plus coldness of the early morning, with earphones in plugged in and listening to A walk to Remember album songs - honestly I found this album to be quite beautiful, hopeful and a tale of eternal love (where I guess love is just beyond everything, which include death too. Love is more like soul connection, this love is may be craved by each of us).
However, soon I hear house bell ringing but I choose not to get up because I thought that, it might be one of our house maid or some guest at the door so, basically knowing that there would be no one for me I remain seated. To my surprise my door open up with a thud, I can hear multiple voices shouting my name so, I get up, plug out my ear phones and walk back into the room. As soon as I enter in the room, I hear
Chorus: HAPPY B'DAY SIYA!!!!!!!!
The is sound so loud that I have to cover my ear or I would have got deaf in a second. However soon they all get silent, I look at them, they are looking at me with a wide and happy grin. Soon their grins change into questioning and curious look and the start looking here and there in my room, then I realized they are actually looking for place to sit down so, I also start looking in the room.
To my surprise, my room is looking more like a school canteen which is quite strange. However, ignoring this we all sat down on the chairs, first they give me gifts then we started doing party where we are eating food and soon they also started with the alcohol too (this is also quite strange as we never had drinks in the canteen itself, that too openly. Plus all of my friends drinks, I have no idea about it also)
However, I keep aside all these thoughts and I focus on enjoying but as said nothing good can remain the same forever or too long so, this is what happened in the next second. This time I heard a opening of the door, I look up, at my front as from here, the voice come and there I found my parents standing and few words got slip from my mouth which is "shit! not I am gone completely as I have been caught red handed."
However, what surprised me more is that the door from they have entered is looking quite similar because its the same door which is in my room at home. As soon as I look into their eyes and they look at mine, I feel like every other got vanished. I mean from the corner of my eyes I cannot see my friends anymore plus I am no more in the canteen, I am unable to understand what is happening with this constantly changing of peoples as the environment.
Soon my trance break down, when I hear clapping from my parents then only I notice I am in the dining hall and they are looking at me with anger again but the slight the difference now I am all over surrounded by them like a circle is formed around me. I started feeling suffocated because the circle is becoming short and short plus their hateful voices is getting louder and louder. The words that I am hearing from them, on repeat
Unfaithful!!
Disgusted!!
Sinner!!
Failure!!!
Disobedient!!!
I am feeling as if my ears will burst, breathing is getting difficult with every passing second. To avoid voice I just put my palms on my both of the ears and closed my eyes tightly. Soon all the loud voice start getting muffled, except one familiar voice, where I am hearing my name repeatedly but this one voice is seems to be at quite distant. However, with closed eyes and palms on my ear I try to focus on this voice, soon with lot efforts I can hear this voice clearly and then only I recognize the voice which is of Ani.
Hearing, Ani voice I smiled widely, then I open my eyes and remove my palms from my ears. As soon as my eyes got open I found my self on the balcony, in the same position, where I heard the sound of house bell ringing and then I realized that all happened earlier was dream because I fall asleep while listening to the music. It is usually said or I heard/read these in stories after sleeping you feel relax and fresh but in my case most of the time, whenever I wake from the sleep I feel very exhausted and tired.
However, I took a deep breath in relief to relax myself, later I get up and rub my face. I look time at phone which say nine in the morning so, that means its the breakfast time. I go inside the washroom and start to fresh up, in around thirty minutes I leave my room for the dining area. As I reach there, I found no one there so, I knew everyone else is finish with their breakfast and I am late (O, yeah I forgot to mention, all of them are strictly discipline in every thing).
I directly go inside the kitchen, start serving my breakfast and while doing so, I can feel my mother seeing my each and every move as if I am some kind of terrorist. However before I could move outside with my plate, my father come inside the kitchen and he has those scrutinizing gaze on me plus on my plate. Ignoring it, I go out and sit at the dining chair but before I could start my breakfast both of them come outside, sit at both of my sides so, technically I am sitting in the middle of them.
Mother: Just because today is off, it doesn't mean that you will eat your breakfast late. At least try for once to be discipline and obedient.
Father: This is not the time to eat breakfast, one should eat it in between of Eight to nine in the morning sharp but who I am telling to the one who is a failure, drunker and someone who is learning to do arguments on the daily basis.
I try to ignore both of them, keep my whole focus on eating but I couldn't stop my ear to listen and my brain to store those words in.
Mother: Why are you late?
Siya: I fall asleep again, but I get up early in the morning.
Father: Huh don't lie to us you are such a lazy person, I can't believe you wake up early in the morning.
Mother: Me too
Siya: Okay (Inside talk, what else I can say now as, they don't believe me)
After this no one speak up, I continue with my breakfast and they both took their turn in giving me scrutinizing look but I keep my head down only because, who knows if I look up at them or have eye contact they will label it as disobedience. It may have taken five to eight minutes for me to finish the breakfast, by this time they both had left the dining area to do their own work.
