Sidharth went closer to the aquarium's glass and looked at her in amazement. She was the most beautiful girl, well half girl he ever saw. He couldn't say mermaid because she was the only mermaid he or infact anyone ever saw until now.

As soon as the little box was submerged into the bigger aquarium, the door of smaller box opened. Flora was now released. The earlier box was like a tiny cell which didn't allow her to move freely. She couldn't even stretch her hands and could touch the glass walls on all four sides. She hesitantly swam outside the box into the big aquarium. It had sea weeds, sand, pebbles and big rocks as well. She swam to and fro unable to understand what the two tailed species wanted to do with her. She was scared as she was away from her territory, her home and family. When the smaller box was lifted back, she was petrified and moved back away from the box. Her back touched the glass of aquarium and she turned around to find Sidharth standing behind the other side and gazing at her. Her face showed terrified expression as she moved away from him.

It was a familiar expression which he had been always getting from people he met. He had forgotten himself looking at her and that expression brought him back to the bitter reality. He misunderstood her to be scared of his distorted and disfigured face while she was scared of all the alien activity happening around her.

Flashback:

"Aunty, mujhe Sidharth se milna hai. Kya main aaj usse mil sakti hoon?", Janvi requested. She wasn't allowed to met him ever since the accident. Only his closed family members were allowed to meet him until now.

"Tum Janvi ho na?", Sidharth's mother asked.

Janvi nods her head.

"Hosh mein aate hi usne sabse pehle tumhara hi naam liya. Woh tumhare thik hone ka khabar sunke khush hua.", She said.

"Kya main use mil sakti hoon?", Janvi asked again.

"Hmmm.. Abhi woh rest kar raha hai. Baad mein mil lena.", His mother said to avoid her from meeting and reacting in a way which would hurt him.

Janvi nods and leaves. When his mother leaves the hospital, she sneaks into his ward. She had been feeling guilty for being the cause of accident that day however, little did she expect to find his face distorted and burnt.

She screams getting scared and closes her eyes.

"Janvi.. Janvi, are you alright?", Asks Sidharth going close to her. She hugs him with her eyes closed.

"Sidharth, I saw a ghost in your room.", She says clinging onto his body.

"No Janvi, there isn't any ghost. It's me Sidharth.", He says.

She lifts her head and looks at his face and shrieks again pushing him away from herself.

"Janvi", calls Sidharth with a heavy pain filled voice.

She was confirmed that it was indeed Sidharth and his handsome face was no more appealing but burnt and scary. She puts her head down unable to look at his face.

"I.. I.. I am sorry Sidharth. That accident happened due to my neg.. negligence.", She fumbles while avoiding to see his face.

Sidharth looks at her helplessly. The girl who would climb up to the first floor risking her life to see him, was no more interested in looking at his face. He was hurt. There was a dead silence.

"Baito Janvi.", Said Sidharth

"Sidharth.. I have decided to take up modelling instead of Science. It isn't my forte. I am going out of India for the same.", Says Janvi.

"Par Janvi, humara relatio...", He pauses and realises that he was doing a mistake. She wanted to go far from him and doesn't see her life with him anymore.

"All the best Janvi.. Hope you have a great life ahead..", he said gulping the lump of emotion which choked him from speaking such words.

"Thank you Sidharth.", Says Janvi and walks away as fast as possible without looking at his face.

Sidharth looked at her going out of the ward and knew that she has gone out of his life as well.

He got discharge from hospital and reached home. The staring eyes and disgusted faces until he reached his home was giving an ache to his heart. He went into his room and closed the door. His mom rushed to his room when she heard a loud noise. Her heart broke into pieces to find the smithereens of his wardrobe's mirror lying on the floor while he sat on the bed with his face turned away. She stood there without speaking anything.

He got up and smashed all the mirrors in the house and she just let him do it without questioning or stopping him. He grew grumpy and irritated every passing second and refused to go out of the house. His condition was bad but his mother's was worst. She was fighting a battle within and with the world outside. She was the one who got punished by her son with all harsh words he spoke in frustration. He hated himself and hated the fact that his mother still loved him and didn't see any shortcomings in him.

