A strange unknowingly known girl with those long black wave stands in front of me, with her back in my view. My breath halts as I take a step back.

What I am seeing? Why I am seeing this?

Her sobs fill the room choking me, making me fight for my next. The war is going outside as I can see her shivering, for once I want to hug her tight, tell her it's gonna be alright. As if she heard she turns around and I lost the last breath left in me.

Her face is turned blue and black, black patches covered her body. Someone that beaten her with no mercy. Her honey-brown eyes seem lifeless to me, as the winds stopped their tracks as they witness the destruction, I stepped back.
    The girl seems broken to me, then slowly she walks past me, taking out my old scalpel.

No, stop her my mind screams, but I didn't, let her died, let her end her pain, my heart whispers.

Then slowly blood slides out of her left wrist. For she had sinned, as she turns I let my tears fall as the universe cries along.

The broken girl resembles my mirror image. A girl of hardly eighteen springs who has lost all her hope.

And then she screams as the sky roars along, a scream of betrayal, a roar of the pain, of agony. A scream left my lips.

A scream left my lips as I sit up straight on my bed, drenched in sweat, panting as if someone was choking me for long. Then I heard it again, the scream, the roar.

And as another roar strikes the land I shiver, whispering something I don't make sense about. No, no please go away.

My world crumbles down near my feet as the sky pours its heart out in my pain. Slowly I turn my left wrist, and it's there, Pheonix, the inked skin, the scar. I sucked my breath as I cease it softly, closing my eyes tightly.

For everything had ended but the scream still haunts me. I bite my lips trying to control my sob. Khwashish Raizada doesn't cry over the past.

A decade had passed but the pain, the scream had stayed. The scenes play a troll before my eyes again, the whips, Baba beating me to death, Maa cursing me, and then I heard it, Armaan calling me by names.

Another scream passed among the winds carrying the years of pain in them. The taunts still whisper somewhere in the air making my heart bleed, the whipping pangs. I am losing my sanity again.

I bring my knee near my chest hugging them tightly. As a clue my phone rings, I bring it out from under my pillow.

4.30 AM. It says. Ansh calling. I gulped my tears as I receive the call, only to hear his pants.
I am not the only one.

"Khwab" He whispers as if trying to catch the last breath as if fighting for the last air before drowning into the deep sea, the deep sea of pain and suffering, the sea where the demons are coming from.

"Ansh" I whisper as if I am trying to float in the sea of agony.

And then slowly, silence engulfs us, breezes slow down, the hushed screams started to fade away as I can feel my breath back, I can feel him getting his breath back. To say that we were those vagabonds ruined under the strain of life, but we found each other in such a way that's an edge to say, retiring to the place where we had to come every time.

In the sea full of pain, we are each others' ashore of relief. A sob left my lips as I can feel him in pain.

"It's gonna be fine when you get back to me." He said, assuring us both.

For the first time in ages, I got this nightmare, for the first time in years he got it too.

I shouldn't have come here, for I have left my home alone. And know we are suffering.

"I want to hug you," I whisper.

Silence engulfs us again for the next moments, for how long I don't know until I heard the birds chirping the first rays visiting the earth as the dawn is here.

The breezes pass softly now, the storm had passed, my heartbeats seem normal as he asks me to lay down. 
       I did, hearing his smooth breath I close my eyes and drifted away to the beautiful thoughts of a guy with dark brown eyes, with nineteen tattoos, with the devilish smiles, the untamed hairs and that aura of a king.
     All mine, for an eternity.

18th February

5.30 PM

The breezes pass as I sigh. Everything around is the same as yesterday morning but then again I know the truth better, nothing is the same. The friendship I cherished for years was now walking on the thin line of anchor and freight. I sighed again, the nightmare I thought were gone are making their presence know.

Now as I drive through these unknown roads, I furrowed. I never thought they will change their place but they did. People change their address when they can't live with the old ones. I did the same. Hell, I changed everything after that they just changed their address.

Even the thought of meeting the Mallick family brings bile to my mouth, I am not at all fan of them. As the map indicates my arrival at the destination, I stopped the engine and sat in the car for some time.

Calming my nerves, looking around for a few minutes. The locality of not some which I am much fond of, the houses almost attached to one another, my claustrophobic self can never stay there for more than five minutes, but then again, Tanveer Ali is my friend and I can do anything for my friends.

From my rear mirror, I can see the family black BWM entering the alley, I unbuckled my seat belt as I step out of my corolla. I locked my car not before having a look at myself in the side mirror. Dressed in white chinkanri salwar with the heavy dupatta and these pieces of jewellery, I look elegant, just like Maa wanted me to, Baba would have loved my look today. I sighed. Whenever it comes to the Mallick family Baba came to my mind, that man I hated with my life, looked thoroughly the Family for me.

Abeera was the first one to step out of their car, I smiled a sad smile taking her in a hug. She engulfs me and in that hug, I can feel her pain for once, the pain of unrequited love.

"I want to go to Mumbai for my internship. Can I come with you?" She asked with a determination in her eyes.

A thing I love about Abeera, she never let others walk on her. She may have a part reserved for Tanveer but she never let it hamper her career or studies. Even now when we were only a few steps away from a pain that will break her heart into millions of pieces she chose to think about the good things.

I smiled nodding my head and she whispers, "Love can wait right?"

"Yes but career won't" I replied.

Tanveer came from behind but I chose to ignore him, I care for him but he had hurt me. His eyes hold those unsung tales, a pang of guilt, a pain too known to me.

Amma passed me a small smile and suddenly I feel guilty. What am I doing? If the alliance gets fixed today, their lives would be ruined in ashes. If it doesn't people will question them. Either way, the damage is bound to happen.

Walking inside my feet halts at the raised steps, for once my heart screams to run back. I was never welcomed here, am I now? I gulped. Even if I try some pains remain there, a scar deep in the heart, especially for people like me who hold their self-respect above all.

I gulped again closing my eyes, Abeera puts her hand on my shoulder her furrowed eyes past her worrying look. But I still couldn't find myself crossing the threshold of their residence. This is not a good idea.

"Khwahish let's go inside they must be waiting for us." No one will be ever waiting for me here, no one. I gulped when the realisation hits me like an ice bucket was poured on me. For I have never entered someone's room without knocking, not even my parents and here I am standing on the doorsteps of the house who had never wished for me.

Ahold on my left arm brings me back to the present, I turn towards the figure, a soft smile plays on her lips. The familiar curls are one put in a bun today. The black eyes shine as her familiar arms welcome me to her home. Her home, made out of my broken pieces.

A home of my broken self, a home I made for them, a home that was supposed to be mine. The walls scream my name as I am bringing a storm here, I am wrecking a home of betrayals. I smiled as she brings me inside. No hugs no words. I am still not welcome here. A sad smile.

Stepping inside the hall, I look around, mismatched curtains, loud coloured walls, too loud for my liking. Anything in Mallick residence was not of my liking, they always have a loud taste. A realization hits me, I was never the one for them, they weren't for me.

Abeera squeezes my shoulder bringing me back from my heeds, eyeing me to the scene that unfolds before me. The winds stopped as the end is near.

A soft whisper comes to my ear, "Let the war end now, Khwahish." I closed my eyes for I know, Simran Mallick had been my last pawn, and as she steps into the last box, she turns into my knight. A knight who will be made me call the check next.

For I know, a queen will win the game if the pawn and knight play the right bait at the right time, mine is here.

Kyuki shatranj ki akhiri chal mein, sheh bhi meri maat bhi.