Tiara Qaleesya

I had met the Sorrens family for the first time this evening when I returned to their home after my eye surgery. But I had felt like I was in a daze from the time I had entered their house till this moment as I was seated in my room in their house that night. Of course I could recognize my husband! There is no problem with my eyesight. And I was not hallucinating Darien. Daniel is Darien... my Darien. There is no doubt about that. My Darien was right here, so near to me. Yet he is not mine. From where had he gotten this family that was not his own? No one knew him and his family better than me. His father had been ready to dump him in an orphanage. It had been my parents who had stopped him and offered to adopt Darien. But my parents should have noticed Darien's younger brother, Raymond, as well. Then, Ray... my Rats... would have surely become a better person, and all of us would have been a perfect happy family. Unfortunately, that was never meant to be.

I sighed. What a lovely family Darien had now! An affectionate Dad, a doting Mom, adoring sisters, and lastly a loving wife. How had Darien become Daniel and become a part of this family? Darien had always been reserved, thoughtful and intense; but now he had become self-centred and arrogant, pampered by this family. His voice was coarse unlike before, perhaps due to the injuries he sustained in the accident two years ago. That accident snatched away his memory and landed him in the midst of this family. But what was their intention of bringing him into their house and showering him with all their love and care? I had to know....

I smiled at my daughter, who was sleeping peacefully next to me on the bed, hugging my hand. She had been right... she had been right all the while. Mila had identified her Daddy but it was I who had refused to believe her.

I cautiously got up, placing a pillow where my hand had been, so Mila would be able to sleep hugging the pillow. I left my room and heard Daniel and Rina having an argument in the kitchen as usual.

"Excuse me, you're scolding me? Did you forget that I'm your elder brother?" demanded Daniel.

"Nope, but you'll be in trouble if I tell Mom this," retorted Rina.

"Oh really? I've already told Mom, you know!"

Rina narrowed her eyes at Daniel as I walked into the kitchen. Daniel grinned and walked out of the kitchen without uttering another word upon noticing me.

I smiled at Rina, before asking, "Is there a day you guys don't quarrel?"

"Nope!" chirped Rina, "We love irritating each other."

"Wow! So have you and Daniel always been like this?" Of course her answer would be no! Her answer would be the proof that their Daniel was my Darien.

"Yup, we've always been like this!" No way, she had to be lying! "Well, of course I can't remember if we used to fight since I was a baby. But I remember once when I was 7, that was like twelve years ago, Mom and Dad went out, leaving the three of us, Isma, Danny and I at home one night. Danny and I were so bored of watching TV, we started irritating each other. We ended up running all over the house and Danny ended up in Mom and Dad's room. And he accidentally locked the door but couldn't unlock it. He was stuck in the room and none of us could open the door from the outside. So we waited till Mom and Dad came and they had to break down the lock. Danny and I really got scolded for that." Rina laughed.

I forced myself to smile. Rina spoke so easily that what she said had to be true. But twelve years ago, Darien was definitely under my parent's care. He certainly could not have been here. Then, how was he here now under the identity of Daniel?

"You know, Tiara, I'm so used to quarrelling with Daniel. I used to get irritated whenever we quarrelled before. But when he got hit by a bus in that accident two years ago, all I wished was that he would come back alive. I still loved my brother no matter how much I hated him for irritating me. That's why, now when we quarrel, I actually enjoy it. Because I'd rather have him here quarrelling with me than see him hurt and lifeless like he was for months after that accident. He really suffered a lot. It was a terrible accident." Rina sighed before saying, "Alright, Tiara, I gotta go. I have to prepare for a presentation tomorrow."

"Alright, Rina, good luck with it!" I said before she walked out of the kitchen.

***

The next day morning, I was seated in the living room and was talking to Aunt Laura, Daniel's Mom, about general matters when Daniel walked into the living room.

"Morning, Mom! I'm going to office. Be back as usual in the evening," said Daniel.

"Alright, son. Take care and drive safely." replied Aunt Laura.

As Daniel left, Narissa went to see him till the door. I decided to use this opportunity to ask Aunt Laura about Daniel since I was alone with her.

"Aunt Laura, you know Daniel doesn't look like you at all? He looks very different, unlike Isma and Rina," I said diplomatically.

"Yeah, he doesn't look like me at all," answered Aunt Laura. Yes, the truth was gonna come out now. Come on, say it, Aunt Laura!

"He looks like his father, doesn't he?" asked Aunt Laura, after a moment of silence. Huh? What? No way! He was Darien! The similarities surely had to be coincidence!

As I remained silent, Aunt Laura spoke, "He used to look different before. He had an accident two years ago so he had to have a plastic surgery on his face after that. Before the accident, everyone used to say he looks just like me."

