A Heart full of fear

Anya thought for a moment.

“But… Bhaiya… let me just ask Mother once, then we’ll go.”

Atul immediately stopped her.

“Hey… my little sister, look at the time. It’s already getting late, and it’ll take time to come back too. Please, just come quickly.”

Before Anya could say anything else, Atul gently closed her room door and sent her toward the back entrance.

Seeing Atul standing a little away from the gate, Anya walked over to him.

Soon, the two of them headed toward the market together.

The open air…

felt strangely comforting to Anya.

As if she had been craving it for a long time.

But even then…

fear still sat heavily inside her heart.

No matter how much she wanted to feel happy…

she couldn’t.

Somewhere deep inside, guilt kept pulling her back.

Meanwhile… somewhere else

An Assistant stood nervously in front of a man, speaking carefully, almost afraid of saying the wrong thing.

“Sir… we’ll be reaching that village very soon. The residential area there would be perfect for building the factory…”

He hesitated.

“But, sir… because of one man, more than half the villagers are refusing to sell their land.”

The man sitting before him looked cold and merciless even at a glance.

Without lifting his eyes, he continued flipping through the papers in his hand.

“Hm…”

After a brief silence, he spoke in a calm voice

“We’ve come this far…

to a place like this…

So we’re definitely not leaving empty-handed.”

He finally looked up.

“Just wait…”

Anya kept looking around at the beautiful sights passing by beside her.

But the fear inside her heart…

refused to leave.

No matter how much she wanted it to disappear…

it wouldn’t.

When she looked ahead

her eyes widened in shock.

“Bhaiya…”

she said in a trembling voice.

“You brought me to the city…?”

“So far away from the village…”

“You said we were only going to the market…”

Hearing her worried voice, Atul laughed softly.

“My little sister… look carefully.

This is a market too, isn’t it?

You’ll find every kind of clothes here.”

“Bhaiya… please… I don’t want to stay here.”

“I want to go home.”

“Amma will scold me so much…”

Seeing the huge crowd around her made Anya feel even more nervous.

“Please Bhaiya… let’s go home…”

“There are already so many clothes at home… what will I even do with more?”

“You can buy your shoes some other day…”

“Please… let’s go back…”

She kept speaking quickly in panic.

Atul simply stared at her face.

Usually…

Anya barely spoke this much.

“Anya…”

“We’ll leave in a little while. Don’t panic.”

“Look… my friend is coming.”

“If you keep making that crying face…”

“She’ll think I forced you to come here.”

Just then

a girl walked up to Atul and greeted him with a side hug.

“Hi, Atul… how are you?”

Then she noticed Anya.

“And who’s this?”

Atul smiled.

“Hi, Tiya. This is my younger sister… Anya.”

Tiya looked surprised.

“But… Atul, you never had a sister, right?”

Atul chuckled.

“Come on… she’s my elder uncle’s daughter

but she’s my little sister.”

Nearby, Anya silently watched the two of them hug.

It felt strange to her.

Very strange.

This kind of atmosphere was completely new for her.

She didn’t know what she was supposed to do.

So she simply lowered her face and stood quietly.

“She’s really cute…”

Tiya said while looking at Anya.

“Ohhh… now I get it.

So that’s why you called me here

to help choose clothes for her.”

“I thought Atul Tripathi was finally buying clothes for me.”

Tiya laughed teasingly.

Atul gave her a look, silently asking her to calm down.

Meanwhile, Anya felt even more uncomfortable.

“Come on then let’s buy clothes for your sister first.”

Tiya glanced at Anya once.

To her, Anya’s dressing style looked old-fashioned.

Atul and Tiya walked ahead together while talking.

Anya followed behind them quietly

head lowered.

After a while Tiya asked,

“By the way, Atul… does your sister always wear clothes like this?

Tell me first, otherwise how will I decide what to buy?”

“Exactly like this.”

Atul replied flatly.

Tiya pouted.

“Why are you getting annoyed? I was only asking…”

“Fine, if you won’t tell me

then I’ll choose stylish clothes like the ones I wear.

Just wait…

everyone at home will be impressed.”

Atul sighed.

“Impressed? Maybe not.

But yes… she’ll definitely get scolded.

So buy something simple.

Like suits… or traditional clothes, okay?”

“Okay, okay…”

Tiya laughed.

