A young girl, no older than twelve or thirteen, had fallen on the school playground. She clutched her scraped knee as tears spilled down her cheeks.
Suddenly, a man rushed toward her, knelt on the ground, and pulled her into a tight embrace. Her father. Seeing her cry brought tears to his own eyes.
Fathers must be like that, Aayna thought. Maybe… I don't know. I've never seen it.
From a shaded bench nearby, Aayna sat in silence, watching the scene. She didn't even realize when her own eyes began to sting.
Just then, her friend Maya plopped down beside her, snapping her out of the moment. Aayna blinked rapidly and wiped her face before Maya could notice.
Maya: "Hey, why are your eyes wet?"
Aayna (quickly): "Huh? Oh… nothing. Just some dust."
Maya: "School's out. Let's go."
Aayna: "Yeah… okay."
As they stepped out through the school gate, Aayna noticed a boy leaning casually against a lamp post in a black t-shirt and tight jeans, smiling at her as if they'd shared a secret.
Maya nudged her with a grin.
Maya: "There's your Romeo again."
Aayna rolled her eyes and shot her a warning look.
For six months now, the boy had waited outside the school nearly every day just to catch a glimpse of her. And every day, Aayna saw him… and turned the other way.
The sun beat down mercilessly that afternoon. The sidewalk burned underfoot. Though her family was wealthy, Aayna's shoes were worn and beginning to split at the seams. With every step, her blistered feet throbbed.
By the time she reached her family's grand estate, her limbs ached and her throat was dry.
But before she could take a breath, a voice sharp and cold cut through the silence like a whip.
"Where the hell have you been?"
"Why are you late again? Do you think I sit around like some maid, living off your father's money?"
"Go wash the laundry. Now."
Her grandmother's words came fast and hard, full of resentment.
Aayna said nothing. She didn't mention the blisters on her feet. Or her thirst. She turned and walked toward the chores without a word.
As her tears dripped quietly into the soapy water, she thought to herself:
What a cruel fate I was born into.
After her parents' divorce, Aayna had been left in the care of her grandparents. Her mother had married against the will of her wealthy family, choosing Aayna's father, a man from a background they despised. But he betrayed her. He left.
And her mother? She left too. Married someone else and disappeared, leaving Aayna behind like forgotten luggage.
Aayna's grandmother never forgave the shame her daughter brought into the family.
And Aayna? She was the breathing, walking memory of everything they wanted to forget.
Only her grandfather showed her any kindness. But in her grandmother's eyes, Aayna was a wound that never healed.