Arin sat beside Shanaya as she spread out her books, flipping to the page that contained her essay topic. “Okay, so what’s the problem?” he asked, scanning the prompt.
Shanaya groaned. “The problem is, my mom wants me to struggle and cry over this. But I’m not an English person—I’m an artist! I paint emotions, I don’t describe them in long-winded essays.”
Arin chuckled. “Well, let’s make it simple. Think of it like painting, but with words.”
She squinted at him. “That sounds suspiciously like something my mom would say. Are you secretly on her side?”
He smiled. “I’m neutral. Consider me an undercover ally.”
As they worked through the essay, Shanaya slowly began to enjoy the process, surprising herself with how naturally her thoughts flowed when guided the right way. Between discussions on metaphors and structure, the conversation took an unexpected turn.
“I never knew my dad,” she said suddenly, tapping her pen against her notebook. “He died when I was a baby.”
Arin looked at her, sensing the shift in tone. “That must’ve been hard.”
She shrugged. “Not really. I mean, you can’t miss what you never had, right? But I know what he did to my mom. He was an alcoholic. He beat her, harassed her for dowry. She doesn’t talk about it much, but I know. That’s why she doesn’t believe in love.”
Arin listened silently, letting her continue.
Shanaya sighed, twirling her pen. “I’ve told her so many times to find a boyfriend or something, but she just laughs it off. She calls herself a B.I.T.C.H—Babe in Total Control of Herself—but I know… sometimes she cries alone.”
Arin’s chest tightened. “You see more than she thinks you do.”
She nodded. “Yeah. We used to fight a lot when I was 14. I’d get so mad at her. But one night, I saw her crying alone. And I realized… she’s really lonely. Since then, I just wanted to be there for her.”
Arin smiled, ruffling her hair. “You’re a good kid, Shanaya.”
She wrinkled her nose, swatting his hand away. “Don’t get all mushy on me, Verma. Just help me finish this essay before my mom finds out I had assistance.”
Arin chuckled, shaking his head as he guided her through the next paragraph. But his thoughts lingered on what she had said.
Leave a Reply