Chapter 4

She kept her eyes glued to the aisle as her uncle slowly led her down to the groom . All the people grinned from ear to ear except her . Her frown was deep , her brows were furrowed , her eyes were empty . She looked angry of all things . And she had every right to be . Never in a million years she thought that all her dreams would end at the age of 19 . That was what her mother told her : it was a 'marriage' . But she wasn't a fool . She knew what this marriage meant . Her dreams were about to be killed . By her own mother .

She remembered the day clearly . She had sat on her father's lap , wrapped her arms around his neck and asked ,"Father , will you marry me ?" He had laughed and caressed her cheek lovingly ,"Darling , where did you learn that from ?" She had blushed a little and replied ,"From a book ." "Well , I'm sorry ,doll . But I can't . I'm a married man ." The four year old girl then bit her lip and lowered herself from her father . The man's eyes had instantly widened ,"Doll no . Don't get upset . We will find a good man for you ." "No you won't !" Tears had begun to pour freely from her eyes . He had pulled her in his strong arms and whispered ,"Marriage isn't that simple . It's a great bond . You have to grow up to understand it ." "What is there to understand ?" She had asked , sniffling loudly . "Marriage is like an entire subject . There are countless books on it . But , if you can't understand it , you will never learn . No matter how many pages you read , how many words you memorise ."

She remembered looking at her father in confusion and his words rang in her head over and over . Then , her eyes fell on the man . The man who she was supposed to love . A wave of disappointment washed over her . He reeked of alcohol . The rumours her cousin had whispered were indeed true . Her father was terribly wrong . He didn't find a good man . He didn't keep his promise . He didn't raise her . Because he wasn't there . He had left her . That same night he had coughed up endless blood .He had fought his best . He had held his little doll's little hand . And then , he had been buried in the morning .

A single tear escaped her eye as she now said her vows , her groom mumbling his own . She felt nothing as they were announced 'husband and wife' . The crowd started to applaud as her eyes got fixed on only figure . The man she used to love once . "Thomas", she whispered .