Conflicted

One could assume that the cruelty within her had thawed. She knew better. She was like a sieve, sifting those she needed. It was not that she was particularly fond of Nasike. She just felt that Khalayi needed an element that could balance her equilibrium. The person that could watch her destroy everything else around her but keep her from destroying herself. Her actions did not particularly have a motive, sometimes they did, most of the time they did not. Nastanje, after living as Khalayi and with her memories had seen how far she could take her definition of fun. Nastanje living as herself, though restrained, knew that the tick she got from destruction was much more insatiable than Khalayi's.

A 10 year old Nastanje had destroyed a young lady's esteem just because she didnt like her. She neither liked her face nor fancied to be around. Emily, the object of harassment, had found her self looking at eyes that taunted her to the core. Her bones chilled and palms sweated as each word that stripped her down to her bones came out of her assailant's mouth. Every word that described her body in detail down to the tiniest imperfection like her spindly legs felt like a nail was being driven through her being to her soul. Her language skills were not the best but it didnt mean that it should be the center of insults. The size of her ears, pouts and eyes that were compared to a frogs' were not spared. Her walk that was said to be worse than a cripple's was described in detail. Her lowered head was held up by her jaws, her assailant refusing to let it down. Looking at Nastanje helplessly, all she saw was ridicule and the confidence that nothing could be done to her. The incident led to Emily attempting suicide. Nastanje was not sorry for her. However, she was sorry to her brother who was implicated in the incident of her bullying. That marked the end of her cruelty. It was more of keeping the monster within on a leash. The thing that kept Nastanje away from trouble was the fact that she could not afford to create it.

On the other hand, Khalayi had crossed a point of no return. She got a kick out of pushing individuals to the edge and watch them self destruct. Her pranks were laced with mind games that drove everyone of her victim to the edge. All her victims had dropped out of school or transferred school and sought psychological guidance. She considered the campaigns that irked the teachers and school management as a way of accumulating good karma for the atrocities she committed. She held on weaknesses the same way a leech would lodge itself deeply in someone's skin. Her last victim had suffered a severe mental breakdown leading Khalayi to be the hunted one. Though unperturbed and cautious, Khalayi was unable to avoid the fall that plunged her to death and brought Nastanje to her part of the world. Even though she was to blame for pushing her murderer to the edge, she could not let them off. Only she was allowed to plunge anyone to death figuratively, not literally. This sense of entitlement lived through both Nastanje and Khalayi.

In the present world, Khalayi (as Nastanje) leaned back on the seat of the car and looked at her companions. Their lips lifted up in amusement and eyes lit up in happiness as they conversed. They were picturesque. Their harmony seemed unbreakable. May be it was because they were almost similar. Unpretentious. Binti, unlike other psychiatrists Khalayi had destroyed, had not tolerated her mind games. She had called her out for wasting her time.

'I am no amateur and you are no child or patient so i wont beat around the bush. Quit your games and scram', Binti said as a matter of fact.

'Ha, I have been caught', Khalayi smiled, her legs crossed, back leaning further into the sofa and arms resting over each other on her tummy.

That was how their relationship hit off to the level it was at today. Binti had no major expectations from her. She stopped questioning her actions and focused on the cases she brought her as long as they did not cross her bounds of ethics. At the moment, the relationship between Nasike and Khalayi was unfathomable. What she was assured was that Khalayi's extremes that bordered to self harm had toned down. She could sense the conflict and change within Khalayi, a conflict that Khalayi herself was yet to discern. Or maybe she had seen it but decided to ignore. Whatever it was, for Khalayi's sake, Nasike had to stay around her.

By afternoon, the trio had sold the ring to a pawnshop that dealt with extravagant antiques and ornaments at a good price. It was enough to cater for Binti's dream home if half of her savings were added to it. The next destination was Nasike's home, to pacify her parents. Maybe.