Chapter 48 Little sparks of lightning

"One of the most important key to save any relationship is to have healthy communication between two people what if only one speaks, complaint or taunt?"

But I guess, may be some questions have no answers but what books plus my grandfather used to say is that, whether to gain or loose things, a time is fixed for everything and it will happen at that time only. However, since the day me parents learn that I drink since then have made me their punching bag but here they are not hurting me physically rather they are doing it verbally by taunting me in my every move that I am making.

A week has been passed since they learn that about my drinking and to be honest I have heard so many things about me that, sometimes I doubt my originality

"you really want to drink milk, I thought may be you will be preferring alcohol"

"today you come late, did you go to school or somewhere else"

"drunker"

"irresponsible, careless, attention seeker, liar unfaithful"

"if they found me sitting alone in my room for long, then what are you doing alone in the room come out now. Are you doing something illegal?"

However, I am getting tired listening to this so, I tried to speak in between but whenever I do it then one of their famous comes out "O now you have guts to answer back (though all I am trying is to explain myself), I see now you are also learning how to be disobedient. Ahh, I feel so ashamed seeing you like this or call you as my daughter."

Soon my trance broke with Zoe voice, then I realize I am at school sitting, in the canteen near window seat, looking outside and lost in thinking what all happened in the house from past whole week. However, Zoe initiated the conversation,

Zoe: (Looking at my eyes with concern) Hey are you alright, it seems you are lost somewhere plus from past week, I am also seeing you with no smile, looking sad most of the time and you usually remain lost somewhere.

Siya: Yeah I am fine, it just knee pain and no playing plus limping around take a toll on me. (Inside me, Ahh, just three words "are you alright" no one really asked me from long time, sometimes I think people just need to hear some of these words to comfort themselves or share the miseries they are going through but I think someone who say these words to you should be genuine one because world is full of fake people.

Honestly, I want to say to her no I am not alright and its getting very hard for me to be at home and listen to their taunts for me but what if she also judged me. How can I trust someone with my issues when my own parents are not trusting me, its not easy I guess so, I think lying is fine).

Zoe: (Taking a frustrated sigh) I know you are not saying the truth but I am not going to force you to say because I know someday when you will open up.

Siya: Thank you.

Zoe: (She face palmed herself and with sheepish smile) Hey I forgot to tell you one thing, the result is out and we can check it on our school website and rest you know the grill that is how to do it.

Siya: Yeah.

Without saying anything further, I open the school website in my phone and log in there and nervously I scroll the screen up to check my final result, there when I reach to end I found that I failed in a subject that too with just one less mark so, it means I got a year back (i.e. I have to re-appear in this exam that to next year) and the subject is social psychology. After seeing this first I got shock plus I also know that now verbal abuse at house and taunting is going to be worse at house, if they come to know this result, which I can't hide for too long.

Here, Zoe voice again break my trance,

Zoe: (With knowing smile) You too fail the exam, because... (Cut off)

Chorus: because we all failed one exam (I look up towards the voice which is coming from the Zoe's back, there stand Erik, Ketty, Anji, Pixie, Nish and in this Zoe voice too was included)

And listening to them make I laughed out loud, they too joined me. I feel at ease because am not the only one and I guess most of us can understand this feeling, "if we fail alone and our friend passes the exam then we feel very bad but if we both fail the exam then we feel happy." I know some of you will think how mean is this but I guess this is what friendship is right?.. not leaving or doing anything without your friend that too, when you are doing mischief.

After five minutes or so, we all settle down on our seats and we sat like a whole group but for me the most surprising thing is that, Erik is sitting us and especially with whole of my group which is a rare sight to see. However, all of them start talking about different things, on the hand I paid attention on my thoughts which are mostly related to, once I would be reaching back house then again I am going to listening their taunts and how are they going to react when they will learn that I failed the exam and I have to repeat a year.

Soon bell ring indicating we are going to attend our last class, I want it to last a little longer because I don't want to go in that house early, it doesn't feel good to be there. However, leaving all these thoughts aside we move towards the class, as usual I go and sit beside Erik. While class continued here my mind plays a video of this past week where he tried to ask me my time what happened at house,

Past Conversation Week(....)

Day-1 (Next morning when I reach school, after getting caught)

Erik: Hey, are you okay? Does anything happened to you yesterday at home?

