Chapter 9: chapter 9

                     I could still hear the shouts "You are an emotional fool" in chorus all over. I covered my ears with my hands tightly to avoid the voices reaching my ear drums but all in vain. "No., I am not", I screamed and parted my eye lids in a jerk. On contemplating, I realised I was on my bed at my home. I sighed.Ayu and Yash came running towards me hearing my voice. "Are you okay?", they were so concerned. "I am not fine", I broke down. "I can't see you like this", Ayu walked to the window wiping his teary eyes. "I will kill that bastard. How dare he do this to you?", Yash said clenching his teeth.I couldn't say anything except letting it out."Yash, let's go and show him his place", Ayu was furious. "Come on", Yash agreed and got up to leave."We were supposed to do that earlier but looking at your condition we held ourselves back", Ayu ran his hands over his face. "Otherwise, we would have smashed his face then and there ", added Yash."No, you are going nowhere", I exclaimed clearing my teary eyes."Oh, please.. Now don't tell me you still like him and all that crap", Yash sneered. "Like him? Bullshit! I would love to die instead of thinking about him that way now", I gave back."It's just that I don't want you both to behave awfully like him and then regret later", I kept my point."But, what he did to you was utter shit", Yash and Ayu unisoned. "It's his Karma", I concluded."Still..", Ayu tried to convince me. "It was my fault too. I trusted him blindly. So, here on, this topic is closed", I wiped my tears from the back of my hand. "I can't believe how we always end up agreeing with you", Ayu murmured."Don't worry, you have us", Yash said and they both hugged me from either side. *Ding Dong*We heard a door bell. Yash went downstairs and I heard some familiar voices.Mumma and Dad??Damn!I looked at Ayu. "What?? I didn't do anything!!", he lifted his hands in the air in defense. I tried to get down but my head was still spinning. I sat still pushing myself back towards the headboard. "Why are you not answering my calls since last evening?", dad entered. I could sense his tension and worry.Oh, no! I haven't charged my phone yet. Before I could say anything, he got more nervous about seeing my condition."What happened to you?", he sat near me.I tried to pretend as normal as I could but looking at mumma and dad, I couldn't control my emotions and I ended up striking everything."Who is that disgraceful man? How dare he do this to my Aashi?", dad roared in anger.Before I could stop him, mumma did my job. "Are you serious? Look at her, let her recover and then we will see", mumma chimed in. "Recover? My daughter is a tigress. She has the ability to conquer the world", dad said kissing my forehead."I agree. You will be fine.", said mumma cupping my face."Ayu, call the doctor", mumma turned to him. Doctor?Of course! She will only be able to breathe once the doctor declares me fit as a fiddle. "Chachi.. Dr. Anjali came and already examined her last evening when we bought her home", Ayu informed mumma."What did she say beta?", she queried. "She fainted due to stress and her low Blood pressure issue. Plus, she had a mild fever. Rest, all good.", Ayu answered calming her down."Haan! Thank god, you both were there with her", she smiled. "You will be fine. We are here", she fondled my head. "Just remember one thing, you are not at fault", she added. I nodded.I was feeling blessed to have these people around me, who genuinely cared for me.I saw Yash talking to dad in sign languages.They all headed downstairs. I asked Yash to wait, who was hiding his sight from me."Idiot, wait",  I voiced. "What?", he replied looking everywhere, but me. "You were the one to inform mumma and dad right, didn't you?", I queried though I was sure that he was the one who called them here just to make me feel better."No..why would I?", he pretended."Shut up!", I replied."You are feeling better, aren't you?", he asked with a smile."Thanks..", I tried to smile. "Don't fake your smile. Thank me once you get your genuine smile back", he squeezed my hands. He knows me so well! "And make it fast duffer, we can't see you like this", he added giving me a peck on my forehead.I smiled.Days flew. But the thing within me didn't change a bit. I still feel like I can't face anyone in college.In fact, I just don't want to.It's been almost a week, I didn't attend the classes. Only because of me, Yash and Ayu were also missing their classes. I asked them to attend but the only thing they say is "Not without you".I am noticing mom, dad, Ayu and Yash since last one week. They don't smile just because I don't. They don't have food properly just because I don't.Dad was avoiding his work just because I was not fine.Mumma seemed worried all the time just because I was low.Ayu and Yash were avoiding their studies and personal stuff because of me.They all lost their enthusiasm and interest just because I was not that chirpy and lively as their old Aashi was?! No, it's not fair to them. We all were having dinner. Mumma noticed me lost in my own thoughts and said "Sweetheart as I already told you, you are not at fault. You need to come out of this. We want our old Aashi back. And you are the only one who can bring our lives back to normal".They all looked at me in acceptance.I could sense how sad they all were. They badly wanted to bring that old Aashi back.That night after dinner, I realised my mistake which I was committing unknowingly.My thoughts transpired unanticipatedly. What am I doing??I am hurting my loved ones just because of that pervert Mohak, who doesn't even deserve a shity second of attention from anybody.For what am I crying??For the embarrassment in front of those hypocrite people who don't even have the capability to differentiate between what is righteous and what is not.What I did till now was not at all fair. Neither I deserved it nor my loved ones.But, it's not even fair from my end to make my family suffer just because of an instance which is not even worth a single day of my life.No.. it was not my mistake to suffer as much as I went through and I won't let that person celebrate his baseless victory who made me go through all this crap.Yes! I AM SORTED NOW! When I came to think of it, so many unanswered questions popped-up in my brain. What were Ayu and Yash doing at Priya's place before the party that day?Why did Yash ask me not to leave for the party? Did they already find a clue about Mohak's plan??I should get these answers first! ************************************We have our precious people around us, just to make our lives worth living. Our families are the greatest gift that God can ever give. Treasure them. Coming back, how will Aashi cope with this now? Let's see! See you in the next! Till then stay tuned and miss me.😉#KeepReading #KeepLoving❤️❤️