Stubborn Love

The Middle Path

Sia sat straighter in alarm as her father frowned at his impish remark. She could see it annoyed her father when Raghav addressed her with her nickname.

She knew Raghav was only being his usual playful self. If they were alone, it would have made her heart melt like butter.

But they weren't alone. The honorable intention of a boy playfully teasing his daughter wouldn't go well with her father's stringent rules. But to her utmost relief, he limited his reaction to an unpleasant scowl.

'It's a very common name in our college!' She answered, fixing a bitter glare at the grinning senior. She couldn't let her father doubt her feelings towards him. He blindly trusted her to be incorruptibly principled, and she couldn't let him down.

To steer his attention, she asked fervently, 'Papa, did you get a sleeper bus? Tell me you didn't sit all night!'.

Manmohan turned and shook his head. 'I - I managed all right.'

'Papa! Did you even eat anything since last night? And why do you look so thin? ' Sia asked, frowning.

Even though Raghav was finding Sia's concerns adorable, the last bit was way too exaggerated.

Manmohan's features suddenly betrayed his stoicism as his eyes started to turn moist. 'How could I eat dinner without knowing if my Chini ate anything or not?'

Sia's face fell in guilt. She had manipulated her father's emotions to stay out of trouble.

The lady cop coughed, and Manmohan brought his attention to her. 'Why is the cop here?'

'I am here to get your daughter's statement for the molestation complaint.'

Sia gaped back at her father, frightened by the word. 'It wasn't - it was a small issue.'

The lady cop raised her brows at her familiar reaction, unmoved. She had seen more women deny being sexually harassed than men deny harassing them.

Manmohan stared stonily. 'It is a misunderstanding. No evil can befall my daughter. She is as pure as river Ganga.'

Sia's eyes shot up at his words. A part of her retreated in conflict. Did it make her less pure in her father's eyes?

She had acted pathetically seconds ago on impulse. Only to shield him from facing the ugly truth head on. But even after knowing everything, how could he refute the incident completely?

Raghav scowled at his comment. 'She's still the same. Filing a report won't change a thing.'

'It is true, son. But we don't want to raise any complaint.' Manmohan said with resolution.

'Let Sia decide for herself.' Raghav declared, his voice marred with acute irritation.

Manmohan glared at the now dominating profile of the young man. Then he uncomfortably looked at Sia, and commanded, 'Chini, tell them it's your decision too.'

Sia continued to look down at the pen in her hand. She had never gone against her father's dictate. If he was saying something, it had to be for her own good. 'I - I don't want to file the complaint.'

Her response stunned Raghav. He took an impatient step forward, 'Sia, you only need to give your consent for pressing charges. I will take care of everything else. I promise.'

Sia's fingers constricted on the pen but she didn't look up.

Manmohan furrowed his brows at the man speaking so comfortably to his daughter. 'Please don't persuade her to do anything that is against her wellbeing.' Turning to the lady cop, he suggested, 'You should leave now.'