Chapter 01

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"1"

"2"

"3"

Ding ding ding!!

I smirked knowing who is it. Keeping my weights aside I opened my door looking for her.

"Brother! Can I sit here for sometime?." I heard her sister.

"Where's Naina?." I questioned her before making way for the little one.

"Don't ask me!." She shouted throwing her books on my table. I could hear her parents screaming loudly downstairs.

Good thing this little one is not involved. 

"What happened today kainat?." I asked her getting back on my weights.

She huffed, turned to other side roughly not before glaring at me. Both sisters are same! Naina was a frequent visitor during my teenage when my parents were still around in the house. She was always angry, frustrated and silent taking refugee from her parents anger.

"The usual. "Kainat spoke finally.

"Marriage! Get married! You are old! A lot more! Uff! Do they even get it that I have my exams tomorrow, I need some peace of mind plus food to survive this horrible night! ." She sighed dropping her head on my table.

Hmmm..

"Concentrate on your exam then. If you want food there's paratha, eat it. Be quiet. " I spoke making her roll her eyes.

"Ok uncle. " She replied munching on her food. 

I am actually very surprised that she did not fight back today. I could hear only her parents voices loudly.

"That's it! You want me to leave everything and go?! Fine! I will." With that said everything went calm.

Did she agree to get married?

Or

Is she angry?

I always wondered how a girl's life changes once she attains certain changes. If I was their daughter, I would have just left them running far away . Naina was never the type of girl who disagrees to her parents wishes.

"I will go now uncle." I heard kainat speaking while closing my door. Sighing a bit I washed my face up and went down to buy some food. 

Wow..

There she is silently walking on footpath lost in her thoughts. Her long semi curly hair is going wild due to heavy winds . Her fingers playing with the hem of her kurta . I couldn't see her eyes but I know they are filled with tears.  Unshed tears are the most painful ones with lots of emotions behind them. My mind wanted to disturb her by greeting while my heart wanted to just hug her out and say 'it's okay'.

Minding my business like a good neighbor,  I reached the mart hoping to restock things for preparing food. I saw her roaming in between aisles , looking aimlessly, touching whatever is within reach. She sure is stressed out while I was nervous to approach her.

"Hi?." I initiated standing parallel to her. She looked at me startled but composed to reply back. Being extremely shy person , it took her almost 2 minutes to understand that I greeted her.

" Uhmm. Hi?." She replied looking anywhere but me.

"How are you?." I asked my next common question.

"Good." She replied as usual. Our conversation never went beyond this two lines and now it's my cue to leave her alone.

" I will take your leave then. Nice to meet you ." I spoke moving a bit away . She hesitated to look at me but nodded her head. Her eyes were swollen, lips too red from biting , her cheeks had clear stains of tears.

Observing her from far i could sense she is lost. If i had power vested in me i would have taken her away from these toxic traditions of being quiet in front of elders even when they are wrong. But naina being a perfect good girl will never allow that to happen. She will rather suffer than proceed with the thought of hurting her parents.

"Naina! Congratulations! I heard from pammi that you are getting married!." One of the cctv cameras of our building approached her. She nodded her head as yes without hesitation.

"That's good! It is very late anyway. You agreed finally!." She blabbered making naina uncomfortable. Naina looked everywhere but her.

"I am so happy for you beta!." With that said she left her broken again. I stood aside looking at the circus going on . Late? My foot! She is just a kid! Due to society and its undivided attention to our personal lives. We are forced to live a life, we never met to live.

"Naina. Are you ok?." I asked her.  Tears flowed from her eyes as she looked down. Grief engulfed me when I saw her breaking every second.

" Hey! Calm down! Don't worry! It's just that you were standing in same spot since the last time I left you.  " I spoke trying to calm her down.

Looking at me with big red eyes she said " I forgot my wallet. Can you pay for me? "

Nodding my head I followed her to billing section. She chose to buy lots of pasta , cheese, spices, milk. Not commenting on her purchase I paid for both of us.  She left before me saying a small thanks.

It's been 3 weeks . Does that pasta stock last for these many weeks? Doesn't she come out of her house at all? Kainat visited my place to just sit down on peace since I live alone.  We both don't talk much because I am interested in her sister and she is interested in attaining peace. Apparently,  I don't judge her nor question her presence in my apartment so kainat likes to just sit and stare my wall where I decorated it with pretty good cars.

" Don't you ever feel lonely? Like being alone doesn't make you think that you are done with this aloneness?." Kainat questioned.  I just shrugged my shoulders working on my laptop.

" Where are your parents Rishab uncle.?" She questioned giggling at me.

Hmmmm.

" Expired . Long back. That is why I stay alone." I replied looking at her.

"Oh! Sorry to hear. I thought they are alive.  But then you are well off so you might be working somewhere if not who can afford to buy these posters and food ?." She spoke now completely turning towards me.

" I do work kainat. I have to. Someone keeps on eating the food prepare by my cook for me." I playfully replied.

" Nice. I hope you are not an engineer? My house is filled with them. They are obsessed with that profession.  Now they brought a guy who is into it. " She said looking sad.

" Guy?." I asked her. Just then my door bell rang making kainat run for it.

" What are you doing here? Have you gone mad? You know right papa will peel you alive if he finds out you hang out here! Oh God! They don't like him ! For once do as they say if not you will be stuck with their decisions!." I could hear Naina lecturing her sister.

So they don't like me.

Nice.

Well, I don't care.  Why should I be male cctv camera of this building ? Hence my decision to choose non violence made every single resident hate me. What can I do? I own this place for real. And I don't cause any kind of trouble.

" You don't know him Naina. He is good. " kainat argued. Just then I made my presence known making her nervous.

" Can I come inside?." She asked.

" Sure." I replied looking at her.

" My parents didn't want to come here , so I wanted to invite you to my wedding. Here take my invitation.  Do come, you are also  important as rest of them." She invited forwarding her invitation card.

My hands felt like they will burn if I hold on to it anymore.

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