Thin Line Between Love & Hate

Part 18

ARNAV RAIZADA

My phone rang bringing me out of the thoughts I had been lost in, I always avoided visiting the past because it caused me nothing but pain and I was don't with that part of my life, I just wanted to forget about it and move on in life.

I pulled the phone out of my pocket as saw Shona's name flashing on screen, I swiped and received the call because she was the last person I wanted to ignore, if it weren't for her, my parents would have never believed what I had been telling them all those previous years.

If it weren't for her, I wouldn't be here, she had done so much for me since childhood, she was the one that had been there with me through thick and thin.

"Yes Shona." I said pinning the phone close to my ear.

"Are you okay Arnie?" She asked. My sweet Shona, she was always worried for me, seriously what would I do without her in my life? I couldn't even imagine a life where she wasn't with me.

"Yeah, I'm good."

"Are you coming home, or do you want me to come there? I don't like you being alone, it's getting me scared." She sounded so nervous. I knew she was worried for me, but I just needed to get out of this frustration.

I still had no answer to my question, why would my mother call me after all these years? What did she want from me now?

"You can come over in an hour or so, I'll be okay by then." I said.

"Okay, I'll see you in an hour." She said as she disconnected the call, I put the phone aside and lied down silently.

The day when my parents finally found out what that woman had been doing to be was the day I had lost all hopes actually. After the truth came out, I was sure I dint want to live with them. I had told them a hundred times but instead they would accuse me of lying and all that crap, so I decided it was better to live on the streets all alone than to live with such parents.

I was only fifteen so of course it was difficult, they made it way more difficult for me when I told them I no more wanted to live with them. Khushi's parents were all ready to let me live with them but my parents wouldn't allow that.

Instead of making my life easier they just made it more difficult by dragging this whole thing to the court, it just ended up causing me more stress, and after endless court sessions, they agreed to let me live with Khushi's parents. I never understood what the whole point of going to court was about.

Once I finished high school, I started taking up small jobs, doing anything I could to earn a little bit of money so I could start supporting myself and wouldn't have to depend on Khushi's parents. Later, their parents sent us here to study, I was glad that I was going to be in the same city and college with her, but it was going to be too much expense for them.

So I found a night job at a call Centre, it was quite difficult to manage it along with college but I had done it so far, and I had earned enough to keep me going without having to ask for any more support from Khushi's parents.

I also figured, once I'd get a job, I would repay them for everything they had done for me, I had my entire life sorted and then out of nowhere, my mother decided to call me. Why did she remember me after all these years?

I dint want to think about it, but no matter how hard I tried, all the wounds of the past had freshened up and they were hurting again.

I stood up and headed inside the bathroom, I turned on the shower and stood under it trying to calm myself down, I thought of everything else to help me distract my mind, I wanted to forget that she had called me or anything.