Destiny's Game

Ch. 8 A decision to make

Sitting next to her, I asked. "What did your aunt say to your family?" 

Her face changed, almost immediately as fury consumed her eyes. "That vile creature was so quick to spill false words that she forgot that she herself has a daughter. Do you know what she said? And what my father believed?" 

'I walked downstairs when I heard my dad screaming my name. It was a few hours after I had called you. I saw my whole family sitting there with Maa silently weeping in a corner and Dad's face red in complete anger. Thinking that they had hurt my mother again, I rushed towards her instead and asked her what had happened but she didn't reply and continued crying. My father who had had enough by then, grabbed my arm and forcefully, turned me round to face him. "Did you get an offer from Mumbai? Are you planning to move out?" That's what he questioned first. I was confused about how he even got to know about it but when I scanned the faces of my family members and saw my aunt smirking from her position, I instantly knew who was behind this shit. ' Aditi inhaled a deep breath. 'I glanced back at my mother and grandmother who stood at the side watching the whole thing. Walking up to my Dadi, I knelt before her. "What did Chachi say?" My aunt straightened up when she heard what I had said. My Dadi shook her head and I turned to that vile woman and inquired her. "What lies have you fed my family now?" I roared at her but father held me back and slapped me. A series of gasps could be heard but my ears were only ringing with sound of the slap again and again. "How can you speak to your aunt like that?!" He thundered at me and I could feel my tears pouring down my cheeks as one of them stung with the effect of the slap. ' 

'My aunt and cousins stood grinning evilly while I was helpless. "Fine, I won't talk to her that way but can you tell me why me going to Mumbai is a big deal?" I asked calmly, quite opposite to how I was before. My aunt stepped forward. "Well, we can't trust you going to another city." She said. "And why is that?" I spat back, wanting to know what she meant. "Aditi, child, what if you fall in love with someone in another city and get pregnant with his child. What will people think of us then? What about your father's reputation? Don't take me wrong, beta, but you know how today's young generation is." She laughed as if it was some joke and I fought so hard to restrain the urge to slap her. "Rekha, how can say something like that? You have a daughter as well. Think about how you will feel if someone said something about her character." My mother cried but my aunt just looked at her with a disgusted glare. "Well, unlike you Bhabhi, I have raised Adhira well. She doesn't talk back to elders like Aditi does and she is respectful. My daughter would do no such thing but your daughter, I can't say that about her."' 

I rubbed Adi's back as she cried. "I can't believe she said something like that, Naina!" 

"Shhh... don't think about it. Calm down; you know you aren't going to do something of that sort." I handed her a tissue and she blew her nose and wiped her tears. "You are right but that's not what my family thinks." 

"I know, darling but what sort of family does that? You deserve so much better Adi and I would urge you to go to Mumbai and be successful and throw it back at them. When that day comes, I will be the happiest knowing that my bestie has achieved something of her own against all the odds. I will be so proud." She smiled brightly at me and hugged me tightly. "Thank you for you kind words, Naina." 

I grinned and rubbed her back. "Do you want to continue your story?" She nodded. 

'I was furious with her words. I felt murderous but I kept quiet and just turned to my family. "Don't tell me you believe all the crap she is saying?!" When I got no answer, I faced my father. The man that I learned to hate over the years. I couldn't believe he was responsible for my existence in the first place, yet he was the one making it difficult for me to live. "If I stay here, rejecting the offer, what will happen to me? What will you do with me?" I needed to know what was on his mind. I needed to know if he ever loved me even a little but my heart broke when I heard his next words. "I will marry you off." He said without an emotion. Without saying anything, I twirled around and dashed upstairs to my room without listening to Maa calling my name. I sobbed, until my body felt drained of energy. I don't know why Chachi behaved with me like this. And Dad? Why did he not love me? It hurts so much Naina. So much that I couldn't take it anymore; I decided to leave that place and this morning I told my mother and said I was leaving forever. A part of me feels horrible for leaving my mother behind but she was the one who convinced me to go and live my life. One day, Naina, when everything is right, I will take my mother with me. I will not let her suffer there amongst those wolves who will tear her apart if I don't do anything about it.' Aditi finished, her orbs burning with determination.