A Beautiful Dream..

Bella finally saw something good happen in her life.. Her stories were finally published.. She never minded under whose name it was published since the money was what mattered the most.. She was able to provide something from her part.. Her happiness were at its peak.. She would be really thankful to Dona if she would allow her to use her name further in the Pebbles series.. She had also written a novel and she wished to publish it too.. There was a strange sense of confidence in her making her stronger and happier.. She came out of her thoughts as she suddenly saw her aunt standing at the doors.. She was shocked to see her.. There were no much emotions connecting her with her aunt.. Annie was a person who avoided her all the time.. It was very rare for her to come in the storeroom and this time she came to meet Bella and not to take out something from the storeroom.

Bella quickly folded up the clothes which were spread over her bed.. She was an exceptionally neat kid even though never well off.. Annie had never noticed Bella's room in this detail.. Even though it was the smallest and most stuffed up room in her home, Bella has arranged all her things neatly and in order.. Annie thought this girl was totally different from her Dona and wondered where she could have learnt all this.. She thought it might have been the boarding school and tried hard to hide the truth from herself that it could be inherited.. She knew her sister was a real gem and was particular in everything.. Even though she was young she was more virtous and arranged their room perfectly.. She always took away blames of all the mischiefs of Annie and they were always seen stuck together, inseparable .. until the day she left her..

Everytime Annie goes near Bella, her sister's memories haunt her.. Even though she tries to hide it, her hatred over Bella almost always projects out reflecting her love for her sister even more..

Bella looked mostly like her father.. She was even having short hair unlike Juliet who had beautiful long hair.. Annie still felt Bella resembled her mother somehow.

Annie went over to the bed and sat there. Looking on the untiled floor to avoid any eye contact, she cleared her throat to speak..

"Congratulations.. " Annie did not know what else to say.. She kept silent for a moment before continuing..

"Your book, it got published.. we got some amount of money too. It's good thing you published them under Dona's name, or else you know it better than me, all this would have never happened.. And good work.. Bella…"

Annie was not used to this.. It was an awkward moment for her.. It was the first time she was appreciating this girl for something.. And it was not that bad either.. Bella looked awkward too.. She can't respond anyway.. She nodded without any expression..

Annie looked out through the window of the storeroom and was startled.. Could it be a coincidence or was it the so-called destiny..?

"It is just the exact replica… the garden.. how was it that she never noticed it before?.. I could even feel them walking on the fallen petals, holding hands.. Juliet and Lawrence.." Annie was thinking aloud, muttering to herself..

She could see it all before her eyes.. The faded memories were instantly reborn, afresh and pure.. And she winced at the pain of an ancient wound that was poked up just now.. These memories gave her only pain.. She quickly rushed out of the room, slamming the door shut..

Bella was confused at her Aunt's strange behavior. It was the first time she saw her Aunt happy at something she had done but she was not sure how to respond… She had never communicated to anyone intimately since nobody tried to understand her, or read her signs.. Moreover she was wondering what her Aunt was muttering about her parents and the garden.. It suddenly dawned on her that she had known nothing about her parents and their past. It was not like she cared.. But when her Aunt talked about them today, she felt it strange, like she should know more. And from this day on, she will try to forget the fear.. she will no more be frightened of those two strangers whose photograph hung there in front of her.. They were harmless, and she felt for the first time they were smiling at her and the young gentleman in the photo was winking cheerfully at her..

The gardener was the slightest hope but he was missing since that day.. She had noticed that the garden too looked sad over their guardian's departure..

"What could have happened to him" Bella thought all sorts of possibilities gazing out through the window.. It was already late night and the newly blossomed white lilies shone in the moonlight and she could feel its fragrance through the wavering breeze..

Today the breeze was singing a sweet lullaby.. And she dozed off.. gradually falling into a deep sleep..

"We will let our little princess play here.. Here there are no roses.. so she wont be hurt by the thorns.. Lets grow lilies here.." Exclaimed Lawrence with a cheerful smile.

Juliet blushed.. They were lying on the grass holding hands..

"And I'll name her Bella.." he winked..

"How are you so sure it's a girl.. what if it turns out to be a boy?" Juliet teased him..

" No way.. I can already feel her lying beside us.." He kissed Juliet on the forehead and the couple embraced each other in the moonlight …

Bella woke up startled.. It was past midnight and she had been seeing a dream.. A beautiful dream..

She saw them, it was her parents.. they had loved her even before she was born… It was not just a dream, she could feel it was real.. they had loved her… Someone had once loved her so dearly..

She tried hard to sleep again and forced her eyes shut in the hope of seeing them again, but was in vain,.. the dream was not going to come back.. and immersed in various thoughts, she slept again, this time nobody came in her dreams and as always was lonely, wandering, screaming and panting in the dark, surrounded by screeching and yelling..