Lack of Trust

Chapter 1 (7 years)

"How can I trust that Anita Aunty has sent you?" I asked him suspiciously. My life had taught me over the years that didn't trust anyone.

He arched up his eyebrow in amusement at my question but without uttering a word he took out his phone from his pocket and called someone.

"Hello Auntie you talk and tell her that you sent me here because she is doubting on me" he laughed and extended his hand to hand over the phone to me. I looked at the man again and then his hand that had the phone. I took the phone from him and held to my ear.

"Hello Khanak baccha (child), There is no need to be afraid of him, my health suddenly deteriorated, so I sent Atul to pick you up. Now don't tell me that you don't want to come because I won't listen to you so be a good girl and come with him. Whatever you want to decide about your life, I will not interfere in it, but first you come here with Atul." She said to me in motherly strict tone, not said infact she ordered me.

"Okay aunty" I said. She was already ill I didn't want to stress her. When I needed someone, she was the only one with me so I didn't have the heart not to accept her sweet demand and I also wanted to meet her once before going towards my new life.

"If all your doubts are cleared now, then let's go," Mr. Atul said with same smile but I didn't reciprocate his smile as I was so tired of giving fake smile to everyone. I needed some rest from this formality.

I knew that was rude but I couldn't help it.

He guided me to his car and we settled down in it. Journey from Mumbai to Jaipur was completely silent as I was not interested to interact with anyone and he also understood this and didn't say anything to me except a few important words.

After few hours we reached where Anita Aunty was. Aunty lived with her family in Jaipur. The car entered a beautiful mansion through a large gate. It was a huge mansion but it didn't amaze me as my house was also like this. I was born with a silver spoon but life had brought me here where it all mean nothing to me.

The car halted at the entrance of the Mansion building.

There Anita Aunty was standing with her family. I felt nervous seeing her family because this was the first time in 7 years that I was meeting people outside prison. I didn't know how people outside will see me, as a criminal who had spent 7 years in jail or as a normal human being which I am. I started to feel self-conscious about myself.

The irony of my life was that the girl who was full of confidence, today she afraid to raise her eyes in front of people as she did not want to see despise, loathe, disgust and many more bad things for her in their eyes.

"Khanak" Anita auntie's shriek voice snapped me out from my self-pity world. My head titled up to see who was smiling at me brightly which gave me some relief as I knew she loved me like her own daughter but still her family.

Will her family accept a girl who had spent 7 years in jail??

Why was Aunty in jail, her family knew but they didn't know why I was. I had only told my story to Anita Aunty, didn't tell her the name of anyone but it was not a big deal for her to know because she will get to know all the information in the police records using her family influence. That's why I took a promise from her that she would never try to know about me.

I opened the car door with throbbing heart and went to her who took me bone crashing in very next moment.

"I am very verrrry happy that you accepted my wish and come here." She chirped loudly parting from me. she showered my face with kisses like a mother. Now I didn't like it if someone showed their affection to me but I was ok for this lady who had given me the place of a daughter in her heart.