At Lakshmi’s house
Lakshmi’s POV
I am an only child so I don’t have anyone to talk to or to play with. Being very spoiled, I got used to getting whatever I wanted in the blink of an eye. I didn’t even realize the monster I was slowly turning into and there was no one to put me on the right track.
I didn’t even know what it felt like to be loved by anyone especially after the event that broke me completely. I retired to bed in preparation for school the next day.
I went to school and Mia could notice my change in attitude, I wasn’t looking as bright as I normally did.
“Why the long face?” Mia asked me as we sat at the lunch table, munching our food during recess.
“It’s nothing, I’m okay” I lied.
“You are lying, you are trying to avoid eye contact with me which is a normal reaction when humans want to lie” Mia clearly stated the obvious.
“You avoid eye contact with me all the time, does that mean you are always lying to me?” I raised an eyebrow.
“I have Autism, which makes it difficult for me to have eye contact with someone where as you don’t have it so it is a clear fact that you are lying” Mia said very slowly. Mia always talked slowly as if she was struggling to say her words either that or she was just being careful with whatever she was saying.
“My dad is back home” I said in a voice that almost wasn’t audible.
“I don’t see any reason for that to be the cause of your current attitude or is it another mood swings” Mia nodded her head as she spoke.
“It isn’t” I just shrugged.
“But then why are you sad?” Mia was still very curious. I wasn’t the type of person that enjoyed sharing my problems with other people but to a point I felt like I could trust Mia and I just couldn’t resist such beautiful blue eyes.
” Mia I don’t know if you would understand where I am coming from but I have never felt my parents’ love and affection. They are always too busy for me and always don’t have time.
Anytime they come home, they are always busy with something else and now that my only hope of happiness is dead because of them I think I hate my parents” I used my palms to cover my mouth, I had gone too far. I didn’t actually want to say the last part but fate worked in mysterious ways.
Mia didn’t ask me about my last statement but I felt like I needed to tell her about what I meant so she wouldn’t overthink it. I honestly felt like there was no harm, Mia wasn’t the type of person that talked a lot.
” I want to tell you something Mia but you have to promise me that you won’t tell anyone” I held Mia’s hand from across the table.
“I will try ” Mia looked away. Normally, I would get angered by such a reply but when it came to Mia I learnt to be patient and enduring.
“Mia, I’m sure that you have already noticed that I.. my family.. we don’t lack anything materialistic” I struggled to find the right words to explain myself.
“Your family is very rich,” Mia cleared the air.
“Yes but I am not a very happy person. I don’t get any form of love from anyone and I really wanted a little sibling, someone I can play with and talk to, someone I can shower all my care on, the care that my parents didn’t give to me” I was almost in tears.
“But my joy was taken from me as I lost my siblings before he/she was born into this world. I lost my sibling due to my mother’s carelessness. The worst part is that she didn’t even take a break after losing her child.
She just continued with her work as if nothing had happened initially and when I asked her about it, she said there was nothing she could do about it. The baby is gone and she will give me another sibling when she is ready” a teardrop escaped from my eye.
“But she lied to me, I saw my mother’s test result and it clearly stated that she would never be able to be a mother again. She would never be able to give me a sibling, I will always be alone Mia” I couldn’t hold back my tears anymore.
Mia brought out a handkerchief and cleaned my eyes.
“But that ain’t enough reason for you to hate your parents. Have you thought of the fact that they are just doing all this to run away from their pain? Humans tend to forget about their fear when it becomes the reason for their pain” Mia placed her index finger in between her lips and looked up as if thinking about something.
“Did you remember someone?” I looked at her curiously.
“Yes,” she shrugged.
“Try talking to your parents. It will help you because right now you are dying inside for no reason” Mia said very slowly.
Maybe she was right, maybe just one conversation was enough to fix everything but how do I even start talking to them.
“I heard about Bella’s suspension” I told Mia in an attempt to change the topic.
“Yes I heard about it too.” Mia replied.
“The school feels so peaceful without her poking around in my business and trying to make life hell” I was so relieved.
“You were also like that but you didn’t get a suspension” Mia tilted her head to the right and I used my palm to help her keep her head straight.
“Because I would never lock someone in a closet for so long, what if I was asthmatic?” I started to chew my food.
“Yes, but you stepped on my fingers one time I tried to pick up my books you threw on the floor, what if I had an infection in my fingers, you would have worsened the case and made my condition worse” Mia tried to compare the two circumstances together and she was absolutely right, I started to feel guilty but there was really nothing I could do.
“I wish there was something I could do to make her feel better, I also heard her dad grounded her for the whole month” I gave a faint smile, I now felt her pain and put myself in her shoes.
“You could go visit her and make her feel better” Mia suggested and I thought it was a horrible suggestion.
“Are you mad? What if she throws a knife at me?” I exclaimed.
“I wasn’t scared of death when I jumped into that pool to save you, even when I knew I couldn’t swim. Sometimes, you just have to take risks for people even if they were always against you.
And besides nothing like that will happen you are just exaggerating” Mia explained and I felt like I was talking to someone else and not Mia. I mean when did Mia start having such feelings?.
“Yes ma’am, I will go see her later today after school and you are going to accompany me” I rolled my eyes. I was very sure she would decline but to my surprise she actually agreed to come with me to Bella’s house.