it was a bright morning and a girl sat infront of her laptop bitting her nails nervously.. as she waited for her result to show up on the screen..
Suddenly results came in front of her eyes making them sparkle like no tomorrow..
A warm and excited smile came on the girl’s face as she stood up from the bed and ran towards her father’s room
The bells of Ishani’s payal jingled with each hurried step, the sound echoing through the small house of rajgarh village.. as she raced toward her father’s room. The sunlight poured through the open windows, illuminating the faded family photos on the walls..
” Babaa.. baba kaha hai aap!” Ishani called out her father excitedly
(Baba.. baba where are you )
” Subah subah kahee chilla rahi hai!” Ishani’s step mother came being irritated by her voice..
( Why are you shouting in the early morning!)
Ishani immediately lowered her voice and said
” A-aunty.. wo baba.. baba kaha hai..?”
(Au-aunty that.. where is baba?)
But her step mother didn’t respond and moved towards kitchen.. somewhere it broke Ishani.. and her face became pale but shooking every thought away she brought her vibrant smile back and searched for her father
.
She saw her father was again fixing his old scooter..
Ishani chuckled and moved towards her father..
” Kya baba aap bhi na.. pichle 5 saal se aap ye scooter sahi karne ki koshishen karte hai…” Ishani asked chuckling
(Baba, you too.. for the last 5 years you have been trying to fix this scooter…)
her father also chuckled and replied
“See one day it will be all good ” her father said smiling and Ishani too smiled.. she almost forgot for what she was finding her father for..and when her father asked her.. a wave of excitement again rushed over her
.
” Aarreyy hann!!! Seeee! I have passed my exams babaa!!! And with first position!” Ishani said excitedly..
Her father smiled proudly at her and hugged her giving her blessings for her life ahead..
Her step mother heard whatever Ishani said and took a step forward..
” Huh.. what’s so big about this.. this will not help you in future! Go and learn some house work or after marriage your husband will throw you out!” Her step mother said rudely with mock dripping from her tone…
Ishani’s face immediately lost its colour and became dull
. Everytime she achieved something her step mother always used to break her confidence.. but this time she was determined to not lose her dream .. remerbering her decision Ishani said with a warm smile..
” It’s very big aunty.. not for you but for me and baba..” saying so she left for her room..
” DEKH RAHE HO AAP? batamiz kahi ki! Kese jaban lada rhi hai! M to keh rhi hu iski shadi krwa ke nikalo isse!” Ishani heard her step mother’s fuming voice followed by her father’s
( Are you seeing!! She is becoming shamelesss! You saw how she was answering back ? I’m saying get her married!)
” Bas karo sushanti! Har baar usspe ilzam mat lagaya Karo! Aur jab tak Ishani apni padhai puri nahi kar leti uski shadi nahi hoyegi!” Her father declared in anger and moved away…
( Stop it sushanti don’t blame her every time and unless Ishani didn’t complete her education she isn’t getting married!)
Ishani ran to her room while tears were threating to flow down from her eyes..
She wiped them off and closed the door of her room..
Her eyes fell on her mother’s picture.. which was kept on the side table and her steps reculantly moved towards it..
She picked up the photo frame and a drop of tear fell from her left eye on her mother’s picture..
Ishani sat on the mattress and complained to her mother..
” M-maa.. maa aap kyu chord kar gayi mujhe.. kyu maa.. ” Ishani whispered and burst into tears..
( M-maa .. maa why did you leave me.. why maaa..)
She remembered her childhood.. when her mother used to feed her with her own hands.. when her mother used to love her unconditionally.. but.. but that one accident stole her mother from her
.
When Ishani was 7 years old.. she lost her mother.. and in the pressure of family.. his father married to sushanti.. who never took care of Ishani.. instead blame her every time..
Ishani didn’t knew when while talking to her mother’s picture she slept..
✧☆✧
The sprawling mansion loomed against the dusky sky, its spires piercing the horizon like forlorn dreams. Inside, the air felt heavy with unspoken words and unshed tears, clinging to every wall, every ornate chandelier.
In the dimly lit gym, where luxury met desperation, TANISHQ stood alone, his body taut and glistening with sweat. The rhythmic thud of his fists against the punching bag filled the space, a steady drumbeat that drowned out the chaos of his thoughts.
“Bhaiyaaaaaa badi maa is calling youu!!” Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted with his sister’s voice..
Sahika, princess of everyone in the house.. she is the only daughter of the house and the most pampered one..
Tanishq wore his t-shirt which sticked to his body clearly giving the view of his perfect body..
” Coming!!” Tanishq said and moved towards the washroom.. taking a quick bath he wore his clothes and moved towards the stairs…. as he reached in the living room.. he saw his mother , chachi, dadi and sister..
” Ughh! Not again!” Tanishq thought and went there as he saw pandit ji there his irritation grew more..
” Yes maa..” he said sitting beside his mother with irritated face as he knew what’s coming next..
” Tanishq! See beta pandit ji bought many photos.. see if you liked someone” his mother said handling him some picture
” Maa..” tanishq whinned irritatedly
” You know.. I don’t want to get married now please..” tanishq said
“I know everything just for me.. see these” his mother said in a requesting tone and not wanting to disrespect his mother.. he picked up that pictures and began seeing them with bored reaction..
Suddenly his eyes caught off a picture..
A picture of a girl with long slightly brown hairs.. hazel eyes smiling at the picture..
Suddenly his heart started to beat fastly..
His eyes weren’t ready to leave that picture……..
” Maa.. lagta hai bhaiya ko koi pasand aa gyi” suddenly sahika , his sister said with a teasing voice as she noticed the change in tanishq expression..
( Maa I think bhaiya liked someone..)
His mother’s eyes shine with excitement as soon as she saw tanishq smiling at the picture but listening to sahika’s voice he immediately moved his eyes from the picture and coughed..
“Let me see” his maa said picking the picture from his hands..
” Arrey pandit ji.. ye to Ishani hai na? Rajesh ki beti?” Suddenly his maa asked with surprise..
” Ishani..” tanishq whispered and looked at pandit ji who asked for the picture
” Arrey ye tasveer yaha kese aai” pandit ji said with surprise..
( Where did this picture came here from!)
” ye to bhot chotte gharane se hai.. ye photo rehne dijiye” pandit ji said keeping the picture with him but suddenly tanishq’s voice was heard
( But they are from a poor family.. leave this photograph)
” Mujhe koi dikkat nahi “.. his voice showed desperation and what not..
( I don’t have any problem)
” Ji pandit ji waise bhi iss ladke ko koi to pasand aya! Warna kabse koshish kr rhe the ham!” His mom said teasingly
( Yes pandit ji.. also for the first time he liked someone or we were trying from a long time!)
” Maa aap bhi na!” Tanishq said and moved away from there..
( Maa you too)
” Ishani Sharma..” he whispered smiling to himself