Dear Isha,
This is your uncle Nikhil writing to you. You may not know me because your mother would not have uttered a word about her family. Why would she? After all now she is the wife of a wealthy businessman. She would be too ashamed to acknowledge her humble relatives. She admitted as much to me herself. She forbade me from seeing you and when I insisted in doing so, she has got me locked up in prison for a crime I did not commit. You may wonder why was she adamant in preventing me from seeing you. Do you know why? She was scared. She was scared that I will reveal the truth about her lack of character and avarice for money.
Yes, Isha, your mother, after sleeping with her boyfriend of eight years, ditched him on their wedding day, in order to elope with your father because he was rich. Are you shocked? I bet you are. Wait, there is more. The man you are calling your father is not your real father. You are Neev’s daughter. Abhi accepted to father you because he lusted after your mother.
For their own gains your parents have ruined your life, Isha. They have ruined it. They deprived you of being raised with love in a normal family, by your own father and mother. Instead you are being raised by a mother who lusts after money and a father who lusts after her. You may biologically be her kid, but my sister Pragya loves your brother more than she loves you because he is Abhi’s son. Your father pretends to love you but how can any man love another man’s child more than his own? So you see, neither of them care for you or love you. They are just keeping up the pretences for the sake of that old man, your grandfather who still thinks you are his own flesh and blood. Once he is gone, I shudder to think what would be your status in this family. That is why I wanted to warn you in advance so that you are not shocked when they throw you out of the house in future.
You ever loving and caring uncle,=
Nikhil.
Isha was horror stricken reading this letter. She dropped it and made a dash out of the door. As she ran out into the corridor she overheard voices coming out of the guest room in which Neev and Neha stayed. She stopped and listened.
“Neha, it is so hard to hear Isha call me Neev uncle. I know I cannot expect anything more but I so want her to call me Dad, atleast once.”
“You know that is not possible, Neev……”
Isha did not wait to hear more. With tears streaming from her eyes, she blindly ran out of the house. Just as she opened the door to rush out, Reyansh caught sight of her as he ripped the wrapping of the last gift to be opened.
“Didi, where are you going?” he yelled out in alarm. Neev’s kids looked towards the door but she was gone by then.
Hearing Rey’s shout, Abhi, Pragya, Neev and Neha came rushing out of their respective rooms. Seeing that Isha was missing Abhi asked his son where was she.
“I don’t know Papa. She ran out of the door without turning around,” said a confused Reyansh.
“Uncle, I saw her running out of her room before she ran out,” said Abhay.
Abhi rushed to Isha’s room with Pragya, Neev and Neha behind him. He found the letters and photo strewn around. A quick look at the letter told him the reason for Isha’s strange behaviour.
“That rogue, Nikhil. If ever I get my hands around his neck, I will throttle him!” he gnashed his teeth.
“What happened?” asked Neev.
“She knows only half-truths and lies,” whispered Abhi angrily handing the letter to him.
Neev was horrified to read it. “Now what do we do?”
“I’ll find her.”
“I’ll come with you,” Neev volunteered.
“No Neev. It is better that Pragya and I confront her and explain the truth to her.”
Neha nodded in agreement.
“Yes, Neev. Let them handle their daughter. They know best. Moreover, we need to calm the rest of the children. Somebody needs to be with Reyansh and assure him all is well with his sister.”
Neev had to agree that she was right. By now the children came trickling into the room. Abhi quickly shoved the envelope into his pocket lest they see it and asked Reyansh to be with Neev uncle and Neha aunty while they go to bring back his sister.
“Why did Didi run away like that?” asked Reyansh innocently. “Was she angry that I opened her gifts?”
“No darling. She is not angry with you. She loves you,” said Neha patting his cheek. “It’s very late. You need to catch up on your sleep.” She took the kids to their guest room and made them all lie on the bed. She stretched out between them and tried to envelope them all with her arms asking them if they wanted to hear a story. The children enthusiastically nodded their heads. She then narrated a long fairy tale. Soon the children’s eyes felt droopy and they fell asleep.
All the while Neev stood by the window and chewed his nails in nervousness, wondering where his daughter was and what was going on in her mind.
On leaving her house, Isha had got on to her bicycle and peddled as fast as she could. She reached her haven in fifteen minutes. It was a small secluded mound not very far from her house. It was where she went whenever she wanted to be on her own and think. Tonight of all nights she wanted to be on her own but she did not want to think. She just wanted to blight all memories of her life for they were filled with images of the two most important people in her life, her Papa and her Mama. Today she felt let down by both the people she had reposed all her faith and trust. She did not care that it was nearly eleven in the night and she was the sole person in that desolate place which was dimly lit. All she cared was that she got the much needed air to breathe, for in her own house she felt suffocated. She sat on the green grass and pulling her legs up, she buried her head between her knees and wept bitterly.
Meanwhile, abhi and Pragya got into their car and Abhi started the engine.
“Where could she have gone?” asked Pragya
“I know where she would have gone,” Abhi said without elaborating further. He knew his daughter’s secret getaway. He had followed her there several times but always stood at a distance so that she felt she was on her own. He always kept a watchful eye over her though.
When they reached the spot, he saw her bicycle lying at the bottom of the little mound. He parked his car and together with Pragya he climbed up. Even before they reached up they could clearly hear her heart wrenching loud sobs tearing the quiet of the night. His heart went out to his daughter. In the past he never intruded into her private space but tonight he had to, if only to stop the unbearable sobs. Pragya followed him silently, her own heart heavy with grief and despair. As soon as they spotted her, Abhi rushed to his daughter and sat down beside her. He then gently laid his hand on her shoulder. She jerked her head up and seeing him, her eyes opened wide in surprise. How he knew her secret place, she wondered. She shrugged his hand off her shoulder and yelled.
“Please leave me alone. Have you not done enough?”
“What have I done, darling?” asked Abhi in a pained voice.
She did not respond for she felt ashamed to say that he lusted after her mother. All said and done she had called him Papa till now. She cannot speak so derogatorily to him.
“Isha, your Papa is not at fault. I am,” Pragya tried to intervene.
Isha turned to her mother and looked at her with flaming eyes, “Yes, you are. You are the one who ditched your boyfriend on your wedding day and forced another man to father your child,” she spat out.
“Isha!” For the first time in his life he raised his voice at his daughter. “Is this the way to speak to your mother?” If there was one thing he could not stand, it was anyone accusing his Pragya of immorality.
Isha stared at her father who had raised his voice in front of her.
So here it is, what do u guys think Abhi should do to correct his teenage daughter from the façade of lies. Pheww. Quite a long one right hope I haven’t bored u all with this update. Only one more and the journey of strangers will come to an end. Thank u so much for giving ur valuable comments and views it means a lot u know. Expecting that for this update too. Love u all stay blessed and haan don’t forget to comment sayanora..