Nia observed Pari over the next few days and it wasn't much since Pari didn't do anything more than cooking and staying in her room. She had not seen Pari step out of this house at all. If she required anything from outside, she used to request Mrs.Sharma for it. She wondered how someone could voluntarily stay inside and not step out at all?

Pari, on the other hand, had the fear of getting caught and being dragged into her old hell. Her plan was to hide in this house. But how long was it possible for her?

She suddenly felt the urge to puke and she ran out of her room to the basin that was shared by her and Nia. She pushed Nia, who was brushing her teeth, sideways and puked.

"What the hell!" Nia was about to say more when she saw Pari puking. Nia helped Pari by pulling her hair back.

"Thanks." Pari said and went back to her room.

Nia found this instance repeating a few more times in the morning. Whenever she was about to brush or in the middle of brushing her teeth, Pari had spoilt her morning by vomitting in the basin.

"What does she eat that she needs to puke on most mornings?" Once Nia asked Mrs.Sharma, completely irritated at Pari.

Just when Mrs. Sharma was about to speak, they saw Pari approaching them on the breakfast table. It was a first! Pari had never come to have breakfast with them. She would usually make tea for herself and go back to her room.

For Pari, it was still awkward to share a house with two strangers. All her life, she was either with her family or the house she was married into, but never with strangers who she didn't share any relationship with.

Mrs. Sharma enquired about her health and if she wants anything specific. Pari just shook her head in denial. Mrs. Sharma smiled warmly and put her hand on Pari's head assuring her that if she needs anything, she just needs to ask. Pari smiled a small smile at her warmth. Pari was the one to talk less and very few people understood that this is her nature and not her being rude to them.

Nia stared at Pari a few seconds, her eyes staring holes in Pari like a bullet. Then, she looked at Mrs. Sharma and asked, "Why didn't you let my friend stay here? My friend was ready to pay the rent, she would have looked after herself and would have never bothered you. Here, she wakes up late, doesn't buy her own groceries or cooks her own breakfast and you accept her tantrums but you are very strict with me and others who were here before." Nia couldn't control herself and let out her complaints. Usually, aunty was very strict about her rules but it seems like Pari was an exception. And due to Pari, aunty had rejected Nia's friend's application to stay here.

"Nia, this is my home. I decide who stays here and who doesn't. She needs this place more than anyone. End of the discussion." Aunty sternly spoke to Nia.
An angry Nia got up from there and left them.

To Pari, it didn't matter if Nia liked her or not. It was the last thing she needed to think about. She was not the person who needed validation from others. Having a roof over her head and a safe place was all she needed.

**

For Pari, it was hard for her to spend time in this new house. She had locked herself in the room. She was paranoid to go out and get caught. She tried to be sane for herself and the child but now, the walls of the room had started to mock her. The loneliness was driving her crazy. There was no one she could talk about what was in her mind. She already felt like a liability for Mrs.Sharma and wouldn't want to burden the old soul more with her problems. The other girl - Nia had some animosity towards her. Pari had no phone to talk to anyone back home.

Not just the house, this town was new to her. She had to leave her city - the only home she knew since her birth because of the devil. She had started to miss her city where she was born and brought up, spent her good and the worst days of her life, where she learnt that life can be good as well as cruel. She had known most routes of her city, the famous stalls and shops. She missed everything. She was homesick. But there was no one left who she could call her home. Her home was shattered. A vile and cruel, cruel man had shattered her home, her life and nobody saved her. She was going to carry this grudge towards everyone, all her life. She was supposed to be saved by someone but nobody came for help. Her cry for help was unheard. Not just by the people but by God as well.

She washed her face and looked at herself in the mirror. This face - which people called beautiful - was unrecognisable to her. She didn't recognise this person, nor did she find it beautiful. There was no mirth in her eyes and she had long forgotten to smile. Then how was this called beautiful?

People and their definition of words were really screwed. 'Beautiful' is not a skin colour or the features of the face, it's the heart and happiness reflected on the face. The more lively the person is, the more beautiful he or she is. She often wondered what heinous crime she had done to live this wretched life?
Her head replayed all the times she had been 'bad' but her punishment was way bigger and cruel than any of her acts.

