Hope

The Misfortune

Two baggages gone, two more to go, is what the Stepmother thought to herself while sipping tea and looking at Sanaya while she made the preparations for dinner.

She thought that getting a terrible home for Sanaya won't be a problem, but finding a terrible girl for Rahul would be. It'll be difficult to control the girl's every action as girls can easily overcome anything with the power of love. She had already seen how easy it was to manipulate her own husband, so if a cunning woman just like her, were to come in the house, she could be capable of changing the whole situation and overthrow her power and control over the family in no time. She had two options, either look for a girl herself, whom she'll be able to control easily or not let Rahul get married at all by filling his head with hatred towards the idea of marriage.

Rahul had already seen how badly his two sisters were suffering in their individual homes, but he couldn't do anything. He had no idea how to fix anything. Both Ishika and Avika told him that it was now their personal matter, and he is not supposed to interfere. Rahul felt helpless, he knew that it'll be the same for Sanaya as well. Dark thoughts started erupting in his mind, he wanted to get rid of his wretched stepmother, but he knew that it won't be possible.

He would get a little satisfaction out of teasing his step brother who was really young, but at the end of the day, Vidhaan wasn't at fault, and Rahul didn't get any real satisfaction in bullying him. He also once gave a thought about giving up his own life, to end this misery. Then these thoughts started coming to his mind way more than often. His depression was fuelling his mind with suicidal thoughts, and he just wanted to end all of it at once but he was also scared, because the decision of taking your own life isn't easy, and if his sisters were hanging in there, then he had no right to act like a coward.

So one day he decided to visit his uncle who lived in a small town, far from his city. He took time off, packed his bags and just left. His father wasn't in the country either, and his stepmother couldn't control him so easily so it was the perfect opportunity for him to visit his most favourite people in the world.

Rahul's aunt had always loved him like her own child. She always wanted the best for him and she knew how difficult life could be while living with that wretched woman, his stepmother. She never approved of her brother-in-law's wife, but she didn't really had a say in it. They had to keep up with all the tricks that woman had to pull, and either break off all the ties with them, or keep getting insulted. Her husband had happily chose the latter because he wanted to keep an eye on his brother's children as well. He knew that if he were to abandon his relation with his brother, the kids would eventually die. He couldn't do much for the kids, but even checking up on them every now and then gave him some peace, that the kids were still managing to survive on their own.

Rahul would always visit his uncle and aunt whenever he'd feel lost, lonely or suicidal thoughts were to cross his mind but this time was different. This time, he was desperately searching for solid reasons, which would help him avoid take such a drastic step. One evening, he decided to let it all out. He told his aunt that he wanted to end his life, because he couldn't save Avika or Ishika from those imposed destinies, he even couldn't marry the girl that he loved and he knew that he won't be able to save Sanaya either.

Good things only come towards Vidhi and Vidhaan's way, and no matter how talented he or his sisters were, opportunities to succeed would only be given to those two. His parents don't let him leave, if he gets a job offer which requires him to change the city, his stepmother manipulates his father to not let him go. She thinks that it's just another excuse for him to return to the village and live like a hooligan.

Both of them are hell-bent on ruining all their lives, and Rahul felt like ending his life was the best way. He cried on his Aunt's lap as she heard all of this. She couldn't see the poor boy in such a condition, and broke down herself. She decided that if things were to remain this way, Rahul would soon be dead. She made it a mission to find him happiness, to find him a girl who could stand strongly beside him and shared his pain. She thought that if the right girl comes to his life, she could fix what has been long broken inside Rahul.

A few days passed by, Rahul's aunt started looking for a suitable match for him. She told him to return to his house and take care of Sanaya while she tried to find a solution to the problem. She also told him that love will eventually find a way in his life if he kept looking. If he gives up hope then it could lead everyone's life into danger. And ending his own life would mean ending everyone else's life which were related to him, the people who looked upto him for support, would themselves breakdown, if he were to take such a step.

Rahul agreed and with a lighter heart, he went back to his miserable life. 

Meanwhile his aunt had finally found a suitable match for Rahul. Her friend recommended a family one evening, and told her that they have been looking for a boy too. She thought this must be destiny and decided to reach out to them. She met the family, the girl was her parent's only child. She was beautiful, soft spoken and brilliantly qualified. Her parents had raised her as their son, which meant that they didn't lack in providing her any comfort or necessity. She was her parent's beloved child and had great ideologies. Rahul's aunt was skeptical because she wasn't expecting to find such a girl in her town. They barely had any modern facilities, yet this girl seemed way ahead of her time.

His aunt decided that the girl could bring a real revolution to not only Rahul's life but to the whole family. She could be the key to all the answers that Rahul was searching for. And she decided to make this happen at all costs.

Whereas the girl, Ananya, didn't know that her life was about to be filled with several misfortunes.