Castle of Reflections: One picture - One story

^{Sheesh Mehal, Lahore}

This is a story of a princess who lived in the castle of mirrors. But they were no ordinary mirrors; they were magical, possessing mystic powers. No one but she knew about those. She had been feeling a little too alone, and that's when she started to talk to her reflection. But one day, as she was talking and talking, she saw someone else in the mirror. It was not her; it was someone about her age. A beautiful girl with a mischievous smile!

She didn't feel a bit terrified. It felt like something that was meant to be. The girl in the mirror smiled. She couldn't help but smile back. And then she would see her more often every day.

She held her father in the highest regard, believing him to be the epitome of goodness itself - a beacon of purity. Yet, that image was the first to be tainted. The mirrors began to serve as a canvas of the past. One minute she would see her reflection followed by that mysterious girl, and the next, the mirrors would spill secrets and conceal intrigues. She witnessed secret talks and meetings, but she could hear everything a little too clearly.

The next one to be exposed was her mother. How on earth could one of such loyal nature, a devoted wife, commit to such sins? She rubbed her eyes, hoping it was a trick of the light, but the mirrors would not lie. And the closing scene was always of that mystery girl smiling at her.

She was so puzzled; she wasn't prepared for this revelation. As she rubbed her eyes in confusion, her roommate's urgent voice called out, attempting to wake her from her sleep. "Wake up, Rania, or we will be late for today's exam," she shouted. Realization dawned - she had only been dreaming. What kind of dream was it, she wondered? She was a bit disappointed to wake up from such vivid dream and for the fact that she was a princess for once. But mostly she was relieved. "Laila, you go ahead. I'll grab a taxi to campus; it won't take long," she assured her roommate, who quickly left. She then hurried to the washroom to freshen up. She was running really tight on clock. Every second counted...

She imagined her parents' dismay and frustration if she missed today's exams. She was the black sheep of the family; all her cousins were brilliant high achievers. As the only child of her parents, they were not proud of her. Her own dad was a successful lawyer, and her mother was an esteemed member of the city council. They would simply not let go of this negligence, she thought to herself. And then her mind wandered back to her dream. "Ugh," she sighed, "what a stupid dream it was!"

She changed her mind about changing her clothes as the wall clock struck eight full and one half strikes. Instead, she decided to don a shawl over her rugged clothes. To make sure that she looked presentable, she glanced at the mirror across the room. And what she saw was enough to make her stop in her tracks. She literally froze in shock. Reflected in the glass was the same mysterious girl from her dream, staring back at her with a knowing expression.

It dawned on Rania that perhaps her adventure was far from over, and that the lines between reality and dreams were more blurred than she had ever imagined. She was more than sure that she would visit the same place again if she could ever sleep again.

To be continued...

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_{Disclaimer: This story is entirely a work of fiction and is not derived from any other author's work. It is solely the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Furthermore, it does not relate to or reflect the author's personal life in any way.}

_{P.S:. I have used the tags according to the requirement of the organiser @suboohi of this contest Contest Alert:1 Picture 1 Story week # 3}