dreamland

Meena got up from the bed and looked at herself. She saw a stranger staring back at her. For a past few days she had been feeling like this. Things were not the same now. Her life had been sort of perfect. A lovely childhood filled with happiness, cool teen years and now the time when she earns and can live like a Queen - she had no regrets. She was always surrounded by her friends, her colleagues at work place liked her, her family adored her. She was the apple of everyone's eye. But then when she thought her life was perfect, everything went wrong.A fight with 2 of her friends left her upset. A small setback in the work place was creating tension. Her family was expecting her to spend more time with them. She couldn't stand this. Her life was not perfect. The ever bubbly girl who could make anyone laugh at the drop of a hat was shying away to meet anyone. She feared this getting worse. This made her depressed more. She felt very lonely.There would be a smile on her face every...

Continuation from Part 1 ,Part 2 and Part 3. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Considering what had happened in the last one year, her wedding day could also become her death day only if… Closing her eyes she remembered how she ended up in this situation now. Flashback! Archana’s father knew enough contacts and he ensured his son didn’t get mixed up in police case after Preethi’s incident. Her death was termed as suicide with the reason being given – she was not happy with the wedding. Her image was tarnished in public even after her death and Arjun’s name never got surfaced. Archana knew that her life would never be the same after this, but still she had to live. Her parents stopped her also from going to college after what had happened. Her brother went away for a few months but again came back. This time he was the same Arjun she had known since childhood. Even though she spoke to him as she used to, she knew that she could never forgiv...

Continuation from Part 1 and Part 2 - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Both of them looked at each other scared knowing anything like this will hamper her life… She knew that just the word “love” in her house itself a taboo. And she was not at all interested in Arjun. She respected him as he was Archana’s brother. The next few days were nightmare for Preethi as Arjun started following her everywhere. She ignored him completely but still he would try to talk to her after the college in the evening. She tried to talk to him once to leave her alone but he didn’t heed her. He kept giving her small gifts and telling her he loved her. Soon the words reached her parents that she was seeing a guy. All hell broke loose in her house and her parents questioned her a lot. They stopped her from going to college despite her plea of innocence. Archana knowing the whole truth tried to convince Preethi’s parents but she was asked to leave Preethi...

Continuation from Part - 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- She knew that tomorrow could be her death day too if... If what happened to Preethi one year ago, happened tomorrow!! Preethi...she shuddered as she remember her face, corpse, And what happened to her, thanks to her brother! Flashback - 3 years back! Preethi was getting ready to go to college! Her 1 st day in college. She was happy! Her parents had finally agreed to let her study tillthey get a suitable match for her. That was the deal she could from them - Study till her wedding is fixed. She sincerely hoped that the guy they chose for her should let her complete her graduation. She knew that was the max she could wish for in this life. She was born to become a dutiful daughter,dutiful wife, dutiful daughter-in-law and dutiful Mother in her lifetime. She could not expect to achieve anything else! She started for college with the intent to enjoy her life for herself as much as po...

She looked at herself in the mirror. She was scared but didn't know what to do. Tomorrow is her wedding. Wedding she was not at all interested in, but knew she had no other choice. After everything that had happened. It was the only way to escape from the "hell" she was living in but she knew she won't be happy. She turned and sat in the chair. She looked around the room and saw the album kept on the table - one of her prized possessions. All those people in her life were captured in photos and were in that album. She took the album and opened it. Her parents were smiling and looking back at her from the photo. She wondered what would be going in their mind concerning tomorrow. For them she had always been a "burden" just like any other family thought a girl child to be burden in their society! They just wanted to see her married and their duty would be over. She wanted to study more. She had completed her Graduation recently. It was a custom in her family t...