Chapter-3

I firmly locked my room and lay on the floor like a fallen leaf motionless on the ground. I sobbed out softly, my whole body shaking in pain given by my parents. I didn't understand their whole conversation at that time but I knew that they were the bad guys like those criminals in the movies who are known for stealing money from people.

I recalled all these years that I had spent with my parents and then realized that they were just lying. They never really loved me. One moment, I had feelings of pain and heaviness, and the next moment, I had nothing to feel anymore. I just felt like I couldn't feel anything anymore. You sat upon my stomach and were staring at me which comforted me a bit.

Suddenly an idea popped up in my mind and I immediately acted upon it by dialing the helpline number on my broken screen phone. I waited for them to come here and rescue me from them because I didn't feel safe here anymore.

I remained in that same position for some minutes and then my gaze caught upon a white classic shopping bag. My hand found its way to the bag and discovered a beautiful autumn-colored shawl resting peacefully inside it. I wrapped it around my body because I felt coldness seeping into my body and also covered you in.

I gave a quick look at the clock, 10 minutes had already passed they hadn't come home, so panic took over my brain again and my breaths became heavy. My body felt like jelly waiting to splash flat on the ground. I made up my decision, packed everything that my hands grasped within my room, and stuffed it all inside my backpack.

In the middle of the packing, my brain was numbed out by a loud siren sound echoing in my ears and I couldn't feel anything but dizziness at that moment. I heard someone rushing upstairs with a loud boot echoing against the wooden stairs. I took out a pen from my pen stand and clutched it tight in my grasp. The coldness was gripping my heart and slowly rushing over my whole body, but with an ounce of strength, I stood straight facing the door with my backpack hung on my shoulders weighing my shoulders down.

Suddenly, the person outside the door was knocking on the door hard and then I knew that this was the moment when I needed to defend myself. The door was firmly locked but after a few moments the door unlocked, then I launched myself over the person with a painful growl," I won't let you hurt me and my parents. Manan bhaiya, and that lady made my parents a bad person. TURN THEM BACK.TURNN....THEEM....BACKK. Turn the backkk… I -. ", My mouth halted when I witnessed the sight before me, a young police officer bhaiya stood before me with one hand on his lower side of the abdomen where my pen was sticking out.

My hands froze at the sight. I panicked and withdrew my hand and noticed that the floor underneath him was stained with a few drops of blood and his abdomen was bleeding slowly. I uttered out lot of apologies while my eyes were full of tears.

Suddenly something took over my brain and then immediately I grabbed you and ran downstairs and then saw all the rooms were empty. Even my parents were missing. I took us out of this dollhouse but I tripped over the stone and my elbows scraped by the harsh concrete ground. I saw many other police officers standing a bit distant from me, they kept my parents and their friend's hands locked by a firm clutch-like lock around their wrists.

I scooted closer toward them while sneaking behind the large bushes, then pacing outward near the lamppost, and at last, I hid behind a car.  I peeked out from there and could see their faces and felt pain when I saw a shameless smile on their faces, which was a weird and uncomfortable sight to my eyes.

The police officers were discussing them and in between their conversations; I heard something that made my world go blur again. One of them spoke in a sad tone, " I feel bad for their daughter whose parents are them, who are two vicious thieves that gamble and trap innocent people and then steal their money. And this Manan is a big shameless worm who buys young pretty girls from those heartless parents and then he does bad things to them.

I am a bit relieved that this girl is safe right now otherwise her worthless parents would have already sold off her to him. What a shame! It would be hard for that girl to adjust to another home because her parents would be as good as dead being in jail for almost a lifetime. I hope so. I don't know how that little girl will handle the truth about her parents being the most dangerous criminals who stole a large amount of people's hard-earned money. I hope god gives her strength to build a new world again."

I knew at that moment that dollhouse was a lie and I had been playing it with joy for years. I knew that I couldn't afford to live that lie again and I decided that I won't go to another doll house ever again.

My head was brimming with a lot of thoughts but my mind couldn't process anything except an alarm popping in and out of my brain, which unbottled glasses full of unknown emotions spilling all over my body.

A female police officer spoke in an authoritative tone," That girl is not a charitable case but an unfortunate daughter who was trapped in their sweet home cage for years and her so-called parents were almost successful in selling their daughter off to a mentally sick pervert. Ugh.. it disgusts me how can a parent sell their daughter as if she is some kind of doll.  It is so common in this era that it doesn't surprise me anymore still it affects me."

I was lost in some parts of their conversations because they didn't make any sense to me. However, my heart weighed with a bar of guilt as I saw the bruised police officer walking with one hand tightly gripping the lower side of the abdomen.

The police officers expressed their concern when they saw blood on his hands. One of them asks, " Officer Lakshman, are you alright? Who attacked you? Is there still someone left of their gang hidden there? Tell me, sir."

Officer Lakshman responds without caring for his wound," My wound can be healed and later can be taken care of. But right now, it is important to find their daughter. She attacked me in defense and ran away. You must have seen her and if not, then surely she is hiding from us right at the moment somewhere near."

One of the police officers comments in a disbelief tone," That girl did this to you. A small girl. Waahh.. I must say for the first time someone had outwitted you and escaped from your grasp, I am impressed."

All the police officers standing there were gawking at his audacity to joke at this serious moment, including that bruised officer, who was glaring at him through his cat-like piercing gaze, which clicked off goofiness from that officer's face and he just awkwardly laughed.

I didn't know whether the officers were just complimenting my bravery or wittiness or were just simply making fun of that bhaiya. Nonetheless, I knew that I needed to scoot far away as soon as I could sneak away from here without being caught in their vision.

