Viaanshi's pov :-

The loud sound of Dada's angry voice broke the quiet in the room.

"How dare you, Anamika, hit my daughter?"

My heart felt heavy as my mother spoke back coldly. I could only think:

"She always saw me as an outsider, not her daughter, so let it be."

She had hurt me deeply.

"I hoped her anger towards me might go away, but now that hope is gone. I won't need anything from her anymore."

Mrs. Raichand looked at me with cold eyes and said mean words.

"Don't expect me to help her when you know it's her fault. If you do, I'll take her to court. Got it?"

I asked in a soft, shaky voice,

"But what did I do?"

Before she could answer, Dada spoke firmly.

"I'll ask if it's her fault or not."

My mother's face twisted with anger as she yelled,

"Why do you need to ask? I know it's true. She's jealous of my daughter because I treat her like one, but she doesn't see herself that way."

"Stop!" Dada shouted, making my mother jump.

My tears had dried up, leaving me feeling empty. Dada stood in front of me and spoke in a strong but strained voice.

"I'll ask you one simple question, Viaanshi. Just say yes or no. Okay?"

Hearing my name felt like a slap, reminding me how far apart we'd grown. I nodded, ready for what was coming.

"Did you tell a boy in your class to pretend to be Tanya's boyfriend, only to use and leave her later? And now, because of you, he's forced her into physical relationship. Did you do that?"

As he talked, he threw some private pictures at my feet. His words hurt me deeply.

Did he really know me so cheap?

To think I would do such bad things broke my heart.

The truth was, I had seen Tanya and her boyfriend in a private moment earlier that day, which is why I rushed home.

But it seemed she had already told lies, and they believed her fake story. I expected this from Mrs. Raichand, but Dada's lack of trust hurt more than I thought possible.

His sharp voice brought me back to reality.

"I asked you something. Answer me!"

Tanya's fake cries filled the room as she added, sounding falsely hurt,

"What will she say to you, Dad? Her silence says it all. She did it. Just because she's jealous, my life is ruined."

Dada stepped forward, his voice very serious, showing his anger

"Yes or no, Viaanshi."

Before I could answer, a hard slap hit my face. I tasted blood in my mouth as my lip split open.

I turned, shocked, to see Dada standing there, his hand still up, looking both angry and sorry.

I didn't cry, even though I felt like drowning in sadness. The pain was awful, both in my body and my heart.

Had he really chosen Tanya over me, his own child?

He hadn't even let me defend myself before hitting me for the first time ever.

"You can't go to school until I say so, and you'll stay in your room. Your food will be brought to you. Just go away from here." His words felt like they were ending my life.

I looked at him, not understanding, then went to the stairs leading to my room on the third floor.

As I went in, the door locked behind me automatically. I knew Dada had locked it from his phone, cutting me off from everyone.

At first, I decided to take a shower, hoping the warm water would help me feel better.

But as I got under the water, the heat only made the pain of betrayal worse, and I fell to the floor, crying hard.

A soft knock at the door woke me up, and it opened to show my caretaker, the woman who had always treated me like her own child. She came in quietly, carrying food, looking worried.

"Eat your food on time, okay? And rest well. Come, let me put some medicine on your cheeks. They're so red. Come!"

I forced a smile, trying to sound strong.

"No, Aunt, you can go. I want to eat quickly and then rest."

She nodded and left quietly, leaving me alone with my thoughts again.

A sad smile came to my face as I went to the window, looking out at the world beyond my fancy prison.

I've realized that life doesn't have set rules. You do what you need to to survive. Life is too complicated for things to be simple.

Nothing is certain. Life changes, full of different things. Unexpected things happen, and suddenly, your life is turned upside down. Nothing stays the same.

The important thing is that we try. We do our best to get better, to not feel sorry for ourselves or blame others.

We try to look to the future, not live in the past. We try to learn from what happens to us, even if we didn't cause it. We're all broken, in different ways.

Pretty dramatic, isn't it?

But it's true. I laughed softly to myself, lying back on the bed, not feeling hungry after everything that happened. Lost in my swirling thoughts, I fell asleep.

When I woke up, it was evening. I took a long, relaxing shower, letting the warm water soothe my tired body and mind.

With my final exams coming soon, I decided to focus on studying, as it seemed the only escape from the mess my life had become.

