DEDICATION

❝𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐨 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞, 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜, 𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐯𝐞𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟.❞

Hello, hopeless romantic soul! 🤍

It's the very first chapter of our journey into the world of love and all its wonders.

ANANDITA'S POV

Sitting on the edge of the bridge, swinging my legs back and forth, I watched as the river flowed peacefully beneath me. The sound of rushing water and the gentle breeze against my face provided a momentary escape from the chaos of my life.

My eyes caught a white swan gliding gracefully across the water, its reflection shimmering in the orange sunlight. She also has the freedom to go wherever she pleases, unlike me, who feels trapped in this environment.

The swan glided into the distance, disappearing from my view. As I sat there, a sense of longing washed over me, wishing I could break free from the obstacles that held me back and soar through life with the same grace and freedom as the swan.

peaceful environment disturbed by my phone's jarring ringtone, breaking the peace of the moment. I unwillingly reached for it. I watched the caller ID flash across the screen, my heart sinking as I saw my mom calling.

"Hello!" I answered before picking it up.

"Where are you, girl? Come home fast; your dad will come back from work soon. Don't you know he..." my mom's worried voice echoed through the phone.

"I know now; please stop reminding me ," I interrupted, throwing a pebble in the water.

"I'll be home soon; just give me a few more minutes." I hung up the phone, slamming it on the bridge edge.

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"Anandita, give me a glass of water," dad ordered, putting his coat on the sofa.

"Dad, she is studying. I will get it for you." My brother Agastya said he stood immediately but halted when Dad yelled at him.

"You young boy, stop; it doesn't matter; she is a girl, and she should be helping out in the house too," Dad scolded. Agastya's face fell, and I dropped my pen on the mat.

"Go, Anandita," he again ordered me. I got up and ran to get him water.

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"You are not going anywhere!" my dad yelled at me, jerking my arms up.

"Please, dad," I say as I clasp my hands. He slapped me on my right cheek The force of the slap sent me stumbling backward, tears welling up in my eyes. I hold my cheek and again face him.

"I want to please dad, please. I might be able to do a job in the government sector," I pleaded, tears welling up in my eyes. Dad's grip tightened on my arms as he shook his head disapprovingly.

"No means no in our house; girls are not allowed. go upstairs." He pushed me towards the staircase, his stern expression leaving no room for argument. I reluctantly obeyed, feeling a sense of defeat wash over me.

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"just two days, they will come to see you." Mom said her eyes moistened with empathy.

"Mom, please tell dad I don't want to get married, please," I pleaded, cutting the onion for dinner. The sharp sting of the onion mingled with the ache in my heart.

"You know him; he will not listen," she sighed, wiping away a tear. I hugged her before wiping my hands with a kitchen towel.

"Don't cry, mom, I whispered. "He is right; I am the burden that has to be carried by someone else. I just wish it didn't have to be me."

"No, don't say that. He loves you; he just doesn't show it," mom said to make me understand her own feelings.

"You and I both know, mom, how much he loves me." Bitterness laced my words.

"I know your future husband will love you." She held my face in her hands, looking into my eyes.

She's just giving me fake hopes and false reassurances. I could see the doubt in her glossy, wrinkled eyes.

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Everything is messed up for me; my life, my so-called family, and my dad have always been distant and emotionally unavailable. It's hard to believe that someone else will come along and truly love me when my own father couldn't.

I don't want to get married to someone I don't even know or trust. It feels like a gamble, and I'm not willing to take that risk. My mom is the only one who loves me, and I know my brother also, but my dad's shadow looms over him, and now he acts like him , distant and emotionally unavailable.

Throwing pebbles one by one, I see them disappearing into the flowing water , just like my hopes of finding someone who will love me unconditionally.

Now the moon is on the rise, casting a gentle glow on the river. As I watch the ripples dance beneath its light, dad must be yelling at Mom. I'm sorry for her, but today I don't go home. Today I want to somewhere where I found peace and solace.

When your own family makes you feel useless , it can be incredibly disheartening and demoralizing. It's especially difficult when the people who are supposed to support and uplift you are the ones causing these negative emotions.

"I want to live in peace now; it's enough." I step forward on the bridge edge and take a deep breath, feeling the weight of my burdens slowly lifting off my shoulders. The cool breeze brushes against my face, reminding me that there is a world beyond the pain and negativity I've experienced within my own family.

Moving my right foot in the air, I pushed my body into the flowing river. My body began to lose weight as the water embraced me. For the first time, I feel free from the chains of despair and sorrow. The ripples of the water caressed my skin, soothing my wounded soul.

My eyes shut down I gulped a huge amount of water and drowned myself in depth, but from my burning eyes, I saw a huge body that pulled me out of the water.

"Open your eyes" were the last words I heard. I closed my eyes and let the darkness consume me, and I felt a strong grip around my waist.

I can't even die peacefully.

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With throbbing pain in my head, I opened my weighing eyes to find a white roof up my head. Confused and disoriented, I tried to sit up but was met with a sharp pain shooting through my body. The sound of beeping machines filled the room, and I realised I was in a hospital.

