Next day I woke up again with a severe headache and feeling quite exhausted plus tired, I started to think how day by day my dreams are getting worse like for instance, in almost all of my dream I am running away from every thing or I would be getting stuck in some situations and later I would start feeling suffocated. However, keeping everything aside I stretch my hand to pick up my phone from the side table. Here, phone is showing battery at sixty plus there are five unread messages from Vicz and one from Erik too.
I intentionally ignore Erik's message and start reading Vicz's messages which are,
"Hey, good morning I know its quite early message from my side but yeah, we are bunking school together and going to my house?
hey!! O common wake up, how could sleep till late?
don't you have to wake up for the practice?
Siya!!!! Wake up
huhhh I am here awake and you are sleeping like a dead man"
And yeah I forgot to mention that these messages of her, showing me the time of four in the morning. Like seriously she is expecting me to get up this much early in the morning, I think she has finally loosen her mind and thinking all this I rolled my eyes at her impatient behavior, though before getting up from the bed I do send her the message saying "yeah okay, lets bunk the school. See you in the school, relax."
After sending her message I get up from the bed, plug in my phone for charging and I start getting ready for my practice. Once I got ready, I move out from the room towards the kitchen area to pickup my lunch box. As soon as I reach their, I found no lunch box but before I could make any move, mother come there and she start speaking,
Mother: (Calm tone) No bread left so, no lunch box. You have money go and purchase the food from the canteen.
Siya: But I have limited money and I have to.... (Inside voice, I just have five hundred in cash and I have to pass a whole month with that only and if it start including buying food, taking cab plus little bit of fun then how it going to happen?)
Mother: (Cutting me in the middle) You have to do what? Spend money on your so called parties or hanging out and don't worry, you can simply ask us and we will give you more money.
Siya: Okay but I don't like to ask because I.... (Inside Voice, I feel embarrass to ask or spread my hands in front of anyone. My own self respect or image look at me with pity)
Mother: (Lightly chuckle and cut me off again) Wow now you have ego too, now you don't want to ask or bend down. This is not good Siya, as one should be kind with big hearts.
Siya: Okay. I am leaving now as I am getting late for the practice but before that, I may get late because I am going to my friend, Vicz's house as they need my help.
After saying this I start moving towards the gate but I still can hear her voice saying something to someone I guess but I don't know who,
Mother: (Chuckling out lightly) Did you hear that what she said lastly, that her friend need her help. O common someone who can't help themselves, that person is going to help other.
These words of them are hurting me but I can't do anything because I guess I don't deserve their love, concern or worry and why would I, as I am the one who did wrong to them. However, ignoring all this I took the cab, to reach school for my practice. Today, also in the practice situation remain the same that is me being breathless while running plus I played slow only and yeah coach again scolded me.
As soon as the practice got over, I go inside the washroom and start getting fresh plus changing my clothes and while doing so a thought pop in my mind saying "Leaving the football team would be a good option because I think, my poor performance, is somewhere affecting the whole team's performance. Let say here also I am not good for anyone." With these final words I leave the sports fields and start walking towards the school parking, where I suppose to be meeting Vicz around nine fifteen.
However, as I am walking toward my destination I notice Zoe and ketty walking with me side by side so, basically I am in the middle and they both are on my each side. For a minute or so we trio walk in silence then all of sudden Ketty speak up,
Ketty: Hey, where are you going, canteen just got passed?
Siya: I am going to school parking as Vicz is coming to pick me and we together are going to her house for some fun. (Obviously, its not my story to tell them anything plus I am also not fully aware of the whole issue)
Zoe: Wow, that's great but you will be bunking school, I thinks its not good for your future attendance.
To this Ketty rolled her eyes and I sighed tiredly as we both think, Zoe is too good, innocent and sincere.
Siya: Chill, I am already aware that I have more than 90% attendance in every subject plus we need only 65% attendance in total.
Ketty: Let her enjoy Zoe, she is still young (She wink looking at me, then wink at Zoe too)
We trio laughed out loud, then we leave for our different places that is, for me it is parking and for them it is canteen. As soon as I reached their I found Vicz waiting for me there so, I wave at her and in reply to this, she look at me grinning widely then she pat back seat of her bike. I nod my head in response to this, go and sit on her bike and then she start driving towards her home.
It take us around forty minutes to reach at her the house, before we could enter in the house I ask her a question using a sign language "everything okay?" she replied back with same way "yeah don't worry, relax." After we both move inside the house, go upstairs then we enter in the living room and there I got welcomed with a sudden hug from her mother, which actually caught me up with surprise so, for few seconds I don't her hug back but later I do it.
Have you ever felt the warmth, calmness and peace in someone's hug, that's how I am feeling right now in her hug and I just wished at this same moment of having someone of my own to hug me this way and let me know "everything going to be okay."
Soon we all get settled down on the couches, me and Vicz on the same couch, her mother and aunts on the other couches and his bro sit on the bean bag. For around five minutes or so no one speak up anything but keep looking at each other, though mostly they stare at Vicz only and here I am getting more and more impatient so, I choose to break their look-look session,
Siya: Can anyone please tell what happened?
For few seconds or may be a minute or so no speak up but suddenly, Vicz speak up
Vicz: (Casually) I am getting married after three months that means I am going to drop the school.
Siya: (Shocked) What the...? But why so much hurry?
Vicz's Mom: Just because we learn that she is getting affected by a random married man and I caught her red handed, then we got engaged in a heated argument. In the heat of the moment she decided, that she would get married as soon as possible and now she is not changing her decision.
Vicz: (Frustrated and Irritated) For how many times I have to told you, I just want to get married because I like that person that's it.
Vicz's Mom: O really how come in a week time you start liking this person?
Vicz: I have met him before also, in one of my cousin's wedding.
