An excerpt from Journey by Vidushisandhir
She was 15. The idea of love enthralled her. She did not know how to define love, but she knew she loved being coveted by more than one. The warm rush to her face when she found someone stealing glances at her or talking about her made her feel less lonely in the crowd. She was supposed to be simple – a girl who was to get the A level education and make a career out of it all. Everything else in life came after.
She was supposed to be this girl, but she was not. She knew there was something not quite right with her. The enjoyment at being wanted, the will to question what she saw and the sense of partial fearlessness she felt when acting on her curiosity. She was not a beauty – her hair wavy and rough, eye brows not particularly lady like – but she had sharp features and beautiful eyes. Her lashes were dark and long – curling to touch the top of her eyes; her lips pink and small; her nose chiseled and the perfect size for her face. At that age – she knew she attracted some attention in her age group and she took for granted that she had stunning looks. Humility was not her forte at an age when elders would constantly comment how pretty she was and when boys would clearly express that they could not ignore her. The idea of being irresistible and special was both her bane and boon.
