Journey of Hope

CHAPTER:- 10

Pratyasha's Pov

In the game of life, time is the biggest player. Some unexpected twists and turns, you will be it's prey without your knowledge.

Ten minutes ago, Ashia and me arrived at the college entrance. Smile was not leaving my face, after having the first adventurous journey of my life.

Ashia was a great company. Everything about her was admirable. I never felt like we just met for few hours. Neither she asked me about my weakness, nor she criticised me for being submissive to Ishaan. The three hours, I spent with her were the golden moments of life.

Apart from being beautiful, she was so cute. I still remembered how she gaped looking at my driving skills. She thought me to be totally unaware about it, but I was kinda obsessed with the function of cars. I had read a lot of magazines related to the latest editions of cars, and the basic parts had nothing new for me. The only thing lacked was I never practised to drive a car practically.

Ashia was already impressed with my knowledge. She immediately gave me the driving seat, when we reached near the empty road, where the city ends.

It was a whole new experience, equally amazing and thrilling. The long concrete one-way road, covered by dense forest from both the sides, was a treat for long-drive.

We shouted, screamed in happiness, passing the wind, which had its own melody. It was for the first time in the 21 years of my life, when did everything from my heart. There was no one to restrict me from my wishes, I was a free bird exploring the sky without any limitations.

We were at a distance of almost one hour from the college. It was the outskirt of city - heavenly peaceful. It would be a lie to say that I wanted to come back soon from there. But, I forced Ashia to return after an hour. Although, I was like a free bird there, then I knew that it won't last forever. I had to go back to my cage against my will.

It was just a few moments ago, when I was having the best moment of my life. Everything was like a dream with Ashia, then within a moment everything changed, and here I was facing the nightmare of my life, Ishaan Samantray.

When we reached in the college entrance, Ashia went to park the car. I asked her to join me in the same garden from where we had left earlier. And I started to move towards the garden. For the first time, I was feeling so much freshness inside me. I admired the grey colour of the sky, the light green colour of leaves, the red colour fruits and purple colour flower, even the diamond shaped tiles on the floor amazed me with their beauty. I had never observed them with such concentration like today. I was smiling freely after a long time, feeling the touch of free life inside my heard.

Running my fingers over my tangled wavy hairs, I looked up to meet a pair of familiar eyes blazing fire towards my direction. I took a step back, as Ishaan advanced his steps towards me. For a moment, I forgot about the moment I had enjoyed with Ashia. It would be my fortune, if I will get permission to come to college again.

It was not hard for Ishaan to reach near me. His giant legs had more privileges in front of a tiny human like me. He grabbed my arm in a tight grip, and pulled me towards the empty class room.

There was not much people in the corridor, as the classes were going on. And those who were there, cared least to interfere in between us. All of them were aware of Ishaan being my fiancee. As much as the girls in our college loved Ishaan, they loathed me more than that. According to them, a nerd like me never deserved to be the fiancee of the handsome football captain of their college.

Everyone had a misconception that I got everything in privilege, just because I was the daughter of the Pratik Ahuja. From my topper certificate to Ishaan - they thought I deserved nothing. I was famous over the college with the tag name, "Daddy's Cindrella". Only if they would have known that how hard it was for the Cindrella to have a fairytale ending. While in real life, every Cindrella were not blessed with a prince charm.

Ishaan pushed me inside an empty class room breaking the chain of my thoughts. I looked at him, He was standing infront of me, facing his back towards the door. In an instant he pulled me and rotated in a circle, so that now both of us exchanged our place. I was the one stood facing my back to the door, and Ishaan was in front of me.

"Where are you?" He asked calmly. But, I knew him better to relax myself. His calmness was just the indication of the coming storm. We often ignored intuitions, but most of the time they were correct. In the next minute, Ishaan shouted, "I asked, where the hell were you? Can't you hear that?"

Putting my palms on both the ear, I closed my eyes in fear. I was not praying to God to save me from him. All these years, after surviving, Dadi's and Mom's hate, I was habitual to pain. Then somewhere, below the layers, there was a tiny hope inside heart. The hope that someday, an angel will come and I will fly holding her hands. And I also knew that it was never going to happen.

"Where are you lost? In your dreamland? Am I the slave here to wait for the princess to come back from her fairyland?" He shouted again, breaking my trance. "This is the last time I am asking you, Where the hell are you?" He asked holding my arms in a tight grip. Tears brimmed into my eyes, but I pressed the eyelids to suppress them. Closing my eyes, I imagined my Baba's face. "I have to do it. I have to bear this monster's torture to save his business. I have to do it." I mentally prepared myself to bear the outcome of my freedom.

"She went with me." I heard the soothing voice of Ashia.

Tik.. Tik.. Tik.. The sound echoed continuously inside the empty classroom, as Ashia entered inside clicking her pointed hills on the marble floor.

"Showing off the masculinity, are we?" She blinked her eyes like an innocent child. Then her boldness and fierce attitude was clear evident from her face. She had an aura, that intimidate Ishaan - who loved to intimidate everyone around him.

"Were you with her?" He asked me furrowing his eyebrows.

"I.. I.. I was..." I stammered badly, as his hold on my arm tightened. I let out a sob in pain.

"She was with me. We went out of the city, because Pratyasha wants to learn driving." Ashia came in between Ishaan and me and hold his hand, that was on my arm. "She is an adult here. And you are not her parents to ask her details." She casually said, pulling Ishaan's hold from my arm. I hid behind her. For some reason I found it the best way to save myself.

