Hi guys ,back with an early update .Hope it lives up to your expectations
4 years ago
Vihaan counted the days before he could be free from the prison he found himself in called Orphanage. He turned 15 that day and was feeling dejected at the pain of losing the one person who could have loved him .
Anjali ,his sister shared her birthday with him . Which made the day all the more bitter. He walked to the school , even from an young age he found school as his safe harbour and it didn't change when he moved to the orphanage .
He had no friends and he preferred it that way , his mood dimmed to all time low when he saw the music teacher walking with her son . A place he dreamed to achieve in his innocence .
It was after he lost Anjali. And he became furious with the Monster that he disobeyed him in front of those who came to visit the orphanage . He wanted to lash back and found himself spilling the monster secrets.
He thought there was no pain he couldn't bear until the monster locked him up in an storage room for two days . It drained all the fight in him that when he went to school the next time he found himself asking his music teacher to adopt him .
And that when he realized , how wrong he was to consider a act of kindness as love. She was one who insisted Vihaan continue his studies in the same school to the monster and convinced him that she could enroll Vihaan in the scholarship program as he was a bright student and hence the monster won't have to pay anything.
He misinterpreted her kindness to be love , then she avoided him at every instance till he got the message loud and clear ,no more lunch box as well . And it saddened him to admit he missed the lunch boxes more .
Today he felt reckless , so instead of entering his class room he walked away . He found himself starring at his old house . The house was still empty and under his father name .
It was a pathetic attempt to wish his drunken abusive father would return back and get him out of the orphanage. When a part of him knows he will never set foot in this place again after all he was still wanted for murdering his wife .
He let himself inside using the window as he often did , he had hidden a secret shelf of items he treasured in his room and reached into it and one of them was his sister picture with their mother .
It was taken a month after she was born and Vihaan wanted to take one with her as well ,but his mother declined his request . He never could understand her hatred for him until recently . All he knew about their family came from his father drunken words .
His mother was born in a rich family and her circumstances changed when she got herself pregnant with him. Her parents opposed the match and they eloped hoping to secure their acceptance later when it was denied and her mother was forced to face poverty , her love turned into hatred not only for her husband but also for the son .
His father who didn't get the comfortable life he dreamed about after marrying in such an early age , resorted to drinking and violence at his mother and him for destroying his life, In the end Vihaan had two parents who hated each other and him .
The house failed to cheer him up ,as all he remembered was his forgotten birthday . So he headed back to the Orphanage and hoped his path didn't cross with the monster tonight but luck wasnt on his side .
" Where is my money ? " the monster voice echoed and Vihaan knew luck wasn't on his side.
" I didn't take it " he answered back even when he knew his words won't be believed .
" I got a call from your school , so where did you take the money " the monster voice made him flinch at the harshness which made him aware he was drunk , unlike his father the monster turned vicious when drunk but he never lost his stability and his actions were always controlled .
" I think it has been long time since you visited the storage room , but before you go take of your shirt ,I can't let you leave unpunished ." the monster walked towards him as he unbuckled his belt .
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The sound of laughter drifted across the confines of the room , he was locked in for three days . He was hungry and starved so for a brief moment he thought he was hallucinating .
Then the sound came again , this time he knew it belonged to a girl , the laughter was filled with such joy he had to see her . And with that intention he stood on his feet and tried prying the closed window to open . Which only creaked a little and allowed a little view outside as it refused to budge further.
At the age of 15, he was stronger than the other kids but the storage room window were rusted and had been closed of for so long that his strength failed him .
The laughter sounded again and this time he saw her , she looked like a angel in her white salwar .Her gaze was fixed on someone who was walking beside her and from the affection in her eyes she knew it was her father .
Had he ever looked at his father the way he wondered than dismissed the train of thoughts as two more people walked into his view . The Angels family that was he thought as he starred at her perfect family .
They walked in together and disappeared out of his sight to meet the Monster inside . He wanted to see them a little longer as something about the happiness in their face made him happy to realize not all family are dysfunctional like his family .
