Falak’s POV
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Ten years later!!
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“You bitch”
“Mom, dad,”
“Do you really think that they are your parents? The person whom you consider as your father is actually your kidnapper, who kidnapped you when you were off just a few hours from your parents.”
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Immediately I opened my eyes and looked around in fear. I was sweating badly and breathing heavily to fill my lungs with oxygen.
‘It was again a dream.’, I thought and wiped my sweat. It had been ten years since that incident, but every time I closed my eyes, it still felt so fresh, as if it had happened yesterday. I sighed and tried to sleep again, but sleep was far away from my eyes. I checked the time. It was five in the morning already. So, I left the bed and walked toward the washroom to do all my morning chores. After freshening up, I walked left the orphanage and walked toward the church nearby to offer morning prayer.
“Good Morning, father.”, I greeted him the moment I entered the church.
“Good Morning, Falak!” Father Gregory greeted me back. “Again, the same dream?” he asked, on which I nodded meekly. He knew what had happened with me years back because years back when I had opened my eyes in the hospital. I found him near me.
He told me that the church and the orphanage were funded with a large amount of money as a donation, and in return, he had to take care of me like his own child. He didn’t know who those people were! Because all he had received was a note in an envelope with a lot of cash.
***
I helped father in cleaning the church, and after that, I read the bible while he listened to me peacefully. By the time I ended, a few more people were already there in the church.
“Hearing the bible from you early in the morning is the best way to start our day.”, Mr. Joseph said and pulled my cheek lovingly.
“Good Morning, Uncle!”
“Good Morning, My child! May lord blesses you with all the happiness that you deserve in your life.” I smiled widely at his blessing and checked the time.
“Okay, Uncle! I will see you at night. Right now, I will have to leave.”, I said, checking the time. There was an old age home near the orphanages, so I was familiar with all my old age friends as well as my younger friends.
I was just thirteen when I came here, and after that, a lot of families came here to adopt me, but I had decided to stay in the orphanage itself instead of going with new parents. Because of the two reasons, first, my parents were out there, might be looking for me, and second, I couldn’t trust anyone from my past experience. What if I would end up falling into the trap?
There were only two people in my life with whom I had never met but could trust myself with life. And they were my real family and my mysterious lover.
I miss him. I wanted to thank him. I wanted to say many things to him, and at the same time, I wanted to know why did he never contact me later?
Pushing all this thought away from my mind for a while, I helped Sister Alima in preparing breakfast for the kids.
“You shouldn’t be here, Falak!”, She said when I started chopping vegetables.
“I can’t leave you to do all these works all by yourself.”, I pointed out as a matter of fact.
She shook her head. “There’s no point in arguing with you. You’re not going to listen.”, She said before adding. “I had read a news that the company in which you work is now taken over by someone else?”
“Yeah! And the great thing is that the new owner is not kicking out the previous employees at least for six months.”, I said. “And after checking the performance, they will kick the employees out by giving them advance salary.”
“I hope you’re good in your work.”
“Oh, don’t worry about me! My previous employer used to be super duper happy with my work. I believe the same will go with the new one.”, I responded, feeling proud of my work.
“How’s your new employer?”
“I don’t know. They’re going to visit our office today for the first time. Anyways, leave that part! I have heard that someone’s coming to the orphanage today for donation?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”, Sister Alima chirped.
Immediately we heard the sound of a loud squeak of the tyre and then a bang sound. We left our work and ran outside to see the reason for that sound.
I gasped when I saw the bonnet of the car was wide open as it hit the tree. I couldn’t understand the reason behind this accident until I reached near the spot. By that time, a lot of kids, old age people, fathers, and sisters were already there.
One of the kids of the orphanage was standing on the road, holding a ball in his hand, and was wailing loudly. He seemed so scared that he had peed in his pant.
I ran toward him to carry him in my arms. He might have thought that car would definitely hit him.
By that time, a person in a three-piece suit hopped out of the car, holding his head, and then looked around.
The moment my eyes landed on him, I shivered in fear, recalling who he was.
“Is this the way you take care of the kids of the orphanage?”, He asked in a pissed tone in his deep manly tone, turning his gaze toward all the people.
“Jacob, my child..!” Father Gregory spoke on which he particularly looked toward him.
Jacob, my classmate!
One of the boys in that group who used to bully me!
He was a friend of Lance!
What if he was still in touch with Lance and would inform him about my location with him?
“Hello, Father Gregory!”
“Thank you for saving Alex’s life.”, He said before adding, “And it’s my mistake that Alex reached on the road.”
I thought to take this opportunity to fly from there because Jacob recognized me. After ten years, a character appeared in my story from my past. I just hope that this was not the beginning of the worst things in my life. Immediately he moved his eyes from Father Gregory and found mine.
Shit!
An inquisitive look entered his eyes, and he slowly shook his head, either in disbelief or...disgust? Or Both! I quickly turned my heel and started walking away from there.
“Hey.” His voice was deep and demanding and immediately caused my breathing to halt. Was he going to bully me? But he never did that back in school.
“Sister, I think he’s calling you,” Alex said, who was in my arm. But I ignored him, walking as fast as I could toward the orphanage.
Once I reached inside the orphanage, I gave Alex to another sister so that she would clean him up by changing his clothes. After reaching my room, I let out a huge breath as I opened the small Almirah to take out a fresh cloth for me.
“Hey.”
I froze. I literally froze when I heard his voice in my room.
“You seem familiar. What’s your name?”, He asked, narrowing his eyes.
Stop feeling scared, Falak. You’re not the same old, weak girl which you were back then.
“I have a boyfriend.”, I responded and wanted to slap myself for saying this. Immediately his eyes narrowed, and he walked toward me. My breath became uneven, seeing me approaching me. He placed his hand on the Almirah behind me and stared at me.
“I’m not interested in knowing your relationship status. Your name. That’s all I want.”
“Alima,” I lied
“Alima?” he repeated to himself. He pondered this for a second, then shook his head like I got the answer to his question wrong, which was true. “Are you sure?” He cocked his head at me.
“Is that even a question? I’m pretty sure what my name is.”
“Sorry.” He took a step away from me. “My mistake.” He started leaving my room. I sighed in relief, with the thought that he finally bought my lie, but my happiness didn’t long when Father Gregory entered my room.
“So, Jacob? Is she the same Falak who was your classmate?”
HOLY COW!!
Could anything be less embarrassing than this?
I just had convinced this guy that I wasn’t the one whom he was looking for, and just after a few seconds, I was exposed. I ignored his look and waited for a magic wormhole to come and suck me away from all the embarrassing situations I got myself into.
“Falak?”, He asked to reconfirm with Father, on which he nodded. “No, she’s not the same.”, he responded, but deep down, I knew that he had recognized me.
Shit!
Shit!
Shit!
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#TBC