Faded Ties, Rekindled Hearts

Chapter 8

After returning home from the hospital, the silence in the house was deafening. Ishita and Arnav both headed to their bedroom, their faces heavy with sorrow, their hearts burdened with unbearable pain. The weight of their decision to send Tanya away hung between them like an invisible wall, growing stronger with each step they took.

Arnav slumped onto the edge of the bed, burying his face in his hands. Ishita, equally devastated, stood by the window, her gaze unfocused, lost in the chaos of her thoughts. The silence between them was suffocating, and finally, Arnav spoke, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Ishita... humne apni beti kho di," he said, his voice breaking. "Meri Tanya ko... mere apne haathon se maine usse apne zindagi se door kar diya." His shoulders trembled as he tried to hold back tears. "I couldn't let her go to jail, Ishita. I couldn't."

Ishita remained silent for a moment, her eyes brimming with tears. She looked at Arnav, her voice trembling with a mixture of regret and helplessness. "Mujhe pata hai, Arnav. I understand... tumne jo kiya, wo uske bachpan ko bachane ke liye kiya. But I... I had to stand by my principles. Maine hamesha sikhaya hai ki agar koi galat hai, toh uska samna karna chahiye."

Arnav looked up at her, his eyes full of anguish. "Principles, Ishita? Yeh sab principles ka kya fayda jab humne apni hi beti ko kho diya? Tumne dekha uski aankhon mein? Wo bechari samajh gayi ki humne use chhod diya. Aur hum sach mein haar gaye. Tanya ab humse door chali gayi, hum uska vishwas kho chuke hain."

Ishita wiped away a tear that rolled down her cheek, her voice choking. "Main jaanti hoon, Arnav. Mujhe dard ho raha hai... har pal. Par main kya karti? Main apne uss vaade se kaise palat jaati, jo maine apne aap se aur duniya se kiya tha? Ki main injustice ke khilaaf awaz uthaoongi, chahe wo koi bhi ho. Aur aaj... aaj wo meri apni beti thi..."

Arnav clenched his fists, frustration evident in his tone. "Tumhara yeh principle, yeh principles kitni zaroori thi, Ishita? Tumne uske aankhon mein dekha? Wo bilkul toot gayi hai. Tanya ko lagta hai ki humare liye uska koi mol nahi. Tumhein lagta hai ki wo galat thi, par humne uska sach kabhi suna bhi nahi!"

Ishita's voice cracked as she replied, "Mujhe sirf yeh dikh raha hai ki ek masoom bacchi hospital mein hai, uska khoon baha hai... aur meri Tanya, us par ilzaam hai. Tum kya samajhte ho, Arnav? Main itni patthar dil ho gayi hoon ki apni beti ko yaad nahi karti? Har pal uska dard mehsoos kar rahi hoon... main bhi bikhar chuki hoon."

Arnav stood up, his eyes full of pain, and grabbed Ishita's shoulders gently. "Ishita, hum dono bikhar chuke hain. Lekin humari beti... Tanya... wo akeli lad rahi hai. Tumhare principles ke beech wo kahin kho gayi hai. I just wanted to save her from the jail, but... hum usse humesha ke liye door kar rahe hain."

Tears flowed freely from Ishita's eyes now. "Arnav, main bhi apni beti ko wapas paana chahti hoon... but ab sab kuch itna zyada toot chuka hai ki mujhe samajh nahi aa raha kaise theek karoon use kaise bachaun? Mera us par se vishwas hil gaya hai... aur uska mujh par se."

Arnav's voice softened, filled with heartbreak. "Ishita, agar Tanya hamari zindagi se door chali gayi... toh humare paas kya bachega? Kya principles itne bade ho sakte hain ki apni beti ka pyaar unse chhota lagne lage?"

Ishita broke down, finally collapsing into Arnav's arms, sobbing uncontrollably. "Nahi, Arnav. Principles se bada kuch nahi hota... mai bhi chahti hu tanya shi ho mai galat pr abhi use bachane ke liye hume ye karna padega Arnav...."

They held each other in their brokenness, knowing that no matter how much they loved Tanya, they had lost her. The bond that once held their family together had shattered, and neither of them knew how to piece it back together. The silence between them now was the weight of a love lost, a daughter distanced, and an irreversible mistake that they could never take back.