“But seriously, Atul…

how can anyone have a problem with clothes?

I mean…

clothes are just clothes, right?”

“Tiya…”

Atul’s expression turned serious.

“The atmosphere in our house is very different for girls…

especially in the village.

So please…

no more questions.”

Talking like that, the three of them finally reached the mall entrance.

Looking at it, Atul turned toward Tiya.

“Tiya… please hurry, okay?”

Tiya smiled and nodded.

Then she held Anya’s hand and gently led her inside.

Today was Anya’s first time inside a mall.

Even though it wasn’t very big

to her…

it felt enormous.

The bright lights everywhere made her stop and stare.

Her eyes wandered across everything around her.

Then she slowly looked up at Atul with nervous eyes.

Atul gave her a reassuring look

silently telling her to go with Tiya.

For the first time, Anya looked carefully at Tiya’s clothes.

She was wearing jeans…

and a sleeveless top.

The moment Anya noticed it

she quickly looked away.

Then her eyes landed on a group of girls nearby.

Some of them looked about her age.

They were wearing shorts…

laughing freely with their friends.

Anya quietly looked at them

then lowered her gaze toward her own clothes.

And on their own…

her eyes fell to the floor.

Tiya smiled at Anya and asked,

“So, Anya… what kind of clothes do you like to wear?”

Anya quietly looked at her with her small hesitant

eyes.

“Something simple… like what I’m wearing.”

Then she added softly

“Didi… please hurry. It’s getting late.”

“Okay, okay…”

Tiya quickly walked to the suit section and picked out several dresses for Anya.

Handing them to her, she said

“Here… take these and go try them on. Fast.”

“But… Didi”

Before Anya could say anything else, Tiya gently pushed her inside the changing room.

Anya felt extremely uncomfortable.

And scared.

Everything about this felt strange to her.

After a while, she stepped outside.

The moment Tiya saw her

she burst out laughing.

“Oh! sorry, dear… but this is way too loose on you.”

Then she looked at Anya curiously.

“Why don’t you wear something different?”

“I… I don’t wear those kinds of clothes, Didi…”

Anya said quietly.

She felt embarrassed.

Tiya was still smiling.

She gathered the suits again and took Anya to another section to get something altered according to her size.

Then this time

Tiya handed her a pair of jeans.

The moment Anya saw them

she took two steps back and shook her head.

“No… Didi… I can’t wear this.”

“Anya… you’ll wear it under the kurti, okay?”

“It’ll feel comfortable… and stylish too.”

But Anya was already nervous just looking at it.

Without saying anything more

she quietly told Tiya her size.

Like an obedient child…

Anya simply stood beside Tiya.

Watching everything around her made her uneasy.

She didn’t know why

but she felt scared.

Everything happening today…

was a first for her.

After picking a few silver jewelry pieces too, Tiya took a deep breath.

“Done.”

Just then a salesgirl brought the altered clothes.

Tiya turned to Anya.

“Everything’s ready. Now let’s just see the final look once.”

Anya nervously rubbed her fingers together.

“Ji… did you say something?”

Tiya smiled.

“Yes. Go try everything once. I want to see how it looks on you.”

“Didi… they’re really beautiful… just like your choice.”

“They’ll look nice on me…”

Then Anya looked toward the exit.

“Can we go downstairs now? Bhaiya must be waiting.”

Hearing this

Tiya became slightly annoyed.

But she hid it and quietly walked downstairs.

Seeing both of them return, Atul came over.

He paid the bill.

and the three of them stepped outside.

They had barely started walking along the roadside when Tiya suddenly noticed a small momo stall crowded with people.

“Atul, look! Let’s eat momos.”

“Bhaiya… three plates, please,” Tiya ordered happily.

As soon as the plates arrived, Tiya started eating with excitement.

But Atul’s eyes were on Anya.

She looked lost in thought again.

Even in the middle of such a crowd…

she seemed trapped inside herself.

Anxious.

Afraid.

“Anya… eat.”

Atul gently nudged her.

Anya kept staring at the plate.

Then after thinking for a moment

“No… this must have chicken.”

Atul laughed softly.

“No, silly… these are veg.

They’re called momos.

What I showed you before was something else.”

Tiya rolled her eyes while eating.

“Seriously… I worked so hard picking clothes for her…

and she didn’t even try them properly.”

“Bhaiya… I’m really not hungry.”

