The target is completed and just as promised, the chp is here 🫶🏻
— R a h i l ' s P O V 𖤐
I listened attentively as she spoke, noticing the slight tremble in her hand which was interlaced with mine.
She took a deep breath and began, "You would have known from the way I acted that night that I have a trauma with fire. I had overcome it through therapy, but seeing those massive flames suddenly ignited memories within me." I gently squeezed her hand, silently encouraging her to continue.
Her gaze remained fixed ahead, and I couldn't help but admire her stunning side profile.
She continued, her voice filled with a mix of vulnerability and strength.
"I was only 5 years old, and I distinctly remember it was an early winter morning when I woke up. The house was empty, and I asked one of the house helps where my mom was. She told me that my mom was out for some work, and my dad was often away on business trips. I felt a sense of boredom without my mom around, so I decided to occupy myself with puzzles, something I loved back then when I was a kid."
As she spoke, I could feel the chill in the air. She continued, her voice quivering slightly, "It was so cold, you know. Although i was wearing t-shirt and a sweater upon it, it felt really cold, i was always cold actually. so I went near the crackling fireplace in our drawing room. It was always lit during the winter months."
She paused, swallowing hard, and I could see the pain etched on her face as the memories flooded back.
I could feel the weight of her words as she shared it to me.
"I was just a kid back then, completely unaware of the danger that lurked within the warmth of the fireplace. Lost in the world of puzzles, I found myself inching closer and closer to the crackling flames. The heat grew intense, but I was oblivious, as I basked in the cozy embrace of the fire's warmth. I felt relieved that I wasn't feeling cold anymore."
My heart sank as the thought of what would have happened next.
"It was then that a searing sensation on my back jolted me from my puzzle-induced trance. Panic surged through me as I discovered my sweater had caught fire. I screamed, standing up and started crying loudly. The house help rushed to me, swiftly removing the burning garment away."
Tears welled up in her eyes, and I couldn't help but feel an ache in my chest.
"The aftermath left a lasting scar on my upper back, a burn scar that forever prevents me from wearing backless outfits." She shook her head slightly.
" Since that day, fire became my greatest fear. As I was very young back then, I couldn't sleep for months, haunted by the vivid imagery of flames engulfing me, the burning sensations etching my back, into my memory. I always ended up crying my heart out at hugging my mom tightly at night." She smiled slightly, through her teary eyes.
" My mom..." she started but paused, her smile turning a little sad.
"My mom, she was the nicest person ever! She loved me so much.....or at least that's what I believed until I reached the age of 7." A tinge of sadness crossed her face as she continued to say.
"You know, my mom was the sweetest soul. She was very lovely. Her passion was ice skating, and she was a true champion on the ice." I could hear the admiration and love in her voice as she spoke of her mother.
"She wanted me to follow in her footsteps, and while I was definitely interested in skating, I just wasn't as skilled as she was. There were other kids whose parents were friends with my mom, and they would bring home countless medals. Meanwhile, I always seemed to fall short. It frustrated my mom immensely! She couldn't stand the thought of her friends boasting about their kids' achievements while feeling pity for me because I couldn't skate well."
"You know, talent comes inbuilt, and no matter how hard I worked, I couldn't meet my mom's expectations. As her friends continued to mock her, she grew more restless and furious. And then..." She paused, swallowing hard, as if summoning the strength to share the next part of her story.
" my mom.. she started using...using my fear against me to threaten me and to make me work hard on my skating skills. I didn't like practicing in mornings because it would be freezing cold but she would scare me with the lighter which she carried always with her and threaten me with it, I just turned 7 back then, I was a kid and I was really scared of my mom suddenly acting like that, you know since then she turned completely opposite, she was not like my sweet and lovely mom anymore. She said that her love had spoiled me a lot." She gulped and I couldn't believe what I just heard.
Sometimes parents don't even realise that they are seriously hurting there children to get their motives achieved.
They become so selfish and stoop so low in scaring their children to work hard for their own satisfaction, that they don't even realise that their own child has serious trauma with it.
" I loved my mom so much and I didn't blame her for that, I was weak and incompetent, she only wanted good for me so she did that right? but you know when I finally learned it well and brought certificates and medals, she wasn't there to appreciate me...she... she died before that. " Her chin wobbled and I felt my heart breaking into million pieces.
"The last happy memory I have with my mom is from my 6th birthday. I remember her giving me this beautiful snowflake pendant." She held onto the shiny pendant tightly which she always wore, a radiant smile gracing her face.
"This pendant is something I will always treasure. It's the only clear and joyful memory I have with my mom." As she spoke, a tear rolled down her cheek, which I immediately wiped away.
My heart was aching with each passing seconds, hearing her every word.
" I was 11 years old when she passed away. I would just sit, hugging my knees and stare at my medals and certificates for hours and hours, wondering why would my mom prioritize external recognition over my emotional well-being? That why she played with my feelings so horribly when she knew I seriously feared fire a lot. Wasn't I her only daughter? Didn't she love me anymore? " Her voice trembled as she continued.