The theory of acceptance cycle was infact true in his case. He moved from first stage if denial to the second stage called anger. The anger then turned into depression as he recalled how he ill treated his mother, how Janvi never loved him but was obsessed with his face only. He tried attempting suicide multiple times by swallowing sleeping pills, cutting his nerves and hanging himself due to depression. His mother was all tired of handling him everytime he did so. She too was scared to leave him alone causing him even more grumpy and irritated.

One day, while his mother served him food. While he sat silently, his mother lost in her thought went on pouring the gravy into his bowl. Soon it started overflowing, he lifted his head up and observed his mother for the first time after the return from hospital. Her clothes were all loose, her eyes had dark circles and her thick hair was all thinned.

"Maa, aapko kya ho gaya hai?", He asked. She looked down at the overflowing bowl.

"Ohh! Sorry!", She said cleaning the table.

"Maa, aapko kya hua?", He asked again.

"Mujhe kya hoga Sidharth? Kaash jo tumhaare saath hua, woh mere saath hi ho jata, main shayad itne dhukh mein nahi hoti. Apne aap ko meri jagah pe rakh ke socho Sidharth. Jitni baar tumhe hospital leke gayi hoon, utni baar meri maut huyi hai.", She broke her silence.

"Maa, main kya karu? Mujhe apne aap se nafrat hai. Main aapko hurt nahi karna chahta but main khudh khush nahi hoon, toh aapko kaise khushiya de sakta hoon?", He asks.

"Khaana khaa lo Sidharth. Main tumhe kahi leke chalungi aaj. Tumhare problems ka solution doondha hai maine. Chaloge na mere saath?", She asks.

"Aisa koi solution hai toh zarur chalunga Maa.", He said.

After having lunch, she took him to a rehabilitation centre where he saw many people like him. He wasn't abnormal to them. Neither were they scared of him nor did they stared at him in a strange way.

They shared their stories with each other. Someone was set on fire for not bringing dowry, someone was a victim of acid attack due to rivalry or jealousy, some had accident while some had tried to kill themself by setting a flame. They all went through the same trauma he went through post the accident. Some had no reason to survive while some fought against the odds everyday.

"...I had been married for 7 years. We fought with our parents to get married. Months after the incident, my husband left me and got remarried..", a lady broke down.

"...I spent my life time on family and kids. After the incident my kids don't want to see my face. They don't want me to attend their schoots PTA meetings or Annual day functions or just walk with me on road. I don't go to anyone's wedding or parties with my family. They are ashamed of me.", said another with teary eyes.

"..my wife has been very supportive of me after I suffered the acid attack by my colleague due to rivalry. I had been mean to her. Even though she was genuinely concerned, I threw abuses cause I thought she is feeling pity of me and might be feeling disgusted from within to look at my face. When we walked on road, she proudly held my hand with love but I felt insecured the moment I saw a handsome man passing by. I thought she would leave me for someone handsome like him one day. She did leave me one day though but not for some other man but due to cancer. It will be a year in two days for her death anniversary. She left me a note telling me to take care and love myself. And wrote 'I will love you forever'. I regret ignoring her and giving such treatment to her. I come here to tell this same thing to people like me. Please don't give up on people who genuinely care. Please don't take them for granted.", He said with moistened eyes.

Sidharth thought about his mother and the way he treated her. She wasn't at any fault. Taking this as an inspiration, he decided to restart with his studies. Though the people who once loitered and lingered around him like house-flies looked at him disgust or avoided to talk to him, he remembered the session and continued his life. Whenever, he felt weak, he would go to the rehabilitation and listen to others and motivate someone else indirectly.

Flashback ends.

He hung his face down and went far from the aquarium.

"Sir, yaha pe sign kariye. Ab Flora aapki zimmedari hai.", Said the person incharge of transporting her to the place.

He looked at her who was looking at her new prison cell trying to find an escape. He nodded at the person and signed the papers. The person along with his workers now made their way out with the lab with the forklift and crane. Sidharth looked at the door and the other scientists outside the lab trying to peep in and get a glimpse of Flora out of curiosity.

The door closed behind leaving only Sidharth in the lab and Flora in the aquarium. She placed her palms pressed on the glass and looked outside. Sadness on her face evident.

________________________

To be continued.. ❤️❤️

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