Chapter 1
“Aadhya, come dear, it’s time for dinner.” Aadhya—she was a shy, introverted, and sensitive girl. She was the eldest of her three siblings. Some people consider it auspicious, while others view it as a burden when a girl is born into the family. But her family gave mixed signals. She was barred from every enjoyment for only one reason—she was a girl. Her family was going through a rough time, and perhaps that added another weight on her shoulders. The pain she carried could be seen in her eyes. Every day, she would experience taunts and nagging. Every day, while eating, her tears would run down through her cheeks and get mixed in her rice. Sometimes she was unable to swallow her food, though it was her favorite meal, but she would force herself not to make a scene and get scoldings. Her family used to find every single mistake in her work. But in every situation, one hand didn’t leave her—it was the person who gave her birth, her mom.
Now let’s come back to the present. She came all the way to the dining hall and sat down to have her meal. “Aadhya, how was your day today?” asked her father with a gentle and soft voice.
Listening to that, she wanted to share with her father heartily. “Nanna, today my day was good as usual. And Nanna, can I ask you one thing? But promise me you won’t get mad at me!” To that, her father replied, “Yes, dear, go on.” “Nanna, tomorrow one of my friends’ birthdays is going to be celebrated in a hotel, and she invited me. Can I go?” To that, her father looked at her with eyes widened, filled with anger. “Stop it, Aadhya. First, focus on your studies. Look at your grades, and all of your friends are scoring very well on their exams. Just look at your face and your average marks. Now just shut up and dig in quietly. Don’t let a single word out, and don’t make a scene here.”
Listening to her father, she was startled and stammered, “Ok-ok-okay Nanna.” Silence carried more pain than words. She was unable to swallow her food, and her eyes were glistening with water. She thought that she was stupid and dim-witted enough to disappoint her father while having dinner. That night, she held her pillow tightly, and her tears welled down her cheeks, and her pillow got wet. Her mother patted her head with love and kissed her forehead.
