Alisha

Clothes - ✅

Charger - ✅

Toiletries - ✅

Skincare and makeup - ✅

Shoes - ✅

My packing is done.

"Alisha" I heard my mom yell from the kitchen. Sighing I walked out of the room. All the homemade snacks were spread all over the dining table and those definitely won't fit in my luggage. I'm way over the flight luggage weight limit.

"Maa, I can't carry all these to Salsette Island" I huffed looking at all those yummies. Don't get me wrong, I love all these munchies but blame the airline for having a limits on luggages. I carry heavy whenever I travel because I need everything and if I don't find anything I become hysterical.

"We don't know what kind of cuisine people in that island eat and you are such a picky eater. Will you starve for a whole year?" She asked me keeping on her hand on her waist like a typical Indian mother. I'll miss this. I know I'll be back in a year but still.

"They have Indian cuisine maa, I checked with my supervisor. If I don't like anything I sure have Maggie" I said winking and she sighed. She hates my Maggie eating habit as much as I hate eating hotel food.

"Alisha" My dad yelled as soon as he entered the house. My parents are my world, they love me to death and vice versa. My whole family is amazing. My dad has two brothers and they live right beside our house, my dad is the middle child. His elder brother's house is to our left while his younger brother's house to our right. I'm the only girl in our family, both my uncles have two sons each. So, I'm everyones favourite and trust me when I say they are protective of me, oh they are.

"Is you're packing done? Everyone is waiting in your Anil uncle's house" My dad said walking into the dining room. His eyes grew bigger looking at the munchies my mom has prepared. I'm sure I could feed the whole population in that island with this much food.

I'm a marine biologist. I work for a famous marine biologist Ashwath Singh. He founded a company called "Aqua Life" where I work. He dedicated his whole life to this company and marine life. He has travelled the whole world and researched many aspects in our field. He recently started a venture where he personally handpicks people who move to the Salsette Island for a year to research marine life as its known for its clean ocean and rich aquatic life. He has research institutes based in Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai and Chennai. I got picked from Mumbai base location.

"I'm going papa but please tell maa that I can't carry all these with me. Okay byeee" I skipped past him to my uncle's house. Everyone has gathered in my elder uncle's house to bid bon voyage to me. We always gather there, whenever there is any function since he is the eldest.

There are total of 6 people who are selected for this research. One from Delhi, Two from Mumbai and One from Chennai. One senior biologist and a mentor from Bangalore who will lead this research.

I have grown all loved and pampered by everyone in my family. I love them but I never got a chance to spread my wings and fly. And when I got this opportunity I grabbed onto this with both my hands and won't let go no matter what. This is the time where I can experience life all by my self, my brothers won't be there to protect me. My mom and aunts won't be there to feed me and my papa and uncles won't be there to spoil me and pamper me. I know I sound like an ungrateful child but I've always lived a sheltered life and for the first time in my life I want to enjoy this universe and have an amazing experience of my lifetime.

Salsette Island here I come!

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Amar

"Amarjeet Singh, get your ass back down here" My sister yelled as

I ran out of her room holding her dairy. I won't read her dairy but its fun to irritate her.

"If you want it back, come and take it" I said and ran to the living room.

"Amar, your father will be back home any minute. Stop running around the house" my mood deflated as soon as I heard her words. I was already in the living room and my sister was right behind me. And to my worst luck, my dad was sitting on the sofa.

I swear I had no idea he was home.

We both straightened ourselves as he stared at us with his eyebrows are crunched up. My sister and I shared a look knowing what's about to come.

My dad is Charanpreet Singh, known for his anger and drinking problem. You heard me right. He has a sweet shop that works fine but not that fine that we are millionaires. But he started the business from scratch without anyones help so he is a bit self-centred and obnoxious. He wants to get rich and make his peer jealous. That's his goal. And has zero consideration for his family members.

"What is all this nonsense??!!" His voice boomed inside our house.

My sister flinched at the echo. We should have been used to this by now but still every time this feels new.

"Dad, Amar here-" My sister started but got cut off by him.

"Shut up!" She stopped abruptly. I hate seeing her like this.

