THIRD PERSON
The creamy curtains flew open as the servants hurriedly pulled and tied them. The room was suddenly lit by the warm sunlight, penetrating through the glass windows. A young girl, aged 21, pushed off her blanket and got up, stretching her arms lazily.
One of the servants, placing slippers on the side of the bed, said, "Baby Ji, please get up. It's already late. We have come for the third time to wake you up. It is your first day of college after the summer break. You will get late, and we will get scolded badly."
The girl rubbed her eyes lazily and said, "But I am sleepy. I slept pretty late last night." "Baby ji, are you having those nightmares and panic attacks again?" asked Nisha, the servant, worrying about her.
A loose strand of hair came across her face, and her forehead started sweating, as she remembered how bad it got last night, once more. The panic attacks due to the darkness of the night always troubled her, keeping her awake till late at night.
She had tried everything, leaving the lights on, sleeping with her mother, taking anxiety pills, but nothing helped. It had become a routine for her. She had accepted that these panic attacks and sleepless nights are a part of her life now.
Brushing off the negative thoughts, she got up from the bed and hugged her servant from behind. Nisha, a lady almost double her age, has worked in the Bedi House since Ananya was born. She was like a second mother to her, always tending to her unspoken needs and taking care of her like her own child. Ananya, after her mother and father, was attached most to Nisha.
"What will I ever do without you, meri amma?" Ananya said playfully, teasing her. Nisha turned around, laughing and scolding her, "teri amma niche tera wait kar rahi hai, agar tu jaldi nahi gayi to teri bhi class lagegi aur meri bhi" she said.
("What will I ever do without you, my mother? sarcastically. Your mother? Your mother is waiting for you downstairs. If you don't arrive on time, you and I both will get scolded badly.")
Ananya hurriedly went to the washroom and freshened up. She came out and quickly got changed into a short red kurti, which was tied by a dori from behind, pairing it up with a denim jeans. She wore bangles, applied her small bindi, and a light nude lip shade on her soft pink and plump lips. Her wet hair swayed perfectly just above her hips, and a strand lay loose in front of her face. She applied a thin layer of kohl, completing her look. She took her bag, which contained books on Psychology, and hurried downstairs.
.
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The house was buzzing with servants, hurriedly bringing and arranging the breakfast at the dining table. The Bedi household name was a huge deal in the city. The top businessmen and generational wealth had made them powerful and beyond anyone's reach.
With multiple billion-dollar businesses and unchecked power, they were the most feared family in the city. Some said the Bedis hide their illegal activities in the shadow of their "clean business".
For generations, this family had been in multiple businesses, with Swaraj Bedi, Ananya's great-grandfather, as its head. Now, Rajat Bedi-Ananya's father was the head of their businesses, along with 30-year-old Vikram Bedi, the elder son of Rajat Bedi and brother of Ananya.
Vikram, like his father, was a hot-headed person. He knew how to handle complicated situations in their business and, more importantly, how to handle the people who came in their way. He was a ruthless man who cared about no one, except for his little sister, Ananya.
Ananya was the apple of her family members' eyes. Her softness and pure heart touched everyone around her, making everyone love her. She was raised in an extremely protected environment. Her simplicity was her essence, and her beauty was unmatched. She didn't even have to try, yet she'd stand out in a room full of people.
But Ananya did not like attention. As simple as she was, she had her own dreams. Dreams of becoming a psychologist, trying to decode the complexities of people's minds and help them.
As Ananya came down the stairs, she saw her father sitting at the head of the table. The dining table was set with a variety of items, but Ananya had no appetite. The reason for this was the conversation she wanted to have with her father.
"Good morning, my girl," Rajat said, pecking Ananya's cheeks as she bent down to hug her father. "Good morning, Papa," said Ananya hesitantly with a smile, not stretching up to her eyes. Rajat noticed this and asked, "Why is my girl so quiet? What's troubling her?"
"It's nothing, Papa," Ananya said hesitantly. Rajat may be a heartless person, but to his daughter, he always had an open heart. "Tell me now, what's troubling my precious daughter?"
"Um..papa..I wanted to ask tha" she could not finish the sentence as Mira, Vikram's wife, came and touched Rajat's feet, seeking his blessings as his daughter-in-law.
