CLASH OF DESTINY

CHAPTER 7

Author's POV:

Just as the car drove away, Ishinita took a breath of relief, bracing herself for what was coming next. She was already 30 minutes late, and now, the consequences awaited her.

She entered the house, and there they were—Mr. and Mrs. Malhotra, standing as if waiting for their prey. The atmosphere was tense, the silence thick with anticipation.

Mrs. Malhotra:
"Aa gayi maharani? Kahaan thi tu, itna late aayi hai? Na khana bana, na koi kaam kiya? Ye sab kaun karega? Tera bhooth?"

Her voice dripped with disdain, each word a sharp sting. Before Ishinita could respond, Mrs. Malhotra grabbed her wrist and shoved her forcefully toward the wall, leaving visible marks on her wrist and bruises on her left shoulder—wounds that would take time to heal and cover.

Mr. Malhotra:
"Tu idhar aa! Tujhe pata hai na, mom khana nahi bana sakti, aur tu ghar aake kaam karegi. Kya yeh koi waqt hai ghar aane ka?"

His words, too, were filled with anger. Ishinita, once again, had to endure their wrath in silence. She stood there, unable to speak, just like every other time.

Ishinita (softly):
"Ji, abhi laayi."

No one cared to ask how she was, whether she was tired, or how her day had been. She was expected to be nothing more than a servant in the house.

As she worked in the kitchen, preparing the dinner, Mrs. Malhotra entered, her words cutting through the silence.

Mrs. Malhotra:
"Jaldi jaldi kaam kar! Aur aaj tujhe khana nahi milega. Mujhe itna wait karna pada hai."

Ishinita (POV):
She could feel the weight of her exhaustion, but she pushed it aside as she continued to cook. Her hand burned as she accidentally touched the hot pan, but there was no one to comfort her. She couldn't stop now; the work had to be done.

After serving everyone their meal, Ishinita entered her room, feeling emotionally drained. To her surprise, there was a plate of food waiting for her, with a small note on top.

The note read:
"Main sabke saamne nahi bolti, kyunki tune kaha hai. Par khana kha le, Ishu. Kaam se thak gayi hogi na? Ammu didi loves you. Goodnight Ishu."

The simple words brought a small comfort to Ishinita's heart. She ate a little, feeling a slight relief from the pain she had endured that day.

Aadvik's POV:

I couldn't sleep as usual. It's strange, but today I felt restless. Ishinita's frightened face kept replaying in my mind. There was something that scared her when I dropped her off earlier. Her anxious eyes, her fidgeting, it all stuck with me. I didn't want to admit it, but it bothered me.

Why was I suddenly feeling so affected by her fear? I could never focus on anything once she was around. I had been so angry earlier when I scolded her, but now I felt a strange anger towards myself for making her scared.

I grabbed the boxing gloves, deciding to vent my frustration, but this time, I didn't wear the gloves. I wanted the pain to match my guilt. Thirty minutes of extra boxing left bruises on my hands, but I didn't care.

Even my family noticed, but I brushed it off, claiming it was just a friendly match. I ignored their concerns, pretending like everything was fine.

Ishinita's Home:

The next morning, Ishinita didn't sleep well, as usual. Today, however, she was 20 minutes late to get ready, as it took her longer to cover the marks on her wrist. She wore a full-sleeve suit to hide the bruises, wrapping a dupatta around her neck to cover the scars.