Siya: Hey no nothing happened. Should something happen?

Erik: O no no I just asked normally.

Day-2 (in between our one of the class)

Erik: You know my family usually keeps a check on me especially my mother, sometimes they used to check my room as well as my bag too.

Siya: Ohh Okay

Erik: Don't your family do this? Or you mom checked your bag or room ever?

Siya: Nahh they give me complete privacy.

Day-3 (In college canteen)

Erik: You know, one of friends father caught him red handed when he was smoking weed then his father also found extra in his bag, when they search it.

Siya: O shit they your friend must have face lost of trouble?

Erik: Yeah, thank god I have never faced such kind of trouble. Have you faced it ever?

Siya: No.

And same kind of conversation take place on Day-4 5 & 6 but I never gave him any kind of positive answer because, we should never expose our family secrets or talks to anyone, this is what father had always taught me since I grow up. Though, I never questioned it whether it was right or wrong but I just listen to it since I was a child so, it got fixed in my mind.

Past Conversation Ended(....)

Soon Erik voice break my trance,

Erik: (Tapping at my shoulder) Siya are you okay?

Siya: Yeah what happened?

Erik: It has been ten minutes since the class got over, you are not moving out of the class plus you are not responding to my voice so, can you please tell me happened (With a bit stern voice).

Siya: (Lying confidently) Yeah everything is fine, I was just thinking about what she taught us.

While I said this, I get up from the seat and leave the class, Erik walking beside me. Soon together we leave school premises, when we reach at gate he initiated the conversation,

Erik: Hey don't call the cab yet, I want to take you where I will be going to work after we pass out from the school.

Siya: Okay but what I am going to do there?

Erik: Nothing I just want to show you the place, the office and my boss too.

Siya: Don't you think it would become awkward for me to be there?

He just nod his head in not, start booking the cab and he is acting like a stubborn. Soon cab come and we leave for his for his future workplace, I choose not to argue him because I know how stubborn he is so, he is not going to listen to me. It take us around fifty minutes to reach, when we get out from the cab I notice it is just a service sector area, where there are many expensive showrooms plus other small offices too.

However, soon he take me in one of the showroom whose windows are black tinted or may be it is close from inside today but there is this small side door. When Erik opened the door, we climbed the stairs move towards the first floor and honestly its environment is bit scary as in wall painted with black colors plus in the name of light, it has those antique yellow lamps which we can usually seen Hindi horror movies.

Later, we reach in front of a cabin which has those Zebra line curtains as they were not close so, I can see someone standing near the window. After hearing come in sound, we get in I can see tall man with a huge belly standing facing the window and looking outside.

Boss: Hey both you take the seat.

Once we settled down, I choose to keep mum and speak up as less as possible because for me the environment is new plus the boss is new too and I am not at all feeling comfortable so, its better for me to become mute. However, he too sat and they both start talking something initially, which I basically ignored because I am looking at each and everything in the room plus trying to understand boss behavior too by observing only but soon my trance broke by a tap on my shoulder,

Erik: (Taping at my shoulder) Hey Siya, he was saying something.

Siya: (Looking towards the boss and sternly) Yes?

Boss: Hey what's your name? How are you?

Siya: Siya I am good, you were saying something?

Boss: I was saying that, I think you are going to run away from the home soon or may be in the future but its going to happen soon.

Siya: (Confused) what?

Erik: Yeah he is always right.

Boss: Yeah I am absolutely sure.

As soon as he said this, my phone started ringing so, I excused my self, go out with my bag and then pick the phone which is from mother,

Mother: (Rudely) Where are you? Look at the time and your are just roaming around, come home as soon as possible and especially before father come.

Before I could I reply or say something she just hand up the phone, with a frustrated sigh I text Erik, telling him that I am leaving for home and he just reply with okay. I booked the cab and reach home at six forty five in the evening, then I directly go to my room start getting fresh up all the while Erik's boss like keep roaming in my mind, which is quite confusion but I thought to ask Erik next day in detail about it

Around eight in the evening I leave to room for dinner but before I could sit on the dinning table mother asked me the question which I am afraid to answer from the whole day,

Mother: How was your result?

Siya: (After thinking for sometime) I passed all the exam except one which so, I got year back (I closed my eyes in fear)

However, I heard father loud voice from my back,

Father: What the hell Siya!!!!

To Be Continued...