Faded Ties, Rekindled Hearts

Chapter 7

Tanya stormed into her room, slamming the door behind her, and in a fit of rage, began throwing things across the room—pillows, books, anything she could get her hands on. Ishita, concerned, quickly followed and entered the room.

"Tanya, what are you doing?" Ishita tried to reach for her hand to calm her down, but Tanya jerked it away, her face red with anger.

"Why did you even come here, Mumma? I already said sorry like you wanted. What more do you want from me? You clearly trust them more than me! Go to your precious Avni, anyway," Tanya spat, her voice full of hurt and bitterness.

Ishita, stunned, grabbed Tanya by the shoulders, her voice firm yet pained. "What are you saying, Tanya? I'm your mother! And Avni, she's your sister. You shouldn't talk like this."

"Stop it, Mumma! Please stop calling her my sister. She's not my sister! But you—you're my mumma! You should trust me more than anyone else. Why don't you?"

Ishita took a deep breath, trying to control her frustration. "Tanya, I saw everything with my own eyes. How can I ignore that? And listen, those people have gone through a lot already. They've come here after facing so much. It's our duty to make them feel welcome, to make them feel comfortable. Do you understand?"

Tanya looked away, tears of frustration brimming in her eyes. "Mumma, I need to do my homework. Just leave me alone," she said coldly, her back turned to Ishita.

Ishita, feeling hurt but determined to set things right, said sternly, "You've become incredibly rude, Tanya. This attitude of yours—this isn't the daughter I raised. I have to tell Arnav about this. He needs to know."

With that, Ishita turned to leave, her heart heavy, leaving Tanya standing alone, still fuming in her room, yet deep down feeling the sting of her mother's words.

Tanya, still fuming with anger, grabbed the phone and dialed Yuvraj's landline. Meanwhile, Yuvraj was immersed in a video game in his room, too focused to notice the ringing at first. But when the phone wouldn't stop, he finally picked it up, annoyed.

"Who the hell is it?! Why are you calling non-stop and disturbing me?!" Yuvraj shouted into the receiver, clearly irritated.

Tanya, already upset, snapped back, "Wow, great! Now everyone's yelling at me! Am I some kind of punching doll to you all?"

Yuvraj, realizing it was Tanya, softened his tone immediately. "Tanya? Wait, who yelled at you? Was it that so-called sister of yours?"

"Don't even mention her name, Yuvi!" Tanya growled. "That 'so-called sister' has driven me crazy! She's always acting fake and pretending to be nice in front of Mumma, but when no one's looking, she's a nightmare!" She vented, telling him everything about the situation with Avni, Ishita, and her frustrations.

Yuvraj listened patiently, then after a pause, said, "Tanu, chill. Let's play some PC games, okay? Why don't you come over to my place? We'll play games, have fun, and I'll make sure your mood turns around. Forget about that girl for a while."

Tanya sighed but couldn't help but smile slightly at his offer. "You really think gaming will help?"

Yuvi grinned on the other side of the line, "Of course! Plus, no one yells at you when you're winning!"

Tanya chuckled, feeling her anger start to ease. "Fine, Yuvi. I'm coming over."

Tanya, still upset, stormed into the hall and called out, "Ramu Kaka, please drop me at Singhania Mansion."

Ishita, who overheard the conversation, quickly intervened, "Tanya, are you going to Yuvi's place?"

"Yes, Mumma," Tanya replied, her tone sharp. "You know, Avantika Aunty really loves me. She never yells at me. She's always so sweet to me."