Third person’s pov!

The moment Shivangi stepped into the house, Jayanthi Khullar was already waiting, standing in the center of the hall like a queen ready to deliver judgment. Her sharp gaze bore into Shiva, blocking her path with an unyielding presence.

"Where have you been?" Jayanthi’s voice was calm but carried an unmistakable authority.

"Out." Shiva shrugged, attempting to step past her.

"Out where, exactly?" Jayanthi moved swiftly, cutting her off.

"Just… out," Shiva repeated, her tone deliberately nonchalant. She knew that tone irked the old woman, but she wasn’t about to start explaining herself like some guilty child.

"She doesn’t want to say, Daadi? Should we help her out?" Pallavi, ever the opportunist, perched herself on the armrest of the sofa with a smirk. 

"Oh, I am sure she was busy… with him." Adithan leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, his usual smugness amplified. 

Shiva’s jaw clenched. 

"Him?" She repeated, her patience wearing thin. Jayanthi’s nostrils flared. 

"So it’s true, then? You have been sneaking around with that—" She hesitated, as if even uttering his name would taint the air. "That goon?"

"Seriously? You are listening to gossip now?" Shiva exhaled sharply, already irritated. 

"You tell me—are they wrong?" Jayanthi’s voice was sharp, her eyes daring Shiva to lie.

"If they are saying I am dating him, then yes, they are very wrong." Shiva scoffed.

"But you are meeting him, aren’t you? You have been seen going to him—multiple times. That doesn’t exactly look innocent, does it?" Pallavi let out a dramatic sigh. 

"And not just any guy—Nanda of all people. A thug. A lowlife. A disgrace." Adithan smirked. 

"Watch your mouth, Adithan," Shiva snapped, turning to glare at him. "Just because you think the world revolves around you doesn’t mean you get to decide who’s worthy and who’s not."

Jayanthi slammed her cane against the floor, silencing the brewing argument. 

"Enough!" Her voice echoed through the hall, making even Pallavi sit up straighter.

"You will not associate with that boy anymore. Do you understand me?" Her piercing gaze returned to Shiva. 

"I don’t associate with him. But even if I did, it’s my life." Shiva folded her arms, stubbornness flashing in her eyes. 

"Not as long as you live under my roof." Jayanthi’s lips thinned. 

"Of course. Control and command—the great Jayanthi Khullar way." Shiva let out a humorless chuckle. 

"Watch your tone, Shivangi," Jayanthi warned.

Shiva’s fists clenched, but she knew this was a battle she wouldn’t win tonight. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to relax. "Can I go now, or do you want to interrogate me some more?"

"This conversation isn’t over." Jayanthi studied her for a long moment before finally stepping aside. 

Shiva didn’t reply. She simply walked past them, her head held high, ignoring Adithan’s smirk and Pallavi’s amused glance. But inside, her frustration burned like a wildfire.

This wasn’t over for her either.

By the time Geetika returned home, the tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife. She barely had time to set down the grocery bags before Jayanthi Khullar turned on her, her voice cold and sharp.

"Control your daughter before she drags this family’s name through the dirt, Geetika. Tell her to stay away from that goon. Keep a reign on her, or you both will regret it."

Geetika’s heart pounded as she hurried to Shiva’s room, her mind swirling with worry. Pushing open the door, she found her daughter sitting on the edge of her bed, staring at the ceiling as if trying to hold back her frustration.

"Shiva," Geetika called, her voice soft but urgent. "What was Maa ji talking about? Who is this… this goon she was referring to?"

"It’s nothing, Maa. Just the usual nonsense. Someone started a ridiculous rumor, and now that old hag is turning it into the next town scandal." Shiva sighed, rubbing her temples. 

"Shiva," Geetika pressed, her hands gripping each other anxiously. "Tell me the truth."

Seeing the concern in her mother’s eyes, Shiva let out a deep breath and explained everything—the fight with Adithan, her attempts to hire Nanda, and how it had spiraled into a full-blown rumor about her dating him.

By the time she finished, Geetika’s eyes were brimming with tears.

"Why do you fight with them, Shiva?" She whispered, her voice trembling. "We need them."

"No, we don’t. We are better off without them." Shiva’s jaw tightened. 

Geetika shook her head, wiping at her eyes. 

"You don’t understand," she said, her voice breaking. "I don’t have a job, Shiva. Prakash ji funds your studies. How will we survive if we go against them?"

Prakash works abroad and visits only once every three years. So they don’t see much of Prakash. Even if he is here, he is ignorant. It never bothered Shiva. And he treats Pallavi the same way too. It’s Jayanthy Khullar who rules the house and makes every decisions.

"Maa, how many times do I have to tell you? I have zero brains for academics. It’s a waste of money." Shiva sighed in exasperation, leaning back against the headboard. 

Geetika looked stricken, as if hearing her daughter say it out loud made it all the more real.

"We can work, Maa. The same way we do here, but in other households—for pay. We will be fine." Shiva sat up, her eyes burning with determination. 

"You want us to become house helps? How can you even say that, Shiva?" Geetika gasped, horrified.

"Being a paid house help is any day more dignified than being a doormat in this house." Shiva let out a bitter chuckle. 

Geetika looked away, shame washing over her features. She knew Shiva was disappointed in her. She could see it in her daughter’s eyes. But she was helpless.

She had always been helpless. She was helpless when she agreed to marry Prakash. She had no other choice. Being a young widow, without any other support, it is difficult for a woman to live in the society among the duplicitous gentlemen who tries to offer support during the daylight and wants to share her bed in the dead of the night. 

Marrying Prakash was an escape from all those lecherous men. And she had believed that if she became a mother to Prakash’s daughter, Prakash would become a father to Shiva. But she was wrong. And now her daughter is suffering for everything..

Geetika didn’t know how to escape from this hell. What they didn’t know was that Shivangi’s life was going to take an interesting turn soon.

A/N

I will be busy tomorrow, so I am updating in advance. There will be no another update tomorrow..

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SF❤️