The Virgin Bride

Part 6 - Tentacles of Bad Habits...

Grace spent that night crying and feeling guilty for having lied to her parents, for having played with their trust. At the same time, she also felt bad that such people existed in the world, who played with people's trust and emotions. As her thoughts wandered, she again thanked her stars, and prayed for her good luck, and slept. In her sleep, she dreamt of Juliet, her sister. She looked drugged, and rotten. It felt like Juliet had been forced to do something she would regret. In her dream, Juliet was crying, weeping, and hitting her head against a wall. Grace woke up in a sweat. She immediately went to Juliet's room, and checked on her. She looked fine, and was sleeping peacefully. Grace hugged her sister, and kissed her forehead. She was about to go back to her own room, when Juliet woke up, startled, and called Grace. "Grace? What is all this nuisance?" Grace said, "Oh, sorry to have woken you up, Julie. My intention was not that! I just wanted to see if you are fine!" She looked apologetic, but Juliet was hell-bent on picking up a quarrel even at that ungodly hour. "Grace! Of course I am fine. What is wrong with you?" Grace blurted, "Err, Julie, you were drugged, and your clothes were torn, and..." she was trying hard to recollect her dream, when Juliet almost shouted, "Grace! Rubbish! Just get out of here, and stop portraying me false. I am not drugged." Grace said, "No. No. Sorry. I didn't mean it that way. I saw that in my dream. I was worried, so I ...." "Shut up, and get out. Don't try to sneak into my private area and act like a detective!" Grace was feeling sorry, but she knew Juliet would not listen to anything she had to say. She just put her head down, and walked out. She went to the kitchen for some water. Just then, Hannah walked in. 

"Gracie, darling! Why are you up at this hour? Are you alright?" There was concern in her voice. Grace was unable to hold herself back, she ran the few steps and hugged Hannah, and buried her head deep in her mother's chest. Hannah said, "Lord, What happened darling?" She was unable to see her beloved daughter in tears. Grace told her mother everything she saw in the dream, and whatever followed afterwards. Hannah was truly shocked as to why Grace dreamt something so strange. She felt terribly hurt about Julie's behavior towards her younger sister. She decided she had to talk to Juliet and get her disciplined. She almost always hurt Grace, in some way or the other. She failed to understand the reason for this kind of animosity. 

Hannah walked Grace to her bed, and gently patted her head and rubbed her forehead till she fell asleep. After she was sure her daughter was tucked in, she went and slept herself. She decided to have a word with Juliet, and also kept wondering why Grace would dream such stuff. 

The next morning, at the breakfast table, Hannah called out to Juliet and said, "Julie, you know what, Grace is the youngest in the family, but the care, concern and love she has for all of us, is unmatched." Juliet wondered why her mother was saying this, out of the blue. She just nodded. Hannah continued. "Everyone I know, praises Grace and loves her. Wonder why you don't reciprocate similarly!" There! Juliet had always hated Grace but she was very careful to not let anyone in on her reason for the hatred. She could never tell anyone that she envied Grace for her charm, her intelligence, her beauty, and the fact that everyone loved her. But today, as her mother caught her, she was short of words. She was searching an answer, when her mother added, "Julie, last night, she was thoroughly disturbed after that dream. You know, she came to see if you are alright! And what did you do? Chased her away? Called her a detective? For heavens' sake, Julie, she is your sister. She cares for you, loves you!" 

Juliet had had enough. She said, "Mom, do you even know what hour that was?" She was rebellious, in her tone. 

"Agreed, it was midnight. But she was concerned! She was..." "Mom, enough! I know you find her right, always, that is okay with me. But, she startled me in my sleep, and I could not sleep for hours after that disturbance." She lied. Hannah said, "I am sorry on her behalf, but her intention was not disturbing you! I wish you understood your li'l sister better!" Hannah walked away into the kitchen, having said what she had to.