I tried to remember who brought me here, but my memory was hazy. All I could recall was the feeling of being pulled away from the darkness and into this sterile environment.

"Doctor, she woke up!" a nurse exclaimed, rushing to my side. The doctor followed closely behind, wearing a stethoscope around his neck.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, checking my pulse and shining a light into my eyes.

Confused

Anger to be awake again.

"Good to be awake again," I replied, my voice barely a whisper. The doctor nodded understandingly.

"Dr., who helped me get here?" I asked, my voice trembling.

The doctor's expression softened as he replied, "A woman who is enjoying herself on the riverside bank saw you failing in the river and immediately called for help. She stayed with you until the medics arrived." I smiled faintly.

I remembered a man's hard voice shouting at me to hold on as he pulled me out of the water.

"If you want to thank her, I'm sorry she had to leave before you woke up," the doctor said gently.

After checking my body for any injuries, the doctor reassured me that I was going to be okay. He explained that I had been unconscious for a while, but luckily, they were able to revive me. They also allow me to go home now.

The doctor tells me to call my family member, so I have to call dad. Instead, he should hug me and tell me how relieved he is that I'm safe. But he arrived in anger and refused to let it out in front of everyone.

We drove home silently. I was so scared to let a word out , afraid that it might trigger another outburst from my dad. The car ride felt suffocating; he would stare straight ahead, his grip on the steering wheel tight.

"Dad!" I trembled as I finally found the courage to speak up.

"I want silence; we will talk at home," he shouted, making me flinch. I shrank back in my seat, regretting my decision to speak.

We stopped at our home, and as soon as the car came to a halt, I quickly unbuckled my seatbelt and rushed inside, desperate to escape the tense atmosphere. My dad followed behind me, his footsteps heavy with anger.

"Stop right there." His voice was curt and authoritative. I froze in my tracks, my heart pounding in my chest.

"Anandita kid, where were you from last night?" My mom walked from the room adjacent to the entrance, her face etched with concern.

"Probably with her was some Romeo, who later threw her in the river when he was done with her," my dad interjected, his voice dripping with sarcasm. I clenched my fist tight, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill over.

My mom's eyes filled with tears as she stepped closer to me, her voice trembling with fear. "Anandita, please tell us where you were. We were so worried about you."

"Didn't I fucking tell you to step away from her?" Dad ordered Mom, and I pushed her away from me.

"Now you," he said, standing near me and gripping my hair tightly, forcing me to look into his angry eyes. "You better start explaining yourself right now."

Mom, come again to hold his hand and leave me. "Please leave her; she will never do this again."

"Anandita, tell your dad you will be sorry and never do it," she pleaded and cried.

"Because of you, she is flying in the air." He pushed Mom away and turned back to me, his grip on my hair tightening even more. "I won't tolerate this kind of behaviour from you, young lady. You need to understand the consequences of your actions."

"Fucking, tell me the reason!" he yelled, his eyes red in anger. He jerked me violently, causing me to stumble backward. The pain in my scalp intensified, and tears streamed down my face as I struggled to find my voice.

"I didn't mean to," I managed to whisper, my fear overshadowing any clear explanation.

"then what you meant to"

"I don't want to get married," I spoke hurriedly and closed my eyes, ready for a slap.

My words hung in the air, heavy with vulnerability. The room fell silent, and I braced myself for his reaction, unsure of what would come next.

"First, you should be glad of your fate for getting the wealthy man, and second, it's my order you have to follow." His voice was filled with anger, causing my heart to sink even further.

"Yes, Abhijeet, she will marry him. Please leave her. I will make her agree," my mom said, joining her hand.

"You better do that or I will make sure you both regret it," he spat, his eyes burning with fury.

He jerked me off the floor before moving on to the next room. Mom rushed to me and held me in her embrace. I winced, feeling pain in my palm.

"Let me see," she said, holding my hand and leading me upstairs with her. As we reached the top of the stairs, my mom gently examined my palm, her face filled with concern.

"It's going to be okay, sweetheart," she reassured me, and I cried out loud, not in pain. Tears just blasted out for something that suffocated within me. My mom held me tighter, whispering soothing words in my ear as I let out all my pent-up emotions.

"I don't want to get tied to someone who treats me like dad; if dad chose him for me, he is like him," I choked out between sobs. My mom's grip tightened even more.

"No, maybe he will love you and respect you as his wife. You can't assume that he will be like your dad just because your dad chose him for you," my mom said gently

My dad never loved me. why would that stranger love me?

"Give him a chance, sweetheart. You deserve happiness and love in your life."

Happiness

This sounds so odd to my ears.

I hate my dad, I hate everyone, and I hate how my life has turned out.

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You all cried because I truly cried while writing the very first chapter.🤧

Rate this chapter out of 10.

Sorry for the grammatical mistake, as English is not my first language.

Stay happy and healthy.

Thank you❤️