The bus conductor yelled the stop name and she jumped up from her seat with her three heavy bags. Her co passenger, a middle aged man helped her with the third bag. She thanked the man and the conductor as she stepped down from the bus and entered the new town, hoping to start the new journey of her life.

Two days back, her worst nightmare had become a reality. The test result confirmed her suspicion. She was pregnant - with the devil's child.

She still couldn't believe she had outsmarted the devil and escaped. Perhaps, his mistake was that he had lowered his guard. He underestimated her, he thought she would never think of an escape, but she did. Not for herself but for the child. She still had no answer if she loved the baby that was growing in her womb but she knew that no child deserves him as the father. Moreover, he doesn't deserve to be called a father and to be a nurturer. Every child looks at their father with a spark in their eyes, almost like looking at a superhero. He doesn't deserve the unconditional love of a child.

She looked at the address on the paper, which directed her to walk a few minutes more. She felt there were eyes on her but when she looked around, she couldn't find anyone particularly looking at her. She covered her head and face with her red scarf and looked down as she started walking towards the direction of the address. She didn't want to risk anyone finding her.

She looked at the paper to confirm the address and indeed, it was this house. The house looked a decent size of two storeys. She rang the door bell but no response.

She knocked on the door.
Once.
Twice.
Thrice.

But noone opened the door. She panicked if the address was right or not and just when she was about to step away, the door opened.
She was so glad for the door to open! If not for this house, where would she go?

There stood an old lady in her 60s in a modest cotton saree. She was on the heavier side. Her hair tied in a bun and a round rimmed glasses for her vision to be clear.

"Mrs. Sharma?"

"Pari Madam?" The lady pointed at her to confirm. She nodded her head to answer and removed the scarf that covered her head and face.

Mrs. Sharma smiled at her and asked her to come in. She took in the look of this girl who was going to stay as a paying guest at her home.

She was as beautiful as her name. An angel. Her smooth wheatish skin, the thick black hair which comes a little below her shoulder and the elegant white kurta. She was not the conventional beauty we'd picture when we say "beautiful girl" but the kind that leaves people stunned when they see her.

Pari entered the house and dragged the bags with her. She looked around the house which was small but had a homely feel to it. It reminded her of her own home which was long left back.

"Sorry, I know my home is small but I will try to make your stay as comfortable as possible." Mrs.Sharma said when she noticed Pari staring at her living room.

"It's beautiful. Your home...it's beautiful." Pari turned back and replied. "And you don't need to apologise for anything. I am grateful that you took me in."

"It's not a problem, Madam. Please take a seat. I will bring water for you." Pari could see the tension on Mrs. Sharma's face as she rushed into her kitchen before Pari could say anything.

A moment later, Mrs. Sharma came with a glass of water, offered it to Pari and stood there.

"Please take a seat." Pari didn't want Mrs. Sharma to feel uncomfortable in her own home because of her. She felt like a burden already.

"Mrs. Sharma, Please don't feel uncomfortable in your own home on my account. You are letting me stay here is a big thing. And please call me Pari."

"Then you have to call me aunty." She smiled looking at Pari. It was a sad smile, full of pity. Pari was familiar with these emotions in people's eyes for her. There were only two emotions in people's eyes when they looked at Pari - either of envy or of pity. She hated the look of pity in people's eyes for her. She would rather prefer they be envious of her rather than look at her as a charity case.

The next half an hour, aunty made her aware about the living arrangements and filled in the details of the town and asked her if she had any specific requirements to which Pari denied. Pari noticed the magic of calling people informally. Till the time, aunty addressed her as Madam and Pari called her Mrs. Sharma, aunty behaved very formally and talked a few words but now it seems aunty is opening up to her.

Aunty took her upstairs to show her the room, finding it difficult to climb the stairs. She talked about how she stopped living in the room upstairs years ago and shifted to the one room on the ground floor due to her knee pain. Pari nodded the entire time listening to the story.

On the first floor, there were two rooms opposite each other. Aunty knocked on the door and it was opened by a young girl in her twenties. She wore a black tank top and shorts. Her hair resembled a bird's feather due to her pink highlights. She gave a tight lipped smile to aunty but didn't smile at Pari once.

"This is the new guest I was talking about. She will stay here with us. Beta, help her to shift her bags in the room." Aunty said to the girl. Pari waited for the introduction part but aunty just left. The old woman had forgotten to introduce them! And to top it all, Pari hated introducing herself and having the initial conversation.

