"Family is supposed to be our safe haven. Very often, it's the place where we find the deepest heartache."
Third-Person POV:
Family issues ruin many childhoods giving them lifelong traumas and poor mental health. Only children get trapped in the wrongdoings of elders who don't even care what effect they are causing their young ones. It will remain in their hearts even in the absence of their parents.
Ishita Mehra, daughter of Raj Kund Mehra and Anjana Mehra, is a typical rich family well respected in society. But whatever happens inside the four walls of their house remains hidden from the outsiders but has a huge effect on their daughters. Esha Mehra younger daughter of the Mehra family doesn't get along much with her parents but Ishita being the elder daughter of the family took the responsibilities on her shoulders.
"Ishita... baby you will get late for school come on hurry up..." Anjana called for Ishita. "Mom... where are the socks?" she huffed in annoyance calling for her mother while digging in the wardrobe. Anjana followed the stairs to her room, "Move... you never get anything... see this is in the black bag even written socks on the bag...".
Ishita took it from her hands and started wearing it sitting on the edge of her bed. "Mom... I won't be able to survive in the hostel without you. Why are you sending me so far away?". Ishita complained as it was her last exam for intermediate after this she was going to be studying abroad. Ishita was good in academics and sports as well she was an all-rounder but she wasn't social. She barely had friends because her personality scared people and she always used to give cold shoulders, and small responses but she had her reasons.
"Baby... I don't want you to go as well but it is necessary for your career and don't you want to be rich and respected like your father. I have stopped having any expectations from Esha as she has most of her attention in makeup, fashion designing and God knows what she wants to do in life...." Tears formed her eyes as she added, "Ishita... I never hide anything from you and you are well aware of what your fathers did. He will not sign for divorce because it will ruin his social respectable position and also because I will get a hefty amount of alimony. You are my first and last hope... but don't take it all on you, I know you have fantasy dreams but eventually you will have to face the reality...".
Ishita wiped the tears from her mother's face, "Okay... I get it... and don't feel sorry for me. I have tasted the bitter reality at a very young age so it doesn't matter but it's just... I'm scared what if he did something to you in my absence or worst brought the witch under the same roof...". Anjana rubbed her shoulders, "Don't worry about it... I will show him the worst side of me if he did. I'm only staying in this loveless, not respectable marriage because I don't want you and your sister to live a life of poverty and misery." Ishita nodded in response feeling bad for her mother.
"Okay forget about it and have this..." her mother stuffed a spoon full of curd and sugar in her mouth. "All my good luck for my brave daughter..." Ishita giggled in response and ate a few more spoons of it before leaving for school. She was young and had dreams and wanted to fly like a free bird in the sky but nothing matters to her when it comes to the sake of her mother. The woman who gave birth to two wonderful daughters and raised them independently with morals and values.
But she sacrificed her life in the process, Raj Kund Mehra had an affair with a model which was noted by Ishita. She found them meeting in a hotel when it was her 12th birthday and her father wasn't present at the birthday party but went to meet another woman. Anjana wanted to have dinner a fancy dinner at a high-end hotel on her daughter's birthday as Ishita didn't have many friends. But when they reached the hotel, they found Raj Kund kissing the women's hand.
The happy family shattered into million pieces, Ishita saw her mother in tears and wanted to pull the extension hair out of the woman sitting with her father. But that day she learned a lesson this brutal society will not blame the man for having an extramarital affair but point at the woman who wasn't able to satisfy his man and wasn't able to give him a son for his dirty business.
Ishita saw the worst side of the world at the age when she was supposed to see dreams of Prince Charming. Nights passed with screams, cries, and fights between the couple but they never let the media smell anything fishy as they are best presenting hot gossip topics and breaking news. Relatives and family members didn't help them and said the dispute should be handled between the couple since they have no part to play in it.
The relationship between the father and daughter became sour as he blamed her for all the things that happened as he mentioned it was the end of his affair. But it was a complete lie because he was still seeing the women. For months Ishita hated her mother for not taking any hard steps against him but soon she realized what was stopping her mother from doing so.
Ishita met a girl in his school who was a child of divorced parents and faced many problems in life. The money her mother got as alimony was snatched back by her evil father, the girl used to travel between two houses. Media was always behind them to find some gossip, her neighbors used to give her pathetic looks and sometimes poke hurtful questions. Ishita heard her misery and rushed back home hugging her mother she cried and cried like a baby.
Soon her tears dried, and she took online courses to get admission to top universities. Her mother helped her to fill out different forms and scholarships and she got most of them but Anjana chose the University of Oxford, England. She was going to study Accounting, Finance, and business management. Ishita objected to living alone far away from her mother, she suggested getting a degree in one of the Indian Institutions but her mother wanted the best for her.
Her mother knew about Kabir Arora, the boy her daughter liked and wanted to study in the same college as him. Anjana agreed to let her study at the University of Delhi still it was far away from her house as they lived in Mumbai. Kabir was taking admission to the same college; Ishita was excited to start her new life but her heart needed to be broken a little bit more to make her completely inhuman.
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