Echoes of MaAn: Love beyond Separation

||77|| The Weight of Choices

The atmosphere in the house remained tense. Aadhya had been quiet since the doctor's visit, her guilt and fear weighing heavily on her. She knew she needed to talk to her father, to apologize again and try to make things right, but the thought of facing Anuj's disappointment and anger terrified her.

Gathering her courage, Aadhya finally approached him later that evening. Anuj was in the living room, sitting on the couch with his head in his hands, clearly still consumed by his frustration. She stood there for a moment, unsure how to begin.

"Papa... can I talk to you?" she asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Anuj looked up, his eyes hard. "What is it, Aadhya?"

She hesitated, then forced herself to speak. "I'm... I'm sorry, Papa. I know I made a terrible mistake, and I'll do whatever it takes to make things right. Please... don't hate me."

Anuj's expression darkened. "Hate you? Aadhya, do you even understand what you've done?" His voice rose, sharper than he intended. "You've turned our entire world upside down! How could you be so reckless? So careless? You're fourteen, Aadhya. Fourteen! Do you have any idea what you've put us through?"

Aadhya flinched, tears filling her eyes as her father's words hit her like a storm. "I... I didn't mean for this to happen," she whispered, her voice trembling.

"Didn't mean for it to happen?" Anuj stood up, his anger spilling over. "Do you think that changes anything? You made a choice, Aadhya, and now we're all paying the price for it. I can't even look at you without feeling... I don't know what I'm supposed to do anymore."

Aadhya stood frozen, her heart breaking at the harshness of his words. She had known he was angry, but hearing it like this was unbearable. She turned and walked away, tears streaming down her face, too hurt to say anything more.

She went straight to her room and shut the door behind her. Curling up on her bed, she buried her face in her pillow, sobbing quietly. She didn't eat anything for dinner that night. She couldn't. The pain of her father's words weighed too heavily on her.

Anupama noticed Aadhya's absence at the dinner table and immediately knew something was wrong. She had seen the way Anuj had been acting around Aadhya, but this was getting out of hand. With Aadhymaan now asleep, she decided to take action.

She carried a plate of food and went to Aadhya's room. Knocking softly, she opened the door to find her daughter curled up in bed, her face streaked with tears.

"Aadhya, beta, you need to eat something," Anupama said gently, sitting down beside her.

"I'm not hungry, Mom," Aadhya whispered, turning her face away.

"I know things are hard right now," Anupama said, stroking Aadhya's hair, "but not eating isn't going to make it better. You need to stay strong, Aadhya. For yourself. For all of us."

Just then, Anuj walked in, holding a crying Aadhymaan in his arms. His face was tense, and he handed the baby to Anupama without saying a word.

Anupama sighed, sensing the growing rift between father and daughter. "Anuj, can you handle Aadhymaan for a bit? I need to be here with Aadhya."

Anuj looked at his wife for a moment, then at Aadhya, but his expression remained hard. He nodded silently, taking the baby and walking out of the room. His frustration was palpable as he paced back and forth in the hallway, trying to calm Aadhymaan down. Eventually, he sat on the floor, letting the baby play with some toys.

But the weight of everything finally caught up with him. As Aadhymaan babbled and reached for his toys, Anuj felt his chest tighten. He couldn't hold it in any longer. Tears welled up in his eyes, and before he knew it, he was crying—silent, heavy sobs that he had been holding back for days.

Just then, Madhav, Anupama's father, walked in. He had been observing Anuj for a while, sensing the storm brewing inside him.

"Anuj beta," Madhav said gently, sitting down beside him, "I know how hard this is for you. Believe me, I understand."

Anuj wiped his tears quickly, trying to regain his composure. "How can you understand, Papa? I never expected this. How did this happen?"

Madhav placed a comforting hand on Anuj's shoulder. "I have a daughter too. If something like this had happened to Anupama at her age, I would've reacted the same way. But that's exactly why I know what you're feeling right now. The anger, the hurt, the sense of betrayal. It's all normal."

Anuj sniffed, his voice breaking. "I don't know how to deal with this, Papa. I'm angry, but I'm scared too. I don't want to lose her."

"You won't lose her," Madhav assured him. "But you have to support her now. Yelling at her or shutting her out won't help. She's already scared and confused. What she needs more than anything right now is for you to be her father—not just in the good times, but in the hard times too."

Anuj remained silent, staring at the floor as Madhav's words sank in.

Later that night, after Aadhya had finally eaten and gone to sleep, Anuj and Anupama sat down with both sets of grandparents and Malvika in the living room.

"We need to figure out what to do next," Anuj said, his voice still tight with emotion.

Meera, his mother, spoke first. "Whatever happens, Aadhya needs to know we're here for her. This is a life-changing situation, and we need to give her support."

Rajesh, Anuj's father, nodded in agreement. "We also need to consider her health. She's still so young. Whatever decision is made, it needs to be in her best interest."

Malvika leaned forward, her usual bubbly demeanor subdued. "Have you spoken to her about what she wants? I know it's a huge decision, but Aadhya should have some say in it."

Anupama, sitting beside Anuj, looked at him thoughtfully. "The doctor suggested it would be best for her to terminate the pregnancy, considering her age and the risks involved. But we haven't had a proper conversation with Aadhya about it."

Sushma, Anupama's mother, spoke up, her voice soft but firm. "It's important we don't push her into anything. We need to explain everything to her clearly, the risks, the consequences, but ultimately, it has to be her decision."

Anuj clenched his fists, still struggling with his emotions. "But she's just a child! How can she make such a huge decision?"

Madhav placed a hand on his son-in-law's shoulder again. "That's why she needs you, Anuj. She needs your guidance, not your anger."

Anuj closed his eyes, trying to calm the storm raging inside him. He knew Madhav was right. He knew he needed to find a way to be there for Aadhya, even though it was the hardest thing he had ever faced.