Dedicated to Abhil11 for being the first one to comment on this book.

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Ira touched her burning cheek. A slap wasn't anything new for her. In fact, she was expecting it. No matter how hard she tried to reach Mary's expectations, it was never enough.

She lifted her eyelids and blankly looked at Mary with her deep black eyes, increasing her anger. "Stop glaring at me, you useless couldn't even score good" She lowered her gaze hearing her spat.

"Of course! 90% isn't anything great" Ira mentally rolled her eyes.

"Only a week remains for your result. Trust me, Ira, I won't spare you if you fail to pass it. I want you out of this orphanage. Anyhow" Mary said, gripping Ira from her shoulders.

The result Mary talking about was nothing related to Ira's school. Ira applied for a scholarship which would give her a chance to study in the UK, for which she has taken an exam and waiting for the results.

"I wish the same. Who wants to stay here?" she thought and nodded.

"Now get out of here and wash the clothes you soaked in the morning" Mary yelled. Ira turned to leave when Mary added in a commanding tone, "And listen, don't you dare escape after that. Help the cooks with dinner"

Ira gritted her teeth and nodded, not uttering a word. She walked out of the room, stretching her hands to get back to work.

She went to the washroom and splashed some water on her face to get rid of the burning sensation on her cheeks. She smiled at her reflection and talked to herself, "A few more days and then... Magic. You'll be out of here, Ira" she giggled to herself.

She might be an orphan and lives in poverty, but she looks nothing like a poor girl. She always grabs the best clothes from the donated ones before anybody else, keeps herself clean and presentable and owns a scholarship which provides her education from one of the best schools in the city.

She sighed and went upstairs. A few girls were already on the task of washing clothes. She joined them and washed the clothes she soaked earlier, talking with some of the girls.

She completed her task in three hours or so and hung the clothes to dry, which took her 20 minutes. She went downstairs, massaging her neck and stretching her hands to ease the pain. She noticed a few girls mopping the spacious hall.

"Ira, help us clean this hall" a thin girl shouted with authority.

Ira instantly shook her head as no. She was already tired of washing the clothes, spending more than three hours.

"What do you mean by that?" That girl blocked her way, shooting daggers at her.

"I mean, I can't. I'm tired already" Ira pushed her aside and walked.

"Hey you, railways station" Another girl yelled, making her stop on her track. She turned to look at the girl who said so, fisting her hand in anger.

'Railway station' was the name used to taunt, hurt and annoy Ira. She knows she was found at a railway station when she was maybe a day old and it hurts her. Everyone knows that it is the only thing which affects her, so they use that against her.

She glared at the girl and fisted her palm, eyes burning and jaw clenched.

"Ooo! Someone is looking angry" Another girl joined the previous one and they both laughed, along with some more.

People would usually cry in such situations but Ira was known to handle such things in her own way.

She silently walked to the bucket containing water, which was used to dip the cloth and mop the floor. Both the girls walked behind her, thinking that she was now going to mop the floor but instead, she took up the bucket and poured the dirty water on their faces. Before they could recover from that and react, she took up the dirty cloth and stuck that to both of their faces, making them feel yucky. Other girls who stood witnessing everything, gasped and some laughed at the dirty funny faces of the bullies.

"OoOoo! Someone is looking yucky" Ira said, faking a polite tone and walked out of there, waving bye at them.

She directly went to the kitchen, washed her hands and asked the cook, "What should I do?"

"You are late, you lazy idiot. Asking what should I do? Cut these vegetables but before that, go get me a sack of rice from the store room" the lady who was supervising the orphan girls cooking, commanded.

Ira looked at her with wide eyes and asked, "Do you think I'm a superwoman, who would get you that huge sack all alone?"

"Listen, don't you dare argue..."

"Ira, Ma'am is calling you" a little girl came running and informed, cutting the head cook off.

"What did you do again?" A girl from the cooks asked, half wondering and half laughing.

"Nothing, sister. I never do anything" Ira curled her lips like an innocent kid and shook both her hands as no. She gave a mischievous smile to the head cook and ran out of the kitchen, more like dancing.

"She got an excuse to escape" the head cook commented, shaking her head.

"Don't worry, she'll be back with a bigger punishment" another lady said, making others laugh.

Every single person at the orphanage knows about Ira and the punishments she receives. There might not be a single day when she wasn't punished. But she wasn't sad about that nor she lets that affect her mood. She never loses her cool and accepts whatever task she is given as a punishment and tries to complete that by giving her best. She always gives herself hope that she would be going out of that place very soon and her sufferings were only temporary.

