Melting Clouds

Chapter one

Morning came with the promise of so many; but the least husnah expected. She was at a point where nothing else mattered and it seemed she grew numb by the second, feeling less.
Her life was in a mess, it was messed up from the beginning anyways. Growing up was a very difficult stage of her life. Her parents, loved ones and whosoever she cared about ,misunderstood her. They didn't cherish her like she did them.
This among so many,was the reason why Husnah Ma'ab lived her life as a lady with a closely guarded heart. As someone who didn't trust , who didn't want to love because it hurt when nobody did same to her.
All the misconceptions in her life brought her to a point where she really felt nothing. Absolutely nothing.
She had gone cold.
Years of study,trying to see to the only thing which she figured mom thought and cared about.
" Husnah, how was your grades" mom always seemed to ask, not the" How is school, who bugs you , what do you need, what are you finding difficult or shit" that a normal child should expect from parents who loved her.
So as she stared out of the window into the sunlight and the promising morning glory, a new life was what she promised herself. She quickly got up, took a few strides and pulled open her closet. It took her a few minutes to find it, hidden away. Her scrapbook.
Funny as it sounds, she kept a scrapbook featuring her parents, after all she bore their name. She smiled, touching the worn out pages of the book,these people she loved and will never stop loving.
She laughed at herself and thought of how much of a fool she was. It was actually time to stop being the cold Husnah.
She tugged at her long, messy ponytails and smiled; the vellum nature of the scrapbook reminding of her childhood. She had once had a thing for animals. Wasn't a good idea , mother said shooing her request for a pet.
She placed it back into the closet,shuffling through her clothes and pulled out a crew neck sweater and jeans. It took fifteen minutes for her to get out of the bathroom with a rope draped around. Deciding to skip makeup, she just creamed and got dressed.
Just in time, there was a light rap at the door. "I'll be a minute" she called out in response. It was surely Kameela. Only her was allowed to knock or come into her room, maybe because only she cared?
She picked up a comb and a ruffle then went to open the door, replacing the plain look on her face with a suitable smile . "Good morning mum" she greeted, giving way for Kameela to enter. "Hope you had a good night's rest mi princessa" Kameela replied with a hug. Choosing to ignore the silent reply by a typical Husnah, she went to the windows and slid down the shades; allowing the morning sun to cast a radiant glow inside the room.
"Subhanallah" Husnah exclaimed in her heavy French accent, frowning at the brightness." You know I prefer the room as it was right" she said glaring at Kameela.
"I figured a little brightness might help"
"I need no brightness in the room right now. Had it been I did, I know the way around Kameela" she replied.
Silence.
They stared at each other, sending and receiving what couldn't be put into words. Some things were better left unsaid.
"Okay... So this silence is creepy" Husnah said breaking it.
"Let me have that" Kameela gestured towards the comb and the ruffle. She then used them to quickly help Husnah groom her hair into French braids after oiling it. "Even with the way you don't care for this hair, it still maintains its perfect curls" Kameela said with a grin.
"I'll always love to see them unfurl for moments longer. Not the usual two secs and back to curl."
"Quit being jealous bout' my hair" Husnah replied.
With the hair finished, nothing to discuss about. So, Kameela just pecked her on the forehead and made for the door. " Come and get breakfast cos I know you are famished. You look so" she said and shut the door behind her. With a long sigh, Husnah slumped on the love couch by her side. She wondered when it would be easy. Find relating with them all so easy. After growing up without their care and warmth,this whole charade wasn't welcome an idea as it seemed. No matter how much she had tried to be nice or less cold towards them; memories of so many flooded her mind. The neglect, lack of love had compounded day by day leading to the peak, what she was now. She thought about the night before, the past years.
Her whole life as she could remember was a mess. At the age of nine, her father left home on work transfer to the Netherlands. With mother always away as a fashion designer, she was only left in the care of her nanny. The only person she at least had a soft spot for, Kameela.
The lady lost her husband in her early stage of marriage and has since then been working for Husnah's parents, The Kabirs. So the only source of love, comfort and warmth she ever found was from Kameela which reasonably explains why she calla her mom. They were actually times when she wished the lady was her mother. The woman who gave birth to her. It only seemed fit a title for her. Of course , it was the only thing the lady hadn't and could not do for Husnah, birthing her.
During those early years, the times when her mother had shows, red carpets to organise. She could remember being alone at night as her mother stayed out and Kameela was not a 24 hour babysitter. Those were the nights when she had fixed up her scrapbook, in tender yearning for that which they never seemed to at least give to their only child.
Dad had only a little portion of the blame as he called anytime he was less busy. Workaholic!
But that didn't count as an excuse, did it?
She grew angry.
She grew bitter. She was almost alone, facing all those childhood challenges. All the allergies, math struggles or little fears. Oh! She thought. If not for Kameela who stood by her. When the loneliness grew weary for Husnah, Kameela volunteered to move in. When she tried making friends at school, she sucked. Didn't have much social skills. It only seemed to remind her of the state she was in. Nobody wanted her.
She grew the more bitter.
Dark and insecure. She resorted to setting dangerous barriers between her world and others. She had decided it was enough of the feelings. She spoke less to everyone, only a bit to her nanny. And by the time Kameela could notice any changes in her, she was already drowning in the ocean of darkness. She had decided nobody could hurt her again; if they didn't want her, she shouldn't care the same for them. Then to top it all, mother sent her away to a boarding school.
More loneliness.
More of the neglect. She was once again left with Kameela.
Mother had signed a foreign contract, one way or the other she was flying off to Europe.
Hmmm! Good riddance, she could remember thinking that way. She was barely 16 at that time. So how loving do they expect her to be in return? When after all those cruel, hard memories lingered? They still haunted her dreams. She also has her share of the leaving, went to France for her Bachelors.
Biting back the tons of emotions swirling deep inside of her, the night before concluded her thoughts. She just got back a week ago. From France. She could remember, the sharp dab of nervousness and anxiety when she stepped off the plane. Home spelt a lot for her. Throughout her stay in France, she never for once thought of coming back, it wasn't even as if they asked or wanted her back. She expected the usual no welcome.
But they were all there at the airport to receive her with smiles. So from that day till the night before,it was one nice thing after another. When she couldn't contain her disgust, cos she was disgusted at their attempt; they had a very furious confrontation.
Old wounds were reopened and lots of things were said .
Back there while she studied, she didn't feel the need to associate with much people so, it contributed a lot to her social status. So why will they try to invade her space now?
Something it took her years to shield.
Away from any hurt, feelings or emotions. She wouldn't give them to hurt her the more. Wasn't it fame and money they had always cared about? What happened that they suddenly wanted to care for Poor Husnah.
Husnah Ma'ab who didn't fit in any of their plans or schedules.
"You have to stop thinking, it would lead to more heartbreaks." She face palmed herself. Thinking would make her heart open. She closed it a long time ago,leaving only a little space to accommodate Kameela.
She lazily got up , patted the sides of the couch and made for the door.
***********

Wow!
1577 words for the first chappie!
I can say twas stressful, sub han...but it was worth it. Rate my first chapter and tell me what you think.
Be on watch for the next update coming soon.
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I love you all.
MEEMEE