Aditya dropped Misha in front of her house.

Misha(smiled): Thank you! Ghar pahuch kar mujhe message karna ki tum pahuch gaye ho. (Message me once you've reached home that you've arrived.)

Aditya (smiled back): Jo hukum begum! Go inside quickly! Bhukaar na ho jaye. (As you say, queen! Don't catch a cold.)

Misha blushed as she hurried inside. Aditya was about to leave when he heard a loud slap. He stopped immediately.

Misha's father(angrily): Yeh koi wakt hai ghar aane ka? Ladkon se door raha karo! Unse baat karne ki permission kisne diya tumhe? Agar fir koi harkat kari toh tumhara school jaana band. Ghar ke kaam sikho chup chap! (Is this a time to come home? Stay away from boys! Who gave you the permission to talk to them? If you do anything again, you won't go to school anymore. Learn the household chores!)

Misha(stuttered): Ji....ji....papa! So.....sorry....papa!

She had tears in her eyes. Her father's words were enough to hurt her and break her down. Aditya's blood boiled hearing all this but he controlled himself. Aditya felt her father's action were unreasonable and unjustified.

Aditya (in mind): How can he just slap her like that? He doesn't have any right to do that. Agar unki jagah koi aur hota toh bachta nahi mujhse. Main usse rote hue sun nahi paa raha hoon, agar usse rote hue dekh liya toh pata nahi kiya hoga. (I wouldn't leave it if it was someone else. I can't even hear her cry, what will I do if I see her crying?)

With a heavy heart, he left her house. Throughout the ride, he was worried about Misha. He quickly texted her as soon as he reached home.

TEXT

Aditya: Hey main ghar pahuch gya (I've reached home.)

Misha: OK

Aditya(in mind): Ab kya bolun? Kaise puchun? (What should I say now? How should I ask her?)

Aditya is typing...

Aditya: Umm...

Misha: Kya hua?(What happened?)

Aditya: I hope tum comfortably ghar pahuch gayi(I hope you've reached home comfortably.)

Aditya(in mind): Kya bol raha hoon main? (What am I saying?)

Misha: Of course! Tumne hi toh drop kara tha mujhe. (You're the one who dropped me.)

Aditya: Ghar walon ne kuch bola toh nahi? (Did the family say anything?)

Misha: Nahi! (No!)

Misha went offline...

Aditya (in mind): DAMN! Shall I ask her tomorrow? Nah.....I'll pretend I don't know a thing. Sounds better!

He went to the dining hall for his dinner. He had lost his appetite which didn't go unnoticed by his parents.

Aditya's dad(teased): Lagta hai ladki ka maamla hai. (Seems like it's about a girl.)

Aditya(blushed): DAD!!!!!

Aditya's mom(laughed): Shakal toh dekho iski.....tamatar jaisa laal hogya hai. (See his face....he has turned as red as a tomato.)

Aditya(surprised): MOM.....AAP BHI??!! (YOU TOO??!!)

Aditya's mom(teased): At least mera beta gay toh nahi hai. Mujhe laga iss janam mein mujhe bahu hi naseeb nahi hogi. (At least my son is not gay. I thought I wouldn't get a daughter-in-law in this lifetime.)

Aditya: Come on guys! Stop teasing me. I'm so done with you both.

.......

Adarsh stopped his bike in front of Aanya's house. They were about to part ways when he heard her parents shouting. They probably had a fight earlier. Aanya stopped in her tracks too.

Aanya(nervously): I think you should leave.

Adarsh(skeptically): Are you sure?

Aanya(sternly): Yes!

They heard the sound of something crash inside the house. Aanya hurried inside the house. Adarsh didn't want to interfere in her family's matter, so he left.

The room was thick with tension as her parents stood facing each other. Aanya noticed that her mother had stains of blood on her shirt. She went to her.

Aanya(worried): Mummy, aap theek ho? (Mom, are you fine?)

Aanya's mother(weakly): Main theek hoon beta. (I'm fine my dear.)

Aanya's father(commanded): GO INSIDE YOUR ROOM, AANYA!!!

Aanya(cried): I won't!!! You will beat my mom!

Aanya's father glared at her sternly.

Aanya's father(angrily): Stop overreacting! Your delay will cause more trouble for your mother. LEAVE NOW!!! DON'T MAKE ME ANGRY!!!!

Aanya looked at her mother helplessly. Her mother's eyes pleaded her to go into her room. Restlessly, Aanya went to her room. She hadn't realized that her hands were shaking. She shut herself inside the room. She could still hear her parent's arguing downstairs.

: I wish I hadn't married you. You are my biggest regret in life.

: You're at fault too! You're the one who got me pregnant. I sacrificed my career because of you.

: I told you to abort her, but your f****** maternal instincts.....anyways I never wanted her.

: She is your daughter for God's sake. She is your own blood.

: If she wasn't alive, I would have abandoned you as well, you *****!!!

It wasn't the first time Aanya had seen her parents like this. They had always been toxic to each other. Her father was physically abusive to her mother. She felt abandoned by her own parents. She was nothing but a mistake to them. They wanted to use her for their own benefits. She hated her parents for not caring about her. Sometimes, she wished that she didn't exist.

Aanya held her chest in pain. She noticed her trembling hands. She felt as if someone was chocking her. The feeling of suffocation and discomfort engulfed her. Her parents' words kept replaying in her mind. She could still hear her parents cursing at each other. She tried to close her ears with her hands but failed. She tried to reach her study table. Some pills were kept on the table. Eventually, her body gave up as she lay on the floor lifeless.