Bella Back To Her Lonely World..

Bella hoped somebody would have reached home by now. It was already three days and Aunt and Uncle might have returned with Dona by now. As she got out of the car, she thanked the stranger with a smile.. It was difficult to walk holding the cover in her hand, so he held her hand helping her to walk till the doorsteps. She wished she could call him home for a tea but she had already seen the door open and she did not know how her Aunt will take it if she bring a man for tea. So she entered the house without looking back sensing the man watching her until he could see her no more in the vicinity.. As soon as she entered the house, she saw her Aunt had been watching out of the window.. She forcefully took hold of Bella's hand and dragged her to the store room. Bella was limping with pain as she fell on a corner of her room startled at her Aunt's strange behavior.

"What are you doing with this man. Did you tell him everything? Is this what you give in return to the people who raised you.. You were indeed a curse to us the moment you were born, and you are planning behind our back to hurt us now.. " Bella saw that her Aunt was fuming up but she couldn't understand what she was talking about.

She tried to put on some signs to express her confusion but her Aunt kept on criticizing her and cursing her.

Bella saw the poisonous words flaming out of her Aunt's lips burning her alive.. She couldn't interrupt.. Even though her Aunt had always been rude, she had never gone to this extent, she had just avoided her as if Bella never existed. But today she was a different lady, a dangerous one..

When her Aunt finally stopped for taking in some breath, Bella got a gap to explain.

She put on her signs to ask," I have been met with an accident three days back by his car, and since nobody was there to take care of my treatment, he helped me in getting recovered.. I don't know even his name, what did you say that I told him everything, what is that I shoudn't tell him?"

Annie seemed doubtful still.

"Is it true that you don't know who he is.. ?" asked Annie..

"He appeared like a rich man but I don't know his whereabouts and may never even meet him again in future.."

Bella suddenly felt sadness dawn on her suddenly as she thought about it, Yes, she may never see him again.. but she wished she could go back and stay in those moments forever.

She shook her head back to her senses to see her Aunt straining her eyes and scrutinizing her as if to extract the truth from her eyes.

" Ok .. if that's the case, then its alright. You keep in mind Bella, this man is a famous author and a highly renowned editor. So I want you to say nothing about your stories or novel with him, or else it can get Dona into deep trouble. It will appear that we lied and we may even get punished for that. You know yourself, we have never compelled you to put Dona's name into your book.. It was your own wish.. So don't let my poor Dona suffer for your doings.. Keep a maximum distance from that man as possible, is it clear?"

Bella felt her inner self weeping uncontrollably.. Her physical pain couldn't even mask it.. She was lying on ground gazing at her plastered foot as her aunt turned away out of the room.

Her aunt did not even bothered to ask how severe her wounds were.. or if it was still hurting.. She had not even looked at the plasters on her legs. Bella had been hospitalised for three days and there was not even a tinge of concern in her Aunt's eyes.. This thought was aggravating her pain making it unbearable. Her aunt had just wanted to see Dona's safety.

Bella always thought even though her Aunt was always rough with her, she was kind and there could be some love in that rudeness that she threw on her every time. But this time masked by her love for Dona, Annie did not even notice the pain Bella was going through.

She felt weak and out of her self. The cover that she had held so close in her hands till now, was lying on the ground.. This three days with the stranger her unveiled her feeble heart.. She couldn't hide her pain and wear a 'don't care' expression today. He had spoiled her, now she will get shattered into pieces in this cruel world.. She opened the cover to find a beautiful dress in it. It was of a light pink colour with tiny beads and in it..

It was the first time she got such a pretty dress.. brushing her finger onto the fine material, she wept, ..She saw her parents staring at her through the photo.. Her legs felt numb again as she had hit her foot onto the wall when her aunt dragged her to the room before.. Unable to stand, she sat there still, gazing at the garden through the window, she was feeling scared and lonely.. The room was getting pitch dark and she cuddled on the ground feeling cold.. Her appetite has returned to its normal self now.. she was not at all hungry even though she felt her stomach ache.

Closing her eyes shut tight and waving off the nightmares, she told herself that this night will pass and she will regain her old self soon.. She regretted meeting the stranger now and wished those beautiful days will erase from her memory.. She was determined to never get happy over something afterwards as it will only double her pain, once the usual sadness take over it..

Peter had just reached his apartment. The memory of the girl was keeping on haunting him. He wanted to meet her.. He did not know what this feelings were.. even though she couldn't talk or hear, it was as if in these few days with her, he talked the most, ate the most .. he felt more human..

Peter had been persistently called by his higher officials now regarding the investigation of Dona Jacob.. He have decided to meet her tomorrow for dinner. He himself was a little suspicious since the girl appeared to be totally silent about her books, instead she was bragging about herself or the things around her. A dinner won't change anything and he will be relieved of the constant pressure from above. So he called in Dona's number, inviting her for the dinner...