love or Life: Will Death Apart Us!?

7.

𝘼𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧'𝙨 𝙥𝙤𝙫

Advika sat by the window, staring out into the gloomy evening sky. It had been a week since she last heard from Vidyut, and the silence was gnawing at her. She regretted hurting him, wished she could take back her words, and longed for a chance to make things right.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of her phone. She glanced at the screen and saw her brother's name. Her heart skipped a beat as she answered, "Hello?"

"Di, it's me. I'm back in town. Can we meet?" His voice was warm, bringing a wave of relief.

"Of course," she said quickly. "Where are you?"

"I'm at the house. Come over."

"I’ll be there in a few minutes."

Advika grabbed her things and rushed out. When she arrived at her childhood home, she found her brother waiting for her. They embraced tightly, the comfort of his presence soothing her troubled mind.

"It's good to see you," she said, pulling back to look at him. "I missed you."

"I missed you too," he replied, smiling. "But why didn't anyone tell me about your marriage to Vidyut jiju?"

Advika sighed, leading him inside. "They said you were busy. They didn't want to disturb you."

Her brother frowned. "I would have come. You know that."

"I know," she said softly, sitting down on the couch. "But that's not important now. Listen, I need you to leave this house. Come with me. We can start over somewhere else."

"Why?" he asked, confused. "What’s going on?"

Before she could answer, the front door slammed open, and their mother stormed in. "What are you doing here, Advika?" she demanded, her voice icy.

Advika stood up, her heart pounding. "I was talking to my brother."

"You shouldn’t be here," her mother snapped. "And you," she turned to her son, "why didn't you tell me you were coming back?"

"I wanted to surprise you," he said, his voice strained.

Advika stepped forward, her resolve hardening. "We need to leave this house. It’s not safe for us here."

"Leave?" their mother scoffed. "You’re not going anywhere."

"I mean it," Advika insisted. "We have to get out."

A sharp slap landed on her cheek, the sting bringing tears to her eyes. She stared at her mother in shock. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because you’re trying to tear this family apart," her mother hissed.

"I'm also your daughter," Advika said, her voice shaking. "Why do you always treat me like this?"

"You're not my daughter," her mother spat. "My daughter died the day she went away with that boy, even when we said no. And she came back... in that state."

Advika felt a chill run through her. "What are you saying?"

"You heard me," her mother said coldly. "You’re just a bitch. You destroyed our family."

Suddenly, a voice cut through the tension. "One more word about my wife, and you'll face serious consequences, Mrs. Rajvanshi." Vidyut's presence filled the room, his tone cold and dangerous. Shivers ran down Advika's mother's spine.

Vidyut walked over to Advika, his eyes blazing with fury. He gently touched her cheek, examining the red mark. "How dare you lay a hand on her," he said, his voice low and menacing.