Falling from Grace

Chapter 7: Exile

Helooo Guyzzzz!!!

Am back with a new chap!!!

Hope u like it!!!

Target still remains same(Votes-10)

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The final straw came three days later.

Ritika stood at the window, her face pale and drawn, as she watched the crowd of reporters swell outside their home. They had been there for days, their persistence unwavering. Camera flashes lit up the street even in broad daylight, their shouted questions a constant, oppressive noise.

"Ritika!" Rohit's voice startled her, and she turned to see him storming into the living room, his phone clutched tightly in his hand. His usually calm demeanor was replaced by raw anger, his face set in a grim mask.

"What now?" she asked, though she wasn't sure she wanted to hear the answer.

"They've crossed the line," he growled, tossing the phone onto the coffee table. Ritika glanced at the screen and froze.

The video playing on the screen showed their home from above—drone footage that zoomed in on their garden, their front porch, and even Samaira's bedroom window. The accompanying headline made Ritika's blood run cold:
"Inside the Sharma Family: Exclusive Footage of the Child at the Center of the Scandal."

"They used a drone?" Ritika whispered, her voice trembling. "Over our home?"

Rohit nodded, his fists clenched. "It's not just that. Look at the comments."

Ritika hesitated, but her curiosity got the better of her. She scrolled through the video's comments section, her heart sinking with each hateful remark.

"This family needs to leave India. They're a disgrace."
"If they don't want attention, why don't they just move? Problem solved."
"Poor Vamika. Samaira deserves to be held accountable!"

"They're not just after us anymore," Rohit said, his voice low but filled with fury. "They're coming for Samaira."

Ritika sank onto the couch, her hands trembling. "What do we do, Rohit? How do we stop this?"

"We can't stop it," he admitted, his shoulders slumping. "Not here. Not like this."

Ritika stared at him, her chest tightening. "What are you saying?"

Rohit met her gaze, his eyes heavy with the weight of the decision he had clearly been wrestling with. "We have to leave, Ritika. Leave India."

The words hung in the air, a deafening silence following them.

For hours, Ritika and Rohit argued.

"You can't be serious, Rohit!" Ritika said, pacing the living room, her voice filled with desperation. "This is our home. Our life. You can't just walk away from it all."

"And what's the alternative?" Rohit shot back, his tone sharp. "Stay here and let them tear us apart? Let them ruin Samaira's childhood?"

Ritika shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "Running away won't fix this. It'll only make us look guilty."

"We're not running away," Rohit insisted. "We're protecting our daughter. Don't you see that? Every day we stay here, this gets worse. The media won't stop, and now the public is turning on us. Do you want Samaira to grow up in a place where people hate her for something she didn't do?"