Is forever for R.E.A.L?

Chapter 19- Where were you?

“Didn’t she say anything?” Ashish asked us while we were figuring out how to contact Esha.
“How could she? Her father pulled her out of the hospital. She didn’t even have the opportunity to wave goodbye. It was all too quickly.” I said close to crying. Crying was justified then, I guess. I couldn’t contact my crush...err I mean my best friend since the day she disappeared.
“Can’t we meet her at her house?” Ashish asked reluctantly knowing we would have done it already if it was possible.
“There’s a lot of risk involved. Esha could get in more trouble.” Rehan said calmly though I knew he was freaking out from inside.
“Then what should we do?” I asked.
“Wait. We  don’t have any other alternative.”
It was after four days that Esha returned. She seemed silent. Unusually silent. There was some problem but I decided not to mention it to Ashish or Rehan for if it was just my assumption, they would take unnecessary tension.
“Where were you for such a long time?” Rehan asked Esha in a little high tone. Though it was because of his concern for her, it sounded harsh.
“Mom was sick. I had to tend to her.” I noticed her getting afraid of Rehan. It didn’t happen anytime before. Something was definitely wrong.
“What is it?” I asked Esha as everyone left. We had taken a computer workshop for which we had to stay in school for an hour more.
“What?” she said alarmed that I knew something.
“I figured out you were acting strange so something happened in these few days when you were absent.”
“No. Nothing.” She said with cold eyes. Something had happened as this look was something I had never seen on her face.
“It’s okay. I won’t force if you don’t want to say. I just thought you trusted me.” I said thinking that emotional blackmail could work.
“It’s nothing.” She said. Assuming it didn’t work, I gave up.
“Don’t tell Rehan and Ashish whatever I tell you. Nor will you do anything. Just listen.” Esha said after a fraction of second.
“I won’t.” I promised.
“You have met my dad, right?” she asked
“Yeah.” I said trying not to remember how I met him.
“He hits my mother. Since after I was born.”
“What?” I asked in disbelief.
“Yes. He didn’t hit me earlier. He scolded me and threatened about hitting me but he didn’t hit. I was quite confident he wouldn’t hit me. But....” she trailed off.
“What but?” I asked, not liking the sound of what’s going to happen.
“He slapped me hard when I tried to push him away. I know a father slapping a daughter is not a big deal. But I know now he has started, he won’t stop.” She said starting to cry.
“Why don’t you do anything about it?” I asked crying too. It just takes a trigger for me to start crying.
“I can’t. My mother has to sign a form saying she wants to divorce him. But she denies to do so.” She said.
“Why?”
“Traditional values.” She said sighing.
“Hmm.” I said not knowing what to say.
“Don’t tell anyone okay?” she said.
“Won’t.” I said smiling a little.
“Thanks.” She said smiling again
“See you tomorrow.”
I walked home with a merry mood. The fact that Esha shared something with me that she didn’t with Rehan or Ashish made me happy. But I was a little afraid about what she said, that her father might hit her again. Though she said not to do anything, I decided to find a way to convince her mom to leave his husband.
I checked my watch to check the time when my eyes fell on the date. 16 January. It was mom's birthday. I had to bring a cake and me and dad would celebrate her birthday together. I hurried off to a cake shop and bought a small chocolate cake and hurried to home. Dad wasn’t home and Rehan shifted to a another one room apartment when he got a new job. I decorated the house and after dad was back, we ate dinner and the cake. After eating the cake, Dad had taken out all the photo albums which had Mom’s photos in it. We spent the last few hours of the day laughing at my goofy pictures. I could sense tears coming out of my eyes but I controlled them as my dad and I had decided not to cry on mom’s birthday. The day ended and we slept.
But the next day, I woke up to seven calls from Esha.