chapter 17

After Aditya had left, Aashi stormed into the house, her steps hitting the floor with force. Her eyes were filled with tears and anger as she made her way inside. In the center of the hall stood her father, Mr. Triparty was standing. Aashi: Dad, today the way you behaved with Aditya, it was not good at all. What was even his mistake to get such bad treatment from you? (Aashi questioned with her voice dripping with anger) Mr Triparty: Aashi, his biggest mistake is that he dared to love a girl who is much higher in status than him (Mr. Triparty replied in a tone filled with disdain) Aashi: Differentiating people based on their wealth and status might be your mentality, not mine. For me, all are equal (Aashi retorted, her voice firm) Mr Triparty: Before holding such thoughts , don't forget that you're not an ordinary girl. You are the daughter of Amitabh Triparty, one of the richest persons in town. Have you ever thought about what position and respect I will have in the business world if I let you marry that low-class guy? Aashi: Dad, not everyone holds such a cheap mentality like you. And even if they do, why should we care about what other people think? Mr Triparty: You might not care what other people think, but I do. I have a respected name in society (Mr. Triparty stated firmly) Aashi: A person's respect increases when they treat everyone equally. By accepting Aditya, your respect won't decrease, but it will increase more among the people (Aashi argued) Mr Triparty: Enough now, no more arguments. You won't keep any relation with that guy, and my decision is full and final (Mr. Triparty replied angrily) Aashi: I never even imagined that you would become the wall between mine and Aditya's relationship. I still remember when I expressed my interest in building an institute to help people in need, it was you who put your money into fulfilling my wish. And now, seeing your hatred towards people of lower status, I am shocked (Aashi said, her voice filled with disappointment) Mr Triparty: Aashi, rich people like us do charity for low-class people and end things right there. We don't bring them into our homes and make them part of our family. If I knew that you would start bringing people into our house whom you helped in need, then I would have never allowed you to open the institute either (Mr. Triparty explained with his voice filled with conviction) Hearing her father's reply, Aashi remained silent for a few seconds. Aashi: Really Dad, I feel sorry for your thinking. anyways, You have told me your decision right? Now listen to my decision as well. Whether you like it or not, I won't leave Aditya. He is my life, and I won't let you take my life away from me (Aashi declared, her voice filled with determination) Mr Triparty: Alright then, get ready to pay for the consequences of making such a wrong decision (Mr. Triparty replied with his anger evident. He turned and walked away, leaving Aashi standing there, resolute in her love for Aditya) The next morning, Aditya was startled by a knock on his door. As he opened it, he was taken aback to see Mr. Triparty standing there. Aditya: Ah... Sir, you...you came up here all of a sudden? (Aditya exclaimed, his voice filled with surprise) Mr Triparty: Why? Do I need permission to enter my daughter's own apartment? Or have you completely forgotten that this apartment doesn't belong to you, but to my daughter? She gave it to you when you were homeless (Mr. Triparty replied, trying to insult Aditya) Aditya however remained calm and gave a peaceful smile. Aditya: How can I forget all this Sir? Aashi came into my life when I had lost everything. She not only gave me this apartment to stay in, but also taught me how to live life (Aditya replied sincerely) Mr. Triparty, determined to provoke Aditya, continued. Mr Triparty: And later, an idea struck your mind. You thought, why not make that girl fall in love with you so that you can easily take over her wealth. Am I not right? Aditya: If you think that way, then you are completely wrong Sir. I didn't fall in love with Aashi because I wanted to take over her wealth. I always felt like a burden on this world, but Aashi made me realize that I am not a burden. She understood me in a way that no one else did, and that's why I fell in love with her. in my eyes, the value of love is much higher than the value of the wealth which your talking about. Mr. Triparty grew angrier, interpreting Aditya's words as an insult to himself. Mr Triparty: Do you even know who you are talking to? I am Amitabh Triparty...one of the richest person in town (he declared, his voice filled with arrogance) Aditya: I know very well Sir, whom I am talking to. I respect you a lot. And trust me, right now, I am feeling very scared and nervous talking to a huge personality like you. But there is another truth, and that truth is that the strength of mine and Aashi's love is much greater than the fear I feel talking to you. This same strength is what allows me to have this conversation with you (Aditya maintained his composure and replied respectfully) Mr. Triparty's eyes burned with anger as Aditya spoke. Mr Triparty: How much strength yours and Aashi's love has, you will soon realize...just wait and watch (Mr Triparty replied with his voice filled with venom, before turning and leaving) Aditya stood there, his heart filled with love and determination. He knew that the strength of their love would guide them through any challenges they faced. And with that, he closed the door, ready to face whatever came their way, hand in hand with Aashi. In the evening, Aditya and Aashi found themselves at their usual meeting spot by the lake. The atmosphere was serene, but their conversation took a serious turn.Aashi: now what should we do Aditya...my dad is just not ready to accept my relationship with you ...I can't beleive that he even came at the apartment and tried to threaten you...I will surely ask my dad about this...Aditya: no Aashi don't do that...this will make things even worse...Aashi: so what else can we do Aditya? hearing Aashis question, Aditya remained silent for a while...Aditya: now there is only one thing that we can do...let's maintain distance from eachother. Aashi was taken aback by Aditya's response. Aashi: What are you even saying Aditya? I won't be able to stay away from you (Aashi replied with tears welling up in her eyes) Aditya: Hey hey hey...please dont bring tears in your eyes, am not saying we should stay far from each other forever. All I'm suggesting is that we maintain some distance until your dad's anger cools down. Aashi: But Aditya, I can't bear the thought of being away from you, even if it's just temporary (Aashi said, her voice trembling with emotion) Aditya tried to reassure her.....Aditya: Hey relax. am not going anywhere. But if we want acceptance for our relationship from your father, we need to take this step. Once his anger subsides, we can talk to him again Aashi remained silent, lost in her thoughts. After a while, she spoke softly, her voice filled with uncertainty. Aashi: So.....is this our last meeting now?Aditya: For now, yes (Aditya replied with his face filled with sadness) Hearing his response, Aashi couldn't hold back her emotions any longer. She moved closer to Aditya and hugged him tightly, tears streaming down her face. Aditya reciprocated the embrace, his own eyes filled with tears.Aashi: Don't break this hug so soon Aditya. If this is our last meeting for now, let this hug continue. God knows how many days we'll have to stay apart. Let me hold you like this and feel you until I've had enough (Aashi said emotionally with her eyes closed) Aditya held her even tighter, cherishing the moment. Aditya: Let me feel you fully too. These moments of togetherness will be what that will keep us sustain when we're apart. As the sun began to set over the lake, Aditya and Aashi remained locked in their embrace, finding solace in each other's presence. to be continued in next part