"May I come in, Ma'am?" She knocked on the door of the head lady, who runs the orphanage.

"Come in" came a rude voice and she went inside.

As expected, both the girls she threw water on were standing there, crying. Water dripping from their hair and clothes. A giggle escaped Ira's lips.

"Shut your mouth" yelled the head lady, making Ira actually shut her mouth with both her hands. Mary came in a hurry and stood beside the table, folding her hands in respect to the head lady. Somebody must have told her and she came running to take Ira's class, as she was in charge of her.

"There isn't a day since years I hadn't had her standing in my cabin. She never fails to cause trouble. She's is such a..." That lady stood up, hitting her hands fiercely on the wooden desk, making everyone flinch.

"Let me handle her, Ma'am" Mary came in between and twisted Ira's ears, making her scream in pain.

"Say sorry to them" she commanded, holding her ear tight.

"It wasn't my fault, Mary. They started it first" Ira defended herself, only to scream more loudly as Mary twisted her ear painfully. She turned to those girls who were smirking. She would have apologised if they looked sorry for what they did, but their smirk made her yell, "No. I won't apologize to them"

"Ira" Mary warned, still holding her ear between her thumb and index finger but she shook her head as no.

"She won't listen this way. She should be severely punished" the head lady interfered, spatting in anger.

"Yes, ma'am you are right. She should be punished. Ira, wash all the dirty dishes from dinner" Mary spoke before the head lady would announce the punishment.

"Again?" Ira asked. "I have received this punishment way too many times. I was expecting something different this time. I...." Ira whined but was cut off by the head lady, "Shut up! Mary, don't give her food tonight. Let her starve".

Ira looked at Mary helplessly, who was glaring at her like she was gonna eat her alive.

"Well.. this one is also nothing new" she murmured under her breath but everyone heard her.

"Get out of here. All of you" the head lady screamed. Those two girls ran out first, throwing a smirk at Ira, who was sadly dragging herself out.

"Served you right. Didn't I ask you not to make any mistake" Mary yelled, gripping her shoulders tight, once they walked out of the office.

"Sshhh!" Ira kept a finger on his lips and shushed, making Mary release her from her grip.

"What?"

"I need to save my energy till morning. Scold me tomorrow morning. Okay? Bye," she said in a whisper and walked away like a zombie.

"This girl! She's impossible" Mary cursed, hitting her head.

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Ira watched the kids, girls and elder ladies having dinner, which wasn't anything fancy. A few more girls were also there, who were punished and not given food. Their stomach was making grumbling sounds and they all looked sad.

"Girls, come here" Ira signalled them to follow her to the kitchen garden. They all did as said. She sat on the ground, followed by others.

"Let's imagine we are having a great meal in front of us" Ira said, licking her lips, making others do the same. They all looked down, imagining the empty ground containing many delicacies.

"Think of all the things you like," she said.

"You are increasing our hunger, Ira" a girl complained.

"You are not concentrating. Concentrate" Ira commanded, forcing the girl to look at the ground and imagine.

"Now let's start eating" she said, making everyone look at her like she was crazy, which she actually was. She stretched her hand and grabbed an imaginary plate. She started filling her plate with imaginary dishes. Everyone did as she did. She took an imaginary bite and moaned as if the meal was delicious. Others followed her and did the same.

"Rosy, pass me the salad," she said all of a sudden. The girl named Rosy chuckled and passed her an imaginary bowl. She took that and served herself. In no time, everyone started playing along, laughing like crazy, completely forgetting the fact that they were punished and starving.

This was Ira's mantra whenever she didn't get what she wanted or needed. She always imagines herself having everything she wishes for and tells herself that she is happy, ignoring her crying heart.

"I'm full," she said, convincing herself and others that they had a delicious dinner. She stood up and went to the kitchen. She gulped down two glasses of water and sighed, as her hunger subsided to an extent. Everyone did the same and laughed at their own childishness.

"What are you idiots laughing at? Remember you are punished. Go to sleep all of you, except you, Ira" a lady said, who was there to keep the dirty dishes. Everyone left and Ira stood leaning on the kitchen island.

The kids and staff members came one by one to keep their dirty plates and left the kitchen. Some girls stood beside Ira, who was probably asked to clean the dishes as a punishment for some mistake they made, just like Ira. They all looked at the pile of dirty plates, worried. Their tiny hands will not be enough to clean such big utensils.