But as I sat at my desk, looking at my notes, I started to doubt.

Would Dada even come to check on me like he usually did, especially after what happened today?

Had I become a stranger, an outsider in my own home, just like my mother saw me?

Just thinking that Dada might dislike me so much felt like a physical hit.

And what about Mrs. Raichand?

I shouldn't expect her to take my side or support me, but each mean insult, each hurtful comment whispered behind Dada's back, felt like someone was tearing my soul from my body.

It was my fault, I guess, for ever expecting anything from her.

No matter how long I stood there, the memories wouldn't go away.

Dada's voice echoed in my head, accusing, judging, his words hurting more than any physical pain.

Had I really become such a stranger to him, almost like an outsider in my own home?

The thought was almost too much to bear.

My eyes went straight to the pile of textbooks and notebooks spread across my desk.

My final exams were getting closer, and the weight of my goals felt heavy on me.

I was determined to make my own way, to become a successful businesswoman without using my family's help or money.

It was a big goal, but one that burned brightly inside me, pushing me to do well, to prove my worth not just to others but to myself.

A soft knock at the door surprised me from my sad thoughts, and I watched as it opened to show my caretaker, the woman who had shown me more kindness and love than my own mother ever had.

"I brought you some dinner, child," she said, her voice gentle as she put the tray on the table nearby.

"You need to keep up your strength, especially with your exams so close."

I forced a smile, though it didn't feel real.

"Thank you, Aunty, but I'm not feeling hungry right now."

She looked worried as she saw how sad I looked, the haunted look in my eyes.

"Is everything okay, beta? You know you can talk to me about anything that's bothering you."

For a moment, I wanted to tell her everything, to share the pain that had taken root in my heart.

But I couldn't do it, not wanting to drag her into the mess that had become my life.

"I'm fine, Aunty," I lied, the words tasting bad in my mouth.

"Just a little stressed about my exams, that's all."

She looked at me like she didn't believe me, but chose not to push further. With a gentle pat on my shoulder, she turned and went towards the door.

"Don't forget to eat something, beta," she called over her shoulder.

"And if you need anything, you know where to find me."

As the door closed behind her, I was once again surrounded by the heavy silence of being alone.

With a big sigh, I turned back to my studies, determined to lose myself in the familiar comfort of learning.

But no matter how hard I tried to focus, my thoughts kept going back to what happened that day, replaying the hurt and betrayal over and over.

I felt sick as I remembered the accusing look in Dada's eyes, the way he had so easily believed the worst about me.

And Tanya...

Just thinking her name was enough to make me angry. For two years, she had made my life awful, constantly bullying me and saying mean things.

At school, during extra classes, even at home - there was no escape from her meanness.

To keep myself safe, I had to hide who I really was, letting others think I was just an orphan studying on scholarship.

The whispers and judging looks had become normal, always reminding me that in their eyes, I didn't meet their high standards, so the bullying was okay.

Not having confidence in myself, which my grandmother and mother had caused since I was young, only made things worse, making me unable to stand up for myself, no matter how much I wanted to.

I had suffered in silence, not wanting to bother anyone else with my problems, especially not my brothers, who had their own lives and studies to focus on.

They had finished their education two years ago and were now studying more at xyz University .

They only visit during holidays, but we stayed connected through their frequent calls, a lifeline that had kept me connected to reality in the middle of all the chaos.

As time passed, I couldn't shake the memories of what happened that day, no matter how hard I tried to focus on my studies.

The pain of Dada's slap, the meanness in my mother's voice, the smug look on Tanya's face. It all mixed together in a storm of pain that left me feeling lost.

Eventually, I got so tired that I fell into a restless sleep, my dreams full of twisted visions of betrayal and rejection.

The next morning, I woke up to the same routine, feeling the weight of being alone pressing down on me like a heavy blanket.

As I got up and got ready for the day ahead, I felt like I had accepted the reality I now faced.

For three long weeks, this cycle continued, each day blending into the next in a blur of loneliness and sadness.

The first days had been like a nightmare while awake, each moment a constant fight against the overwhelming flood of emotions that threatened to drown me.

But as time went on, I started to feel numb, like a shield against all the pain and rejection. I got used to the silence.

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Here is the next chapter 😚

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