Those innumerable pairs of eyes peered up at her while she stood there with her head bowed down. Such an intense blue they were, she thought. She knew those eyes well- each one that stared at her. Still holding her gaze, she lifted her hand to trace the corners of her eyelids and then slowly slid it down to the side of her cheek, or rather what was left of it. She watched as those blue eyes watered beneath her and this time, let her tears fall on the countless shards of glass that lay scattered below. There was no effort to wipe the moisture off her face any more; why bother when this is how she will be for the rest of her life? Unless…
She didn’t know whether she was angry or sad but it was certain that she wasn’t proud anymore. Gone were the days when those sapphire eyes rolled every time people ran after her. With her perfectly powdered nose and a fair vessel for a neck, she had been an unattainable dream for many. So many had yearned to hear her say ‘yes’ from that lovely mouth of hers but she was too high for them to reach – or at least that’s what she thought.
She rose so high that she forgot how falling felt like. Until one day, when he entered her world, all smitten. Like others, he too chased her endlessly. He’d wait for her, follow her, be with her wherever she went. He gave her everything, from chocolates to diamonds but all he got was a knowing look and a killer smile. But it was always enough for him to show up at her doorstep every next morning with yet another bouquet of flowers. She never offered anything in return and he happily never asked, but, such was his love that when he did decide to take something, he took everything!
That day when she opened the door, the flowers were gone, there was only this red bottle in his hand. Before she could ask him what it was, it happened. Her world was turned upside down. Her beauty, her pride, was taken away from her. Everyone had wanted her hard heart as long as she had a soft skin but with her mutilated face, she was wanted by no one – not even herself. Once the source of envy, she was now the recipient of pity. Despite having broken every source of reflection, she still had to face the leftover pieces. That was how life would be for her now, and she could not let that happen. Picking up a shattered glass piece that lay beside her feet, she laid in the tub, carving it beautifully into her skin. In that still moment, she could only hear the soft trickling sound of her blood into the water and the silent arrival of death. She gulped the last bit of strength and with a sigh of finality, the blue curtains were drawn and the water was left to turn crimson.