Anya said quietly.

“I already ate at home…

There’s no space left in my stomach now.”

“At least eat a little.”

Atul insisted.

So Anya ate a small bite.

Meanwhile Atul went to pay and spoke with Tiya nearby.

Tiya still looked upset.

“Listen, Atul…

if things stay like this…

our future together won’t work.”

“Because I’m never going to live in a village.”

“So whatever you want to do…

do it fast.”

“And take your so-called sister home too.

She seems desperate to go back.”

She gave an irritated laugh.

“Village girl…”

Then Tiya got on her scooter

and drove away.

Atul stood there silently, lost in thought.

Anya had heard enough to understand.

And it hurt.

Without saying anything

Atul took Anya and headed back home.

“I’m sorry, Bhaiya…”

Anya said in a low voice while riding back.

“I’m really stupid…

I don’t understand things properly.”

Hearing her sad voice, Atul smiled.

“Hey… it’s okay.”

“You’re still a child.”

“Don’t think so much.”

“If you keep taking this much stress, your tiny little brain will burst.”

Then he laughed.

“And enjoy the trip, okay?”

“Don’t stay quiet and lost all the time.”

“Life doesn’t give chances like this again and again.”

By the time they reached home

it was almost seven in the evening.

Anya was nervous again.

Atul told her to enter through the back door

while he went in through the front.

“Oyye, boy… where were you this late?”

Grandmother said the moment she saw Atul enter.

“It’s already night. Go wash up.”

Meanwhile

the moment Anya entered

she quickly changed her clothes

and rushed downstairs to the kitchen.

Most of dinner was already prepared.

Her aunt was cutting vegetables separately for Grandmother.

“Chachi Ma… give it to me, I’ll do it.”

Anya reached for the plate.

Her aunt looked at her sharply.

“So… did you get nice clothes while roaming outside with Atul?”

Then she taunted

“But apparently telling anyone at home wasn’t necessary, right?”

“If not me… you could’ve at least told your mother.”

“But no…

now the girl has grown up.

Why would she listen to anyone anymore?”

Nearby, Nisha Ji had heard every word.

Anger flashed across her face.

She walked straight toward Anya

grabbed her hand and slapped her hard across the face.

“How dare you leave the house without telling anyone?”

“And come back this late?”

“Remember this, Anya

you are not some spoiled girl who stays out all night.”

“At least think of your family’s honor.”

“But no…

you only want to roam around.”

Her voice trembled with pain and anger.

“If you ever go that far again…

remember one thing

you won’t be allowed to study outside for long.”

“You’ll be married off young like ordinary village girls…

and spend your life as a puppet in someone else’s hands.”

By the end of it

tears had filled her mother’s eyes.

She turned and walked away.

Hearing shouting from the kitchen

Grandmother yelled from outside

“What’s happening in there? Why so much noise?”

“Amma Ji… it’s…”

“Speak clearly.”

“Ask her yourself.”

Damini Ji replied.

Grandmother called out

“You girl… come here.”

Anya walked forward trembling.

“Ji… Dadi…”

“Where were you this late at night?”

Anya tried to answer

“Dadi… I…”

But Damini interrupted

“What will she say?”

“She went to the city.”

“And came back through the back door at night—

as if no one should know she had returned.”

Grandmother’s face darkened with rage.

She stood up

and struck Anya’s leg several times with the wooden stick in her hand.

Anya’s whole body shook from the pain.

“So much courage you have now?”

“Staying out in the city till this late?”

“Wait till your father returns

I’ll tell him your daughter is no longer in control.”

“What if one day she traps some boy with this pretty face of hers and runs away?”

“Shameless girl…”

“Get out of my sight.”

Until now

Anya had somehow been holding back her tears.

But now

they wouldn’t stop.

She kept crying silently.

Then suddenly

she heard loud voices from outside.

Startled, she quickly wiped her tears

and walked toward the courtyard.

Standing against the wall

she quietly looked ahead.

Atul was standing there

arguing with Grandmother.

Telling her

none of this was Anya’s fault.

Grandmother snapped back

“Stop taking that girl’s side.”

“Focus on your studies and your work.

Don’t let her become trouble for you.”

Atul wanted to say much more

but he swallowed his anger.

Damini scolded him and pulled him away from there.

And Anya…

stood silently in the corner

Hii There ❤️

Thank you for reading 💛

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