The morning air carried a serene calmness as a young girl walked toward the temple. Clad in subtle yet elegant attire, she looked nothing short of divine. No doubt, this was our main character, Anisha. Her beauty wasn't just in her appearance but radiated from the purity of her heart.
A devoted follower of Lord Shiva, she found her solace in worship. For Anisha, performing puja wasn't just a ritual-it was a way to calm her soul and connect with her inner peace. As she entered the temple, the soft sound of her anklets harmonized with the distant ringing of bells.
With love and devotion in her eyes, she approached the Shivling, holding a brass kalash filled with milk. She knelt gracefully, pouring the milk over the deity with utmost reverence, her soft voice uttering, "Om Namah Shivaya." The temple priest watched her with admiration, thinking to himself, Such a pure soul.
As Anisha finished her prayer, the priest approached her with a warm smile. "Aree, Anisha beta," he said fondly. She smiled back, bending to touch his feet. "God bless you, beta," the priest said.
Instead of accepting the blessing for herself, Anisha said gently, "No, Panditji. Say 'God bless your family.' If they are happy, I am happy too." The priest's smile deepened, touched by her selflessness. "Alright, beta. God bless you and your family."
Just then, her phone rang. Glancing at the name, she smiled before turning to the priest. "Panditji, I'll take your leave now. I have college, or I'll be late!"
As she walked away, the priest whispered to himself, "Such a sweet girl. Whichever house she goes to, she will make it a heaven."
On the other side, Anisha answered her phone. Before she could say a word, Suhana, her best friend, started talking non-stop. "Where are you? Do you know the time? I'm standing in front of the college gate! Should I come to pick you up?"
Anisha chuckled, interrupting her. "Ohh hoo, relax, my Chennai Express! I'm fine. It's Monday, so I went to Shivji's temple, you know. I'll be there in ten minutes, okay?"
Suhana sighed but relented. "Okay, but come fast!"
After the call ended, an auto stopped in front of Anisha. The driver asked, "Ma'am, where do you want to go?"
Anisha hesitated. If I take the auto, it'll cost 20 rupees. But if I walk, I can save the money. And college isn't too far from here.
The driver's voice broke her thoughts. "Ma'am, do you want to go or not?"
Anisha smiled politely and said, "Sorry, Bhaiya. No, I'll walk."
When she reached the college, she spotted Suhana waiting at the gate. Suhana hugged her immediately, saying, "Again you walked, didn't you?"
Anisha laughed, "No, I came by auto."
"Yeah, yeah. I know you," Suhana teased. Before Suhana could continue, Anisha grabbed her arm. "Let's go, or we'll be late!"
---
At Home
After college, Suhana insisted on dropping Anisha home, despite her protests. When she entered the house, her father was in the hall. His stern voice greeted her. "Is this the time to come home?"
"Sorry, Papa. We had an extra lecture today. It won't happen again," Anisha said softly.
"It better not. Or I'll stop letting you go to college. Now go and help your mother and Bhabhi in the kitchen," he said sharply.
Hiding her tears, Anisha nodded. "Ji." She placed her bag in her room, letting a few tears escape, before washing her face and heading to the kitchen.
In the kitchen, her Bhabhi pretended to talk on the phone, her voice loud enough for Anisha to hear. "I'm not feeling well. I have a headache, and my whole body aches. But what can I do? Mummy Ji isn't well, Anisha goes to college, and she's just a kid. How will she manage? And Yuvaan is on a business trip. I have to do everything alone."
Anisha felt a pang of guilt. "It's okay, Bhabhi. You rest; I'll do the chores."
Her Bhabhi feigned reluctance. "No, no, I'm fine."
Anisha insisted, "Please, Bhabhi. You go and rest."
Her Bhabhi smiled slyly. "Are you sure?"
"Yes," Anisha replied with a small smile. As her Bhabhi went to her room to apply a face pack, Anisha took over the household chores.
After finishing everything, Anisha returned to her room, exhausted. She lay on her bed for a moment when her father walked in.
"See, this is what I mean. No manners! Your Bhabhi is working, and you're here wasting time. That's why I never wanted a daughter!" he snapped.
Tears welled up in Anisha's eyes as his words cut deep. She didn't respond, simply nodding. As soon as he left, she locked the door, crumpling onto the floor. Pulling her knees close to her chest, she cried silently, her heart aching from the weight of his harsh words.
Finally, she reached for her diary, her only solace. Opening to a fresh page, she began writing.
"Dear Diary,
You know, I'm very bad. I always make my father feel bad. I'm good at nothing. I'm not good at anything-I'm just a burden on them. I also want a happy family, but maybe that will always be just a dream. You know, I just want someone to listen to me. I want to burst out all these feelings, but I don't know how.
I know I have Suhana, and she is the best, but I can't share everything with her. She has her own problems to deal with. I don't know what to do anymore. Sometimes, I feel like I don't even deserve them, or maybe they don't deserve me. Life just feels so heavy sometimes, but I guess I'll keep going. That's all I can do, right?"
She closed the diary, hugged it tightly to her chest, and let the tears flow, wishing it could ease the ache in her heart.
Thank you so much for your patience.Please like, comment and follow if you like it..
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Lots of love
Author_aayu❤️
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