What after That?

Ch 14.

As Shubman entered his home, the weight of the previous night's events pressed down on him. The source of his sleeplessness was right there in the living room—his father, who had yelled at him the previous evening. 

But what truly kept Shubman awake wasn't his father's anger toward him but the cruel words directed at his mother.

"Ek bachcha nahi paalna aata tumhe... Na tum ek achhi wife ban payi, aur na hi ek achhi maa," his father had spat out, leaving a deep scar on his mother's face. The hurt in her eyes was unmistakable, and it had echoed in Shubman's mind all night.

Shubman paused at the doorway, his eyes falling on his mother. She was quietly going about her tasks, but there was a heaviness to her movements, a reflection of the emotional burden she was carrying. 

Shubman's fists clenched at his sides, a mix of anger and helplessness surging through him. He wanted to say something, to do something to make it better, but he was at a loss for words.

His father, oblivious or perhaps indifferent to the pain he had caused, sat in the same room, reading a newspaper. The contrast between the two—his mother's silent suffering and his father's cold detachment—gnawed at Shubman.

He walked past them, heading to his room, but the tension in the air followed him like a shadow. Once inside, Shubman collapsed onto his bed, staring at the ceiling, his thoughts swirling. 

He couldn't shake the image of his mother's hurt expression, and it only fueled his resolve to do something—anything—to make her smile again.

Shubman's hatred for his father runs deep, rooted in years of witnessing his father's abusive behavior toward his mother. From a young age, both he and Shahneel were forced to watch as their father belittled and hurt their mother, leaving them powerless and angry. 

His father's constant yelling and even instances of domestic violence have left scars that never truly healed, shaping Shubman into the person he is today.

Seeing his mother endure such pain without ever fighting back only fueled Shubman's resentment. He couldn't understand why she never stood up for herself, why she never fought back. 

The hurt in her eyes whenever his father lashed out became a familiar, painful sight—one that kept Shubman awake at night, gnawing at his insides.

These experiences not only damaged Shubman's relationship with his father but also left a lasting impact on how he views strength and vulnerability. 

It explains why he feels such a fierce need to protect the people he cares about, why he's always ready to stand up for his friends, even if it means resorting to aggression. 

It's a way for him to channel the anger and frustration that has been building up inside him for years, a way to reclaim some of the control he never had as a child.

But beneath the tough exterior, Shubman is still just a boy who wants his father's love and approval as well, who wishes his family could have been different, who wishes he could erase the memories of his father's cruelty. 

And every time he sees that hurt in his mother's eyes, it reminds him of the one battle he could never win—the battle to change his father's ways and heal the wounds of the past.

In the evening, Simran returned from her coaching classes, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness. The house was quiet, just the way she liked it when indulging in her secret routine. 

She quickly headed to her room, shutting the door behind her before settling down at her desk. The familiar glow of her computer screen lit up the room as she opened her browser and typed in the Facebook URL.