ONE

The rays penetrated the greased net of the withered window shield, falling promptly on her face. The sun was shining right in front her face hiding behind the trunks of the old trees. Her milky white skin was shining brightly under the sun's light giving her an aneglic look.

Her hands were moving as fast as she could because she was skilled to that. The circumstances around her made to become used to things like that.

She became used to the worse but the worst was yet to come and she wasn't ready for that. 

"Move your slicking hands fast. I don't have time." Chris screamed making her flinch badly as Ara fastened her pace. She shook her head at her cousin to calm him down. She didn't want him to start arguing with her because she couldn't use the words which he loved to use for her. 

So she, like always, manoeuvred her patience because she knew people like him would never change. 

"What a lazy bitch." Sarah said rolling her eyes as Mr. Jonathan grunted while turning the newspaper agreeing to her statement.

Ara's throat clogged up as it was the pattern of her life to hear things from them but it still hurts. She couldn't make her heart used to it. It made her remember her golden days when she was with her father.

He was a priest so he used to take her with him to the holly church every day. Spending more of her childhood in the ethereal silence of the church her personality became like one. the one which had eerie silence inside and patience to endure every grief coming at her way.

She talked like a warm breeze in the night of autumn. She was a forgiver as she became the one who never gives up on the feelings of others.

But everything changed when a few people along with Uncle Jonathan brought her father in a wooden black coffin. She was just ten years old at that time and she knew what was happening. The image of her father sleeping peacefully inside the coffin was imprinted in her mind.

That day she felt the meaning of being alone. Her mother died while giving her birth and her father died in a car accident while coming to pick her up from school. Deep inside her she was traumatized, thinking of herself as an excuse for their death. That made her silent.

"Eat your food, Sarah." Ara's aunt, her father's sister, glared at Sarah making her scoff. Everyone knew that she always took her niece's side. Ara could have left this house but she didn't because of her aunt Samiya.

She loved her so much as she was the only thing left as a mark of her brother Smith. She never wanted Ara to leave her. She saw his brother in her golden-brown eyes but she couldn't make her children and husband feel the same way as Chris and Sarah along with their father Jonathan thought of her as a burden, nothing more.

"I'll do that. You go and get ready for college." Samiya stood up taking the plates of omelette from her. Ara gazed at her with gratefulness warming in her eyes as she walked towards her room which was more like a storeroom.

She came into this house after the funeral and for sympathy, Jonathan made her share a room with Sarah but as they grew up the jealousy strengthened its roots in Sarah's heart.

She started to despise her because of her beauty and the dimple that appeared whenever she smiled. sarah was beautiful too but still her jaelousy grew for her day by day. Soon she threw her out of her room after accusing her of theft. Jonathan believed that but Samiya didn't as she knew both of them. One was her daughter and other was her beloved niece. There wasn't any room left for her as Aunt Samiya, helplessly arranged the storeroom for her.

Yes, the storeroom was spacious for her but her aunt arranged it and made her acceptable for the eyes. Ara also liked everything clean so she maintained everything in the storeroom in the way that it looked more clean.

She entered her room as the happiness of getting into a college suppressed her grief for a moment. Today she was going to get admitted to a medical college. She always wanted to be a doctor because her father told her that her mother wanted that. Her mother's wish became her dream and she was finally going to achieve it.

She walked past the single-sized mattress to open the suitcase in which her clothes were present. She didn't have her wardrobe because she never needed one. She had a few skirts and tops that were citable in that suitcase.

She took out a brownish long dress reaching her ankle as she neatly braided her long golden-brown hairs setting it at one side. Taking out her shoes from beneath the bed, she protruded her pinkish-white foot.

Looking one last time at her reflection in the small broken mirror placed behind the door she soothed her senses. She was looking perfect as she didn't need makeup nor did she have any except the lip tint which she barely used.

She sat on the bed as she had to wait for Aunt Samiya to come and get her as she would come when everyone would be gone to their respective places. She only came in front of them whenever she had to serve food or to do any other chores. They still hadn't tell anyone in the house about her admission as she wanted to secure her seat first then she would be able to talk to uncle Jonathan as Aunt told her that her father left money for her which was enough for her medical school fees so she didn't have to worry about her uncle Jonathan. She wouldn't be like a burden on him then and he would agree to that. She took a long sigh as she was praying for everthung to be tured out good and peaceful for her. 

After a while, the door was knocked and she knew it was Aunt because only she used to knock at her door, unlike others who just barged inside.

"Let's go." Aunt said as she exited the room to meet the dreadful silence of the house indicating everyone was gone.

"Everything would be fine. Did you pray today?" Aunt Samiya asked as they were coming out of the college with the brochure in their hands. She managed to get into the medical college but the fearful thing was the fee. The figure was large for them to pay as they feared that they would have to ask for money from Jonathan

"Yes." Ara said glancing at the fee slip in her hands. They explained to submit it online but only Jonathan had the online account and only he could pay.

