Then the door slowly opened, but Hina didn't open it fully. Through the small gap, she peeked outside to see what was happening. And what she saw she would never forget for the rest of her life.
Quietly, she closed the door and sat down beside the door. Her mind was spinning, thinking about it over and over again. She didn't understand everything, but somehow, she just knew it was meant for her.
Tears welled up in her eyes. She covered her mouth with her hand, afraid someone might hear her crying.
Then she slowly stood up, walked to her bed, and lay down. As she drifted off to sleep, silent tears continued to fall from her eyes.
The Next Morning
When Hina woke up and slowly opened her eyes, she saw her mother in front of her, cleaning the room. Her mother looked at her and said gently,
"Sweetheart, you're awake. Go wash your face. Your father brought breakfast for you. Okay, honey?"
Before leaving the room, her mother added,
"I'm waiting at the dining table. Wash up quickly and come outside, honey."
Then she left.
Hina got out of bed and stood up. She walked into the bathroom, but the condition was poor—old and barely working. Still, she washed her face and went to the dining table.
The dining table was old and had broken corners. She sat down on a chair. A moment later, her father came and sat beside her.
"Good morning, Father," she greeted quietly.
"Good morning," he replied.
She remained silent. Surprisingly, her father wasn't drunk today. But she couldn't bring herself to talk about what happened yesterday. Her father had made a rule: Forget yesterday. We must live each morning as a new day.
Soon, her mother brought the food and placed it on the table. She served her husband first, then gave a plate to Hina.
After sitting down, her mother noticed Hina hadn't touched her food.
"What's wrong, Hina? You're not eating," she asked with concern.
Standing up, her mother gently touched Hina's forehead to check if she had a fever—but she wasn't sick.
"You didn't eat anything yesterday either," her mother said softly. "Why are you not eating?"
But Hina was still thinking about what happened yesterday. Her mind was stuck on that moment—she couldn't stop replaying it.
Then her mother said, "Hina, are you listening to me? Are you okay?"
Hina slowly nodded her head, meaning she was okay.
Her mother sat on the chair beside her, gently took Hina's plate, and said, "I think you'll eat only if I feed you with my own hands, right?"
She started feeding Hina by hand, one bite at a time. Hina began eating, slowly, but as her mother fed her, tears rolled down her cheeks.
Her mother looked at her and said softly, "Don't cry, my honey. What happened to you?"
Hina said nothing, only looked down. Her mother gently smiled and continued feeding her without asking more questions. After finishing her meal, Hina stood up and quietly went back to her room.
She sat down on her bed, lost in thought. Her mind kept returning to what she saw yesterday.
In her memory, she had seen her father and mother standing in the hallway… but they weren't alone. There was another man with them—someone unfamiliar. She remembered how that man handed a thick stack of money to her father. Her father's face lit up, smiling as he counted the cash right there, not even looking at her mother.
Then, the man took her mother by the wrist and led her into a room.
Her mother didn't say a word—but Hina remembered the tears in her eyes.
Back in the present, Hina clutched her blanket tightly.
she was just a child. She hadn't understood anything. But now… she wanted to know. Who was that man? Why did he take her mother into that room? And why was her mother crying when he did?
She felt something heavy settle in her chest. She didn't have answers—but she knew one thing.
She would find out the truth, no matter what.
Then she decided—tonight, she would find out the truth.
Suddenly, she heard a sound from outside. Curious, she walked over to the window and peeked through the small opening. There, she saw many children wearing school uniforms, walking hand in hand with their parents. They were laughing, talking, and smiling as they headed off to school.
Hina had never gone to school.
She didn't even know what a classroom looked like.
Her father never allowed her to go. He said he couldn't afford it, but the real reason was different—he was afraid. Afraid that if she stepped outside and told someone about their life, about him… they might call the police. That's why he kept her hidden away, locked behind those walls.
As she watched the children walk away, Hina couldn't look away. Their clothes were new, clean, and bright. Her clothes were old, worn out, with tiny holes here and there. Her heart ached—not just for the clothes, but for the freedom, the joy, the simple act of walking to school with someone.
She had always dreamed of going outside.
Of wearing a clean school uniform.
Of playing with other kids and making friends.
But those dreams felt so far away… like another world.
Suddenly, the room door creaked open.
Hina froze in fear. She quickly tried to close the window, but before she could, a loud voice shouted from behind—
"Hina!"
She turned around, her heart racing.
It was her father. His eyes were full of anger.
From the kitchen, her mother heard the shout and rushed toward the room. But before she could reach, her father stormed in, shoved Hina to the floor, and slammed the window shut. He turned toward her, furious.
"How many times have I told you?" he growled. "From 5 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.—never open that window! But you, foolish girl, you never listen!"
He grabbed her by the hair and yanked her up into the air. Hina cried out in pain, tears running down her cheeks as she struggled, her scalp burning from the grip.
"Please, let her go!" her mother cried, grabbing his leg, trying to stop him. "She's just a child. I promise—she won't do it again. Please!"
"If I forgive her today," he said coldly, "she'll do it again tomorrow. She needs to learn."
"Please," her mother begged. "I've never asked you for anything. Just this once… forgive her."
With a grunt, he shoved Hina to the floor and snarled, "Only this time."
Then he walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
Her mother rushed to Hina's side, but before she could say anything, his voice echoed from outside the room.
"Where's my watch?! I'm getting late! Are you still in there? Come out and find it!"
Her mother had no choice. She looked at Hina with helpless eyes, then stood up and quietly left the room.