“But your scars on your body won’t heal”, she said

  “I know, because I was born with them”, said Yaan, “it’s a part of me, these scars are a gift from god to me.”

  She opened the stitches of her vest on the back, and the vest gradually fell to the ground. When Yaan turned toward her, he saw her vest on the ground and her chest covered by the cloth. “What are you doing?”

  “I also got a birth scar… just like you”, she said. She carefully shifted her hair from her back to one side by her hand and showed her back to him. There was an X sign on her back. Yaan touched the scar and then moved his hand away.

  “And another one is here”, she loosened her pants, dropping them till the knee and showed another X scar on her thigh and tightened her pants again.

  “Why did you show me them?” asked Yaan

  “Because I trust you”, she said, “you saved my life even though my own father, with many other villagers, hated you. You had no reason to do so.” She held his hand

  “This is one of the greatest days of my life,” he said, “I’m grateful to you.”

  “Don’t be, you deserve this… You deserve way more than this,” she said with a smile and tears in her eyes, “after all you suffered so much from childhood, I can’t imagine facing so much hate and anger from other people in childhood, especially when you weren’t responsible for any of it.”

  She hugged him, and she gazed at him, “from my childhood I had so many dreams I wanted to fulfil, but when I was possessed…” she sobbed, and tears fell from his eyes, “I felt like I would lose all of my hope and dreams along with my life, until you came and saved me. I will forever be grateful for it.”

  Yaan smiled, “I’m happy that I was able to help you.”

  She gazed into his eyes and then looked away while wiping her tears, “I should go back home, it’s too late.”

  “Yeah… yeah, you should,” said Yaan by getting up with her, “what is your name?”

  As she was walking away, she turned back and said, “Nimisha. Don’t think yourself alone, remember you got a friend” she and Yaan both smiled, and then she walked off.

  Yaan returned home and found her mother waiting for him. “So how was the girl?” she asked with a smile.

  “It was not like that, mother”, said Yaan

  “What was it like?”

  “She just came to thank and discuss the problem she is having after being freed from possession.”

  “What types of problems?”

  “it’s none of your concern, mother, you just relax.”

  “Yaan, please don’t you put yourself in danger again like yesterday” she said, “don’t destroy your life that we have been trying to protect since you were born.”

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  “It is of no use, mother”, said Yaan, “what is the value of my life when you can’t let me do anything, breathing is not called life, mother.”

  “If we don’t protect you, then someone can kill you.”

  “If I were to die without protection, then I would have died trying to save that girl, or I can die this very moment, who knows?” Said Yaan, “Mother, a day comes when everyone dies, and I don’t want to die thinking I stayed confined in my own house for my entire life.”

  Nimisha entered her house and found her father lighting the chimney of her house.

  “Did you go to meet him; monster covered with black scars?” asked her father.

  “Yes, I did, and what’s wrong with that?” she asked.

  “he’s a monster”, he said, “he’s a filthy insect roaming around our village, why did you go to meet him?”

  “Do you know what happened yesterday?” she asked, “when you were out.”

  “No, I don’t”

  “You don’t even know what’s going on with your daughter, and you always go roaming around the wilderness with your friends.”

  “What happened?”

  “Even your own father, my grandpa, didn’t tell you. It tells a lot about you, who you are as a person,” she said in a loud voice.

  “You didn’t answer my question?” he said with anger, “Why the fuck did you go to meet that filthy creature?”

  “Because that creature whom you all hate saved your daughter’s life yesterday when nobody else could. When her own father was having fun with his friends in the wilderness,” she shouted, “you are not my father, my father is my grandpa who is raising me.” And she went into her room.

  Her father kicked the chair placed in front of him when her grandpa entered the home. He stared at him,

  “How are you raising my daughter?” he asked, “that she started to hate her own father, who gave birth to her.”

  “I’m raising her well”, he said while sitting on a chair beside him, “which is why she is able to see the reality for what it is. What do you think, just giving birth to your children makes you a father? Yaan, whom we all disdain, proved himself to be a greater man than all the people in the village. I wish he was my son instead of you.”

  “He just saved her life once,” said the father, “and you are comparing me to that filthy monster.”

  “Your own statement proves what type of father you are,” said the grandpa, “you say that he only saved her life once…guess what? Only one life we all have. And I’ve got nothing to say or explain to you” He got up from his chair and went inside.

  It was night time, Yaan went to his uncle,

  “Oh, Yaan, at last you got the time to see how your uncle is doing.” Said Earon with a smile.

  “How’s your hand, uncle?” asked Yaan.

  “Better than before, that idiot Medicus has told me to be at bed rest for two days…says it will heal the broken bone faster,” said Earon, “but don’t worry, I will get up tomorrow… I’m not going to lie on this bed like an old man.”

  “Please Uncle, rest”, said Yaan, “I know you are very strong, but even the sun takes rest at night.”

  “Well said,” said Earon with a smile, “I also heard about the girl, does she love you?”

  “Uncle, it’s not like that,” said Yaan, “she was scared because of the effect that possession has left on her; it will take her a long time to heal from it.”

  “It’s true that possession can cause such effects”, said Earon, “but it is also true that she is the girl you keep looking at, but you never approached to talk to her.”

  “What girl wants to have a life with a monster like me?”

  “Yet she came for your help, why don’t you tell her that you like her?”

  “She came to me because I can help her”, said Yaan, “I’m not going to take advantage of her problems.”

  “What a noble and monstrous nephew I have,”

  “Have a good sleep, uncle”, said Yaan, “and recover fast. Remember, there is a duel pending between us, and Yaan went to sleep.”

  At midnight, a loud knock came from the main door of the house, and Vaanya woke up. She went towards Yaan’s room and woke him up.

  “There’s someone knocking on the door.”

  “In the midnight…” Yaan said in half sleep, He picked up his axe and went to the main door alongside her mother.

  He opened the door and found Nimisha crying in front of the door; she was wearing a shawl. She hugged Yaan in fear, “he’ll kill me, save me…please, Yaan!!! Save me!!!” He took her in and made her sit on a wooden chair near the chimney.”

  “Calm down and tell me… what happened?” asked Yaan by holding her face while she was crying.