"Pratyasha! Come with me." Ishaan said in a intimidating voice.

"She won't come with a jerk like you." Ashia sternly said. Her eyes were not fixed on floor as me.

"And who are you to tell on behalf of her?" Ishaan asked glaring both of us at tha same time.

"Her best-friend." Ashia said, and I felt comforted. Someone for the first time had taken myside.

"Best-friend, who met a few hours ago. I am her fiancee." He mocked.

"Fiancee, who used his masculinity over her fragile heart. What a sick person you are!" Ashia too replied in the same tone.

For a moment silence prevailed in the entire room. I looked up confusedly to found both of them looking at each other. Maybe thay were glaring at each other. Or maybe Ishaan was silent because for the first time, someone said the truth in his face. And he was not prepared for a reply. The bell rang and their trance broke.

"Pratyasha! You are coming with me or not?" Ishaan asked not looking at Ashia. While I tried to hid myself behind her.

"I think you got your answer Mr." Ashia said folding her hands. I clutched her shoulder to prevent her from provoking Ishaan.

"You stay out of it. I don't want to hurt a weak woman. That's against my class." Ishaan said pointing a finger towards Ashia.

"I don't hurt a woman - That's an old way to escape Mr." Ashia mocked. A laugh threatened to come out, but the seriousness of situation forced me to control myself. While Ashia hold Ishaan's pointed finger and twisted it. Ishaan's face hardened in pain, but he didn't scream due to his manly ego. "The fierceness inside a woman is enough to burn the soul of world, you are just a mere man." When Ashia said those words to him, I was startled. How could a girl be so strong to face a man like Ishaan, that too alone!

"For how long you will hide behind her? I will see you in your home." Ishaan said, before storming out of the room.

"College is going to over. Let's go." Ashia said turning around. I immediately followed her. She was walking in a speed, as if she had the last train to catch. I increased my pace, and finally she stopped near the parking space.

"Thank You." I expressed my gratitude, when Ashia was opening her car door.

"Come on Prati. Haven't you heard SRK's rule of No thanks and no sorry." When she called me Prati, I felt a type of connection with her. The same protective one that I had sensed with Baba maybe. I get inside the passenger seat. Baba was not going to sent a driver to pick me up, as he had asked Ishaan to drop me home in the morning. Then I asked Ashia to drop me home, as I didn't want to face Ishaan soon. Though I knew that sooner or later he was going to take his revenge from me, satisfying his ego.

"I never watch those Romantic movies of Bollywood. So yeah, will take time to learn all this." I said, with a laugh over my own stupidity. Being a girl I never found out those romantic fictional relationships interesting, that was a weird thing. But life had the harsh reality for me.

"You don't look like one. I mean SRK is the prince charm of most of the girls." Ashia said in a surprised tone. I felt comfortable around her. Most of the times, my fellow mates teased me, even in school they bullied me for my weird preferences. According to the stereotypes, A girl couldn't be normal if she was not gushing over those contemporary romantic fictional tales.

"Not mine. I have already seen the reality of life." I said as a matter of fact. Honestly I didn't have a expectation of getting a prince charm after I was engaged to Ishaan Samantray. Life was never fair to me, or maybe I was cursed to get love.

"You haven't. The universe is too big for the world. A continent is too big for a country. So as the life is too big for us to see as a whole. We often cry assuming the end, but for once change the scene of life. You will find yourself singing in the unheard tune, feeling the rain in the desert." Ashia said, looking straight at the road. I was loving the scenery, probably because I was free in front of her to voice out myself.

"What's the guarantee that this is the bad phase. I need to change a new scene?" I asked turning my face towards her.

"You know, sometimes the news channels bored me with their useless debate shows. I simply changed the channel to a cartoon genre. It's a sign of stupidity for everyone, but I passed my time happily. That's what you need to do, Prati. You have to care for yourself, because no one will care for you if you will ignore your value." Ashia said, while her eyes were still fixed on the road. Pulling the steering she took a turn and I inclined towards the window seat. I looked at her face. She was always carrying a smile, and her carefree life was still a dream for me. I was being jealous of her happiness, I stopped myself there only. For the first time someone stood for me, and in stead of praying for, I was being jealous of her. Even my life was better, infact people said its best. Being the daughter of a leading businessman, I always got privileges to everything. So what people mocked me, I had my Baba. He was the best man, and I should be proud of him.

"Baba loves me. He loves me more than himself. So what if Ishaan hates me! Not that everyone should love me." I said to myself. But the voice was enough loud for Ashia to hear. In a moment, the car stopped. I looked at Ashia questioning about the sudden break through my eyes.

"We are here." She said looking at the front. Her face was not caring that sweet smile anymore. Her expression scared me, then maybe I was overthinking. Opening my side of door, I came out.

"Won't you Come inside?" I asked her, standing infront of her side of window.

"I will, next time for sure." She said turning her face towards me. But her eyes were fixed behind me, maybe our mansion's beauty attracted her.

She started the car engine, and in a second I was standing there looking at the car leaving on the road. She didn't even entered inside the main gate. I turned around and walked inside. The positivity of Ashia was still inside me.

The feeling of freedom was so good. I was overwhelmed with myself to such an extent that, I ignored the fact that Ashia was so mysterious. From her sudden entry in my life, Everything had started to change. But I was happy with the change. I was enjoying the moment.

Only if I would have put a little effort to judge her, I must have noticed that she had dropped me exactly in front of our mansion, when all the way not for once I have directed her the way!