Mira Bedi was a 24-year-old woman, married to Vikram Bedi, when she was just 21. She did not belong to a family that was at par with the Bedis. Her family was very different from Vikram's family. She came from a middle-class background, where her father was a manager in a bank. Mira was 20 years old when she was in college, where Vikram had come as the Chief Guest at a function in her college. He saw her and fell for her, not in love, but mostly in lust. He forced her to marry her, using his own ways. Initially, Mira hated him; she was scared of his anger and his intentions. But eventually she came to know Vikram, and she found love for him in her heart. Vikram was extremely possessive of his wife.
As Mira bent down to touch the feet, her pallu slid off her head, which she immediately corrected, before Vikram could see, who was also sitting on the dining table and having his breakfast. Seeing this, Ananya felt disturbed. Ananya had a very sisterly bond with Mira, and Mira considered Ananya as her younger sister and daughter. Ananya knew about her family dynamics, about how patriarchy ran in her family through generations.
Extending his hand over her head, Rajat blessed his daughter-in-law and asked her to sit and eat. "What were you saying, daughter?" Rajat asked Ananya.
"I was s..saying th..that..I am in my final year of college..I know you will not agree, but Papa, please, I am requesting you once again, can I pursue Master's? Papa, it is my dream to become a psychologist.." Ananya uttered these words slowly as she was scared of the answer.
Seeing Rajat's shift in behaviour and expressions, Mira somehow dared to say, "P...Papa, use aage padhne dijiya na, uska bahot mann hai..meri bhi padhai adhoori reh gai thi, aur mai jaanti hun ki kaisa lagta hai, jab aapke sapne adhoore reh jayein.."
("Papa, please let her study further, she really wants to. I personally know how miserable it feels when your dreams are not fulfilled.")
As soon as these words came out of Mira's mouth, Vikram's gaze shot up in anger towards her, and he said angrily, "Will you shut your mouth! Stop putting these weird ideas in my little sister's head!"
Mira immediately lowered her gaze, and her hands trembled in fear. She knew better than to speak her mind in Bedi house, yet she could not see her beloved Ananya disheartened.
Ananya immediately stopped her brother, saying, "Bhaiya, please, calm down! Bhabhi is only requesting papa, and she has not put any ideas in my head. You all know that I always wanted to become a psychologist, and I cannot become a good one unless I study further. Please don't scold Bhabhi because of me." She said this, holding Mira's hand under the table. Mira's eyes were filled with tears.
Seeing the tense situation, Rajat finally said, "Enough! all of you. Ananya, my love, you know the women in our family do not waste their time in studies and jobs outside the house. But seeing your determination, I allowed you to go to college."
Ananya knew that it was. Her father had already been liberal to her by allowing her to go to college. But there was no question about him allowing her to study further. He would never allow her. She looked down at her empty plate, disheartened. Tears swelled up in her eyes as she could see her dreams shattering, one by one.
"And now my daughter says she wants to study further. How can I not allow her and give her what she wants?" He smiled as he said this. Hearing this, Ananya lifted her neck instantly, looking at her father, as a beatuful smile crept on her face, which was reaching her bright honey-brown eyes. She could not believe her ears as she heard those words from her father.
"But Papa, how can you allow her to do this? We had agreed..." Vikram immediately barked in shock and anger. Rajat cut him off in between, "I know Vikram, but my precious daughter's smile has been missing since morning. How could I see her upset! I trust my daughter. She knows her limits and she knows me, too. She knows that if I can give her freedom to do whatever she wants, I can also cut her feathers and lock her in her room forever.
The shift in Rajat's demeanour sent a chill down Ananya's spine. It was true. She knew how strict her father and brother were. But she also knew how much they loved her and cared for her dreams, and that alone was enough to make her happy.
Mira turned towards Ananya and hugged her tightly. She kissed her temples, saying, "I am so happy for you, Ananya. I know you will make us all proud." Anaya responded by nodding her head.
As Ananya got up from the table to leave for college, she sat in the back of the car with the driver in front. She couldn't help but smile and feel content. Her eyes shone brighter from the dreams that were saved from being shattered. This was the happiest she felt in a long time.
Little did Ananya Bedi know that this would change the fate of her and her family's life forever. She opened the door of the car and got out, towards the gate of the college, oblivious of the impending doom that would shatter her in the most brutal way.
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