After cleaning my plate, I reach back in the room while thinking ways to get out from the home because I won't be able to spend whole day in this environment. Once I am in the room, I close the door and I hear my phone ringing so I pick it up,
Erik: Hey Siya!!
Siya: Hey (Huh, wasn't my day going bad till now, now he is also here)
Erik: Hey can we met near your house somewhere just for hangout?
Siya: Umm Yeah we can.
Erik: Cool, then tell me address.
I tell him the address, then Erik said he will be here in two hours and he hang up the phone. After hanging up the phone I think of a lie to say to my parents because I don't think they would allow me to go out after listening the truth plus they would get the chance to pass me extra taunts. After fifteen minutes of thinking I come up with the idea so, I go towards their room to inform them about my hang out. As I reach the outside of their I knock the door, then I go in
Siya: Mother one of my school friend Vicz is coming, to meet me and we are going out for the lunch.
Mother: Okay.
I left the room after saying this, inside my mind I thank the god for father's absence as, he will surely have caught me lying. I walk towards the room but in the middle of my way I found Aunt standing there looking at me questioning and curious look, to this I raise my one eyebrow at her asking what happen,
Aunt: I heard you talking to your mother so, where are you going?
Siya: Going out for lunch.
Aunt: When?
Siya: Around twelve leaving the house.
Aunt: With whom?
Siya: A friend is coming (Her one question at a time getting me impatient as I start tapping my left foot)
Aunt: Why:
Siya: (Tapping foot) For hangout, with one of my girl friend and she is coming near my house. Now I would like to go and ready.
Aunt: (Rudely) Yeah so go, you are talking in a way as if I have stopped you or talking to you forcefully.
I leave from their by stomping my foot on the floor, I mean like seriously she is unbelievable who behave like this. I usually feel like I am in some kind of police investigation, O common I am grown up now but still I am answering their nonsense questions or asking for permissions. Sometimes I think I am still a kid, and not an adult, I am eighteen years old but this behavior of their never let me feel old enough to take my own decisions.
However, I reach back to my room start reading novel as I have one hour and forty five minutes to pass so, what is best more best then reading a book. I got occupied in reading because next when I heard my phone ringing then, I notice I have ten minutes to get ready and leave the house. Though, call got cut before I could pick up so, I received a message from Erik saying "he will be there in twenty minutes."
I get up from my the bed and start getting ready quickly and leave the house in sharp eight minutes, the place that I choose is a small cozy burger joint which is ten minutes away from my house so, I walk till there. Here, me and Erik both reach at the same time so, we go a bit inside and choose a corner window seat. Once we got settled down, we order the food and I initiated the conversation,
Siya: So, wassup how are we meeting here, on the holiday itself?
Erik: Nothing I was just getting bore at home so I thought of meeting you and hang out for sometime.
Siya: Okay. Can I ask you something personal, I mean like a advice you can answer me back?
Erik: Yeah sure you can ask me anything and believe me I won't be breaking your trust ever or hurting you back ever.
For I guess five minute we both kept mum and keep looking at each other, in the meanwhile our food also come. In these minutes I try to found honesty in his eyes because I know they can never lie and for some reason I believed him so I decide to open up with my family issues a bit in front of him, not knowing whether it would be right decision or not. Here, I began telling him how my family is and how they behave with each other and me too, I also told him how much tired and exhausted I usually feel in such environment.
And to my surprise he listen to me peacefully without interrupting, once I complete my story I wait for his reply and while doing so, I continue to eat my food. After twenty minutes when our food got finished, soft drinks only left, he start speaking up,
Erik: See, the main problem is we are not independent here so, we have no other choice, than just to listen them. Here, I think solution would be, you find a job on urgent basis and leave your family home then. All problem would be solved.
Siya: Okay (To be honest I found his idea quite productive and practical too) But where I can search for jobs?
Erik: Wait (He opened he phone and start typing something in it, after five minutes or so I receive a message from him) I have texted you some website/app names where you can make your profile, look for job ad apply for it.
Siya: Okay, thank you. I will work one it once I reach back at home.
Erik: If your family do more torture on you, you can always warn them that you are leaving the house and they will stop torturing you.
Siya: Are you sure?
Erik: Yeah definitely trust me.
Siya: Okay.
After this we hang out till four in the evening, roaming here and there, just talking. Then we leave for our respective houses, once I reach back home I change my clothes and fresh up, then I start working on the task which he told me about. To be honest I am feeling like, I have a friend in the form of Erik, other than Vicz and Jazz who is caring and understanding me.
Me trusting him, never I would have imagined, I am falling in trap set by the fate to destroy or break me to the core.