Dedicated to: Blessed_mess05
Thank you so much for all the love you've showered on this book and for being one of the most awesome friends I've got here on Wattpad.

Not edited.

Aagneya
25/6/20
10:45 am, Venus Therapy, Hyderabad
"I often wonder why do people stigmatize people with issues or those who seek help?"
Seeking help for your problems is the manifestation of the inner strength of a person. Physical strength triumphs mental strength in places but in every battle, the latter is the backbone.
I am an insecure teenager but I always confided in my best friends or had written stuff on random chits of paper to get rid of the heavy feeling that often persisted in my heart.

When I had stepped into "Venus Therapy", I was taken aback. The therapy center didn't look like one. The walls were painted in a multitude of colours, lots of plants, stools, and tables lied around haphazardly. A huge board was hanging on an aqua wall with lots of sticky notes pinned on it. The board was called "puke zone", where you write down anything that's unsharable. It's was dulcet thought and I had an impression that I'd be using it a lot in the future.

A transparent, fragile partition separated the reception and waiting area from the "war zone". Curiosity took the best of me and I took feeble steps there. Two teams, dressed in black and white ensemble were firing paintballs at each other. It seemed like a legit battle with these guys out for each other's throats.

I was awestruck by the peruse of the garden. The monsoon mist had settled on the blossoms.
It obscured everything else from the eyes of the beholder and bought only the tender flowers into the light. How something so diminutive and tender could withstand nature and its worst, was beyond my understanding. "Why aren't humans made with such tenacity?".

Maa stepped beside me, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder and I sunk into her warm embrace. There was no comfort like the one she offered.
In a soft voice, she asked me, "What are you thinking about so deeply?".The answer she got was just a simple shrug of the shoulder.

The reception caller beeped, flashing my appointment number. This was my cue to move.
Maa gently squeezed my hand and urged me to go ahead.
"Aagi, I'll be just outside if you need me. Don't worry about anything else. You are, and will always be my brave child", ma finished with an encouraging look in her eyes.
♣️

"It smells like water lilies", was the first thought that passes through my head, when I walked into the counseling room. I never thought that I would have to come to a therapist.
Life is a weird game, one whose rules I've never quite understood.

"Have a seat", a gentle, convincing voice called out from the other side of the room. She was sitting on the sofa legs crossed, wearing a blue kaftan looking at me intently. This person, Inaayat Madan, was the probable solution to my quandaries.

"Hi, I'm Aagneya. Nice meeting you", I fumbled out, unconsciously tapping my feet against the floor. Upon not receiving any reply, I looked up and followed her gaze to my feet that were going about in an uneven rhythm.
Suddenly very aware of what I was doing, "I'm so sorry about that. It's just that I'm very nervous", I apologized in a faint breath.

"It's okay. Take a deep breath and relax. You like you've seen a ghost", she let out with a small chuckle. "I'm Inaayat btw. I'm here to even just listen if you want to rant about anything in life. Today how about you just introduce yourself?"

"Well... I'm Aagneya, I'm 18 years old, just finished high school, was going to attend IANP as a B.arch student. I have multiple acquaintances, but less than a handful of people, I can call friends.
I hate myself and my life more than anything right now. Every time I look at myself in the mirror, I see and a damaged and defiled reflection. A bright golden shadow stood, unblemished to detail when a cut appeared ,first through where her heart lay, the knife moved on its own accord carving words. From every cut, a murky light diverged and gradually they engulfed the gold", and before I knew it, tears were streaming down my face.

These past few weeks, all I did was cry and ponder. Why am I so weak and vulnerable? First I was week physically and now I'm weak emotionally and mentally too. Those ministers and aunties are absolutely right,I don't deserve to live here. It was all my fault. It was my fault that I was born a female. It is my fault that nature has bestowed me with breasts, ovaries and a vagina. It is my fault that I wanted to celebrate with my friends for achieving something in my life".

