It was late evening. The house had finally slipped into a rare moment of peace. Vansh and Veer were in their rooms, pretending to do homework. Haseena was sprawled on the rug in the drawing room, talking to her imaginary friend, Guddu Baba, and feeding him invisible barfi.
Ammi sat on the sofa with a warm cup of chai. Abbu leaned back beside her, his expression thoughtful.
“Socha hai kuch? Agle mahine admission ke forms khul rahe hain.”
Ammi sighed, eyes drifting to their daughter. “Socha hai. Par dil nahi maanta. Abhi toh haath se girti hai toh roti hai. School kaise jaayegi akeli?”
Abbu smiled softly. “Toh kya poori zindagi Guddu Baba ke saath ghar mein baith ke raj karegi?”
“Raj toh waise bhi kar rahi hai. Sab par.”
They both chuckled.
Ammi looked at him, a little serious now. “Par zaroori hai. Duniya ka pehla kadam hota hai yeh. School. Dosti. Seekhna. Girna… khud uthna.”
Abbu nodded slowly. “Toh phir kal form le aata hoon. Nursery ke liye.”
“Soft start. Half day.”
“Of course.”
They sipped their chai in silence, the decision weighing both light and heavy.
And just then—
“Mei sab sun lali hoon!” came a tiny, dramatically offended voice.
Haseena stood with her arms crossed, curls bouncing with every furious step she took toward them.
“Mujhe kahi bejhne ki planning ho lali hai!” she accused, glaring with a fury only a 3-year-old betrayed princess could summon.
Ammi blinked. “Beta… school jaane ka time aa gaya hai. Tum badi ho rahi ho, na?”
“Mei inti buli hoon kla jo mujhe kahi bejh rale ho?!” Her bottom lip trembled, eyes already watery. “Mujhe nahi jaana school tool! Mujhe ghar pe rehna hai… barfi khana hai... Guddu Baba ke saath rehna hai!”
Abbu reached out to scoop her up, but she dodged, running behind the curtain.
“Nahi! Aap log buli ho! Guddu Baba bhi nahi jaayega!”
Abbu bit back a laugh. “Achha baba, na jao. Kal school ko bol denge ki Haseena madam ka rajya yahin par hai.”
“Haan! Yehi rajya hai! Aur yeh meri gaddi!” she shouted from under the curtain, sitting cross-legged on the floor.
Ammi and Abbu exchanged a glance—and smiled. Because they knew this tantrum wouldn’t last.
But it would definitely make a memory worth keeping.
After some days....
The night before the dreaded day.
The night before... school.
Haseena had decided, very seriously, that she was not just leaving home—she was leaving behind her poori zindagi.
She gathered her toys on the rug in a neat line. Dollu, Chintu Bandar, Guddu Baba (of course), and a slightly broken toy truck she never played with but suddenly deeply loved.
“Tum sab acche se rehna… main jaa lali hoon.” Her voice was shaky but brave.
“Agar mujhe wapas na aane diya gaya toh Dollu… tum meri jagah raj karna.”
From behind the kitchen wall, Ammi silently peeked at her daughter’s full-blown farewell ceremony.
“Aur Guddu Baba… tum barfi mat khana bina puchhe. Mera hissa sambhal ke rakhna.”
She placed her plastic tiara on Guddu’s invisible head.
“Main school jaa rahi hoon. Wapis kab aungi… pata nahi.”
Then, dramatically, she lay on the rug like a sacrificed queen. “Bas yahi tha mera ant.”
Ammi could no longer hold her laugh in.
“Ant toh nahi beta, bas ek naya shuruwaat hai.”
“Nahi! Mera ant hi hai! Guddu Baba ne bhi haan bola!”
The next morning was… tense.
Tiny school uniform. A cartoon print water bottle. Shiny black shoes. And Haseena, sitting like a statue on the bed, arms folded.
“Kya yeh jail ka kapda hai?” she asked suspiciously.
Ammi, trying not to laugh, gently tied her hair.
“Yeh uniform hai, beta. Sab bachhe pehente hain.”
“Main toh rajkumari hoon. Mera toh pink hona chahiye.”
Veer peeked into the room. “Aaj toh Madam ki first day hai. School wale already dar gaye honge.”
Vansh added from behind, “Woh toh abhi tak soch rahe honge—kaun si tsunami aane wali hai.”
“Tsunami nahi! Main toh ek gentle butterfly hoon!” Haseena declared, then immediately threw a pillow at Vansh’s head.
Ammi finally lifted her up and gave her the tightest hug.
“Chalo, meri gentle butterfly. School ke liye late ho raha hai.”
🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🥀🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸
At the school gate, she froze.
She clutched Abbu’s hand like it was the only thing saving her from being eaten alive.
“Yahan toh itne log hain. Mujhe nahi jaana. Aap bhi andar chalo.”
“Abbu andar nahi jaa sakte. Bas tum jaogi. 2 ghante mein wapas milenge. Promise.”
“Guddu Baba bhi nahi aaya…” she whispered, close to tears.
Abbu knelt down and kissed her forehead. “Guddu Baba tumhare dil mein hai. Wahan se sab dekh raha hai.”
The teacher came to take her hand.
She looked at Ammi. Then at Abbu.
Then back at the school.
And finally, with the courage of a thousand toy soldiers, she said in the tiniest voice:
“Thik hai. Par wapis lene aana… warna bhaag jaungi.”
And with that, Haseena—the boss, the drama queen, the butterfly—took her first step into the world.
YOU ARE READING
༺ 𒆜Ishq Ka Pehla Saya 𒆜 ༻
Fanfiction✧ Phase One: A childhood full of mischief, secrets, and survival. ✧ Phase Two: A college girl's battle between forbidden love and family duty. Haseena was born into rejection. But she was also born to fight. With two brothers who love her, a grandmo...