He paced the small storage room after they left his sight , a habit of is when he was angry with the world . He knew the perfect family will write a check for the orphanage and he knew the kids will not see the penny . The injustice of it made him angry .
Then the laughter sounded again , he should have remained where he was but he didn't , he just wanted to see one more glimpse of her .
This time she was with her brother he supposed , and with them where the younger kids . He felt the familiar disgust at being exhibitoned for their amusement , they were like the toys they choose to play with and discard the next moment .
One look at the kids starved figure where no flesh would be seen ,he knew even the cold hearted person would open up his pockets and that what the monster wanted so he could line his pocket .
The orphanage had 30 kids and all of them were starved to the point where hunger was the one thing they were familiar with and it would take days before they get a decent meal . Everyone who visits assume there was no funds and no one questions or visits again to see how their funds were used by the Monster.
If someone choose to questions, The Monster will lie easily and make up an expense that needed to be addressed first . He was cunning ,but also clever that no one ever suspects his tale .
His eyes drifted back to the Angel , and it stayed on her when she lifted two year old Roshini and twirled her around , he also saw the moment the little girl plucked her hair pin to play with , the Angel simply laughed and let her hold the pin .
For a moment all he saw was the kindness in her face ,but when Roshini gently tugged at the angel bracelet , she froze a little and shook her head as her answer. Which made the little girl cry much to his dismay .
He was disappointed with her rejection , why can't he let her play with it he wondered. It might be gold but if he had that much money , he wouldn't think twice before parting with it as a gift .
And the little girl refused to stop crying that after a brief hesitation , he saw her giving the bracelet to Roshini who stopped crying as she was content to play with it .
Maybe he judged her wrong he thought as he continued watching them play .
His eyes were focused on Roshini happiness that he noticed the moment the little girl dropped the bracelet behind the small tree and he also knew no one else noticed .
When it was time to leave , he saw his Angel trying to get her bracelet back only to find it missing , she searched everywhere. He wanted to help her but couldn't find courage to speak up and let her realize he was being locked up
The pity would destroy him , and so he remained silent as everyone searched , when the Monster walked upto her with a fake concern he wanted to smash his face . He briefly worried himself that she might tell that the bracelet was lost by Roshini but he deep down knew she won't let the two year old take the blame .
Because he knew what the monster was capable of , he was glad Roshini would be spared from his wrath . When the family left he saw tears in the Angel face and he realized maybe the piece of gold meant something to her. Just like the worn out picture he carries on himself everyday
He saw the moment the monster searched the premise and he fervently hoped he would never be able to find it but at the moment little Roshini remembered the bracelet as she raced down to pick it up .
But the monster snatched it away as always , he had a name of his own but in his mind he will always be known as the Monster who snatched away the one person who could have loved him .
He knew where the monster would keep it for safekeeping till be pawned it . The angel tears made him determined to steal it back.
His opportunity came the very next day , when he was let out by the monster . He waited for his moment and sneaked into his office to retrieve the bracelet , he knew he would be blamed when the bracelet gone missing .
And he also remembered the lashes and the pain that they would cause by his actions , yet he didn't care . As he stole the bracelet away . He waited for her to come back so he can give it back to her .
He bore the lashes with a smile when the monster found the bracelet missing , he always took the blame for other kids mistake so as to spare them for the monster cruelty . The physical pain existed for few days but if be failed the kids and let their backs be scarred as his own . He will never be able to forgive himself
And this time , he didn't deny when the monster accused him of stealing the bracelet . He was locked in the storage room for a whole week . And yet he refused to share where he hid the bracelet . The monster assumed he pawned it already when he went for school .
So stopped threatening him after awhile , he kept it safe for her in his old house with his other belongings . As months passed by he waited for a day she would come back . Till he stopped waiting but he held on to the bracelet when he walked away from the orphanage. In hopes their path will cross once again .
P.S : That it for now , I would love to know your views and thoughts .hit the votes if you liked it .
Love
Juania