Chapter 4 NO.4

Danish p.o.v.

I had noticed Anna long before her knowledge could fathom. I too admit that I fell for her long before she did. But, I was the son of a mafia and my fate had already been determined long before when I took my first breathe in the womb of a mafia's wife.

My path was paved with golden marvels and the ceiling of my shelter was shielded with expensive diamonds. Cars, cash, clothes or be it the girls, every single of them would dance around me, even if I lifted just a single finger. But, there's no such thing as a free meal. My life wasn't such as it was being chronicled on people's mind. I too had lots of hardship in my life that nobody could perceive than me.

From the tender age of six when I got abducted, I was cognizant about my plight as an heir of a mafia. Nobody is born as a mafia by birth. I too have spent my time as an innocent human until this tainted world of crime dragged me in it.

I don't remember hearing any sweet words of love from my father's mouth. In fact, when I was ten, he made me go through a rigid training which was no less than a hell. He unceasingly kept on reminding me, the hell fire was to shield myself from the cruel world that he had erected around us. He was right. I needed to build myself stronger in order to survive in his world.

From the start, he considered me as his heir more and his son less. In spite of that, I still struggled hard and made myself stronger so that I could draw his a little bit of attention on me.

With my inhuman effort, I had totally won over my father's heart and had succeeded to draw his attention on me. But, I lost something, something very important as a human. The years of hard work had paid off and as an upshot, I had forgotten to feel. I had forgotten to become kind and lenient. With all the bloodshed that I faced from my tender age, I had forgotten the word called fear. Love? I stopped feeling it when I lost my mother at eight. She was shot down by my father's rival. Pitiful isn't it? But, my father called it being stronger.

There was one thing that I did just like other kids of my age. That was attending the schools. My school time was only when I felt like a normally growing teenager. If it was possible, my father would have stopped my schooling and forced me to his business. But, my grandfather prevented that from happening. Moreover, he was quite aware, in his ruthless world a little bit of education would do no harm. In fact, it would help him to keep his business intact.

So, if I were to talk about Anna, I first noticed her in the first year of middle school. I didn't give her much attention, though. Every day I would espy her getting bullied from the corner of my classroom where I had settled myself. It had almost become a schedule for me to watch her being bullied.

Well, she isn't in much pain if I were to compare her with my situation.

It was my thoughts that would run on my mind, every time I saw her getting bullied. But with the growing time, I started to get affected by her situation. I found her so much like me. She had no friends or foes just like me.

I knew girls loved my looks but they wouldn't dare to come close to me because of the surname that I had to wield. The same was with the boys. My classmates stayed away from me because they found my background too strong. As for her, they stayed away from her because they found her so weak.

But they were all wrong. She was stronger than any person I had discerned. In spite of all those constant bullying, she would stand in front of them without shedding a single drop of tears. At least, that was how I felt about her. Somehow, she had earned respect in some section of my heart.

It was a gloomy day. I had already spotted her getting bullied and her clothes were wet with the orange juice that the girls had poured on her. As always she didn't shed a tear and I acted as if I didn't see a thing. On the way to home, I saw a girl walking down the street without an umbrella to shield herself. From the shape of her back, I already knew it was Anna. She was still wearing the same clothes that had a tinge of orange juice.

Why is she soaking in the pouring rain? Did she forget her umbrella?

She was walking slowly and judging by the movements of her hands, she was crying. She was crying for the first time and I saw her wiping her tears. No, maybe it wasn't the first time she walked home with her teary eyes. I had burdened way too much expectation on her that I felt disappointed. Still, I followed her back slowly and silently as if I was guarding her. For the first time, i found her frail and vulnerable, along with the disappointment I felt a little bit of heartbreak.

Without any realization, I had followed her up to the main street. I saw her back as fragile as an infant's hand that was waiting for someone's protection. I walked toward she, who was waiting for the signal to turn into green. I slowly covered her weak self with my umbrella.

I saw her flinched. Maybe she became aware of my presence. I had no idea why the hell was my heart thumping so hard. I slowly glanced at her and saw her teary red eyes which resemble that of a cat. I somehow, couldn't resist that look of the face.

Why am I acting like that?

I had seen that face more than the times that I could count. But, why did I found her much more attractive only that time? I had no idea.

My heart had gone crazy and I could feel a heat on the nape of my neck.

No, the situation wasn't how I had planned. I never meant to lose my self-control and liberate my emotions. That was the situation I feared the most in my life.

This girl is hazardous for me. She could untie the suppressed me.

I let a sigh out and crossed the road as soon as the signal turned into green like it was never my intention to shield her with my umbrella.

But, my presence had already carved a deep impression on her heart. I knew it and did nothing about it. I could feel her presence while she was following me around. In another word, I knew she was stalking me. You might call me weird but I liked it. I liked it when she fell for me without expecting anything from me. Everyone was always expecting at least a thing from me and she was the first one who didn't.

I couldn't fathom if it was a pure coincident or intentional when we attended the same high school. She was cute but never initiated to approach me. I intended to give her a chance and also to test if attending the high school was just a mere co-incident?

But, it wasn't. I am sure of it because I again found us attending the same university.

Though I didn't need to attend the university, I did. I did it for her and she made a good use of this opportunity. She admitted her feelings and confessed her love for me. Though she was wiggling and dressed unlike her usual self, I found her cute. But, I loved her in braided hair and plain clothes more.

Yeah, I loved her just for who she was. I saw her stumbled and fall. I saw teary eyes.I saw her standing up. I saw her growing stronger. I saw her smiling. I saw her pursuing happiness. I saw everything and still I loved her.

(Thanks for reading)