"Dad, it was my fault. I was just teasing her that's it" I said grinding my teeth.

"Great! That's what you are good at anyway. Doing that useless work which makes 0 to nothing money where as all your friends are in business and earning in crores" His face and his words were laced with disgust.

I sighed listening to this for the nth time. This is not the first time and I know this will not be the last. I tried, really tried to let go of my dreams and start a business so that could earn his acceptance but I loved being a marine biologist a bit too much. It's been my dream since I first stepped foot in the ocean when I was a kid. It was the first time I felt peace in my life.

That's the reason I moved to Bangalore for my job. When I heard there was a vacancy there I jumped at that opportunity.

"Charan, they were just having fun. He's leaving today" My mom entered knowing what's gonna come next. She does this every time.

"And now you, you are the reason both of them are utter useless. He chose to become a fisher man while your daughter caused a scandal and ruined my whole reputation" My dad yelled getting into my mom's face. I saw my sister's eyes tear up. It's the same story every single time.

"Mom go inside" I told her knowing there is a chance of him raising his hands on her. It wouldn't be the first time.

"Why? She is the one responsible for all this. If she was correct she would have raised you both to be better and successful but no, she raised you to be dumb and pathetic" My dad raised his voice and my anger was getting out. It would have been easier for me to yell at him now but I'll be leaving soon for a year and if I anger him now then my mom and sister will pay the price.

"Dad, we are sorry. Just let it be. You are drunk" I said calmly grinding my teeth. He looked like he was about to hit me but he got a call from someone and went inside the room throwing us a disgusted look. I can hear my mom sobs and my sisters helpless sigh.

This is not new for us. This is been going on since I was a kid. My dad came from nothing and had to work hard to get us to where we are today. My mom helped him along the way but he doesn't acknowledge that. He is so prideful and obnoxious that he thinks all of this is his effort and I ruined our future by choosing my field rather than business.

I passed my sister journal back to her and went to my room. I'm a 27 year old guy and I'm scared of my dad. I chuckled to myself at my situation. I earn well enough to feed myself and my family. I got into prestigious company and they pay me generously for the work I do. My papers and theory that are published and the reputation I have gained speaks for itself. I have been obsessed with marine biology since I was a kid. I love ocean and the aquatic animals, in a way they always spoke to me. I found peace there when there was complete chaos in my house.

Leaving this house and my dad is very easy from the financial stand point but my issue is my mom is not ready to leave. I can't leave her here with him and skedaddle. I know what he is capable of. But my mom doesn't want the society to talk about our family and get divorced at this age. Her parents are dead and she has a brother who can't do anything about my dad. My dad is not someone who would listen to other people. He's not empathetic or compassionate.

Our main issue is when he is not drunk he is a decent man. Though he doesn't talk to my mom in a nice or romantic way, he doesn't yell at her at least. He loves my sister the most even though she has to hear a word here and there when he is drunk. He loves me in his own way but when he is drunk he hates me. He hates the fact that I take mom's side all the time, he hates the fact that I didn't get into business and also the fact that my mom's first priority is me not him. Sure she serves him right, she cares for him and give him the respect of being the elder in this house. She does all this because she wants my sister to get married and enter into a good house who will take care of her and treat her right. She wants me to find a good girl who will take care of me after she's gone. She accepts all my dad's cruel words and actions for us, she has her heart set on me so that I'll take care of her at her old age and won't have to suffer even then.

I can't drop him from our life permanently but I can stay away for a while because of my job. Bangalore life brought a bright change in me. Away from this toxicity helped me a bit, meeting new people making new friends was a nice change of pace for me. There are bad times when my mom or sister call me crying because of something my dad did or said. I can hardly do anything about it.

There was a time I've seen him raise his hands on my mom and I've gone bad shit crazy, crazy enough to call the police. My mom stopped me but my anger had reached another level. I would never hesitate to raise my hands on him if he does on my mom and he knows that. He loves his daughter so my sister is safe but my mom on the other hand not so much. So now a days he keeps his hand in check.

Seeing all this for so many years has done tremendous damage to my mind. I know that much. That's the reason I forget all this and immerse myself in my work. I get lost in ocean and forget all my worries at least for a little while.

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