This is the author’s true story. A heart warming love story with a very tragic end. The protagonist’s life doesn’t halt. It continues just like her spirit. That doesn’t mean an end to the difficulties. How this tiny, emotional girl next door emerges against the evils of society by standing up for herself and millions like her who suffer silently in despair. This is a stor y of how she dared to be different and did not let circumstances run her over.

Reflections

... a true storyBy Yashi

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2012 Yashi
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4670-4425-7

Contents

Preface..................................ixPart 1...................................3Part 2...................................6Part 3...................................9Part 4...................................13Part 5...................................18Part 6...................................21Part 7...................................24Part 8...................................26Part 9...................................29Part 10..................................32Part 11..................................36Part 12..................................39Part 13..................................44Part 14..................................55Part 15..................................59Part 16..................................64Part 17..................................68Part 18..................................70Part 19..................................74Part 20..................................78Part 21..................................81Part 22..................................84Part 23..................................88Part 24..................................91Part 25..................................94Part 26..................................97Part 27..................................99Part 28..................................102Part 29..................................105Part 30..................................108Part 31..................................111Part 32..................................114Part 33..................................119

Chapter One

Part 1

W hen I think about my life's story, I often wonder when I should begin and when I should end.

I thought I was great company for others and used to steal the show whenever I wanted. Things were never difficult for me. Talking to strangers never made me nervous, and I made friends very easily. Life was nothing but fun.

My mimicry skills and clownish attitude won me many friends. I was a popular girl in my high school, because I was given numerous awards and honors for my participation in extracurricular activities. I also scored good marks in almost all subjects (except math).

Love for me was a very "filmy" thing. I thought the concept of love only suited Bollywood movies and nothing like "true love" existed in the real world. According to me, people who had premarital romantic affiliations were bad students and very bad sons and daughters. I thought they betrayed their parents every now and then for their own selfish, personal reasons, which were very difficult for me to comprehend at that particular time. I was merely in ninth grade, and that's what love meant for me.

It was when those green eyes entered my life in a very remarkable and dramatic manner, my attitude about love changed. It was the first ever school trip we had. It was enough to excite me that we would be visiting Rajasthan in India, "the land of the kings." We packed our bags and rushed to the railway station. I was so very unlike my friends, who were more excited about guys going along with us than visiting Rajasthan.

It was at the beautiful hill station called Mount Abu where I felt a shiver throughout my body and realized that something unusual was happening to me. I saw those beautiful, mysterious green eyes staring at me through a layer of amazing strands of hair running over the forehead and conveniently ending just on the level of those green eyes. That added even more mystery to the gazing pair. I was fantastically thrilled but shooed away the feeling as a negative one and tried to concentrate on the monuments and their history. I was even taking notes on what our guide was describing about the splendid Dilwara Jain Temples.

Whenever I noticed those intriguing green eyes, they pierced a part of me. The real shock as well as surprise (till then) of my life was yet to arrive. The next evening, we were scheduled to visit Sunset Point in Mount Abu. I felt the intense romance in the ambience captivating me. I was surprisingly searching for those green eyes. The thought of it was making me uncomfortable. I was so unsure about myself for the first time in my life.

Then, I noticed, by choice, of course, that amazing pair gazing at me so vividly. It seemed to me as an X-ray machine, though it wasn't intended to be that way. I found myself mesmerized by the sight of the sun setting so beautifully down the hills, playing hide and seek with the clouds and gradually disappearing. And I was even more spellbound with him staring at me with such amazingly high levels of interest. All through our exchange of stares I forgot to hang around by my other classmates and my teachers, and I even lost track of time. He was looking at me endlessly and finally smiled. It was then that I noticed a handsome strand of hair falling over on the right half of his forehead again and again and being blown away by the breeze repeatedly. Oh! I so much hated the breeze by then, I swear. The reason behind that hatred was not clear to me though.

Chapter Two

Part 2

Both of us were left alone (I said alone, as I wasn't even aware of his name till that moment). I saw him advancing towards me with a very cute smile, and it was becoming wider and wider as the distance between us was becoming less. It was giving me the best goose bumps I ever had. He came up to me and with a crisp sense of confidence introduced himself to me as he pushed out his right hand toward me with an obvious intent of a handshake.

My right hand just didn't listen to me and poured out against all my coy wishes and shook. Yes! It shook me from within. I noticed that his face had other features as well, like those beautiful luscious lips, that very much proportionate nose, not to mention that perfect pair of green eyes, which definitely, precisely gave my feelings the name of love. I was very sure then that it was nothing but love.

"Rahul," he said. "Hi! I am Rahul. Can we be friends?"

My orthodox Indian heart thumped even harder than 282 beats per minute. Each beat wanted to say, "Yes!" but somehow my lips didn't support me, and I answered in the form of a question. "Why?" I asked.

He tried to explain his point of view as to why friendship was an integral part of life. He said, "You are one of the most popular and charming girls of the school. You are a class apart when it comes to debates, poetry recitations, and dramatics."

Oh, man! I was so happy. I realized I had grown up to accept complements from guys, blush severely at the same time, and feel glad deep down inside.

A smile flashed on my seemingly frowning face. Rahul reciprocated with a smile. We again shook hands and realized that we were lost. It was very dark by that time, and I was as scared as hell. I prayed with all my soul, as it was anything but my idea of a perfect vacation to be lost somewhere in the hills of Mount Abu. I was in the midst of a thought hurricane when I heard a very shrilly voice screaming my name. I turned back and saw my teachers. Their faces were flaunting a strange expression of relief and anger.

Mrs. Khajuria asked, "Yashi! What are you doing here? Where were you? And you ... What's your name? ... Rahul. What are both of you doing here exactly? Please explain."

I became extremely nervous and answered, "Ma'am, I lost direction, and Rahul noticed me going the wrong way. So he followed me to bring me back. We were on our way back already. I am sorry for the inconvenience, ma'am." The statement I made was enough to bring a pat on...