"Then everything would be fine." Aunt said squeezing her hands as they reached home after switching three buses. Thinking of the transport expense she got worried again as to how she would manage the transport.

"Where were you? I am starving to death." As usual, they were greeted by the yelling of Jonathan who appeared home early today or they were late. They didn't have the time to think about it as Ara immediately entered the kitchen to make dinner before anything dreadful could happen. Her previous scar had left a mark on her stomach and she didn't want that again.

She made potato soup with garlic bread as she was pouring soup into Jonathan's bowl when Sarah and Chris came.

"What's this?" Chris asked sitting at the table and glancing at a few papers. "Is this your admit card?" Chris's eyes widened as he saw Ara's name on the envelope. Ara's heart beat quikened as she looked for her aunt.

"Show me." Sarah snatched the paper from him and Ara's heart trembled after glimpsing the fire erupting in Sarah's eyes. The last time she had that fire was when Aunt Samiya brought her a dress and as a consequence, Sarah burned it on the stove. Ara didn't want anything to happen like that again.

"She got into medical college but... Dad how would you pay this much fees. Ara should be careful of this." Sarah said smirking while handing the envelope to Jonathan that he snatched looking at Ara's pale expressions. She stood there like a criminal who had done a grave mistake just by applying into the medical college.

"Who asked you to get into medical college?" He screamed and the bowl of potato soup fell from Ara's hands. She hissed as the warm soup fell on her foot bu she feared more than that.

"I-I did." Aunt tried to indulge when Jonathan grabbed Ara by her arm yanking her wildly.

"You aren't taking admission anywhere. I am finding a spouse for you and you are soon getting married." He released her arm violently as she got hit with the table on the same side where the scar was imprinted.

"We are feeding you and providing you shelter. It doesn't mean that I would pay for your medical fees too. You should be thankful but here you are being discourteous coming daily with new wishes like I don't have my own children to feed." Jonathan walked away blabbering to himself and tearing up the paper. He was fuming with anger when he closed the door with a loud thud.

She looked at her aunt as she wanted to say that she would use her father's money but her aunt was also scared from Jonathan more than her she guessed. 

Ara's glance flew towards Sarah who was smirking then at Chris who was busy with his food. Her eyes met with her aunt who was looking everywhere but her. She couldn't see in her eyes. Ara covered her mouth to stop the cries when she ran toward her room.

She entered her room closing the door behind her gently as she didn't have privilege to shut the door like other children and she sat while resting her back against the broken mirror. She hugged her knees as tears started pouring out of her eyes. Her hairs which in a loose bun started untying acting as a curtain to hde her face from both sides. 

She had one dream. Only one dream she had been thinking about since her father told her about it but fate was snatching that away from her too.

Why me? These two words constantly echoed in her mind as everything got snatched away from her. She tried to be grateful for everything she had but still she was a human. She always thought why she deserved that. Hardships were part of life but she had a limit like every other human. There should be something for her that would be only hers, that would be meant only for her. She wanted to be loved or at least have a peaceful life.

But there is always hope and like always she tied herself to another hope. She remembered Jonathan asserting to her to marry someone. She could pray to get married to someone nicer who can be gentle with her.

She remembered aunt Samiya saying that all men aren't the same. Just like her father as he was polite and caring. There would be many people not exactly like him but might be polite. She could hope for the good.

She dug her head in between her knees as her heart became heavy. She hadn't eaten since morning. Her body was light with her heavy head as her eyelids couldn't hold the wait and soon closed drifting off to sleep.

"Ara."

"Ara! Wake up." Ara's eyes flinched as she opened them with difficulty to find her aunt hovering over her.

"Let's go." Aunt Samiya said taking her hand in her tight grip as her hands were cold. She was looking scared with her pale expressions.

"W-where?" Ara asked as she stood up rubbing her eyes to vanish the dizziness.

"You can't live here anymore. Jonathan is thinking of you marrying one of his friends. A Gambler like him. You have to get out of here. "Aunt whispered as she grabbed Ara's suitcase but Ara was standing still. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. No she couldn't ruin her whole life. She kept waiting for something good happening to her but now she had to do something.

She knew his friends. They weren't good human beings as they drank to get violent and scream at everyone including her. She couldn't marry one of them.

"But where we are going?" Ara asked as Samiya opened the door quietly. It was late midnight the silence was dreadful as she felt her fingers shivering although there wasn't any cold.

"I worked for someone as a maid a few years ago. They are very polite. I can ask them to let you live there. Now hurry up or we will get caught." She said as Ara stepped forward with a heavy heart and uneven heartbeat. She got the feeling of fate dragging her towards chaos again.