Recollections (Those Truthful Stars) ~Malini Acharya~

1: You Never Were A Special One. So Why...?

You bit the inside of your cheek until your irritation cooled. You'd make sure they'd never ignore you like this soon, and you thought there would be endless centuries to show them how wrong they were. But for now, you decided a hat would be good to wear when outside.

— — —

"I'm worried about... your child, Menaka." You leaned towards the door more so that you could snatch up more pieces of their broken conversation.

"What do you mean by that?" You could hear fury flavoring each word your mother uttered.

"Nothing! It's just... how do you know she won't end up like... like her?" 'Who?' You inched even closer.

"Who?" Menaka echoed your thoughts.

"The cursed one..." They muttered, and your mother's nostrils flared with anger.

"She is nothing like Shakuntula! How dare you assume-!"

"But Malini, though she is very pretty, isn't exceptionally so. She doesn't stand out among the heavenly dancers. She can dance, but it's just like anyone else's. And she'll never make it in the singing department. I don't need to hear her to know that, she's much too quiet. Shakuntula was just the same. I'm afraid, just like her, Malini will fall in love with other mediocre—" They tried to smush flattery in their scathing remarks, but it only helped to fan the fire of their words and your mother's temper.

"Shut up! All of you! I never want to see your faces again! You are supposed to be her family, my family! You think you can just waltz in here unannounced and-!"

— — —

You were not even sure how you ended up back in front of the mirror in Menaka's Spa. One moment you were listening to your aunts and mother ramble about your apparent inadequacy, the next you were staring at your own reflection.

You gazed at yourself, pinpointing your every flaw and desperately wanting to grab an eraser and rub it off. Your eyes were too big for your face and your lips too thin. Nothing about you was outstanding.

You thought your dancing had gotten better to make up for that, but apparently, Urvashi had been pity-complimenting you.

Your fists clenched at your sides and you gritted your teeth to stop the hot tears that already stung your eyes.

No, you would not let yourself become like Shakuntula, whoever that was. And to accomplish that, you needed to find out who this cursed child was first.

You think to yourself that you'll never forget the words they said, never let their words that scarred the insides of your ears fade. Those were your battle wounds, after all.

— — —

You'd read through the entire copy of The Cursed Child by J. K. Rowling and were ninety percent sure that wasn't it. No mention of 'Shakuntula' either. You'd leafed through every book the Otherworld had to offer and came back with nothing every time.

"I will find you, whoever you are," You muttered before stalking off to dance. You had a million and more years to figure it out.

— — —

"You don't seem as enthusiastic as you did before," Urvashi commented after another lame performance you presented to her.

You hung her head in response.

"What's the point, I'm no good anyways."

"What are you talking about, of course you are!"

"But not like you!"

"Obviously, no one can pull it off like I can." There was more silence as you looked away from those penetrating eyes. Urvashi sighed.

"Right now, I can see you are not very passionate about dancing." You finally looked at your older sister, dreading her next words.

"You may come back once you really, really want to dance for you and yourself only." Saying that, Urvashi turned on her heel and sashayed off.

— — —

"Why are you trying to find out about... her?" You looked at your mother, mystified.

"Who?"

"Shakuntula," Menaka snapped, towering over you. Her shadow pressed heavily against your shoulders.

"Oh..." You shrugged.

"Well, don't." Your laptop which held the words 'Who is Shakuntula?' was snatched away from you. "She has nothing to do with you, alright?" You shrugged again.

— — —

"I told you to stop looking into her!" The book on 'Apsara Curses' was pried from your gasp. You pouted. Just as you were getting to the chapter on a guy who forgot about his lover until a fish came to save the day.

"How do you know if I was even looking her up?" You glared up at your scowling mother.

That only deepened her grouchy exterior. "I just... I just know! Stay away from fishes!" With that, Menaka stomped off.

"Fishes? Interesting..."

— — —

"We need to talk." You looked up from your article on why fish stocks were rising to see a frustrated Menaka looking down on you with her arms crossed.

"Who is Shakuntula?" You asked immediately, ignoring your mother's previous treats, which promptly elicited a sigh from the other woman.

"Was. What all do you know about her so far?"

"Pronouns are she/her, she was your child so probably an apsara, and she was cursed. Oh, also fishes." Another sigh.

"It's way past your bedtime so go to sleep. I'll tell you about her tomorrow."

"Promise?"

"I promise." And, anyway, she had an eternity to tell you.

— — —

If you were being honest, you hadn't gotten a wink of sleep last night as you braced yourself to find out who Shakuntula, your supposed sister, was. Fingers crossed she was not a fish.

You took a deep breath in and watched as the doors to your mother's office silently opened on their own. You took slow, steady steps, yet each seemed to echo against the walls, amplifying the pounding in your ears.

Menaka was seated at the end of the hall, looking as regal as always.

"Sit down." Her deep voice reverberated through your skull. "It's time I tell you about another member of our family. Someone who came long before you."