The girl from next door
Yesterday when I just came out from shower, I heard the sound of our doorbell. I wondered who it was because nobody come to our home in that time. My brother wasn't at home and my mom was in shower. So I went to see who it was. I peeked and tried to see who it was. Though I can't recognize people that much by peeking at the small hole of the door, I could understand it was a girl standing something on her hand. I opened the door and saw it was Nishi. She lives at our next door. I asked her how she was. She told me she was fine but I can see in her face clearly that she wasn't fine at all. Her petal like lips were dried. Her big eyes have dark shadows. I think she couldn't sleep properly. Her face was full of tension. A few months ago, she was a very cheerful girl. Her cheeks were so attractive that anyone would like to pinch it. But now those cheeks are gone. Her face was looking like a skull.
She gave me a bowl full of curry which her mom told her to give us. I accepted that without asking what it was but I said why she brings that, it wasn't necessary. In answer she just smiled and went away. But her smile was fake. How can she smile when she have a lot to worry about? She is just 18 years old. She reads in college. Her college isn't that near from her home. But she went to her college by foot. She has to go alone. It's not any extraordinary thing but she needs someone on her way.
Of course she is beautiful and that's why she has to suffer.
Three or four months ago, when she was walking her way to home saying goodbye to her friends, some boys abrupt her way. There was nobody else in the street. She didn't notice that first. Though it was a populated area, the street was blank that day. She got afraid because she was alone and there were more than seven boys. And she knew them from before. They were those boys who kept trying to talk with her while going to college. She didn't paid attention to them much. But that day, she had to pay attention to them. She was very afraid and wanted to shout but no sound came from her mouth. She remains silent and tried to get out from there. But the boys didn't let her go. The leader of the team came to her and ask her for a date. Though she hates the boy she couldn't say anything. Because she knew if she do something being aggressive, the boys won't let her go. So, she asked for some time. That's how she escaped from them that day. She was afraid but she couldn't say anything to her home. Because she knew if she says something, her family would stop her to go out from home and that's how she couldn't continue to go to college or continue her study. She didn't want that so she remains silent.
After some days when she was coming her way to home, the boys showed up again and ask her answer. She gained some courage and said no to them. From that day, her misfortune started. Everyday, after college, she had to be mistreated by those boys. Some of her friends saw them to disturb her but they didn't took any step to come forward and help her. They thought, they can't do anything because they were girls. And if they come to help her, they would be also in danger just like her.
She wanted to tell her problem to someone but she couldn't. She wanted to become a doctor and help people. But if she says her problem to someone, her family would force her to stop studying and they would fix her marriage with a stranger. So, she decided to keep it a secret and unseen the matter. Because of COVID-19, all the schools and colleges were shut down. So, she was relieved for a while. But, the boys get her phone number somehow. So, she couldn't live a single day peacefully.
And I have seen those boys almost everyday. They followed her and recognize her place. So, they came nearly everyday and waited for her. But she didn't get out from her house. Still, the boys showed up everyday though they can't see her. Instead of seeing her, they kept calling her, texting her with sweet language full of bad meaning. But she tried to unnoticed them as much as possible.
But about a month ago, all the schools and colleges have been opened and she had to go to her college everyday just like before. She wore mask, Borka, Scarf to hide herself fully in sake of Corona. But she couldn't escape from those disgusting faces. They recognized her and started teasing her again. Some days before she has been threatened that if she won't date the leader, she will be in danger. After that she told her parents about everything as she couldn't bear it anymore.
And then, her guess came true. Her parents didn't let her go to college. She stopped but she didn't give up on her will of becoming a doctor. She was trying to convince her family but she can't. Instead of helping her, her parents really started to searching for a man who can take care of her. So, she is in tension. It's become the greatest crisis in her life. Where nobody would try to understand her. Listen to her silent scream. Until when she has to suffer like this, why she has to sacrifice her dream, she doesn't know.