2

             When I walked inside my college campus, what I saw was my freedom, my stubborn nature that waited for me and what I forgot was my city... a small city where I came from! It was my fresher's party and I wore a light golden Chiffon sari with small golden border on it, I wore a pair of Kolhapuri sandals because my height wasn't comfortable with Heels, without Heels I was 5'9, I got an average height of Indian Men. I grew fair, tall and pretty as I reached 17 and was getting even more as I was getting older, my chubby checks remained but, with a sharp jaw line, I got some cat eyes and an adorable smile. Luckily I had my18th birthday and fresher's part at the same time. I was enjoying the party until I received my mother's call.

"Hello Sara, how are you?"

"I'm good Mamma! How are you?" I asked her.

"Just good, my sweetheart!"

"Why do you sound, sad? Is everything okay?" I asked politely.

"Yes there is something, I need to tell you but..."

"But...what Mamma?" I asked her worryingly.

"Your father wants you to comeback!"

This gave me a mini heart attack and I paused for a while. I didn't knew, what to say. But, I made my voice stood strong and I asked her "Why he wants me to come back? You well know, how much I studied for clearing the entrance!"

"Yes, you did a lot for getting into your law college but, we have two more daughters after you. We have to think about them too!"

"But, how my college is stopping you from thinking about them?" I argued.

"Not your college but, your college's fees are stopping us, we cannot afford it!"

"If this was the thing, you could have told me before I was leaving our city! Why are you arguing now?" I shouted at her.

"Because, we didn't know that for your 5 years degree we have to pay seventeen lakhs."

"Mamma but, you paid the same or even more for Raj's engineering degree!" I argued.

"Yes we did because he is a boy and your elder brother, spending on him won't cost us."

"But, how will spending on me cost you guys?" I shouted.

"You are a girl and he is a boy, we have to even give your dowry and not only you we also need, to give your sister's dowry too."

"I really don't understand, if you were so worried about that stupid dowry! Then why you give birth to three girls after a boy?" I shouted at her with tears in my eyes.

"Behave yourself! The air of that big city has polluted you and your tongue and I won't let you stay there anymore!"

After a long argument on call with my mother, I went back to my hostel room and thanked god for the wonderful birthday gift. I lay down and cried for the whole night.

When I woke up in the morning my eyes were red. My kajal spilled all over my face, my sari was no more looking good, my hairs were messy and it was my the first day of college.

I took a bath and went to college's counter for taking back my first semester Fees. I took out my phone to check my fees details and suddenly, a message popped up on my screen, which stated "Are you worried about your student loan! Don't worry our bank will manage it for you without much interest!" this message gave me an idea; I thought to enquire more about it. My foot stepped back from college's fees counter and took me back to my hostel room.

Phone rings*

"Hello Beta, are you ready to come back?"

"No, I'm not coming back!" I replied softly.

"How selfish are you? Why aren't you thinking about your sisters?

"How am I selfish? Just because, I'm completing my dreams am I selfish? Why aren't you calling yourself selfish when you wasted money on your elder son's studies?" I cried.

"How disrespectfully will you talk? Is this what we taught you or this is what your new college taught you? Your aunt was right about you! You are spoiled in that big city."

"If speaking truth is disrespectful then I'm happy being a disrespectful person."I shouted back.

"Okay then carryon but, we won't pay you a single penny!"

"I don't want you to pay me though just save it for your elder son; he must have been tired sitting at home! Go get him some help!" I argued with my crackling voice and eyes full of tears.

"I don't know why I gave birth to a girl...a girl like you...dear god please save me!"

"Why will god save you mamma? I guess you gave me birth by your own choice!" I argued.

"Look at yourself, the way you are talking to me. I'm scared who will marry you."

"I don't want to marry anyone and I don't know why you are thinking about me Mamma!" I cried.

"How can you speak like this I'm your mother, you cannot talk like this! Just because I'm not letting you study in a big college! You will talk like this."

"I well know why you don't want me to study, just because papa will be giving money for Raj Bhaiya's business right!"I asked her.

"Yes...yes he will be giving Raj money just because he is your elder brother and we need to think about him first!"

"No you already wasted a lot for his degree and now, you will be wasting more on him? If I'm your daughter why don't you treat us equally Mamma?"I cried.

"I don't have answers of your stupid questions. Just do what you are said to."

"No I won't comeback at any cost I did a lot hard work for getting in this college." I argued.

"We won't pay your fees. Do whatever you want to do."

"I don't want you to help me even with a single coin, I got a loan for myself and I will pay it back, once I'm successful." I replied with my eyes full of tears and confidence. After this long argument I cried a lot but, then I decided to work hard and study. So, I went to college where I meet a Girl, who had rich parents, she was not that beautiful but, her stubborn nature and money made her personality look beautiful. I was jealous of her...her parents...her personality and even herself. I just dreamt that what has been my life if I too had the parents she got!

"Hello, what's your name?" she asked.

I didn't reply*

"Hi, what's your name?" She shouted.

"Are you asking me?" I replied.

Yes, where are you lost?" She asked me with a smile.

"Nothing...nothing much, I was busy thinking about our project!" I made an excuse.

"Which project? I think it's the third day! And how come we got a project? Even I too was in yesterday's class I didn't hear something like that." She asked me with disgust.

"Oh, sorry might be I made a mistake. Sorry!" I answered her with my eyes full with embracement.

"No, worries by the way, what's your name?" she asked me again with same curiosity.

"Sara...it's me, Sara Krishnan." I replied nervously.

"My name is Cherry." She replied with a smile.

"Nice to meet you! Cherry!" I looked at her with a smile.

"Wow! Your smile is alluring Sara." She replied.

"It's my pleasure." I replied blushing at her.

"Why are you blushing like that as if I'm your boyfriend?" She gave me a nasty smile.

"No...No nothing like that." I busted with embracement.

We talked a lot and she made me forget all my Mahabharata I had with my mother in morning. I was lost in my own world, where I and my freedom relied together.