As the morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, Palki stood in the living room, staring at the door where Anika had just left. Her sister’s words echoed in her mind, “You should give Shaurya extra love.” A soft smile formed on Palki’s lips, imagining Shaurya’s face, but it quickly faded. Something felt off, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching. An elderly lady appeared at the doorstep, her frail body trembling with exhaustion. "Beta, please... my husband is sick and hasn’t eaten anything. Can you give us some food?"
Palki’s heart immediately softened. Without hesitation, she responded, “Please don’t cry, Dadi. Wait here, I’ll get something for you.” She hurried to the kitchen, quickly gathering food and even slipping some money into the bag. As she handed it over, the lady blessed her, her eyes filled with gratitude. “May God bless your married life. Few people in this world have such kindness. Your destiny must be written by God Himself.”
Palki smiled, her heart warming at the woman’s words. She watched as the elderly lady slowly walked away, her blessings still ringing in Palki’s ears. “My destiny is truly special,” she thought. “Everything could have been lost, but I got it all back after Shaurya came into my life.”
But her moment of peace was shattered when she heard a cold voice behind her. “With whose permission did you give so much food to that beggar?”
Palki turned to see Karishma, arms crossed and a disapproving glare fixed on her. Palki's heart sank.
“I-I was just helping her, like this family always helps others,” Palki stammered, trying to explain.
Instead of understanding, Karishma’s eyes narrowed. “Instead of apologizing, you want to argue with me?”
Palki shook her head quickly. “I’m sorry, but what did I do wrong? Isn’t it a good thing to give food to the hungry?”
Karishma’s lips tightened. “I’m not talking about good or bad deeds. I’m talking about your foolishness. If you keep distributing food like this, there will be a line of beggars outside our house. Do you want that?”
Before Palki could respond, another voice joined the conversation. “What’s going on here?” Preeta’s calm but firm tone cut through the tension.
“Ma, I was just helping the lady. Thanks to God’s blessings, we have plenty, so I thought—”
Karishma interrupted again, her frustration growing. “That’s not the point! Palki is giving away food without thinking. She should have gone to the temple if she wanted to help, not hand out food at our doorstep.”
Preeta took a step forward, standing between Palki and Karishma. “That lady came to our door, Karishma. And you know the value of blessings, don’t you? Palki did the right thing. We always tell her to ask us before doing anything, but in this case, there was no need for permission. Kindness doesn’t need approval.”
Karishma’s face flushed with anger, but before she could argue further, Preeta gave her a look that silenced any protest. “I don’t want this happening again. Palki did what was right, and that’s the end of it.”
As Preeta turned to walk away, Karishma glared at Palki, her eyes filled with a mix of hatred and frustration. Palki could sense the growing tension but couldn’t understand what she had done to deserve such hostility.
Later, in the quiet of her room, Karishma seethed with anger. “Preeta insulted me because of that girl,” she muttered under her breath. “I don’t want Palki in this house anymore. I was trying to get her out so Shaurya and Kriti could be together, but now I just hate her. I will destroy her life.”
Karishma paced the room before grabbing her phone and dialing a number. “Kiran? It’s Karishma. Do you want your daughter to get Shaurya?”
“Of course,” Kiran replied without hesitation.
“Good,” Karishma said, her voice laced with determination. “Kriti may not be able to do anything, but we will. Together, we will get rid of Palki. Are you with me?”
Kiran's response was immediate. “I agree. Let’s do it.”
Meanwhile, Palki couldn’t shake the feeling of unease. Karishma’s harsh words had left her feeling unsettled, but she couldn’t let it affect her relationship with the family. She decided to take the first step towards reconciliation. With a milkshake in hand, she approached Karishma’s room, her heart pounding in her chest.
Knocking gently, she stepped inside. “Karishma Didi, I brought you a milkshake. I’m really sorry if I did something that upset you.”
Karishma didn’t even look up. “No thanks,” she said coldly.
Palki swallowed hard, trying to keep her voice steady. “Please forgive me if I made a mistake. I’m younger than you, and if I’ve done anything wrong, I promise it was unintentional.”
Finally, Karishma looked at her, her expression hard and unfeeling. “It’s not about mistakes, Palki. The truth is, I don’t like you.”
Palki froze, her breath catching in her throat. Karishma continued, “Everyone else in this house seems to love you. Just be happy with that.”
Without another word, Karishma stood and walked out of the room, leaving Palki standing there, heartbroken and confused.
As the door closed behind Karishma, Palki felt tears welling in her eyes. She didn’t understand what she had done to earn such hatred. But one thing was clear—this house was no longer the safe haven she had once thought it to be.
Little did she know, Karishma and Kiran were already plotting her downfall, and the storm that was about to hit her life would change everything forever.
That's it for today's update
Signing off
Diksha.
Vote, comments and share feedback are always welcome
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The Second Chance
FanfictionThis touching story follows Shaurya, a single father who struggles to fully love his daughter, Roohi, because she reminds him of his late wife. Roohi becomes attached to Palki, a kind woman who brings warmth and love into their lives.As Shaurya face...
