ABHIRA: THE RULE BREAKER'S GIRL

CH26 HER PAIN AND ANGER...

Her mother shook her head.

“I am not allowed to say anything. I promised your father.”

“What the heck?”

She held the ring in her hand and went looking for her father. It was his daily practice time with her uncles, but she didn’t care, nothing was more important than finding out how the ring she had given to Abhimanyu made it back to her house.

She knocked on the home studio and went in without waiting for a response. Her father looked up from his composition notes and said, “Akshara, we are still in the practice.”

“But I need to talk to you, Daddy.”

Her father closed the composition book in front of him.

“It has to wait unless it is an emergency.”

“If it is a matter of life and death, I would consider that an emergency.”

“Akshara, watch your tone while talking to your father,” one of her uncles warned.

She took a deep breath and held the ring in her hand.

“If you don’t want me to raise my voice and start yelling at everyone, can someone explain to me how a ring that I had given to the man I love magically ended up in this house?”

Her uncles looked shocked, but her father was unfazed.

“Akshara, this is not the time for such a conversation.”

“No, this is an emergency. I am dying on the inside every minute I spend away from him. So, I need to know now.”

Her father glared at her mother, who stepped into the studio and stood to one side.

“Fine, then let’s talk about this emergency. Who is this man you love?”

“Abhimanyu Birla. The Rule Breakers’ band leader. I love him.”

Her father snorted.

“Wonderful. You have learned to love a man who once argued with your father in front of a live audience.”

Akshara gritted her teeth.

“He argued with you, he did not insult you. What did you do in return? You went out of your way to ruin his career.”

“He doesn’t respect and appreciate our rich music heritage, and he deserved it.”

“No one deserved that, but fine, if that’s what you decided as his fate, good. Now, why are you trying to play God with my life?”

She held the ring in front of him and added, “How did this end up in the house?”

The studio fell silent, and her father looked at her with disbelief in his eyes.

“I never expected this behaviour from you, Akshara.”

She ignored the chastising comment from her father and repeated her question, knowing she angered him more.

“Akshara, he is not right for you, sweetheart.”

“Why, Daddy?”

“Have you seen how he dresses and how he dances on the stage while he sings that rubbish? Do you think he will be a good fit for us as a family?”

“You said any form of music is divine. Why are you being so judgmental about him? I love him.” Her voice shook with uncontrollable anger and sadness.

His voice shook with anger when he spoke.

“He had the guts to show up at my house to ask for my daughter’s hand in marriage. That brat, who has no respect for anything in life wants my daughter.”

She narrowed her eyes at her father.

“If he showed up to ask for my hand in marriage, what did you say to him?”

“I said no.”

Akshara took a step closer.

“What did you say to him? Whatever it is you said made him walk away from our love. If it were a simple no, he wouldn’t have given up like this.”

“Akshara, I’ve never said no to anything that is good for you, understand why I am saying no.”

“Daddy, you never had to say no to anything because I never asked you for anything that you didn’t like.”

“Akshara, watch what you say.”

“Abhimanyu showed up to ask for my hand in marriage for your sake, and you managed to drive him out of my life. What if we eloped and sent you pictures from our honeymoon?”

“Akshara, you are being childish. Stop this madness now and go to your room.” Her father was livid.

“I will make the choice of going to my room or to leave the house based on the response I get to my question. What did you tell him? What is it that made him throw away what we had and make me miserable?”

 
Her eyes bore into her father’s eyes in challenge.

Love
Janus