The bruised officer was going to say something but I just didn't pay any heed to that and cautiously took steps forward in a bending posture. For me, each step vibrated with my heartbeat being loud and clear to my whole body. My body begged me to just forget everything and sit down and cry as much as I could for long minutes. Contrarily, my brain wanted a break and let my legs guide me wherever he wanted. Even after all this, one thing didn't change i.e. my cat resting in my arms which are wobbly like a leaf.

Out of sight of the police, I ran like a marathon to finish off something or find my ribbon knot to break through and reach there where only one can win the place. After running for maybe 5 minutes or more who knows? I didn't care about the time as my feet were busy pacing faster than the hand of a clock.

I finally found a café crowded with bhaiyas(elder boys) and didis( elder girls), a few of the seats were seated by families. I was fascinated that at this hour café was still open and too crowded. My curiosity turned off in seconds as I remembered why I stood there at such an hour with a disheveled state of mind. I hid my pen in my backpack, walked in with heavy shoulders, and sat at a corner of the café beside the large window with a black frame. I couched my cat on the chair beside me.

My eyes darted around as I observed the faces of the people inside the café with happy-like expressions. Most of the visitors were busy studying textbooks while others were drinking juice/ coffee. I couldn't help but stare at the empty white-colored table and spill tears silently without making any noise. My tears stopped at some point and my body turned cold at the thought of being caught by the police officer and then being put in another sweet-perfect-dollhouse.

My surroundings blurred, the voices toned down, and endless thoughts were running through my mind. And at last, my mind got tired the busy voices of the café returned. My body was turning a bit normal but then again my ears caught a familiar sound and when the siren sound became louder, I was confirmed that I was needed outside.

Immediately I went outside and saw them standing next to a person asking some questions about a girl, which was me. I knew I had to cover both of us, so I went back inside the café sat in the same seat, and unzipped my backpack. I looked inside my backpack to find something useful and I did.

I wrapped the shawl over my whole body which covered me from neck to knee length and told you to remain still until I say. I carefully mounted you up and wrapped your body around my neck while your head sheltered inside my shawl. I just wanted to escape from them and everyone. Thankfully, the people were too busy in their world to take notice of my fear.  I exited the café following behind an uncle and aunty (a married couple) and my head bent down when I bypassed the police officers.

At some distance from the café, I turned back and saw them barge into the café. I turned back and scrambled away into the streets in bare feet covered in dirt. The streets were dimly lit with streetlights and the street dogs started barking at my presence. My feet tripped and I fell hard on my back. You faced them with an intimidating look because, for whatever reason, they bolted into the darkness.

Eventually, the sirens started roaring their presence to my ears once again; my body was in a daze, struggling to focus my vision, and the wind howled loudly to make me more terrified. Then, only one thought crossed my mind to keep my jelly feet moving. The siren sound was chasing me, so I kept running from it to find a place to cave in.

I found that place quickly as soon I prayed for it. As if the wind carried my prayer to God at light speed, I discovered a park that was not in well-light condition in contrast to the colorful houses surrounding it. Nonetheless, the park felt calmly alive and safe rather than those houses.

I perched you softly on the ground and hauled through soft grasses that tickled the soles of my feet and sat upon a bench. Endlessly, I stayed unmoving, then eventually I fell asleep with cold feet and the only source of my warmth was you.

The POV ends.

Hrida narrated the whole story till now to Tapish whose gaze was still glued to her face. Her hands are twisting the shawl to squeeze out all her emotions from her heart. Her eyes begin glistening in the low light, her heart is squeezing just like she is twisting the ends of a shawl. The tears found another escape from her eyes and landed on Tapish's head, the heavy rainfall poured continuously but without any sound.

Tapish's tail wrapped around her arms, which felt like a comforting caress while he spoke in an unknown language. Still, Hrida understood his gesture and responded with a less melancholic tone, " I love you too, my Tapish. I know you care. After all, we are siblings. You being the younger brother and –" She gets interrupted by a sharp 'meow' sound.

Hrida corrects herself, " Oh sorry! I meant you being my elder brother and I, your mischievous sister. Does that sound right to you, Tapish?" Tapish just stared at her for a second, ignoring her question, and rested his head on her lap with his eyes closed.

Hrida displayed a less melancholic smile when adoring Tapish. Hrida sealed her eyes closed and her voice took over the control, " A small little girl,

With small hands, held her first doll tight,

Didn't know she would have nothing left to hold tight.

Pretty eyes, pretty hands, and pretty mouths those dolls had,

But they weren't their own to use rather it was just for the show that they had.

A small and perfect dollhouse that I ever wanted for myself,

But I didn't realize that was not what I wanted for myself.

Yet this beautiful doll house was so real to be just a lie,

Was my home just a living dollhouse which was just a lie.

Used to love playing with pretty dolls,

But my parents loved playing with their dolls.

I don't want a doll house anymore,

I don't need a dollhouse anymore,

Because I am not a doll anymore to play with.

Dollhouse is a living truth of mine but a poisoned one.

A small little girl,

With small hands held her first doll tight,

Didn't know she would have nothing left to hold tight.

I don't want a doll house anymore,

I don't need a dollhouse anymore,

Now only poisoned truth that I am holding tight,

Not like the small girl who held a pretty doll tight.

It is not a dollhouse anymore,

Cause I don't need a doll house anymore.

Anymoree...….."

Hrida lay on the bench and her arms engulfed Tapish in her shawl providing them warmth against the cold darkness troubling them. Hrida sighs with a sad smile on her face directed towards the stars.