Chapter 2

 "Hello sister in law." Amilda's mom, Sumitra greeted Muni, Amilda's aunt.

"Hello." Muni said leaving Amilda by her mother's side.

She walked into the house in search of her brother.

"Sumitra, where is my brother?" She asked.

"He is off to work." She said.

Muni turned to Amilda and ordered her to go into the house.

"Do go into the house." She said.

Amilda looked at her mother who nodded.

"Alright." She said facing Muni and went into her room.

Sumitra faced Muni seconds after Amilda had gone in. She knew Muni wanted to rebuke her.

"You said your husband is off to work." Muni said.

"Yes he is." Sumitra said.

Muni looked down and began to laugh.

"What exactly are you doing home?" She asked.

Sumitra gave no reply and this made Muni furious.

"You shouldn't be quite." Muni said.

"Taking care of the house." Sumitra said and Muni laughed.

"Taking care of the home you said. Whereas I see you sitted anytime I come to the house." Muni said.

"Muni!" Sumitra called.

"Hold it, do not call my name again. I am a married woman and also your husband sister. We can be age mates and mate back in school but do add respect to me now." She said and Sumitra bowed her head.

"I told my brother not to marry you but he didn't answer me. You will pay dearly for it." She added and walked away.

"Muni!" Sumitra called but she didn't look back.

"Mother!" Amilda who heard everything her aunt said to her mother ran out.

She used her hands to wipe off her mother's tears.

She knows that her aunt doesn't like her mother but she didn't know why.

"Mother, can you let me know why she doesn't like you?" Amilda asked Sumitra who only smiled.

"It's nothing." Sumitra said and turned to leave.

"Mother, there is a reason. I overheard all what she said. Tell me the truth, mother." Amilda said.

Sumitra walked to her daughter and held up her face.

"How did you spend your time at your aunt's house?, Why are you back so soon." She asked her daughter who smiled shaking her head.

"Mother, you need to answer my question." Amilda said.

Sumitra took in a deep breath as she thought for some minutes.

"Mother, the truth." Amilda said and Sumitra nodded.

She pulled a bench to where they were and they both sat.

Sumitra looked at her daughter and smiled remembering how she had grown.

"Muni and I had been mate in school." She began. "We were friends until I decided to participate in a competition which she also wanted to participate in."

"My parents were poor then, they struggle with my fee and food. We had been sent away from five houses because we couldn't pay." She continued. "I won the competition and was happy because the money would help in increasing my father's business and paying my fee for 3 years."

Amilda paid keen attention as her mother continued her story.

"Due to that, Muni became my rival. She always made sure that nothing good came from what I did. Unfortunately, her brother, your father fell in love with me and paid my price without me knowing it." Sumitra said.

"You also love Dad right?" Amilda asked.

"Yes I do. I tried avoiding him because of his sister but he already paid my price so I had no other option than to follow him." Sumitra said.

"Does Aunt know about it?" Amilda asked.

"Yes she knows. She told me three months after our marriage to file for a divorce since I hadn't gotten pregnant but I rejected." Sumitra said.

Amilda thought for a while if her aunt knows about her relationship with Aayan.

"Mother, I am scared to death." Amilda said.

Sumitra placed a finger on Amilda's mouth.

"Don't ever say that. Why did you say that?" Sumitra asked her daughter.

"I don't ever want to go to Aunt house." Amilda said.

"Why is that?" Her mother asked and tears clouded Amilda's eyes as she prayed her mother would listen to her.

"Mother, it's still about Saab Avil Aayan. I don't like him. He always gets his way down my leg and...." She was saying but was interrupted by her mother.

"Do not start now. Saab Avil is a nice man so do not say anything wrong about him." Sumitra said.

Amilda looked down and smiled.

"Alright Mom." Amilda said and got up.

She walked into the building and was followed by her mother.

Amilda walked into her room and faced the wall as she began to think of how difficult it is for her to let her parents know of Aayan.

She raised her hands up as she began to communicate to her god, asking him why he is silent.

"I can't live like this." She said and laid on the bed.

Amilda slept thinking of how to fight Aayan without involving her parents or the society.

She is woken by a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" She asked.

"Your father." She heard the person say and smiled.

She ran out of the room and greeted her father who kept a stern look.

"Why are you here?" Her father asked. She looked at her father and shook her head.

"You are meant to be at your aunt's place." Her father asked her and she nodded her head.

"Then why are you here?" He asked again.

"Father, I don't want to go back." She said and her father shook his head.

"Be ready by tomorrow as you will be going back whenever I get back." He said. "You only come back when your aunt wants not when you want." Her father said and she looked at him then ran into her room closing the door after her.

"Do they really want my life to be destroyed?" She asked herself as she sluggishly picked up her traveling bag.

She had not taken all her luggage out of the traveling bag.

She sat on the bed with her traveling bag close to her.

"Amilda!, Amilda!!" She heard her father call her.

"Yes father." She said walking to the door.

She opened the door and walked to her father.

"Yes father." She said with her head bowed.

"Can you let me know your reason for coming?" Her father asked.

"I don't want to go there anymore because Saab Avil Aayan sleeps with me." She said and this got her father furious.

He slapped her and sent her to her room.

"You can't lie on the man." Her father said as she ran into her room.

Getting into the room, she locked the door and walked to the window.

She stared out of the window and wept holding her face.

"They do not believe me. They want me to destroy my life." She said looking out of the window.

The day grew into night but Amilda didn't step out of her room as she knew that the day she feared was coming.

She feared going back to her aunt house because of the monster called Aayan.

She had no more strength to weep as she looked on.

She picked up the cover on her bed and laid on the bed as she kept thinking of how she was going to stop herself from going to her aunt's place.

She got up and looked around the room in search of a sharp object which she could use to hurt herself but saw none.

She went back to sit on her bed as she thought.

"I really do not want to go." She said trying to get herself to weep but no tears formed her eyes.

She got up and started throwing tantrums until she became tired.

She went to her bed, laid on it and slept.

She was awoken by the sun which reflected through the window.

Her stomach grumbled as she was hungry.

She prayed that her father won't be at home.

She gently opened the door and saw her Mother who stretched her hand for a hug but she refused to hug her.

"Good morning Mom." She said.

Her mother dropped her hand.

"I know you do not want to be separated from us but you decided to take the wrong path. Why do you have to lie on Aayan?" Her mother asked but she didn't reply as she walked to the table and opened her plate.

She ate like she had never eaten before and this made Sumitra smile.

"Where is Dad? " Amilda asked.

"He has gone to work." Sumitra said to her daughter who nodded her head.

She helped her mother in washing the plates as she remembered her young days.

Hours later, when she sat discussing with her mother, she heard her father's voice and was about to run but he was fast to hold her back.

"We have to go." He said.

"No father. I will like to stay for few weeks." She said struggling to get out of his grip.