The Right Kind of Wrong

35. Standing up to Bhavani

The next day dawned heavy with the weight of inevitability. Savi woke up earlier than usual, her mind already buzzing with the confrontation she knew she had to face. The encounter with Bhavani in the library had shaken her, dredging up all the guilt, fear, and doubts she thought she had left behind. But there was no running from it now. Bhavani was here, in Mumbai, and she wouldn't stop until Savi returned to the life she had fled from.

As she got ready, Savi's heart pounded in her chest. She didn't know if she had the strength to stand up to her grandmother, to say the words she'd been holding back for years. But there was something different this time—something in the way Rajat had stood by her, unflinching, that gave her courage. She wasn't the same scared girl who had run away from a forced marriage. She had grown. She had found her voice, her strength.

And today, she would use it.

By the time she arrived at the café where Bhavani had summoned her, Savi felt her resolve harden. She spotted her grandmother seated at a corner table, her posture rigid, a grim expression on her face. The sight of Bhavani sitting so still and commanding made Savi's stomach twist, but she took a deep breath and reminded herself of why she was here.

To finally break free.

Savi walked over to the table, her steps steady, her gaze unwavering. Bhavani looked up as she approached, her eyes narrowing slightly as if trying to assess Savi's mood. Without a word, Savi took a seat across from her, folding her hands in her lap.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The silence was thick with tension, as if both were bracing for what was to come. Bhavani's sharp eyes bore into Savi, but Savi met her gaze head-on, refusing to shrink under her scrutiny.

Finally, Bhavani broke the silence. "I assume you've had time to think about what I said yesterday."

Her voice was cool, controlled, but there was an underlying edge of impatience. Bhavani was not used to being defied. Savi had always been the obedient granddaughter, the one who quietly accepted her fate. Until now.

"I have thought about it," Savi said, her voice steady. "And I've made my decision."

Bhavani raised an eyebrow, leaning back slightly in her chair as if preparing to hear Savi's submission. "Good. I trust you'll come to your senses and return home."

Savi's heart raced, but she took a deep breath and steadied herself. "No, Badi Aaji. I'm not going back."

The words hung in the air between them, heavy and defiant. For a moment, Bhavani looked as though she hadn't heard her correctly, her eyes widening in surprise. But then her expression hardened, her lips thinning into a tight line.

"What did you say?" Bhavani's voice was low, dangerous.

"I said I'm not going back," Savi repeated, her voice gaining strength. "I'm staying here, in Mumbai, to continue my IAS preparation. This is my dream, Badi Aaji. It's what I've wanted for as long as I can remember, and I'm not giving it up. Not for you, not for anyone."

Bhavani's eyes flared with anger, her hands gripping the edges of the table. "Your dream?" she spat, her voice dripping with contempt. "You think this childish fantasy of yours is more important than your family? Than your responsibilities as a Chavan? You've been led astray, Savi. You've forgotten who you are."

Savi felt the familiar sting of guilt and shame rising in her chest, but she pushed it down. She couldn't let Bhavani manipulate her this time. Not again.

"I haven't forgotten who I am, Badi Aaji," Savi said firmly. "I'm still a Chavan, and I will always love my family. But that doesn't mean I have to live my life the way you want me to. I have a right to make my own choices, to follow my own path. And that path leads to becoming an IAS officer. It's my passion, my purpose."