7 A dream.

As soon as she fell into arms of sleep, she entered into the same old dream which had become a nightmare to her. In her dreamland she was seeing a house where four people were living, a place that she should call home, loving parents, sweet and caring sister, is there any other definition of home? No, there is not. A house is constructed with cement, send and briquette, whereas a home is built with emotions like care, happiness, joy, sadness, warmth or so many. Once she had everything, even if it was all illusion she should have chosed it. but what did she actually do with them? She isolated herself and picked loneliness, gloominess and anxiety.

A scene which never forgot to repeat itself and showed her own ridiculous self, a clip where she found herself as a scalawag. It used to start with a birthday party's harmony but end with mess and mayhem. A smiling woman who was returning from the kitchen while holding a homemade cake and a girl who was hastily wandering in the room for decoration.

"Mom, do you think this will be ok? will Zoe like it?"  Her excitement was glimpsing through her voice, it had risen and she was yelling so her mom could hear.

Mom herself wasn't confident, whether her younger daughter would like it or not, "I'm not sure, dear!" Her voice was holding unsureness and nervousness. 

That girl dashed near to her mom while holding her hand, she consoled her "Mom, don't worry she will definitely like it." Her eyes were shining as if they were carrying hundreds of stars.

"Hope so." Mom replied.

On the other side, Zoe saw herself standing on the gate staring at those mother and daughter pair without even blanking, her hatred was clearly visible through her eyes.

A moment later, she saw her friends appearing behind her and like a novel's bitch she walked in the room with her dog's army. They had entered the room and stopped at the dining table, before sitting on the chair she gave a loathful glance at both of them. 

She could only see faces of three of them and all the other people whom she was thinking that they were with her, were actually shadows with black visage. "Zoe, are you going to feed this third class cake?" One of them taunted her.

"Zoe! Who has done such a horrible decoration?"  Another shadow spoke up while touching balloons.

"Maybe they thought, you are still a five year old baby girl" third shadow carried making fun of the decoration as well as those mother and daughter.

"So, she is your stepsister...huh… what a country bumpkin!" Fourth one uttered while touching that girl's hair.

"No wonder, since they have done preparation then why won't it be unsightly?" First one spoke up again.

"They did it to spoil your day….what a disgusting pair of mother and daughter!

Zoe, you should have told us, we would arrange everything."

"Just look at their clothes, Boors!" Third shadow sneered.

As, third shadow accosted, everyone started laughing except three of them and a moment later, they all began passing various kinds of vulgar jokes. Whereas, Zoe's gaze was wandering on the floor, she didn't utter even a single word, no matter how ridiculous comments they passed and laughed. She was sitting there so quietly as if she was tolerating the rabbish of all those shadows and she could explode at them at any time and zipped their mouths which were spouting bullshit shamelessly. 

She should have stopped them but she didn't shut their mouths instead she looked at those mother and daughter wrathfully who had lost their delighted aura. The shine had vanished from their faces as Zoe's friend began talking ill.

Both of them turned astonished as soon as Zoe's stare fell upon them. They were standing there as if  the wind of the arctic ocean froze them.

"Alisa! Who told your mom to do this mass?" Zoe finally opened her mouth and hissed. Her sharp gaze was continuously ogling at the girl who was standing opposite of her.

"Zoe! Actually I-I....." Due to Nervousness, she was facing misery even pronouncing a word.

"It's your birthday dear, we just want to celebrate together." Her Mom speaks between them.

"Who gave you permission to pokes your nose in middle?'' Zoe screamed as she heard the voice of the woman who she hated most in the world.

"Dear, I'm your mot…."

Before she could complete her sentence, Zoe yelled in the middle. "Mary Rose, Don't you dare to speak that word from your mouth….You!! I don't even consider you as a wife of my father." Zoe named her with her ex husband's surname.

"Sister!! How could you behave with Mom like this?" Alisha burst out with tears.

"Why can't I? Who do you think you are..huh?" Zoe turned her head aside and replied in a frigid tone.

"What are you saying? Don't you remember? This woman is your mom and I am your sister." Alisha cried, tears were falling from her eyes like rain and her face had turned bright red.

As she heard the catty finally making noise, smirk appeared automatically on Zoe's lips. She dashed near to Alisha and whispered in her ear. "Oh darling…..am I looking sister to you? Come on baby, look at me properly."

"Sister...How could you….." Alisha reacted as if Zoe was mocking her first time.

Watching her reacting so surprisedly, Zoe's temper raised. This wasn't the first time when she yelled at her nor this was the first time when she misbehaved. "Shut up! Just shut your fucking mouth."

" You are the worst.." Alisha said in a suppressed tone.

Zoe looked at her, many emotions were expressing through her oval face. She was looking surprised, disappointed and sad. It had become common now to see Alisha's disappointment towards her, after all she knew, she was hopeless. However, analysing her reaching the miserable state, Zoe decided to stop here. "Let go guys, I don't think I'm able to take a breath until they are here." She sighed.

"Zoe! Hahaha you are awesome..."

As she moved from the room, shadows started speaking again.

"Woah so badass…."

"Alright, it has ended, so do you want to go shopping? Or restaurant ?" A shadow asked.

"Restaurant!..."

"No..Shopping …."

"Shut up you bitch. Zoe let go to the restaurant.."

"You shut up…. Let go shopping Zoe."

They had left and the sound of laughing was still echoing in the room. Whereas, both mother and daughter were standing there, woeful and dumbfounded as if the storm had been run over them.