Manvi was in tears, she didn't want her parents to feel regret. She knows seeing her in pain, they will be shattered and she can't let them suffer because of her. For middle-class families respect meant everything and if she returns back to her house, the respect will be lost and her parents will be disrespected in society.  She herself wasn't sure if her parents will trust her as in front of society and especially in front of her parents these creepy people act as the most respectable, decent family who love her immensely. 

Her phone rings and it was from her mother. She was about to pick it up but Yamini snatched the phone from her hand. 

"Deep aur inke ghar aane ka waqt ho raha hai jaake khana banao! baat karogi 2 ghante apni maa se hamari burayi karogi" Yamini said

She smiles lightly "sanskar aise hai nahi mere.." she replied

Yamini raises her hand on her "palat ke jawab diya mujhe! jaake banao khana" 

Manvi sighed deeply and moved to the kitchen. 

Singhania House

Ruhana gets reckless as Manvi doesn't answer her call "ye ladki waise toh mera phone utha leti hai.." 

Vineet smiles "Calm down Ruu.. kaam mein busy hogi free hoke kar legi phone" he said

Ruhana keeps the phone away and sits down on the couch. He held her hand and asked "kya hua? itna kyun pareshan ho rahi ho?" 

"tumne kal uska chehra dekha tha? kitna murjaya hua sa lag raha tha tumhe pata hai na jaldi mannu apne mann ki baat nahi batati hai aur sabke saamne toh bilkul nahi" she said in concern

"haa main janta hun lekin wo humse toh kuch nahi chupayegi na?" Vineet said

"sahi kah rahe ho tum Vineet par pata nahi mujhe kuch thik nahi lag raha hai" Ruhana shared her worriness with him. 

"tum overthink kar rahi Ruu.. sab thik hai" he said

"kya karun Vineet? ek lauti beti hai chinta toh hogi na" Ruhana spoke sadly

"mujhe bhi hai Ruu.. kal milke aaye na aur roj roj beti ke sasural jaana acha bhi nahi lagta hai" Vineet replied 

"janti hun isliye phone kar rahi hun kamsekam phone pe uski awaaz sun leti hun toh mann ko shanti mil jaati hai mujhe" she concluded

Just then her phone rings, Vineet smiles seeing the caller Id "lo aa gaya phone" 

He picks up the phone "hello.."

"haan papa.." she said

Ruhana took phone from him "mannu thik hai tu??" she questioned her 

"ji mumma wo aapne jab phone kiya toh thoda kaam mein busy thi" she lied to her. 

"kaha tha maine" Vineet said raising his eyebrow

"acha mumma Deep office se aa gaye hai main aapko baad mein karti hun phone" Manvi gave the excuse

"Mannu.. tu sach mein thik hai na?" Ruhana questioned her again

Manvi closed her eyes for a moment, she looked in front and Arohi was standing on top of her head hearing her conversation. "ji mumma.." she said and ended the call 

"ho gayi baat? ab iss bechare pati ko ek cup chai milegi?" Vineet asked softly 

"haan laati hun.." Ruhana got up from the couch and moved to the kitchen. 

Vineet picks up his phone and text Manvi "tum janti ho na agar kuch tum apni mumma ko nahi bata pao toh mujhe kah sakti ho.." 

After a minute he received a reply "Papa sab thik hai aap apna aur mumma ka khayal rakho" 

He was satisfied hearing her words. He got up and moved to the kitchen, he takes out the milk from the fridge and pours it into the pan. 

"are main laa rahi thi na.." she said

"milke banate hai" Vineet replied with a smile

"kya kaha beti ne?" She questioned 

Vineet smiles as she caught him like always "sab thik hai... tumhara khayal rakhne ko kaha hai" He said

"wo toh tum rakh lete ho lekin khudka nahi rakhte" she said slapping his cheek lightly. 

"tum rakhti ho  na mera" he said with a smile

"haa.. wo toh rakhna hi padega mujhe warna mera kya hoga?" she said sadly. 

He smiles hearing her words. He remembered something, Ruhana asked "kaha kho gaye?" 

"nahi kuch nahi" he denied. 

Ruhana poured the tea into the cups. He picked up his and moved out. His eyes were fixed on the door, Ruhana noticed it but didn't speak anything. 

 Deep's Home

Arohi glared at Manvi "bhabhi aapko ek baat samajh nahi aati hai kya? kyun maar khana chahti ho bhai ki? ek fridge ki hi toh maang kar rahe hai na" she said

Manvi ignored her and turned off the stove. The doorbell rings, she opened the door and the electrician was there. She showed him the fridge and he repairs it. 

Manvi pays him and he leaves. She stared at Arohi "lijiye ho gaya fridge thik.. aur agli baar kharab hua toh apne bhai se kehna naya leke aaye iss ghar ki zimmedari unki hai mere maa baap ki nahi" she said firmly no matter how much they torture her for dowry she won't ever ask her parents to give more. 