"Start cleaning. Don't waste time dreaming" a lady from the staff scolded, standing behind to keep an eye, making sure no one from the girls not given food, doesn't steal or eat anything from the leftovers, which was barely there.

"This is nothing. You can do it very easily" Ira encouraged herself and started washing with other girls.

She shut her grumbling stomach with another glass of water while she was cleaning the utensils. They helped each other and completed washing everything. Everyone stood up tired and walked to their respective rooms, they shared with more girls of their age.

Ira's vision blurred on her way to her room. She stood leaning on a wall for a few seconds and regained her balance, breathing unevenly. She tiptoed to her room, which shared with 9 more girls. Only one of them was a little nice to her, whose name was Pinky. She locked the door slowly and turned to find Pinky wide awake.

"Why do you always land yourself in trouble?" Pinky asked in a whisper, lying on her mat.

"I don't land myself in trouble. Trouble finds its way to me" Ira whispered back, taking out a mat and spreading that on the floor beside Pinky. Grabbing a pillow, a torn blanket and her white-turned-cream-coloured teddy, she lay down.

"What did Mary say? Was she angry?" Pinky queried.

"Of course, she was. I don't know why she hates me so much" Ira mumbled, clutching the teddy on her stomach with both her hands to stop the grumbling sound.

"She doesn't hate you. She cares for you the most" Pinky defended.

Ira turned to face her and gave a look which said 'Are you even for real?'

"Trust me, she cares for you" Pinky said, turning to face Ira completely.

"Why do you have that misconception?" Ira asked, sniffling a yawn.

"The are many reasons. See, you are the only one who studies in a private school and..."

"Through my scholarship" Ira cut her off, speaking sleepily.

"Which was applied by Mary"

"That's because I score well..." Ira argued with half-closed eyes.

"You score well because Mary forces you to study. Otherwise, we all know you hate studying" Pinky giggled.

"Stop giving her so much credit" Ira turned to face the other side.

"That's the truth. She's trying so hard to send you abroad"

"She wants to get rid of me" Ira stated as a matter of fact, burying her in her teddy.

"She wants a better life for you" Pinky argued which annoyed Ira.

"Whatever. Lemme sleep" she mumbled and closed her eyes, irritated.

"Are you hungry?" Pinky asked after being quiet for a couple of minutes.

"No. I had more delicious food than you would have ever had" Ira replied proudly, licking her lips.

"You and your crazy imaginations" she heard Pinky say but didn't reply to anything. She was starving but she was used to it. In fact, everyone in that orphanage was used to it but Ira was the most experienced one.

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In a huge mansion, which screams luxury in every corner, there was silence and darkness all around. So silent that it looks like nobody lives there. But there lives a lonely soul, Ehan Sinha or just Ehan, as he likes to be called.

There was a lightest ray of light coming from a room upstairs, where papers, pencils, pens and markers were scattered on the floor, all around Ehan, who was completing his assignment in the middle of the night.

When he was done with the assignment, he collected all the papers together and pinned them to a file. Collecting all the scattered things, he placed them back in a drawer.

He made his way downstairs, walking in the haunting darkness. He went to the kitchen and turned on the light, thinking of preparing dinner for himself. He looked around, thinking of a dish. His eyes landed on the veggies. He grabbed a bell pepper and chopped it. Then he sliced a tomato and some olives. He cooked pasta salad for himself and sat on the huge dining table to eat. He slowly took a bite, looking at the plain walls, empty chairs, silent hall and the dark sky of London outside the closed windows.

He sighed unknowingly, bored of his loneliness. He played with the pasta, making circles on his plate with the fork, thinking of the things which hurt him the most. It's been 8 years since he met his father and 6 years since he saw his Mom. He doesn't remember when he met his elder brother. He had no friends. His fear of getting hurt made him separate himself from the world. He chose the solitary life and started feeling comfortable in that.

"Trust no one, expect nothing" was his motto.

He lost his appetite for those thoughts. He dropped the fork, took his plate and kept it in the refrigerator. Turning off the lights, he made his way back to his room.

Lying in bed and waiting for sleep to consume him didn't seem appealing as he was an insomniac, so he sat near the window, looking at the dark sky. There were no stars nor the moon in the sky, just like his life; silent and dark.

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Assalamualaikum everyone,

Here is the first chapter. Do tell me how it was.

Could anybody guess how Ira and Ehan are going to meet?

Please tell me about your opinions on this story.

Kindly vote, comment and share this book.