Embracing Love [✓]

ˢⁱˣ ✓

I'm searching
Searching for the road
In the darkness
The road which will lead to my salvation.

In a tough life
I hide and deceive myself
So that I can forget about my painful memories
So that I can forget about my past for a moment
And take a long breath.

The memories
That always wait for me,
The loneliness
That keeps knocking at me like a dream,
A thirst of longing
That can't fulfill my empty heart,
Raise me up and lead me here.
To my home.

~ Ayana.

■■■

At night
(The same day)

Hearing a knock on her door, Ayana looked up to see her mother standing just outside her room.

"I'll sleep with you tonight."
Announcing, Mrs. Malik entered Ayana's room.

After the drama in the morning, it was the first time the mother and the daughter came face to face.

"It's pouring outside."
Ayana was about to protest when Mrs. Malik added making her look outside.

The sky was tar-black and loud thunderstorms were heard. The murmuring of the rain through the window was heard. It sounded like the buzzing of angry bees.

The rainy dark night... the sky... resembled that night.

The night from three years back.

Without saying anything, Ayana nodded and then climbed on her bed before lying down. She was both craving sleep and dreading it.

Silently Mrs. Malik also got into the bed and then laid beside her daughter who was facing the opposite side with closed eyes.

A couple of minutes later, Ayana heard her mother's voice.
"Are you asleep?"

Instead of responding, she continued to close her eyes pretending to sleep when she felt Mrs. Malik kiss her forehead.
"Sorry, my daughter."

"Mom is sorry... for everything."
Thinking Ayana was asleep, Mrs. Malik whispered tracing her bruised cheek before leaning back to her side.

After a while, Ayana turned towards her mother who was already asleep.
"I'm sorry too."
Silently, she whispered back as a lone tear fell from her left eye.

♧♧♧

'Am I lost?'
She thought as she roamed around the Mansion. While roaming around, she came across a door. Thinking it was the exit, she pushed the door only to enter into a room.

The room was huge and spacious. There wasn't any furniture or other stuff except a portrait.

Her portrait.

In it, she was laughing wholeheartedly without any care of the world. Her doe-like eyes held happiness, love and playfulness. In that portrait, she looked beautiful, ethereal, out of the world.

With amusement, she walked towards the portrait that was hung on the huge wall. She was about to touch it when she heard his voice.
"You like it, sweetheart?"