She walked away to the bedroom. Arohi grins in anger, she called Yamini and told her about Manvi's act, and her rude reply 

"maa.. kuch toh karna padega" Arohi said

Yamini thought something "ek din maine iske kamre mein FD ke paper dekhe they.. ab unn paison se aayega naya fridge" 

"lekin fridge toh thik ho gaya" Arohi said

"kharab bhi ho sakta hai" Yamini smirks. 

Deep returns from office, he sees his mother and sister working in the kitchen.

Ankush said "dekh raha hai beta.. Bahu ke hote hue teri maa aur behen ko sab kaam karna padta hai"

Arohi moved to the fridge, Deep noticed a spark in the wire. He shouts "Arohi nahi"

She touches the fridge and gets shock. Deep runs and pulls her back before. Manvi comes out of the room hearing the voice.

Deep cupped her face "thik ho na.."

Yamini spoke angrily "meri bachi ki jaan hi chali jaati! Teri biwi ne thik karwaya fridge ye.. Zaroor marna chahti hai ye humhe"

Manvi was shocked hearing her words, Deep glanced at her. He walked to her and raised his hand "ek baat samajh nahi aati hai na tumhe?? Kuch ho jaata Arohi ko toh?"

She eyed Arohi who smiles at her "Deep.. Abhi thik tha fridge.. Inhone jaan bujhke bigada hai"

Deep clutched her hair tightly and she looked up at him "sharam nahi aati meri behen aur maa pe ilzam lagate hue! Ek toh galti karti ho aur phir behes bhi.. Abhi ke abhi paise mangogi ki tum fridge ke liye samjhi"

She shook her head negatively.

"Deep iske kamre mei wo Fd hai na.. Uspe sign karwa le.. Fridge ke saath saath kafi kuch aa jayega ghar mei" Sudha added

Deep leaves her with a jerk and moves to the room. Manvi follows him, he opened the wardrobe and pulled out the files. He saw a paper and it had Fd named on her, which was of a few lakhs. Manvi took it back from him "ye nahi Deep.."

Deep shouted "Sign karo withdraw ke liye"

She denied, Yamini Arohi and Ankush entered the room. "sign toh karne padenge bahu.. Tumhari wajah se meri beti ko jhatka laga" Yamini said began to beat her up.

Arohi picked up the scissors and touched her hair "sign karo bhabhi warna aapke ye sundar lambe baal kaat dungi main.."

"nahi.." she tried to free her hair but Yamini grabbed her hand behind her.

"kaat Arohi.." Yamini said firmly.

Arohi cuts half of her hair, Deep stops her mid-way.

"sign..." he forwards her the pen. Manvi held it with trembling hands.

"mannu ye tab bhi istemal karna zab zaroorat ho tujhe iski.. Kayi baar halat aise ho jaate hai jisme yahi kaam aati hai" she recalled her mother's words.

Deep shouted "Sign karo" and she shivered at his voice.

The doorbell rings, and Ankush moves to see who it is. He finds their neighbor Rishabh.

"aap yahan.." he asked

"ji.. Wo beti ne ye laddu banaye hai socha aap sabko bhi de dun aaj khaas mere liye banaye hai usne" he said looking into the house.

Deep and others come out.  Ankush smiled and tasted it "bahut hi ache hai.." 

Manvi closes the door immediately as she was scared. She searches for her, picked it up, and dialed her father's number.

She was about to press the call button but was frightened. It has never happened before, she was so hurt, winching in pain that she couldn't gather the courage to inform her father about it. Somewhere in her heart, she was upset with him for choosing the wrong person for her, and at the same time, she didn't want to hurt him for his mistake which wasn't done intentionally.

She tore the FD papers as she doesn't want to give those greedy people her father's earned money despite knowing they will torture her more.

She heard their voices. 

"aaj father's day hai na main toh bahut khush hun meri beti ne mere liye laddu banaye" Rishabh said. He spoke to them for some time and left the house. 

Manvi gets tears in her eyes, because of all this drama she couldn't even wish for her father. It completely slipped out of her mind which never happened before. 

 She looked out of the window and saw Rishabh glancing at her.

She thanked him with her eyes for stopping them from beating her up. He gave her a helpless look and apologizes for misguiding her parents about Deep and his family.

The door opens, and she turns and sees Deep standing there. He saw the torn paper and fumed in anger "bahut chalak samajhti ho khudko.. Abhi batata hun"

He grabbed her hand and pushed her to the bed. Her screams echoed in the room.

Rishabh could hear them and he shuts his eyes "mujhe apni galti sudharni hogi.. Kisi bhi tarah iske maa baap ko agah karna hoga.." he thought and moved back to his house.