The young girl didn't look too happy with her arrival here. She just stared at Pari from top to bottom, noticing her dress and light yet expensive jewellery she wore. A moment later, she forwarded her hand and said, "I am Nia," in the most rude tone ever.

"Okay." replied Pari and turned her back to move the bags in the room.
She was in no mood to start anything but the girl's unnecessary tone and attitude didn't go well with her. She knew how to handle them and press the right buttons.

She heard Nia hiss the word "bitch." Well, it's a good start. She didn't plan to grow close to anyone. Not in this home, nor in this town.

She didn't understand Nia's coldness towards her. They were meeting for the first time, she could have been nicer. She shrugged it off, took her bags in the room and shut the door when she heard Nia yell, "People introduce themselves, you mannerless girl!"

Pari chose to ignore the girl outside and looked at her new room. It had a very old vibe to it with a minimal interior. There was a small window, a bed and a wooden cupboard and two random frames hanging on the wall. The entire night she arranged some of her stuff in the cupboard. By the end of it, she was exhausted and took her sleeping pills to doze off.

The bright sunrays peeking through the curtain woke her up. She was grateful for a really nice sleep after so long. When she went downstairs in the kitchen, she saw the rude girl, Nia, making an omlette.

Nia looked up to see the last face she wanted to - the new girl. Nia scrunched her face, "Aunty has gone out for a walk and groceries. She waited for you to get up but she didn't know you wake up late!" There was a taunt in her voice which Pari was familiar with. It was how her aunt used to taunt her. "Maharani Ji! Always getting up late." Even though it would be just 8.30 AM.

"You need to make your own breakfast. Don't eye my breakfast." Nia warned.

"Okay. By the way, my name is Pari." It was a new day and she wanted bygones to be bygones . Plus, Pari realised it was very rude on her part to not introduce herself at all.

Nia looked at her weirdly and said, "Huh, you seem more like a witch!"

Pari pursed her lips, trying not to smile. Everybody she had ever met always commented on her name but very few people had called her a witch. Nia reminded her a lot of her aunt who had the same thoughts on her. She used to say "Naam Pari hai par hai chudail." (Her name is Pari but she is a witch)

"Maybe next time, try to come up with something new. I have heard this a lot." Pari said to Nia.

Nia rolled her eyes and muttered "whatever" and went to the living room. Pari looked around in the kitchen, trying to locate where could sugar and tea powder be. It's been atleast a year or two since she made anything by herself. There was always the staff at her disposal.

A few minutes later, the bell rang and Pari's heartbeat dropped. She stood at her place, afraid that they found her. Her breathing became fast and sweat formed on her forehead. She hide herself more in the corner and controlled her sob.

"Pari, Pari," Pari sighed a relief when she heard Mrs. Sharma's voice. It slipped her mind that Nia had mentioned about Mrs. Sharma going out in the morning. She took deep breaths, calmed herself and replied, "coming, I am in the kitchen."

As she went in the living room, she saw Mrs.Sharma with bags of groceries. "This is everything according to your taste and diet. You sit for sometime, I will get you the salad quickly."

Nia was wide-eyed the entire time. It was the first time she had seen aunty preparing food for the paying guest! She was always suspicious about the new guest who was coming to stay here. Aunty had never vacated that room Pari is staying before. And now, she has bought groceries and preparing breakfast for this witch.

Nia had stayed here for one and a half years, and whenever someone new wanted to stay here, aunty had called them before atleast twice for an interview and had inquired from others in the neighborhood as well but with this new guest, there was no interview or an inquiry. Why would the owner of the house prepare food for the paying guest? Aunty has only done it for Nia only once when she was sick otherwise, she has to prepare her portion daily.

Feeling Nia's curious gaze on them, aunty and Pari looked at her. Aunty tried to justify cooking for the guest by saying she must be tired from all the travelling yesterday, so she is preparing the breakfast for Pari. But Pari was already feeling burdened under aunty's generosity, she can't let aunty cook for her. Pari denied aunty and told her that she will cook her own food.

There was something more to this new person staying here. The way aunty acts towards her was not usual. She wasn't any of aunty's relative as well.

Nia reached a conclusion that she can't just be a paying guest. Then who was she?

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8/01/23

Hello guys,

The first chapters are always difficult for me to write! And I am still figuring how to go about the story.

PLEASE VOTE AND COMMENT :)