Was she punished with this life because she was ungrateful to her family? Was it because she hated how middle class her financial conditions were? Was it because she dreamt of riches? Was it because she never valued her people?

Ugh! Her head was hammering with these thoughts and she wanted to cry out loud but all she did was scream in the pillow and silenced her cries.

***

For the sake of her sanity, since the past three days, she had started joining Mrs. Sharma and Nia in the living room during evening and have her dinner with them while they all watched TV.

Pari was hardly interested in the boring serials that Mrs.Sharma watched with great interest but the noise helped her keep away from her own thoughts. From evening 7.30 pm to 9 pm, Mrs. Sharma watched all the melodramatic serials whereas from 9 pm to 10 pm, it was Nia's turn and she usually chose movies or music. Truth to be told, Pari would choose Nia's choices over Mrs.Sharma's serials anyday. Today, Mrs. Sharma asked Pari if she wanted to watch anything but Pari denied her.

The bell rang and Nia went to open the door. She talked in hushed voices and went outside the house to talk to whoever was on the door. She came back to the house in an irritated mood and sat on the couch beside Pari.
The bell rang again and Nia repeated the same thing. The third time it happened, aunty asked Nia what was the matter.

"Actually, a college friend of mine asked me out on a date a week back and I denied him but now he is just being adamant and he is on the door asking me the reasons. He just can't a simple no." Nia said defeated and tired from all the times she explained to him.

"Nia, I am here with you. This time, don't step out of the house, just tell him a stern no and close the door. We will complain if he does it one more time."

Pari sat on the couch silently and didn't get up from there to go to the door with Nia and aunty. She heard faint voices of Nia talking to the guy and shutting the door. As they both sat on the couch, the bell rang again. Both Nia and aunty were miffed. "This guy! I will slap him this time." Nia and aunty got up from their place as aunty said, "We will complain about him. He will not dare come back."

"Wait." Pari spoke for the first time in the matter. "I will speak to him." Both Nia and aunty looked at each other, unsure of what they just heard.
"Beta, he is just a college kid...we will handle him. You don't bother."

Just a college kid? She remembered what 'just a college kid' had done to her.

"Aunty, Nia, I will speak to him." With that she walked towards the door and opened it, while the other two housemates were right behind her.

Pari crossed her arms and stared at the college kid. Her eyes clearly showed her anger and irritation.

"I want to talk to Nia." The guy said.

"She doesn't want to talk to you." Pari replied in a  rude tone.

"And who are you?" The boy arrogantly questioned.

"I am her cousin. Her elder sister. She doesn't want to talk to you and that's all that should matter. Now, get out from here and I shouldn't be seeing you after Nia at all." Her tone was so cold that the boy gulped at her words. She truly behaved like the b*tch Nia thought of her. But the boy stood rooted to his place despite the insult.

Pari stepped out of the house and took the boy in the corner and talked to him. Nia and aunty couldn't hear the conversation but within a few minutes, they saw the boy folding hands and going away on his bike.

As Pari entered the house again, both the ladies were stunned to process what just happened. Nia went to Pari with hesitant steps and sat beside her on the couch. How do you thank the person who you detested till a few moments back? How do you acknowledge that they have done good for you without their own  benefit?

"Thank you Pari." Her name 'Pari' still sounded odd to Nia.

"The next time he or anyone bothers you, just tell me." Pari said. She knows what it is like when a guy can't take a rejection. And she wouldn't want any girl to be facing this, ever.

"Thanks again, Pari. I really appreciate it." Nia said and for the first time, Pari smiled at Nia.

At night, when Nia had gone to her room and it was just Mrs.Sharma and Pari in the living room, Mrs. Sharma asked Pari out of curiosity, "I didn't think you would help Pari. I mean she didn't like you at all. So why did you help her?"

"Aunty, There were moments when I had wished for someone to help me but nobody did. If today, I can be of help to someone, I want to help them, irrespective of whether they like me or not." Pari said.

*******

27/01/2023

Sorry for the late update !!
I promise for the next update to be sooner.

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