Plastic surgery? My husband looked just like he always had, except for the light scars on his face, which were still in the process of fading. But what were all these stories they were telling me? Only one person could answer me... Isma. According to Daniel, she stayed at the hospital all day and night looking after him. Isma would know the answer to all my questions. How easily she had changed the identity of my husband Darien Caruso to her brother Daniel Sorrens!

***

That afternoon, Aunt Laura was having a light nap. I decided this was the best time for me to talk to Isma. I knocked on her room door. She opened it within a minute.

"Hey, Tiara! Come in," said Isma, before walking over to the cot near the bed where Neil was sleeping peacefully.

I walked over to the cot and smiled, seeing the slight smile on her baby's face as he was sleeping.

"He just slept, is it?" I asked.

"Yup, a few minutes ago. I was on the phone after that. So how may I help you, Tiara?" inquired Isma.

"Nothing much. I was just bored," I answered.

"Oh, okay."

I looked around at all the medicine related books on the table, before saying, "Aunt Laura was telling me that Daniel had a plastic surgery after an accident two years ago. Were his injuries that terrible?"

Isma froze. All the colour drained from her face as she stammered, "Yeah... yeah, it was bad."

I smiled. Isma certainly had the answer to my questions.

As I was about to question her, the door to her room swung open. Rina sprinted into the room and turned to Isma, exclaiming, "Sis! Guess what?"

As Rina chattered to Isma about an incident at her college that morning, my chance of finding the answers to my questions about Darien was lost. For now.

***

That night, I was lying in bed, unable to sleep. There was a newfound peace within me. Darien was living a happy life now, free of worries and fears, unlike before. Though I was not a part of his present life, this was the best life he could have ever got. But if he ever remembers his past, it will hurt him more than it hurts me now. Despite standing before him, how could he fail to remember me or our daughter?

I smiled as I remembered the first time I had met Darien as an adult four years ago. It was because of Rats. Rats had been in my life from the time I can remember.

The first time I met Rats, I was just 6 years old. I was standing outside our neighbour's house with my parents, bored. It was after the funeral of our neighbour's wife. Dad was talking to our neighbour about adopting his son, Darien, instead of sending him to an orphanage. I heard a baby crying inside the house but no one here seemed to even hear the baby's pitiful cries. I looked at my Mom; she was too busy discussing with Dad about adopting that boy named Darien, who was my neighbour's son. I ducked and darted into the house without anyone noticing. The baby was still crying but there was no one near him.

"Aww baby, don't cry. Are you crying because your mommy's not here to give you milky?" I asked, before taking the bottle of milk placed on the table and putting the nipple into his mouth, "It's okay! I'll be your mommy, sister, friend and everything you'll ever need from now."

The baby started sucking the milk; his name was Raymond.

Raymond had lost his mother as a baby. His father kept him in his house but never had time for him being a workaholic. Being an only child, I found a friend in him. We spent all our time together. We played a lot together and that's how we nicknamed each other. Like Tom and Jerry, he was Rats (Jerry) and I was Meow (Tom). As we grew older, our fondness for each other intensified.

The first time I met Darien as an adult, I never thought he was the man I would marry. Yes, our marriage was arranged by my parents but I had met Darien a month before my parents arranged our marriage. I smiled as I reminisced my first meeting with Darien. I had not even recognized that he was the Darien my parents had adopted.

"Tia, I'm keeping my bag under your bed!" called out Rats.

"Under my bed? What for?" I replied while standing in the shower.

"I'll tell you later, just make sure no one opens it!" called out Rats again.

"Okie!" I answered.

After having my shower, I was dressed and air-drying my hair. As I was humming my favourite song, I felt a movement behind me. I spun around and saw him snooping around my room.

"Hey! Who are you? What are you doing inside my room?" I demanded.

The guy turned to face me, obviously shocked as he hadn't noticed me earlier.

"Hey, sorry..." the guy stuttered realizing his mistake.

"What do you mean by sorry? Will you just barge into anyone's room? Is this your house to snoop around like this?" I fired questions at him.

"Hey hey shh... please don't shout. I'm a detective. I saw someone escaping through the window of this room."

"Hello, this is my room! Nobody comes into my room without my permission!"

"No, I'm sure he came here!" The guy walked across my room, looking around.

As he was just about to check under the bed, I quickly sat on my bed. "I'm telling you no one came here. You still won't leave?"

"Excuse me, I wanna check under the bed. I'll leave if I find nothing under your bed."

"I'm not gonna move. What will you do?"

The guy gritted his teeth before saying, "You don't recognize me. You'll regret this."

He strode out of the room. He was Darien Caruso. And the next time I met him was after my parents had already decided that I was going to marry him.

A few hours later, Rats entered my room again.

I pulled out the bag he had hidden under my bed. I handed it to him saying, "Here. I don't know what's inside it and I don't wanna know. But I want this to be the last time you do this. If someone comes searching inside my room again, I won't hide whatever you're trying to hide."

To be continued...