YOU AND ME

Aisha

I sit in my elegantly furnished living room, the walls adorned with family portraits that seem to watch me, judging my every move. But I know better. I am the matriarch of this family, and I will do whatever it takes to keep us in line. The sheer thought of Amina brings a sour taste to my mouth. That girl has the audacity to think she can just waltz into our lives and take Ayush away. I won’t allow it.

The door swings open, and I see Raj stagger in, clearly intoxicated. “Useless boy,” I mutter under my breath, my patience wearing thin. “How many times have I told him to control himself?”

“What’s up, Mom?” he slurs, barely focusing on me.

“Is that all you can say?” I snap, my voice rising. “Look at you! Do you think this is acceptable behavior? You’re a disgrace to this family!”

He rolls his eyes, dismissing my concern. “Whatever. I’m just living my life.”

“Living your life?” I laugh mockingly. “By drowning yourself in alcohol? You’re wasting your potential! Do you have any idea how hard I’ve worked to keep this family together? To build our name and our wealth? And you’re just throwing it all away!”

Grandma enters, sensing the tension. “Aisha, please,” she says gently. “Let him be. He’s had a long day.”

I turn to her, my eyes narrowing. “And what about Ayush? Have you seen how he’s been behaving? He’s choosing that girl over his own family. He’s becoming weak.”

“Love can make people do foolish things,” Grandma says, trying to diffuse the situation.

“Love? That girl is nothing but a distraction, a gold digger! She’s here to ruin us, and you’re too blind to see it!” I shout, my voice dripping with venom.

Raj mutters something under his breath, and I seize the opportunity. “What did you say?” I demand.

“Nothing. Just tired of hearing you rant,” he replies, barely holding back a smirk.

I lean in, my tone icy. “You think this is a joke? You think we can afford to be complacent? If Amina gets her way, we’ll lose everything. The company, the house—our legacy. I refuse to let that happen.”

“Mom, maybe you should chill,” Raj offers, trying to sound nonchalant but failing miserably.

“Chill?” I scoff. “You think I can just sit back and relax while our family falls apart? Not on my watch! I’ll do whatever it takes to keep control. If that means manipulating Amina or using whatever leverage I have, so be it.”

As I formulate my plan, Vishal enters, sensing the chaos in the air. “What’s going on?”

“Just the usual,” I reply, waving him off. “Raj is too busy drinking himself into oblivion to see the bigger picture, and Grandma is too soft-hearted to realize we need to act.”

Vishal raises an eyebrow. “What do you mean ‘act’?”

I lean closer, a wicked smile spreading across my face. “We need to find a way to get rid of Amina for good. We can’t let her manipulate Ayush any further. I was thinking we could lure her into a trap—make her believe we’re accepting her, all while we gather evidence of her deceit.”

“Do you think that will work?” Vishal asks, skeptical.

“Of course it will!” I snap, my confidence unwavering. “Once we have proof, Ayush will have no choice but to see her for who she really is. And when he does, he’ll come crawling back to us.”

“Are you sure that’s wise?” Grandma interjects, her voice laced with concern. “What if it backfires?”

I shoot her a cold glare. “Backfire? I’m the one in control here, Grandma. I’ve always been. If you want to maintain this family’s name, you’ll support me. Amina is the enemy, and I will not let her destroy everything I’ve worked for.”