Akash's PoV { Flashback }

"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT." My father screeched on the top of his lungs, I curled myself tighter into my protective ball. My mother shielded me away from the monster, her husband, and my father. "Just leave him out of this, we can settle this by ourselves." She pleaded, a white bubble of rage forming inside me. 

"Fine." My father, Vikram Chopra, grunted out. His obsidian eyes landed on me with a glint of insanity. "Go." He snapped, malice lacing the command. I rose, trembling with fear as I walked towards my room. My footsteps echoed across the large hallway, when I reached the door of my room, I heard a sound.

Thack!

I knew what it was, I'd heard it so many times. My father raised his hands on my mother if she didn't do what he wanted. I sniffled, swallowing the lump in my throat and curling myself into the bed.

"-You fell in love with another bastard, and you're blackmailing me!"

"Vikram, it was an accident."

"Passing his child off as mine was an accident!?"

"Vikram-"

Thack!

I wish I could run away, it hurts so much but I can't do anything to fix it

I saw a flashlight shine into my room, like a ray of sunshine. I wiped my tears on the corner of my left sleeve and searched for the source of light. It was a girl around my age. She had bright brown eyes and a short pixie cut. She titled her head curiously before raising her hand in a 'wait' type of signal. I was about to shut the window when I saw her emerge once more, she pulled out a smiley-faced ball and threw it at my window. It landed in my room with a thump. I saw a note stuck on it, 'Are you okay?'

I shook my head as a response and wrote down, 'My dad doesn't like me,'

She frowned, poking her tongue at her cheek before jotting down a response, 'Did you try finishing your food? It makes my mom happy, and she tells me I'm a good girl.'

That seemed like a brilliant idea, 'Thanks!'

Suddenly, I wasn't alone. That bright-faced girl would shine a flashlight every day, it became our thing, talking through smiley balls and flashlights. Just that question, 'Are you okay?' seemed to cheer me up. It made me feel like someone cared. My father seemed to be in a good mood too, he'd beamed with pride when my teacher called him to tell him that I'd ranked first in the state. My mother showered me with love.

A month later, my mom ran away with a guy who she worked with.

Two Months later, my dad introduced an ambitious bitch to me as my step-mother and my new step-brother. She'd married my father for money, it was easy enough to see. And I'd shone a flashlight into Disha's room. Instead of my best friend, an old man emerged. My heart sank, but I saw him scribbling down a note.

'She's at her uncle's place, she'll come back a week from now. I'm her grandpa.'

My brother, Arjun, seemed to have it all. He was the charming kid, the smart kid, and the athletic kid. One unfortunate day, I entered my room in my depressed state. Disha had a project today, she was going to be working with some kid. I glanced up at her bedroom just in time to see the door creak open and for her to enter. I saw her smiling at a person behind her, and in came Arjun. My chest hurt, Why does he get to steal everything?

Later that night, I refused to talk to her and she'd sent a note, 'Whats wrong?'

'You were talking with my brother,' I shot back angrily. She snorted when she read the note, 'How was I supposed to know?'

'We have the same last name.' I glared at her before throwing the ball back to her. 'So does Priyanka Chopra, does that make her your sister?'

She had a point, I didn't respond and she sighed before writing another note, 'Duffer, your my friend first. Then only I met him.'

I smiled.

First, me.

***

Heh, I love confusing people's sides.

Also side note, I haven't really gotten that much exposure out in the cricket world of Wattpad. And I see more reads then I see votes, I would appreciate it if you commented as well as voted because that's a motivational boost for an author to keep writing (do it for other authors books too! it really helps)