-We are all searching for someone whose demons play well with ours.
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Her smile, her eyes were always shining in front of the world hiding her pain from everybody's eyes.
And now that she was 22 and having a good job, there was nothing she could be sad about except two, love and peace.
From the time she was born, she has been around her father who was an alcoholic and then a chain smoker. After her grandfather, things became worse.
He used to torture her grandmother every day to give him money. She grew up in such surroundings where any sane person would have lost her mind but still, she made it out with a bright smile on her face.
She was often abused verbally by her father who let her get a fever because of the intensity of his words.
Her grandmother and mother knowing perfectly well how her innocent and pure soul was.
She couldn't take all those words.
His father would often raise his fingers on the character of her mother and grandmother. Her mother somehow survived it but she knew people would believe would they hear especially if it's a man's word.
Her mother was scared that he would start pointing at her daughter's character as well which would act as a problem in her marriage later.
After all, she was a girl and she needs to get married one day and that was her way to get out of this hell.
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It was a fine evening.
Kimaya just came back from her work. Her mother could feel her husband's eyes on his daughter looking at her doubtfully.
She knew what was happening and she knew something need to be done with this thing.
He started speaking things about his own daughter without even caring what he even said and then behaving as nothing happened.
Kimaya locked her room silently and changed her clothes after washing her face and hands.
She felt so tired at the moment.
She lied down on the bed silently looking at the ceiling.
She remembered how her friends said her eyes looked innocent and all that stuff.
She didn't want to be innocent. It's not a world for innocent people. She needs to be more cunning and she was nowhere near to this thing.
She heard some voices coming from outside. She frowned putting her ear on the door.
"Don't you think it's very early for us to find a partner for Kimaya", her grandmother said as she frowned.
What are they talking about?
"I did put her name on the matrimonial site. I did talk to some people regarding this but I don't think they are suitable for my daughter", her mother said as her eyes widened.
She would never marry at this early age. She was not even 23. She would be 23 in six months.
"But why this early?" Her grandmother asked with a sigh.
"I don't want my daughter's image to get tarnished because of this man. She needs to get married now otherwise she won't be able to get married later on with the words this man use for her and I can't take the chances", Her mother said as Kimaya felt tears trickling down her eyes.
"She would never agree", her grandmother gushed slowly.
"I would make her understand. She completed her studies and whatever is left can be done later on. She is not dependant on any man for that thing in her life", her mother said leaving no room for arguments.
Kimaya covered her mouth to stop her sobs.
She was literally getting pushed out of her own house when she didn't want anything like this.
She had accepted her fate to never get the required love from a man in her life. She had accepted her ill fate regarding man and can't trust a man now.
She does accept the fact there are good men in this world but their percentage is very less and that percentage would never come in her share. She knew this.
She lied down on the bed on her stomach silently with closed eyes as tears continued falling down her cheek.
After half an hour, she heard the knocking on the door.
She opened it after wiping her tears.
"I told you thousands of times to not shut the door", her mother scolded her as she nodded because moving to the room adjacent to her previous one to watch television.
She didn't want anybody to know that she heard everything.
She watched few serials while having her dinner with her family. Her father was missing again and it's not a rare thing. It happens daily.
She had her milk and went to her room to have some sleep.
She sighed falling down on the bed. The next day was Saturday which of course meant her off and she was going to sleep for more hours.
She felt somebody pulling her hair as she whined.
"What?" She cried.
"Get up", she heard her grandmother.
"Why?" She cried again turning on her stomach.
"You said you want to talk to me early in the morning when I wake up. Come on, don't ruin your timetable", her grandmother said pulling her out from her blanket.
Kimaya sighed as she was forcefully made to sit as her grandmother switched on the light.
Her eyes fell on the clock and closed on their own.
"It's only 5:30. What the hell is wrong with everybody?" She cried falling back on the bed covering her face with the blanket.
"Get up, now", her grandmother said and pulled her out as she opened her eyes. They were still half-closed.
Kimaya got up from the bed before walking to the bathroom and bumped into the wall whining.
"What will happen to this girl?" her mother scolded.
"At least you can caress my wound", Kimaya whined as her mother sighed before massaging her head. Kimaya sighed before moving to the bathroom where a bucket of warm water was already waiting for her.
She took a warm bath and changed into new clothes. She brushed her teeth soon after and waited for her mother to give her milk.
"Take your milk yourself", her mother instructed as Kimaya frowned before entering the kitchen.
"Where is my milk?" She asked looking at the kitchen slab.
"Warm it up yourself", her mother said as she frowned.
"You got to be kidding me", she asked her mother who shook her head.
She nearly cried before remembering yesterday's word. She would be expected to do these in the next house as her mother said.
She went to the refrigerator to get the milk.
Her mother was quite shocked to see her doing what she was asked at once only.
She warmed her milk and filled her cup with it. She sat with her grandmother in the living room on the sofa crossing her legs.
"Tidy up your hair", her mother instructed looking at her hair bun.
Kimaya sighed before looking at her mother.
"Can I have my milk peacefully?" Kimaya asked her mother who nodded looking at her worriedly.
Her father was still asleep.
After having her milk, Kimaya put her head on her grandmother's shoulder holding her mother's hand as she yawned.
"I am tired already", She said as her mother glared at her.
"Don't start again. I am going to make my hair", She said before picking up her comb and walking to the dressing room.
She opened her hair. They reached below her hips and she adored their length a lot but tiding them up was a whole long war for her. She sighed before starting the untangling of her hair and plaited them neatly looking at the side partition. She couldn't take the chance of messing her hair up again while pushing her hair back removing the side partition when she combed her hair after dividing them into two portions.
She got out feeling pain in her hands.
She didn't even have any work to do but if she stayed in front of her mother, she would make her do more work and she couldn't take the chance.
So she went to her room and started working on her laptop. In reality, she was watching Netflix chilling out.
Her mother called her to prepare lunch and she was irritated now but she remembered her mother was doing all these things every day.
At least she was not asking her to clean the whole house.
She sighed before cooking the food. She did know how to cook but was not really a regular view in the kitchen.
She was making the dough silently with her grandmother giving her random tips to make the dough better.
She sighed as her mother asked her to make the chapattis.
Her hands were hurting so much from this much work.
She made the chapattis soon before having her food quickly.
"Can I sleep now?" She asked her mother who was about to say no but then nodded looking at her tired face.
She thanked her stars before going and taking her afternoon nap cum two hours of sleep.
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It's just the first chapter. Please don't judge. And if you have any queries do ask me.
Did you guys like the cover page?