The Superstar

21

Present

Pari remembered some of the things from the past and she felt suffocated. She was not able to breathe. She tried to take in as much air as she can, but it was of no use. It felt like someone was strangling her. She felt so helpless that tears poured out of her eyes and a loud sob escaped her mouth.

She didn't realise how loud her cries were or how long she sat on the bathroom floor crying until she heard the loud knocks on the bathroom door and Nia calling her name loudly.
She kept on crying, having no energy to open the door or face Nia. Then, she heard Mrs.Sharma calling out her name. Somehow, the olderly lady's voice filled with warmth calmed her down. She followed Mrs. Sharma's instructions and started to breath evenly and slowly got up from the floor holding the walls and opened the door.

Both Nia and Mrs.Sharma were shocked to see Pari. Her face was red and her eyes were bloodshot due to crying. Some of her hair stick to her face and she looked terrible. Mrs. Sharma hugged her instantly and again, Pari started to sob.

Mrs. Sharma felt pity and fear all at once. Pity for Pari and fear for herself. If Pari kept crying like this and something happened to her, Sahab would kill her and her daughter. Riya had mentioned this a lot of times - No harm or danger should come to Pari.

On the other hand, Nia had a lot of questions swirling in her mind. What happened? Why was she like this? She didn't know much but one thing was sure - it was all due to Kabeer. Ever since Kabeer went from here, Pari seemed disturbed.

"I...I don't want this baby..." Pari put her hand on her stomach and tried to push it down. "I...I don't" she started sobbing loudly. Mrs. Sharma had to hold her hands to not let her hurt herself.

Nia made Pari drink water and asked her to lie down. She wanted to slap Kabeer for whatever he had said for Pari to go hysterical.

Seeing Pari a little calmed down, Nia talked a bit stupid stuff about the news on TV or her college. As she kept talking, she saw Pari dozzed off to sleep.

She tried asking Mrs. Sharma what was all this about but Mrs. Sharma didn't answer her and asked her to go to sleep. Nia would indeed sleep after this long day, but she had one call to make.

"What the hell did you say to Pari?" Nia yelled loudly at Kabeer on the call.

"Hey, calm down. I didn't say anything." Kabeer would obviously not tell Nia anything but he wanted to see what she knows.

"Oh really? If you hadn't done anything, why would Pari say she didn't want this child?" Nia asked.

"She said what?" Kabeer was astonished at his sister's guts. Just thinking about how his sister ran away, kept her pregnancy hidden and now, she said this, made him fear. If Salem came to know all of this and how Kabeer also hid it, he knew none of them will like the consequences.

"Yes! Today, you pushed her to an extent that she had a panic attack and she kept saying she didn't want the baby. Why Kabeer? Why would you say something to hurt her?" Nia lowered her voice and said, "I request you to not visit Pari or contact her in any way. Stay away from her, if you have loved her even a bit." Nia was extremely over protective about her people and would go to any extent to see them happy.

Pari opened her eyes in the middle of the night. Her face covered in sweat. Salem's face flashed in her mind. She still didn't believe she escaped the devil.  She was happy that he underestimated her and she proved him wrong. She again tried to sleep but all her mind could think was the past memories.

Past

The second year of the college started in full fledge. In the first month, the professors gave them immense self study homework. Pari wondered why the professors were paid, if all the things were marked for self study. But two of the professors were amazing. She enjoyed seating in their lecture so far.