Guys, i divided this chapter into two parts since it was too long and it won't be interesting enough to read it as one big block.

Hope you enjoy it. 

So, go ahead, find out more about Sue. *winks*

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Once upon a time there was a little girl who was the daughter of a King and a Queen. The King and the Queen loved their little daughter very much because she brought much joy to the couple just by her smile. The King was very kind and all the land's people loved their King and Queen dearly. When the princess was born, there was much more joy in all of the lands because there was no smile as beautiful as hers.

The Princess grew to be a young girl, smart and clever. She was bold when she had to be as well as delicate as and when needed. She carried herself gracefully wherever she went and her smile never faded. Necks would turn around as she passed through the castle grounds and there wasn't a single soul who hated her.

One fine Sunday morning, the Princess rose early in the morning to collect fresh flowers from the garden below. She knew that nobody could be up this early so very quietly she dressed into one of her elegant gowns, a purple satin with golden lace on its torso, trailing down hers arms. The dress was beautiful and every time she wore it, it was breathtaking. She got it from a far away merchant who had visited their kingdom to advertise his merchandise. As a token of love, he gifted this very beautiful and fragile satin dress to the Princess.

She admired the reflection of the dress in the mirror and quite forgot the reason why she was dressed up so early that day. She hasted by immediately gathering her dress in her hands and heading towards the ground floor. She wore no sandals as they would make noise and wake up some of the maids.

When the Princess landed in the open, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She let out the breath, smiling widely. She headed towards the garden humming 'Love me Tender' very softly. She plucked some white lilies along with some pink ones. There were a lot of purple and red roses too. She went towards the dandelions when she gasped at the sight in front of her.

A young girl, not so well dressed was lying on the floor, eyes closed and breathing the pleasant scent sent by different flowers on the palace grounds. At first, the Princess thought that the girl could be a threat but when she noticed the very sad and gloomy look on her face, she moved with compassion. She knelt down beside the girl and tried to gently brush her face with her hands when the girl burst opened her eyes.

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Panic, shock, fear and a mixture of many other emotions engulfed me as I landed into reality from whatever blissful trance I was experiencing. I jumped from the ground, my heart beating frantically inside my rib cage, threatening to burst through my chest at any given time. The throbs were so violent that I could hear them in my ears and it hurt my head. Fear crawled over my body as I tried to control myself from the sudden arrival of the Princess in the garden, so early in the morning.

"Thousand apologies, Your Highness, I didn't mean to steal into the castle grounds." I bowed my head low at the sight of the Princess who had a shocked expression on her face.

"Who are you?" she asked narrowing her eyes all over me. It was then that I realized what I was wearing. My light blue dress had almost turned brown with dirt and stuck to my body frame so weirdly that I suddenly felt like a beggar in front of Her Highness' gorgeous purple satin. I was tired from the night's journey. I was sick of all the drama happening in my life. I wanted to escape all the sadness and grief my life was undergoing. I ran away from home without carrying anything much for the journey. I did not even know where I was going. Tears flowed endlessly down my face as I kept my feet moving forwards. I did not want to stop and take a look back. I did not care what my people would think about me. All I needed was some safe haven.

Night covered the sky and dark clouds spread everywhere. There wasn't a single star in the sky. When I tried to locate my favorite constellation, the Orion, all I could see was stormy clouds which threatened to shed raindrops at any moment. I hurried myself to find some shelter from the upcoming rain even though my feet were weary from the continuous running and walking.

Rain poured and drenched my single layered dress. The material of the dress stuck to my thighs as I tried to walk as fast as I could. After a lot of struggling through the rain, I lifted my eyes, and behold, there was a beautiful garden a few yards from where I stood. I smiled feebly and tried to raise my spirits in spite of all the sadness and walked towards the blissful haven. I had long fallen into a peaceful sleep before I just stood there awkwardly, in front of the beautiful piece of human creation, not knowing how to answer her.

"I'm Susan. I-I umm travelled from a very far, I mean a different region just to umm get a glimpse of the umm the castle." I stammered so much, I felt she won't believe me at all.

But I was surprised to see her smile and let me just tell you this, her smile was the most beautiful thing, I had ever seen in a lifetime. I gawked at her smile almost dropping my jaws. She did not mind my stupid reaction to her, maybe because she was used to all the stares she was getting on a daily basis.

But what surprised me more was that she took me to the castle, to her chamber and gave me a warm bath to wash of all the dirt and tiredness from my body. She even lent me one of her old yet awesomely stunning dress which cascaded near my feet like an orange waterfall. I was admiring my own reflection in the mirror. I had never worn something so aesthetic before. She slowly put a small white lily in my hair and I just savored the entire look.