Third person POV

When Agneya's family had contacted Inaayat asking her to counsel and help their daughter recover and cope with the events of her life,she readily agreed. She had counselled and helped various other men and women who had gone through a similar experience but when she read Aagneya's brief, her heart had ached like never before. She didn't now why but she could feel the girl's pain even though she had never met her. Inaayat knew this was going to be a very challenging case for she was dealing with an 18 year old, fragile, insecure girl. Traumas like these can fade but don't disappear. They cling on to you for life, the PTSD waiting to make a comeback 

Almost every Indian has heard the mythological tale of 'Vikram and Betaal', anxiety and PTSD are also like Betaal. It clings on to you, whispering in your ear insecurities, fears and unanswerable questions. If you don't answer them, you'll either loose your head or continue to carry that ghost with you all your life. We all have a Betaal on our backs, just that it's not visible to us or as a matter of fact anyone.  

Inaayat desperately wanted to help this girl,help her get her life back and spread her wings. As she agreed and asked her p.a to fix up any appointment,she vowed to help Aagneya in anyway possible.

♣️

Sukoon, Hyderabad 

Eira was on her weekly rounds to her "properties". She was extremely elated for she had acquired a new 16 year old asset to display to those hungry wolves. The girl had been sold off by her parents for money and had come all the way from a village in West Bengal. One of her men, who was also a relative of the girl's family used their financial situation as leverage to marry her and sold her here for double the money he had paid. Eira was saddened seeing the girls sullen face but only for a moment. She brushed them of thinking about the business she was going to bring.

Shiv, like always was disgusted when dealings like these happened. He knew those hungry, middle aged bastards who were cheating on their spouses, were going to destroy this girl and her future. His best friend Vaishali and himself were also once innocent and carefree before pedophiles crushed them with their sick minds. He wanted an out from this hell and he knew Vaishali wanted too but the price was their lives. They had to risk it for those few moments of freedom and exhilaration of the the untamed winds touching their face.

Regardless of the outcome, they were going to escape. They weren't just going to escape, they were planning something big,so big that their lives seemed like a penny in front of it. Spotting Vaishali from the corner of his silvery-grey eyes he moved towards the receptionist  asking for her and room.

One of the privileges he got for being Eira's favourite was that he could ask for a girl anytime and no one could deny him. Sheila handed him the keys to a room and called out for Vaishali. He could feel her behind him, just a turn away and how he wanted to engulf her in hug.

As they stepped in the room they jumped atop squeezing the life out each other. The intensity of the hug and the emotions swirling in their eyes conveyed how much they had missed the comfort and security they provided to each other. 

People outside thought they were deriving pleasure through act of intercourse but they derived pleasure in just each other's company. 

"Shiv I found a blueprint of the building".Vaishali whispered as she sunk into his warmth.

"Hmm. I memorised her schedule for the next 2 weeks",shiv replied his voice cracking at the end.

Vaishali's soft laughter enveloped the room. "Voice cracks problem still not solved?,a smile gracing her face.

"Far from it. They keep getting worser",he replied subconsciously tracing the thin hairline on his jaw. Remembering the last incident he enquired,"how's your back?"

'Fine. One of the stitches opened up because of an asshole but it doesn't hurt as much",she replied in a wince. Observing his downcast face, she held his face and looked into his silvery-grey eyes instantly getting lost in them and spoke with a determination unseen"Shiv it's fine. We can't blame anyone but our luck and circumstances. For now we have each other and we'll get out of here. By hook or crook."

"Yes we will. Nothing can stop us as long as we trust each other and our friendship, he entwined their hands returning it with the same intensity .

♣️ 

*Hiding behind a wall and flinging friendship bands at angry readers*

Sorry, so sorry for vanishing. I know six months is a long time to wait but I was going through a lot of stuff and poof here I am. This is is probably the longest update so please please tell me how it is. I put in a lot of effort for this one.

Oh Happy Friendship Day guys.

*Calling for my non existent hot shot  boyfriend to hide behind and running like a mad woman*

Bye stay safe.

ॐ