Chapter 11

It's been a month since Pearl got discharged from the hospital and moved to Patterson's mansion. Joseph's parents used to pay her frequent visits, everytime apologizing on their son's behalf. A counselor was appointed for Pearl.Everyone around her used to cheer her up in their own kind. But Pearl was slowly becoming deaf to their voices and blind to the efforts. Her physical wound was healing with time, but she herself was sinking in the ocean of mental trauma.

Though no one in the house expressed a word regarding her condition, they knew that they were gradually losing her in this battle. Mr. and Mrs. Patterson was blaming themselves for giving their daughter to a person like Joseph. On the other hand, Michael too was going through an internal guilt trip. Whenever he used to see his sister, all lost in her dark world, he felt his legs shaking and heart throbbing with immense pain. He felt like a coward who couldn't even confront Joseph for breaking his sister's heart because he himself wasn't a saint. He felt his karma's are coming back to him in the form of his sister's devastation.

When you truly start understanding the law of karma, It's then you realize that you are the only one responsible for everything happening in your life.

One evening, Jenny was sitting in Pearl's room, trying to persuade her to accompany her and Michael for a movie night.

" What will you take to join us Pearl?" Jenny disappointedly buried her face in one pillow.

"What will you take to leave me alone Jenny? I have told you a hundred times and I am again telling you I am not interested in any of your stupid plans. I am done with everything now. I have no hope left with me. Did you hear me? I am left with no hope." Pearl sinked down to the nearest couch.

Jenny walked towards her and kneeled down in front of her and enclosed her closed palms in her warm grip "When you feel that you have lost all the hopes in your life, then you yourself become a hope. A hope to your parents that one day their fighter daughter will come back to them with a promise to never risk her precious life for any idiot, a hope to your brother that one day his baby sister will leave all her dark past behind and start her life again with a fresh note, a hope to me that one day I will get back my friend who used to always stand by me in this house and share all the juicy gossips of the relatives."Pearl's lips lifted a little.

"Most of all, become a hope to all those women who believe that a woman can't function without a man beside her, a hope to all those wives who are the victims of their husband's physical and emotional abuse. Just become a hope for yourself." Jenny slowly wiped that one tear that was threatening to slide from her eye, and then the whole Patterson house got shaken with a loud cry that screamed nothing but pain.

……………………………………..

Michael

I wiped my lips with a napkin and looked at mom, who was moving to and fro in the hall, with her gaze fixed at the main door. I got up from the dining table with a glass of water and walked towards her.

"Here take this, you must be tired by now." I forwarded the glass to her.

"Shut Up Mike! It's been three hours since Pearl left with that girl. God knows where she has taken my daughter. I am warning you Mike if something happens to my baby again, I am going to destroy that girl." Mom looked at me with anger on her face but fear in her eyes.

"Destroy her the same way her brother destroyed our Pearl? And on what grounds? For taking your lonely daughter out for a casual girls dinner meet. For doing something which both of us are unable to do, that is breaking the cage that pearl has created around herself. I don't know when you will understand that Jenny is trying to help our baby, nothing else." I sighed and turned around "despite all the things I did to her," I murmured to myself.

………….,...........................................

Jennifer

" I hope you are handling the situation well Joe. I want everything to be executed according to our plan. Just don't let me down Joe. Good bye!" I state on the phone, while looking outside the moving car.

I looked at Pearl who was soundly sleeping beside me. I slightly caressed her hair and whispered " Time for some real action."

Suddenly my phone beeped with Mike's message

"Hope you girls had a wonderful time.We all had our dinner. Mom is a little worried for Pearl, so just try to ignore her when you come back. "

I shook my head at his mother's obvious behavior and started typing " Pearl is fine and we are on our way to home."

I kept my phone back and leaned back to my seat " I was waiting for this moment for so long.Let the game begin".

…………………………………………..