Singhania Niwas

Vineet had been pacing up and down the hall while checking his phone every single minute. He looked at the time and it was 11 pm. 

"sasural jaake baap ko bhool gayi hai" he murmured in anger. 

Ruhana comes out of the room and stared at him. "Vineet so jao please.. subah office jaana hai tumhe" 

He glanced at her "tumne apne papa ko phone kar diya na? lekin meri beti... ek wish ka message nahi bheja hai usne" he complained to her.

Ruhana laughed a bit "itna gussa kyun ho rahe ho? ho jaata hai bhool gayi hogi" she said not aware of the reality. 

"bhool gayi hogi itna important day? pichle saal doston ke saath trip pe gayi thi na toh kamsekam 10-12 voice messages bheje they usne papa ye papa wo.. shaadi ke baad aisa kya hua ki mujhe bhi bhool gayi" he said sadly. 

Ruhana moved closer to him and held his hand "mere mannu ke pyaare se papa.. aapki beti aapko kabhi nahi bhool sakti.. office jaati hai ghar ka kaam karti hai phir pati bhi hai toh ho jaata hai itna gussa mat karo" she said

"par..." he paused when his phone rang. 

He looked down and a smile appears on his face "Aa gaya.." he places it on the speaker. 

"happy.. father's day papa" she said in a low tone. 

"acha hua tune phone kiya tere papa ko laga tu bhool gayi hai" Ruhana replied with a smile. 

"nahi bas aaj kuch zyada kaam tha toh mauka nahi mila baat karne ka" she gave the excuse. 

He sensed the dullness in her voice. "aaj kuch mangunga toh degi?" he asked

She got anxious "haa papa" 

"ghar aa jaa kuch din ke liye" Vineet said

"Papa wo Arohi Di ki shaadi fix hui hai na toh bahut tayari karni hai.. abhi toh nahi aa paungi" she lied 

"hmm samajhta hun bahut zimmedari aa gayi hai na tujhpar.. itna ki apne maa baap ke liye kuch ghante nikal nahi sakti" he complained. 

"Papa aa paati toh zaroor aati.. I love you" she said softly. 

"Love you too.." he replied and Manvi disconnected the call. 

He looked up at Ruhana and she smiled "Ab chale sone?" he shook his head and went to the room with her to sleep. He lay down but thought about the voice he heard, the charm was missing in the voice. She never wished him such a way, it seemed like she did it as a formality. His phone beeped, he picked it up from the side table and there was the picture of him and Manvi with a long typed message.  

 "Dear Papa, jab main paida hui thi toh koi khush nahi tha siwaye aapke aur mumma ke. Aapne sabse ladai ki mere liye, itna ladna pada ki aapko apne parivar se rishta todke yahan aana pada. School mein 4 din ka trip tha lekin aapne aur mumma ne mujhe nahi bheja kitna royi main.. mumma ne toh bahut maara bhi tha mujhe iss zid pe tab bahut bure lage they aap dono mujhe par ab sochti hun toh lagta hai aap pas mujhe protect kar rahe they.. phir college ki padhai ek point aisa tha ki main kamzor padh gayi thi lekin aapne kaha "beta ho jayega failure se hi insaan seekha hai" aur maine apni padhai khatam ki sirf aapke vishwas aur saath ki wajah se, You have been a strong pillar of my life aapke har faisle ko maine mana papa chahe usse main khush ho ya nahi ye maine socha hi nahi kyuki aap sahi ho.. janti hun bahut sacrifice kiye hai aapne mere liye isliye kabhi aapko takleef mein nahi dekh sakti.. "  

Tears slip down his eyes reading it.  He thought "main shayad kuch zyada hi soch raha tha.." 

Ruhana also read it with him and a smile appears on her face. "kar diya na emotional beti ne" she wiped tears from his eyes. 

"Papa lekin aapke ek faisla galat ho gaya itna galat ho gaya ki aapki beti toot gayi hai. himmat nahi kar paa rahi hai aapse baat karne ki thik se jhooth bol rahi hai.. aaj father's day pe main aapse ek gift chahti hun apne beti ko iss narak se le jao please.." 

Deep read it aloud grabbing her by hairs tightly. He threw away her phone and shouted at her "narak ye narak hai haan?" 

He pushed her hard on the floor and her head hits the edge of the bed, blood began to ooze out from the right side of her forehead. He walked out locked the door and took her phone along with him. She sat up placed her head behind the wall and closed her eyes as she missed the chance to let her parents know about what she is suffering from.  

....
Happy father's day ❤️ note is my personal experience specially written to my father who had stood by my side when eveyone failed to trust me. He beloved in me, he loved me, he sent me away from him so that I could succeed. He made me stronger, independent and most importantly he made me realise I don't need anyone. It had been three years away from home but whenever I am sad he understands it and calls me. ❤️ ❤️ I love you Papa... 🥺❤️