Damaged Beyond Repair by Kashmira Kamat (KittyKash) (motivational novels txt) 📕

"Will you give me a chance to speak?" I was pushing her button.

I heard someone 'hush' us, guess we were becoming loud, the young timid guy behind the counter who appeared to be opening another ice-cream cartoon drawled at us, "Ladies, take your cat fight's outside; let me do my job in peace."

I shot daggers at him, "Stop eavesdropping on our conversation, get back to scooping ice-creams."

He muttered something under his breath, turned and left for the pantry, shutting the door with a bang with his foot.

"You were saying?"

"I want to see my daughter."

"Excuse me? Your daughter?"

"Minnie."

WHOA! Wait a second, "Minnie is your daughter?" a pause later I asked, "Yours and Drew's?"

Rowan's brother got Lauren pregnant? Dafuq?

A baffled look crossed her face, "Drew? No. Rowan is Minnie's father."

NO! She did NOT just say that. NO! NO! NO! NO!

My head started spinning in circles, the blood draining from my system. Lauren was clearly lying. 

"You're lying." I managed to mumble.

"Why would I lie?" she grasped my hands in hers, "I miss her so much and I just want to see her."

I pulled away from her tight grasp, "Minnie is Rowan's biological daughter?"

Lauren started to fidget, "I realized I was expecting before marriage, I was so happy, Alana but.." a tear escaped her eye, "After Minnie's birth, Rowan made it clear that he didn't want to be with me anymore and they took my daughter away from me. You're a woman Alana, so you would understand how it is for a mother to be kept away from her child."

My body went numb; it felt like my emotions were being strangled by the epitome of despair. They all lied to me. Was my relationship with Rowan all a lie too? Why did I live to hear this?

"They conspired against me, the Masters's. They are all the same. Influential, selfish and they will bend any law with their power." She reached for a handful of Kleenex, "Please help me get my daughter back. Please. I can't live without her."

"You might be telling me the truth but I have no reason to trust you." The ice-cream scoop had already melted into a thin paste. I climbed to my wobbly feet, picking up my messenger bag.

"Can you please talk to Rowan about it, atleast?"

I stopped mid-way and turned, "I will."

I stormed out of the parlour without a backward glance.

***

Rowan is Minnie's father.

Rowan is Minnie's father.

I charged towards Rowan's apartment, I need the truth. I don't care if the truth kills me. This was getting so fucking messier. My life was becoming some kind of a hilarious joke and the tears just wouldn't cease to fade. I touched my heart which seemed to be beating rapidly like it was looking for a way to leap out. Rowan's building loomed right in front of me; he lived on the ninth floor so I had to squint my eyes to get a better vision of his balcony. I noticed the light was still not turned off which meant he was awake. I took the elevator, cursing the entire flight up; the freakin elevator went so darn slow, testing my patience. I would have reached faster if I'd opted for the stairs but my current condition was pretty nasty. You can't expect me to take the stairs to the ninth floor when I've run miles like a dog, now can you?

I rang the door bell once.

No answer.

I rang again and I still got no answer.

Last resort that I had saved up for emergencies.

Sneak into the house with a spare key. Sneaking in was better than breaking in any day.

I rummaged the extra keys out of my messenger pocket; Rowan had given it to me incase of emergencies. Now that I remember, why the hell hadn't I returned his keys with the ring?

I turned in the key, turned the lock and the door smoothly gave in.

I gaped at the scene infront of me. The entire house smelled of alcohol, weed and what not. The distinctive odour entered my nostrils that were all types of 'sin', almost nauseating. I had to refrain from breathing or there was a likely possibility of me throwing up the meal. I took in the mess he had made out of the living area. Déjà vu hit me again. The curtains were pulled down from the hinges; a chunk of plaster seemed missing. Rowan scrunched low near the mini bar stool amid the disaster, I heard soft agonizing sobs. Several empty bottles of alcohol rolling on the floor and an ocean of crushed glass smeared all over. As soon as his eyes levelled with mine he smiled, pulled his haggard body upward, slipped but managed to pull up again. My eyes fixed at the blood smeared on the floor, his arms were in deep cuts.

What in the heavens name was this man doing?

He raised his arms to cup my face which I caught firmly, "Have you been cutting yourself, Rowan?"

"Where have you been baby?" his voice came in a small drone.

"YOU TRIED TO OFF YOURSELF?"

"Baby..." His body shuddered, "I---I didn't..."

"ANSWER ME!" It was my turn to yell and his turn to shut up and listen.

"No, I just..."

"Where is Minnie?"

"I sent her to Cary's." I did remember Cary, she was Minnie's babysitter.

"Don't you move from that place." I crossed the living area and trotted into the kitchen, opened a few drawers and found the first aid kit. When I returned, Rowan stood glued to the same spot, like a student obeying his teacher. I didn't mean don't move in the literal sense.

I cleaned his cuts and bruises with precision. His knuckles had turned an angry shade of blue, on the verge of swelling. He probably had been punching the wall. I bound his hand in large gauze, it needed medical attention but this would do for now.

I examined Rowan thoroughly, he looked like a shell of a person, his usual puffed up biceps had taken a leaner shape with possible case of blood loss and for once he didn't look like a man.