Forbidden Mania | 18+

21.

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~ɪᴛ'ꜱ ᴀ ʙᴏɴᴜꜱ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴏꜰ 1ᴋ ᴡᴏʀᴅꜱ ᴏɴʟʏ~

𝑀𝒾𝓈𝒽𝓀𝒶'𝓈 𝒫𝑜𝓋~

It was nearly 9 PM when I heard the familiar sound of the main door unlocking. The faint creak of its hinges used to signal comfort and safety. Today, it barely registered.

I sat on the floor near the sofa, my knees drawn up to my chest, staring at the wall in front of me. My tears had dried hours ago, leaving a dull ache behind my eyes.

The house was dimly lit, and the silence was deafening until the sound of footsteps grew louder.

My father, walked in, exhausted as usual after a long day at the hospital. He'd told me last night he had three back-to-back surgeries, and I knew he'd be drained.

"Beta?" His voice carried concern the moment he saw me sitting there.

I didn't move, didn't even flinch.

"Mishka!" He rushed to my side, his bag falling to the floor with a thud. Kneeling in front of me, his hands cupped my face, checking me for injuries.

"What happened? Are you hurt? Talk to me!"

His touch broke something inside me, the dam I'd been trying so hard to keep in place. I fell into his arms, clutching his shirt tightly, and the tears I thought had dried spilled freely once more.

"B-Baba." My voice cracked, barely audible.

He hugged me tighter, his hands soothing my back. "Shh, I'm here. Whatever it is, we'll figure it out. Tell me, beta."

Between my sobs, the words tumbled out. "Why, baba? Why is my life like this? I never wanted my mother to die... I never wanted to be born if it meant losing her!"

"Mishka!" His voice broke, and he pulled back to look at me, his eyes wide with pain.

"I’ve always wanted a mother, Baba. Someone to love me, to care for me. But today…" My voice faltered as I buried my face in his chest. "Today, I lost my last hope. Arsh's mother hates me. She called me… she said I ate my own mother, Baba. She doesn't want me in their family. She will never love me baba, I-I lost another mother baba."

His body stiffened, and I felt his breath hitch. "What did you just say?"

"She hates me." I whispered, trembling. "She doesn't want me to marry Arsh. She thinks I'm a curse. She said I killed my mother."

I heard a low growl escape his throat, a sound I'd rarely heard from my gentle, compassionate father. He stood abruptly, his hands clenched into fists. "That's it. You're not marrying that man. I won't let you be disrespected like this. Never!"

"Bapa, no!" I stood quickly, grabbing his arm. "Please don't say that. It's not Arsh's fault. He loves me, Baba. He stood up for me!"

But his anger was like a storm, unrelenting. "I don't care, Mishka. If his family cannot respect you, they don't deserve you. I won't let you marry into a family that sees my daughter as a curse!"

"Baba, please listen to me!" My voice cracked as I tried to make him understand.

Before I could say more, a voice boomed from the hallway. "Dr. Basu, may I have a word?"

We both turned toward the entrance to see two figures standing in the doorway. Arsh and his father, Mr. Vikram Malhotra. Arsh's face was pale, his eyes red-rimmed, and his knuckles were bruised. I rushed to him leaving my Baba's arm.

"Wh-what happened to you, how did you-" I asked him, checking his knuckles, I touched his forehead for any injury. He just smiled at me, suddenly I was aware of my surroundings, I hid behind Arsh when I saw Mr. Malhotra. He softly smiled at me.

Mr. Malhotra stepped forward towards my Dad, his presence commanding the room.

"Dr. Basu, I apologize for intruding at this hour, but this is important." He said, his tone calm yet firm.

My father's face hardened. "What is there to talk about, Mr. Malhotra? Your wife humiliated my daughter, and now you want to discuss something important? I don’t think so."

"Please, Dr. Basu." Mr. Malhotra said, his voice softer now. "I understand your anger, and believe me, I'm furious with my wife as well. But I came here to make things right."

Arsh stepped forward, intertwining our hand, his voice shaking. "Sir, I'm so sorry. I never wanted this to happen. I love Mishka, and I'll do anything to protect her. Please, don't punish her because of my family."

My father hesitated, his eyes narrowing as he looked at Mr. Malhotra. "And what do you propose to make this right?"

Mr. Malhotra stepped closer to me, his expression kind. "Mishka, I owe you an apology on behalf of my family. What my wife said was unacceptable, and I promise you, she will apologize to you personally."

"No." My voice surprised everyone, even me. "She's older, Mr. Malhotra. I don't need an apology from her. Please don't force her."

He looked at me, stunned, before his expression softened. "You're an incredible young woman, Mishka. My son is lucky to have you."

Tears welled in my eyes as he reached out, placing a hand on my Head. "From this moment on, consider me your father too. You have my word. No one in our family will ever hurt you again. And if they try, they'll have to answer to me."

"Mr. Malhotra…" I whispered, my voice trembling.

He pulled me into a gentle hug, and for the first time in years, I felt the warmth of a family. "You're part of our family now, beta." He said softly. "No matter what."

When he let go, I turned to see my father wiping his eyes. He stepped forward, placing a hand on my head. "Mishka, if this man can love and protect you like this, then maybe…" His voice broke. "Maybe I can trust him to take care of my little girl."

I hugged him tightly, my tears soaking his shirt. "Thank you, Baba."

He sighed, his voice heavy with emotion. "I need time to think about the marriage, Mishka. Just a little time."

"I understand, Baba." I said, my heart lighter for the first time all day.

As the night deepened, I found myself surrounded by the two fathers in my life, one who had always protected me, and one who promised to do so forever. For the first time, I felt like maybe, just maybe, I could have a family that loved me for who I was.

(⌒0⌒)／~~

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