"Why are you so sad?" the sudden question brought me back to the room.

She held her hands behind her back and every now and then she titled her head to one side when she looked at me. I did not know what to answer her so I asked her, "How can everybody be so happy like you, Your Highness?"

"I'm not always happy. I mean even though I have all these luxuries, they never mean anything to me when I feel lonely and heart breaking." She sighed and looked to the floor, her mind completely somewhere else.

I was so confused by her statement. How can someone like a Princess have sorrow? She got whatever she wanted. Maids lay at her feet every second she wanted some help. People like me, so broke, and injured have to be sad, we are meant to be sad, not her. She cannot be sad.

"Then how do you smile so beautiful and pure?" I broke the silence with my curious question.

She laid both her hands on her heart and opened her mouth to say something when a very loud bell started ringing. We both jumped at the sudden sound.

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My shrill cell phone alarm started ringing and I flew open my eyes annoyingly. I put a hand under my pillow to grab the phone and silent the alarm. When I put the alarm off, I quickly noticed that the room was still dark and everyone was still in bed. For two seconds I wondered why, when I realized that today was a Sunday and we would be going to church after sometime. I tried to lie in bed for a bit longer but couldn't. The dream came flooding to my mind and I wondered what the Princess would have told me if I wasn't interrupted by the stupid alarm. Dreams are so stupid. They come only once and when you try to sleep again, the same dream never continues. I let out a sigh of defeat and got out of the bed. I rubbed my eyes and quickly brushed my teeth. I went upstairs to practice the keyboard for the church today. I took the small piece of paper on which some song numbers were written, which I had to play in the church today.

Our Pastor always gave all those people who knew to play music, a chance to play for the church choir. Today was my due. Although I did not know much, I tried to manipulate the chords here and there when the song would go off beat or lost synchronization.

The church started at 10.00 am and the entire hall was filled with people. Kids ran round and round the pillars until some elderly woman gave a slap on their backs and made them sit in the chairs in front.

What a friend we have in Jesus,

All our sins and grief to bear!

What a privilege to carry,

Everything to God in prayer.

Oh, what peace we often forfeit,

Oh, what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry,

Everything to God in prayer.

The hymn continued and my fingers moved swiftly over the keyboard, combining the various keys to form the chords. Every now and then, my right hand would hover over the keyboard producing a tiny bit of beautiful melody. Although my music sir had taught me this song in a very different way, I wasn't afraid to try something new. The choir sang gracefully with one accord and their voices sounded like a distant gushing of waves to and fro on the shore.

I too started humming along with the hymn and a smile appeared on my face.

The song ended too soon but other beautiful songs were waiting to be played and my spirits rose. I lost myself completely as I played the song 'Count Your Blessings' in a piano style and I could see from the corner of my eyes that people were staring at me. It made me nervous and my bottom lip quivered just a little bit with nervousness as the stares weren't reducing.

When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed,

When you are discouraged thinking all is lost,

Count your many blessings,

Name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

Chorus: Count your blessings,

Name them one by one,

Count your blessings,

See what God hath done,

Count your blessings,

Name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

All the worship songs were really encouraging and I felt a little bit of lightness in my burden. I concentrated on the sermon today and I felt really good today, better I should say, since yesterday's stressful events.

That's when I remembered the events that happened in college yesterday. It was such a disgusting thing to experience, a best friend almost a brother from more than six years confessing his love to you. Eww, the very thought made puke come in my mouth. I shook my head in silence trying to forget all about it and pretend as if nothing happened, and pay attention to the present.

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"It's okay, keep them. I have many more to give to others." Piyush smiled as he gave me a handful of chocolates. I was new to the school and I joined in the 5th grade. As always I was reserved and talked very little. Today was Piyush's birthday and so he gave chocolates to everyone in class. But when he came to my bench, he gave me some extra chocolates and I tried to thrust the extra chocolates back into his hands thinking that he gave them to me by mistake. But he told me to keep them. That's when I saw his face. I sitting and he standing would equate both of our heights. His dark brown eyes were shyly avoiding my gaze and he bit his bottom lip again and again perhaps in embarrassment.

He really was one cute fellow. I thought.

I smiled back at him and wished him happy birthday. His hands were shaking lightly as I firmly gave him a polite handshake.

After years of being friends with him, I realized that both of us had few things in common like we both loved to draw, sing and play music, which made me friendlier towards him. But he was always the shyest guy I had ever met. I wished I had a little brother exactly like him. I adored him and trusted him with everything.