Her mother rolled her eyes and look at other side in response to her this sentence, before their argument got anymore heated, I thought to intervene,
Siya: (Hesitantly and rubbing the back of my neck) Umm Vicz can I have something to eat because I feeling damn hungry?
To this all of them chuckle out lightly, Vicz first hit the back of my head playfully then get up and with eyes ask me to follow her. As we reach in the kitchen which is adjacent to living room, I start hearing loud music voices that is coming from living room, then it clicked in my mind that they are trying to give us some space to talk. However, in the kitchen she start preparing something, which I don't know and to be honest I don't want to know for now because all I want to know is what exactly cooking up in her head so, without wasting any second further I initiated the conversation,
Siya: Sis what is all this? Marriage that too this much early why? And who is this guy whom you are now liking?
Vicz: (Not looking at me as she is busy in to put potato for boiling) This guy name is Kaden. I met him a month ago in on of my cousin's wedding, he is not that rich but he is quite handsome, smart, caring, understanding and mature person and I will be living in a joint family.
After a pause for few minutes she again start speaking up,
Vicz: See Siya, many times we commit a mistake in our life and its quite normal and common. I let my affection grow on that married man, which was wrong and I knew it but I wasn't able to stop it because may be it was my destiny, that took me to this level. But now with Kaden I am not trying to convince anyone or defend my self, I am just following my heart and I think there is nothing wrong in it.
Siya: Okay, I understood your this point but why dropping out the school, you can get married after that too but why want to hurry it?
Vicz: It just I got tired with all this relationships chapter, I want get myself settled now and the work which has to be done later, then why to wait so much for it. Let just finish the now right?
Siya: Yeah right. Though I am unable to understand the reason behind dropping out from the school chapter but I just want to know are you happy with your decision?
Vicz: (Look directly into my eyes) Yes I am happy.
I nod my head in understanding and said nothing, she also get busy in making food for me. However, in a minute or so I hear slight barking outside the kitchen so, I poke my face outside what is it and there I found a Pug (Dog) looking at me curiously by tilting his head. This brought a smile on my face because he is looking so cute, soon he too walk inside the kitchen and sit beside Vicz's legs, slowly he rub his head on her leg.
Vicz: (Looking at him smiling) Hey Troy. Look there, she is Siya my sister plus friend
Saying this she pointed a finger at me for Troy to look at me, I sit on my knees to try to match his eye level. He look at me curiously but don't make any move so Vice speak out in low tone to me,
Vicz: Show your palm to him in such a way that, he feels as if you are asking something from him.
I do what she said, in may be two minutes or more I guess, he slowly with careful steps start coming close to me and here I keep waiting patiently for him. When he finally come close enough, he start sniffing my palm, then lick it making me eye widely open in surprise and seeing this Vicz chuckle out lightly then she said,
Vicz: Now you can pet him on his head and play with him.
I got busy in playing with him, to be honest this is one the best feeling I have ever felt as his way of showing love and affection is so much filled up with warmth and peace that I found out to be quite blessed and peaceful. After sometime Vice with a tray full of food in her hand, walk towards the open balcony or small open terrace and called me there and here Troy also follow us. First I wash my hand, then I look at food the which seems to be quite familiar to me,
Vicz: (Grinning) One of your favorite Aloo Paratha with orange juice.
Siya: (Smiling widely) Thank You.
Vicz: (Laugh out lightly) Look at your eyes, shinning with happiness.
Without saying anything to her in reply, I start devouring the food. It take me around ten minutes to finish the food, then before I could say anything her mother comes there.
Vicz's Mom: Vicz can I talk to her personally for sometime, please?
Vicz: Yeah of course and no need to say please mom because she is also like your daughter.
As she finishes her sentence, she get up pick up the tray and go back to the kitchen. Here, her mother take her seat which is beside me but before she could start speaking I initiated the conversation,
Siya: You trust her?
Vicz's Mom: Yeah of course , what kind of question is this?
Siya: I too trust her and by seeing her eyes and listening to her talks, I know she is happy.
Vicz's Mom: You know its not about trust or whether she is happy or not, it just she is still too young to take such decisions and marriage is not a joke. It is lifetime bond which you can't break or change that easily, it comes with responsibilities plus other kind of relationships. I just want her to pass out from the school, get independent and then I want to get her married but now I don't like it and not even our family members liking it.
Siya: Ohh I can understand but here I am as a friend is trying to know her and understand her. I just want her happiness and I would be supporting her in her decisions. See she understand your point too but you both are unable to communicate with each other in a healthy way, I think that's the main problem.
Vicz's Mom: (Smile looking at me) I guess she is so lucky to have you as a friend who support her plus take care of her happiness. Look, we as in all the family member are trying to accept her this decision but it won't be easy and I am hoping you and she will understand.
Siya: Yeah sure take your time and I will talk to her about this don't worry, everything going be alright.
At this time Vicz's come with my phone in her hand, her mother caress my right cheek then go inside and Vicz again took the same place. I took the phone from her hand, I see its twelve in the noon and we have three class left to attend so, we decided to go back to school as we have nothing to do at her home. We both fresh up, bid our good byes to her family and leave for the school, at school parking area when she parked her bike and start moving towards the gate to go inside, I hold her hand to make her stop in her way,
Siya: You know right, that it won't be easy for them to accept your decision.
Vicz: (She squeeze my hand in return) Yeah I know and I am going to wait, for them to accept it.
After saying we go inside the school to attend our respective classes and for the rest of the whole day I attend my classes and no further incident happened but my mind remain occupied with Vicz and her mother's talk. Once the last class get over, I text Vicz that I am going home and then I called the cab and reach home right on time hoping not be getting scold or taunted.
Though, I think destiny has other plans for it.