When we are away from our family, in another city we miss them terribly. Homemade food, our parents, our siblings, everything about them. And when we are at our home, we miss our friends, our freedom, our privacy. This is the case with everyone. And all the soon-to-be doctors were going through the same.
Aaradhya was very happy that she was back but she missed her friends terribly. She was regularly in contact with Tanu and Teena through calls but not with the boys. She just replied to their messages a few times. She was afraid that if someone caught her it would be a big drama.
She was making tea when Tanu called. She put the phone on speaker and continued her work.
"Abhi was asking about you," Tanu said after talking about some random topics.
Aaradhya quickly grabbed the phone switched off the speaker mode and continued talking. But unknown to her someone heard Tanu and saw the panicked expression of Aaradhya after that. Anjali, her mother. She knows her daughter. She would never do anything that would affect the family's pride. She trusts her. But she has to talk about this boy. They all are young. It's common to get distracted at this age. But her daughter cannot afford this distraction.
If her father, Aditya, comes to know anything about it, he will stop her studies and make her sit at home. Her mother has witnessed this happening with her sister-in-law, Rekha. She wanted to marry someone from her class and Aditya got to know about this from god knows where. Rekha was locked in a room for days before she was married to a rich and reputed family. She completed her studies after the marriage. She is happy in her life, now. Or she pretends to be. But Anjali would never let this happen to her daughter. Never. She will stop Aaradhya before she does anything to destroy her life.
"Thank you," Anjali said as Aaradhya kept a cup of tea in front of her.
"Aaradhya, will you answer me something honestly," she asked after some time.
"Yes, Ma. What happened?" Aaradhya answered. Though she looked calm, her face was turning pale. Does her mother know something about her and Abhi? She never asked such questions to her. What was wrong?
"Who is this Abhi?" Anjali asked. Her daughter's face turned pale. Her fear was right.
"Ab... Abhi? He... He is just a cl... classmate," she answered stammering.
"Only a classmate? Not more than that, right?" Anjali asked.
"Ye. Yes. Why are you asking about him, suddenly?" Aaradhya asked.
"Look Aaradhya, I trust you. I trust you more than anyone. But you know the principles of this family. Your father loves you a lot. He can die for you but he can kill you too, if it's a matter of pride of the family. You are the most sensible among all the other children of this house. Don't do anything that will affect you and your siblings." her mother said gently.
"I'll keep that in mind," Aaradhya said not meeting her eyes.
"I know you will. We trust you, Aaradhya. Just don't break it, ever, " her mother said.
Aaradhya nodded, collected the cups and went to the kitchen to keep them in the sink. After that, she went to the terrace and that's when she allowed her tears to fall. She cried and cried till she felt no more tears coming.
What was she doing? How did she let her emotions overcome her this much? Living in Varanasi away from the family may have changed her in many ways but her family was still the same. What was she even thinking? She needed to talk to someone. So, she dialled the number of the person who always had the solutions to all her problems from her childhood, Siya, her best friend.
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"So what's so special about this girl? She looks very normal to me," Pritam asked after Abhi showed her Aaradhya's pictures and told her everything about her.
"I don't know. I just feel a connection between us. It's not like she is the most beautiful girl I've ever seen but in a room full of other beautiful girls my eyes search only for her," Abhi said looking at her pic.
"Oh my god, man! Who are you? What are you talking about?" Pritam asked.
"It's the truth. I like her a lot. Maybe I love her," Abhi said looking at his friend.
"She looks so innocent. You are serious, right?" Pritam asked. He doesn't know why but he doesn't want his friend to just play with this girl's emotions.
"Much more serious than my studies," Abhi answered. Pritam smiled. If Pritam has seen Abhi serious for anything then it was his studies. And if he was more serious about her than his studies that means he feels something for this girl.
"I can't wait to meet her," Pritam smiled.
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Anuj has never seen his mother this happy in his life. She has filed for divorce already and looked satisfied with her life.
"I already had four, Ma. I don't want more," he said taking his plate away from her. She was determined to increase his weight this time. She has been feeding him with her delicious food from the time he arrived here.
"Just one more chapati. I promise this is the last one," she said forcefully keeping it on his plate.
He did not protest and are whatever she gave him. These were the best holidays of his life. Without any fights, without his mother getting abused, without him crying because of his helplessness. He prayed everything remains the same.
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Teena regretted coming back to her house. She would have stayed in her flat in Varanasi. Ansh's mother has taken her to numerous Pandits till now and made her perform many rituals to ensure the safety of her son after the marriage.
"Ansh wants your engagement to take place before your college reopens," her mother informed her during the dinner.
"Ok," Teena said eating her food. She knows it has to happen one day. She has no energy to protest.
"Mom," she called when her mother got up to leave.
"Yes?" she answered.
"Can you please ask them not to pressurise me for marriage before the completion of my studies? I want to settle before getting married. Engagement is fine," Teena said hopefully.
"I'll try," her mother said leaving the dining hall.
Her mother turned to look at her daughter. She could not see her face but she can feel Teena crying. Guilt filled her. She never gave her the love she deserved. But she can't force herself to love someone. After her son's death, she became so unattached from everyone that she forgot what giving love felt like. The least she can do is ensure her daughter's small wish. She will let her complete her study before her marriage, at any cost.
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"What do you want, Aaradhya?" Siya asked after patiently listening to everything.
"I don't know," Aaradhya answered.
"You have to know. It's your life, for god's sake," Siya said.
"I don't want to break my parents' trust," Aaradhya said.
"You know that I am always with you, right? Even if you want to run away from your home or you want to stay here, I will support you. But the decision will be yours. If you have the confidence to fight your family and go against them then it's fine. But if you don't want to do anything like this, finish whatever you have with Abhi. It will hurt more if you get more attached. It's not fair to him if you keep giving him hope only to give up at last," Siya said gently but seriously.
She can't give false hopes to her friend. This is not a movie where everything becomes fine at last. Aaradhya has to make her decision. No one can do that for her. The most they would do is support her.
"It's final then. I went there to study and I'll do the same. I don't deserve him, Siya. I don't." Aaradhya said controlling her tears.
"You deserve everything you want, Aaradhya. But sometimes we meet the right person at the wrong time. Just focus on your career for now. We both know how your father is. He will make you leave your college if he comes to know about this and you will not be able to do anything about it. So do what you feel is right. I am there for you in whatever you decide," Siya said.
"I know," Aaradhya said hugging her.
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The next few days passed with Aaradhya ignoring all the messages sent by Abhi. She has made up her mind. She doesn't want to hurt him and herself. He can get any girl he wants. She will make everything clear when she reaches there. He will hate her for this, she knows that. But there is no other option.
She knows about Aunt Rekha. Her father destroyed the life of the boy she loved and made her marry someone else. She can't risk anything. She doesn't want her father to do anything of that sort with Abhi and her. It's for the best that they stop whatever progress they were making in their friendship or relationship. And this time, that was final. Only a week was left in the reopening of their college. She doesn't want it to end. But she can't control time, can she?
And the day they all had to return to the hostel came. Everyone was sad about leaving their family and moving away again but happy and excited about meeting their friends again. But Aaradhya felt no happiness or excitement while going back. All she felt was the grief and fear of facing Abhi again.
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A/N
Don't be a silent reader, guys. Do vote and comment. It helps me know your views and write further.
And be ready for a heartbreak now 🙂