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"Boo", my sister shouted near my ear and I jumped.

"Hey you scared me." I said touching a palm to my heart to calm my fast heartbeats.

"Someone looks happy today," she teased and I rolled my eyes.

My sister Chloe was one of the worst little girl born. She was everything you needed to be tortured, teaser, gossiper, complainer and the fire which would devour everything you have. I never was a great fan of my sister, one of the reasons being our age difference. She was 5 years younger to me and so we did not quite fit in the same category of likes and dislikes. She liked to stay old fashioned while I was a little bit trendy but not too much. My body frame was very sleek but she was oversized. I loved rock and classics; she liked slow music, like the ones in hymns.

She was never a good secret keeper. Every time she found out something new about me, she would run to mom and tell her about it. Then it maybe any news, me writing a alphabet on my hand, me reading 'Harry Potter', me saying 'hi' to some boy at school, me glancing over at someone in market and the list continues.

My mom, who was strict and did not want her daughters to fall into unwanted trap scolded me every time she received some complain about me. What my mother did not understand was that I wasn't so stupid to do stupid stuff at a stupid time of age.

"Why can't I be happy?" I asked annoyed. "Don't you have some homework to do or some books to complete?" I asked not interested in explaining to her the twisted story that my life was having.

"Isn't this related to Jake somehow?" she pushed.

"What?" I asked wide eyed.

What was Jake doing here? Jake lived in Mumbai and he never even bothered to visit his old aunt who stayed in Goa. Sometimes he talked to me when we used to meet in church on Sundays. No contact after that whatsoever.

"You're smiling because of him right? Oh, Jake my Prince Charming, how sweet you talk to me. I wish you would never look at any other girl, the way you look at me." she said mimicking me, batting her eyelids in a very dramatic way. I rolled my eyes at her. "Shut up, I don't have time to waste on silly rude people." I defended myself. "And also on people who do cheap drama job." I said pointing to her.

She faked crying and ran to mother to tell about the rude comment I just gave her.

"Susan, you should feel ashamed of yourself, you being the elder sister, you are not expected to say that to your younger siblings. What kind of an example are you setting up in front of her? Say sorry to her." My mom came hurrying from the bedroom, a disappointed look on her face.

"Mom, I really didn't sa-" I tried to explain myself but she cut me mid sentence.

"Nobody smiles alone unless it has to do with some cheesy stuff they hear or witness in college." She snapped. Anger was clearly shown on her face. "Especially girls like you who, on the first chance they get to freedom, will surely cross the lines and drench themselves in shame." She continued, while I looked to the floor afraid that tears might break free. "Just remember one thing Susan, if you are trying to fall in love with someone, then the day I find out, that pretty boy will be dead along with you. Don't dream too much of having a perfect movie romantic life because you shall marry the guy of our choice and our choice only, you like it or not."

She went away taking large steps as her anger was boiling.

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"Whose photo is this?" my dad asked when I was watching a cricket match between India and Australia. I turned my head to look at dad and what he was referring to. My eyes bulged and my mouth opened when I saw the photo in between his thumb and index finger.

"That, t-that's my friend from school", I stuttered not giving out the full information. My dad's face was slowly turning red and I could see the nerve on his forehead stand straight.

"What's his name? And what is his photo doing in your bag?" he shouted. By this time my mom came hurriedly to the drawing room to see why my dad was shouting and my sister poked her head from behind the curtains. I took a quick glance at her and then my mother. Looking back at father I continued.

"Dad, I-I just kept it, s-since he left school and went abroad." I tried to sound cool. But my voice was cracking.

"I asked what his name is?" my dad stood from the chair and walked across the room. I buried myself deep on the couch as his shadow towered above me.

"L-Lionel." I said in a low voice since tears had already made their way up to my eyes and down my face.

Lionel was my first friend since kindergarten. Teacher had made him sit next to me in school and that's how I first noticed him. He was a really cute fellow and helped me with everything.

He had honey brown eyes which shone in the sunlight. His dark brown hair would get sexily messed up when the wind blew through it. His smile would be permanently plastered and his jokes would always make me laugh. Even though he was four, he knew how to behave delicately with girls. Whenever any girl or boy teased me or hit me, he would shield me and stand up for me. He was the first and best I had encountered.

He was my first crush.

