She looked out of the window and felt the sunlight. The warmth entwined with the cool breeze that is witnessed on an early summer morning. She shut her eyes and tried to absorb the heat in every pore of her skin. Lost in her world of much needed peace, she did not notice when a few fingers pointed towards her from outside the window. She opened her eyes when a few giggles and whispers abruptly stopped her search for peace.
She quickly pulled out a scarf and tied it around her head. Ashamed and embarrassed, she flipped around and walked away wondering which tear would drop first, the one in the left eye or the one that was at the brim of her right eyelash.
She sat in the corner of her dark room and thought back about how in just one year, every freckle of happiness was mercilessly erased from her life.
The scarf she had tied around her head now slipped down. She pulled it back and tied it again, thinking how she would never forgive her parents for trading her in return for the money they’d borrowed from that 62 year old man by getting her married to him while she was at a tender age of 19.
The man had died of old age just 10 months after he got her home as his wife, leaving her with nothing but a life of misery and a shaved head which followed the tradition of every woman shaving her head after her husband’s death.
Right since the age of 3, she had beautiful hair. From shoulder length, thick braids at 5 to brown long curls that bounced on her back at 18, her hair was the reason most girls her age envied her.
She loved her hair. She would take utmost care not to damage it.
She tied her hair as per her mood. She would firmly pull it in a bun when she’s angry or tie it in a loose ponytail when she’s bored or let them sway and leave them loose when she’s happy and joyful.
Her hair loved her back. Every time she brushed through her hair, as if obeying to her gestures, they would fall beautifully just the way she wanted them too. The strands would magically unknot themselves when she was in a hurry and didn't have time to fix them. They would cover her face when she blushed, they would flip firmly when she got angry and they tickled her back when she needed someone to make her laugh.
She sat in the corner of her dark room and thought back about how in just one year, every freckle of happiness was mercilessly erased from her life.
The scarf she had tied around her head now slipped down. She pulled it back and tied it again, thinking how she would never forgive her parents for trading her in return for the money they’d borrowed from that 62 year old man by getting her married to him while she was at a tender age of 19.
The man had died of old age just 10 months after he got her home as his wife, leaving her with nothing but a life of misery and a shaved head which followed the tradition of every woman shaving her head after her husband’s death.
Right since the age of 3, she had beautiful hair. From shoulder length, thick braids at 5 to brown long curls that bounced on her back at 18, her hair was the reason most girls her age envied her.
She loved her hair. She would take utmost care not to damage it.
She tied her hair as per her mood. She would firmly pull it in a bun when she’s angry or tie it in a loose ponytail when she’s bored or let them sway and leave them loose when she’s happy and joyful.
Her hair loved her back. Every time she brushed through her hair, as if obeying to her gestures, they would fall beautifully just the way she wanted them too. The strands would magically unknot themselves when she was in a hurry and didn't have time to fix them. They would cover her face when she blushed, they would flip firmly when she got angry and they tickled her back when she needed someone to make her laugh.
She thought back and smiled, almost feeling the presence of her curls on her back.
She moved her fingers to her forehead to feel her hair and the search of smooth curls was ceaseless.
She shook herself up and shunned the thoughts.
She still loved her hair.
But she had no one to respond to her love now.
She moved her fingers to her forehead to feel her hair and the search of smooth curls was ceaseless.
She shook herself up and shunned the thoughts.
She still loved her hair.
But she had no one to respond to her love now.
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