" It was my competition day. She had sent me with driver in morning to start early morning practice and when she was coming to attend the competition, she met with an accident and died, while I won the competition here and was so happy to show my first ever gold medal to her. But when I went home, she was no longer with us."
" The last..The last memory I have of her is her threatening me to go to the morning practice.." She broke into loud sobs and started crying loudly, i immediately wrapped my arms around her tightly.
She broke down crying on my chest while I kept tightening my hold on her. A tear slipped down my eyes, and I wiped it off harshly.
My chest burned, and my heart ached for her. How could a mother do something like that to her own child? I felt the need to break something. I felt so damn furious.
After crying for a few minutes, she moved back, sniffing. " You know what's the most ironic part of all this? " she said.
" My dad never knew anything about this even now he don't. He loved mom a lot, like really a lot, and I didn't have the heart to tell him all this because I knew he would blame mom for whatever she did to me and I didn't wanted him to stop loving my mom or spoil her picture perfect of being the best wife and mom in the world."
I felt my chest tightening more hearing her. How could she be so selfless? Even after all that her mom did to her she still wants her dad to keeping loving and respecting her mom?
She was too pure for this cruel world and at that very moment i realised that she deserves the world but the world doesn't deserve an angel like her.
" My dad has always been the best dad for me. He was always there, though he wouldn't spare a lot of time for me. But when he did, he would play with me and bring me my favorite food, snacks, and toys. However, he was often away from the house because of business, and I was all alone. " she continued, now smiling through tears.
" You know, in all of this, I didn't realize when I developed this playful nature and the tag of Playgirl. I was really attached to mom, and after what she did to me, I was scared...scared that people I got attached to would eventually find out about my trauma and use my fear against me. So, I never had any long-lasting friends or any long-lasting relationships, all the boyfriends I had were just for fun. I didn't plan on falling in love because loving someone means breaking all your walls and telling them every vulnerability part of you but I didn't wanted to do that. I didn't let anyone know about my fears." She smiled and looked at me, brushing her fingers on my cheek.
" until I met you. I don't know how did you manage to make me fall in love with you, I guess I just couldn't resists your charms." She chuckled, shaking her head.
I looked at her, feeling a lot of emotions running all together into.
She believes me. Yess she does, because She loves me. ALOT! I could literally feel it right now.
Ayezah's love was fierce. She can love you so fiercely that it would burn you to know the intensity, depth and selflessness of her love.
And despite me rejecting her twice, she still agreed to marry me, because that's how deep she can go when she loves someone.
How could someone possibly be this pure and kind?
Right now I feel the luckiest man on this entire planet.
My heart pains so much for her. I feel like someone is slicing my heart, seeing her in pain.
My heart screamed and cried for her. Why such a pure soul like her has to go through all this? What was her fault in all this?
" Hey, why are you crying? " She cupped my cheeks, wiping my tears away and only then I realised that I was actually crying.
I immediately knelt infront of her and took her palms in mine startling her.
" Thank you thank you so much.." I swallowed.
" Thank you for sharing it all to me. I promise I will never ever hurt you. I'll prefer killing myself before even letting the thought of hurting you cross my mind. " I kissed her knuckles one by one in utter urgency.
" Thank you for trusting me and loving me.."
" I promise to love you back with all my heart, to take away all your pain, to make you forget all your dreadful memories and make new happy memories with you. I'll cherish you Ayezah, you are way too precious, you don't deserve anything you went through. "
" I will love you with my whole being." I said my voice cracking, and she looked at me with tears filled eyes and shut her eyes crying loudly letting her tears fall freely and holding my palms tightly.
In that moment, I swiftly stood up and sat on a bench, pulling her onto my lap. Her legs dangled to one side as I held her close. She immediately wrapped her arms around me and hid her face in the crook of neck, crying loudly.
I tightened my hold on her, my one arm wrapped around her waist and another hand stroking her hair.
Her each sob, each sniff and each tear, suffocated me to no extent, tightening my chest with passing seconds, it felt like someone was squeezing my heart with long pointed sharp nails.
"Shhh, babie, don't cry. Everything will be okay," I whispered, cupping her cheeks gently and breaking the hug, wiping away her tears, i kissed her wet eyes one by one as she closed them.
As I held her in my arms, In that moment, I made a solemn promise to myself.
I would do whatever it takes to ensure that she never experiences pain or sheds another tear again.
Her happiness became my new purpose in life and I vowed to love her with every single cell of my body and protect her until my last breath.
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Thanks for reading <3 please don't forget to vote, comment your reviews and do share my book with your reader friends. I love you all 🫶🏻
So, what are your thoughts on this chapter? Feel free to share your reviews in the comments section!
I'm going on a break now because my semester exams are coming up soon. The main plot will kick off once I'm back, and of course, you can expect plenty of exciting chapters, including some steamy ones. *winks*
Until then, take good care of yourself, keep smiling, and spread sweetness to everyone around you. Mahek loves each and every one of you 🤍