A flame in the Storm

Chapter 37

Stirring my coffee I went to the living room where mom was sitting reading newspaper. "Hey Maria look," she said pointing to an article, there was an image of me and Farah from school days. Snapping the paper I started reading it.

Maria Rasheed and Farah Azam, best friends, now business partners in trending brand FLAMES, while Farah comes from a rich family, being a joint heiress to her father's business along with her sister Sara. She started her own brand at a young age. If we have to describe her we would say she is a beauty with brain and a generous heart. Maria's luck has been not as good to her as she has been through a lot even before she turned eighteen. And my story continued...

"I had no idea. They were going to publish my images." I said putting the paper down.

"They want the public to relate," mom said, "No harm done."

"But I don't want this," I said "I don't want people to dig up my past. I don't want any sympathy." I cried in frustration.

"Hey listen to me," mom said drawing me close to her and putting her hand on my arm. "Do you remember about touch me not plants, those which recoil under our touch?"

"Yes," I nodded "they amused me always."

"We did it for fun," she said smiling. "Some people do it to others to see them recoil under their pressure."

I looked at her confused about what was the point of it?

"We should not give them pleasure by closing ourselves for protection. We should be like an insectivorous plant which bite backs the intruder."

"Everything," she said lifting the paper. "Everything they or anyone else may say has so much control over you as much you give them."

I remembered the dream I always had in Coorg, I was desperate to become something, someone, now was my chance. I wanted to do well to others, change lives, help all the girls who have gone through difficult ordeals in their lives. All I had to do was to sacrifice my anonymity. Nothing came without a price.

For the next month, the articles about me along with my pictures were being published in various magazines and newspapers. "The girl who survived" .Their effects were felt in our showroom, bringing in sales. Sometimes they did go overboard in trying to victimize me like in one article they stated that I belonged to a poor family where my parents struggled to bring me up and that I was always an ambitious girl. Mom had read it laughing all the while. I guess rags to riches tales sold well. As they depict that anyone can make their dream come true despite their background.

My classmates and teachers from the school were interviewed for another one, where they described me as sweet, shy and studious before the tragedy and walking dead after it. The word that Rizwan was my teacher got out too. And when they were asked about him "He was always smiling and helpful. When the news came out that he was behind her kidnapping. We were shocked because he didn't seem like the type." It didn't surprise me because I knew about the façade he presented to the world. But one statement had shaken me which was given by my classmate: Sushma. "He did try to get to me, but I knew better not to let him close." Were there others like me whom we didn't know about?

Mom, dad and I were discussing my interview which was in two days. Raafay entered shouting, "Maria, aunt, uncle" all in one breathe.

"Hey what happened?" Dad asked. "We are here."

"Uncle!" he said taking him in a tight embrace.

"You won't believe this," he said. He was smiling like he just won an Oscar for a movie in which he didn't even act.