We would play together, study together and even for the annual day, we would dance together. He tried to impress me in small little things even though his stunts would fail many times but he looked so sweet when he would do so. I would laugh my heart out when he was around and I loved being in his company. I wished he continued being around me and this relation might work out well. He was the sweetest, cutest, chubbiest little Chocó pie I had met in my life. But I realized the fact that sweet things melt fast a little later.

One day in 4th grade, he came nervously to me, sucking at his lips again and again. I wriggled my eyebrows at him to tease him but he just waved his hand and put a serious face. My heart was beating loudly in my chest. Could this be? Can it be possible? Was he about to say what I had been dreaming of all my life?

"I'm leaving India."

"What?" I said shocked, not quite believing my ears.

"My dad got transferred to London two years ago and mom wasn't so happy about him staying away from family for such long periods of time. She fought with him the other day and he straightway decided to shift all of us along with him." He gushed out, his voice shaking.

Tears were threatening to fall and I tried my best to look undefeated in front of him. But inside I was completely broken. Here, I was just thinking that he had nervously come to ask me out, but realized that life isn't so simple to read. And now he was going away, not just away from me but from every place he had cherished his life with.

I heard a small sniff and my eyes traveled to his face which was completely tomato red and a single tear tremblingly fell out of his eye. He caught me looking at him and he burst in sobs. I, who had already lost many tears whilst all this time, flung myself in his little arms as he caught me tightly against him. I sobbed into his jacket and he cried into my neck.

That was the first time I realized what pain it was to lose someone dear to you. My little heart was experiencing things which should not be experienced just yet. But fate had different things planned out for me.

"I will miss you." I whispered into his scent.

"I will miss you more." He sniffed back.

"Whatever you say, I will miss you the most, Lionel." I withdrew myself from his hold to look at his face. I would never see that face that smile, the laughs and the protection again. We had no cell phones or internet connection to contact then, so it was either impossible or costly.

"I wish, I wish we could be." He finally said and it hurt more than ever. I wished the same but it maybe it just wasn't meant to be.

I tried to assure him, "It's okay, Lio, sometimes distances bring us closer to each other, so, its fine." I smiled a weak smile and he reflected me. Inside I was a mess, a chaos which couldn't be cleared, a storm that couldn't be calmed but I had to make him feel good just as he had made me feel good always.

"Keep this with you, in case you remember me." he handed me a picture of me and him laughing at some stupid joke. I smiled at yet another memory.

"Oh my goodness, I can't believe this", my mom's sudden outburst made me snap myself from the memory. She was now taking a look at the picture which was shaking badly in my father's hands.

"Susan, you have crossed the line now. Just few hours ago I warned you about your actions and you shameless creature, dare to repeat the same thing again that too with more intensity?" mother was clenching her fists as if she was controlling the urge to slap me.

Dad continued to curse me with all the curse words he knew and I started getting a bitter taste at the back of my throat.

"Bu-but t-that photo was a long time ago. We were kids and best friends. What's so bad in that?" I tried to defend myself but it wasn't strong enough.

"Everything starts with photos only Susan," my mom screamed and dad continued, "don't act so innocent as if you don't know. You are 18 years old now, old enough to understand everything, old enough to get married off to." The last part was barely a whisper and I snapped my head at him in shock.

Were they thinking I was doing some affairs which would shame them? Would my punishment be 'getting married off to some stranger'? My eyes once again welled with tears and I walked straight from the drawing room to the spare bedroom.

I heard them screaming at me for my rude behavior and turning my back at them, but I didn't care. I wasn't that kind of a girl. I did not even intend to become like one. If I was so desperate, I would have easily flirted with Piyush and fulfilled his wanting as well as mine. But I didn't.

I didn't.

Why?

Because, because, I – I couldn't think clearly. I was a mess and a river of tears.

I locked the door and sat on the floor sobbing. So many thoughts came across my mind but I pushed all of them away. Anger was bubbling in my body for Chloe for making my life miserable then it already is, for my parents for doubting me endlessly, for everyone.

What I wanted right now was to cry my heart out. It will at least heal the pain even if it's for a short time.

I saw my cell phone flash illuminating the dark room and I looked up. I made my way towards the bed. I crossed my legs and propped on the bed holding the cell in my hand.

There were many different notifications, some from Whatapp, some from G-mail and some from Facebook. I looked through each one of them just to loosen up my mind from the incident which happened a few minutes before. I kept scrolling through various photos, statuses, and posts. I smiled at some jokes on Facebook and replied to few messages.

But a particular one caught my attention, draining my face from all blood.

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so yes! what do you think about this chapter?

Any guesses of what Susan must have read on her cell which made her blood drain?

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