Crystallized Truth

Chapter 17 - Slice of Truth

A hologram appeared, picture popped up and colours filling the deep space. The cheerful and happy faces of Azaad family stared at the shocked faces, widening their eyes in astonishment. The beeping heater of suite ravaging in the stunned to silent hall.

"If you had no better thing to do, doesn't mean you'll go around messing with my pictures. Don't be so obsessed, psycho," Amelia broke the silence in an annoying tone.

Ashley shook his face, his hand clenched into a fist but no word escaped his mouth.

"This is Azaad family for you guys, dating back some fifty to fifty five years from now." Ashley said completely disregarding Amelia's hateful comment and astounding faces of his companions.

"The six elders lived in a town of Washington namely Forks. But at some point of their life, they decided to return to their own country and settled in lowkey city of India, Dehradun. Being already successful businessman, they expanded their business here and lived here for their remaining life. Their three children Mahira, Arav and Priya Azaad studied in the Mount college." Ashley paused and stared directly at Amelia.

"Priya short for Piya Azaad. Does it ring the bell, Amelia?" Ashley asked softly yet his eyes held an emotion Ava found different than before.

"What are you accusing me for?" Amelia asked crossing her arms over her chest.

"She is Piya Azaad by the way," Ashley pointed at the far end of picture.

Ava directed her gaze to picture again. The smiling Asian faces stirred something in her again. Her eyes glided from the man with a bit of beard grinning at his smiling wife who had this classy and shy look on her face, to the man demanding authority with his long hair smiling at the camera while his hand wrapped around the graceful lady beside him who was holding the hand of a lady in red standing behind a boy having this sad smile on the face that Ava would see in the mirror everyday, and finally to the girl, Ashley called Piya, wearing black and silver dress with curls that only separate her reality from Amelia.

They lived years back but the two faces standing together in the picture, one in black dress and the other in red, the two opposite colours of life were now showing a  two parallel world that seemed same yet so different.

It was so striking same. The woman in red and the girl she would see in mirror and her selfies. But how was it possible?

"I don't who she is."

Ava snapped to Ashley and found him looking at her probably noticed her gazing the woman who looked like her.

"Despite the names being written in article, it is fairly difficult to pinpoint who is who." Ashley said.

"Then how do you know that girl like me is Piya?" Amelia asked with a hint of accusations in her tone.

"And before you guys start with your questions, there's another picture you guys might be interested in before going in detail." Ashley said completely ignoring Amelia as if she did not speak at first place.

Ava could see the anger on her face growing with each ignoring by Ashley but they all were too curious to know everything to fight with Ashley. Even Archie seemed puzzled by everything. Ethan was another story. He seemed cold and distant, his eyes stopped at the picture with strange emotions dancing in periphery.

Ashley took his own sweet time in swiping to next picture, increasing the curiosity of Ava. The picture slid and another took its place. The two faces grinned back at them. Gasps were heard but Ava could not blink away from the picture as her jaw dropped in shock.

"Abhay Raichand and Piya Azaad. The star couple of Mount college who were titled as the most adorable couple of college." Ashley dropped the bomb as he slid another picture of couple.