1. Encounter
Ria's POV:
I had passed my tenth CBSE board exam with distinction. It thrilled my family. My mom was on cloud nine, informed my results to everyone she knows, and distributed sweets.
"Thank you, my sweet little angel, for giving me such joy," she told grinning ear to ear, with tears of happiness in her eyes, and hugged me.
"Thank you, mom. I couldn't have reached here if not for you." I responded with weeping.
This was the best day of my life. Everyone was happy and enjoying. I was jiggling with my figures, thinking of how to tell dad about my result and how would he react. Finally, the movement arrived. In the evening when he came home, I couldn't have the courage to face him. Although I had done nothing wrong, which I remembered, my father never considered me as her daughter. He never left an opportunity to scold, beat, or abuse me no matter what. Mom wasn't home right now, busy celebrating the joy and why not ultimately we had a propitious moment, that we called for, I believe?
You have done nothing wrong, so why take so much tension. Just tell him about the result and that's it. As if it was that simple. But if you'll not try, you'll not know the outcome.
I went near dad who was sitting on the couch flipping the channels using the remote. Quietly, I put the teacup on the table in front of him.
'Now is the time. All the best sunshine!'
"Dad, my results came out, and I passed and scored 10 CGPA," I stammered, informing him about my results.
He neither respond nor glance even for a second and after about 5 seconds of silence, moved to his room. Tears brimmed in my eyes threatened to fall, a squeal escaped from my lips, and took a sharp inhale to control it. It hurt me all the time, the way dad acted. I didn't know what wrong I had done or what to do to make him appreciate me or glimpsed at me with bliss. It delighted me for when he came out after 15 minutes from his room, might be now he would say something, to my disappointment.
"Is dinner ready and where is your mom?" he asked with gritted teeth.
'He was looking for mom, not you. My prayer will never be blessed.'
"Dinner is ready. She is outside. I'll call her." Whenever I was with my dad, I felt a cold aura around which made me shudder in fear.
If not for mom I might not have survived 16 years of my life and many more to come 'fingers crossed'.
I belong to a middle-class family with a mom, brother, and dad. All are my favorite except for dad as you know why. Mom is a lecture in a government school, and dad is a banker, brother in the eighth standard, and for me just promoted to eleventh with science stream.
Although I didn't have any hard feelings for him, the way he behaved with me appeared like he was holding some grudges. I always felt him despising me until I arrived at the age of discretion. He jutted his accumulated grudges by scolding or whipping me.
As for mom, I was her princess, and my brother is the adorable anybody could be. Mom could understand me saying nothing.
"Mom, dad is calling you."
"Ok. I come right away." She bid goodbye to the neighbors before returning home.
"Veer, do you know, Riya results came today, and she is under top 10 in the state." Mom told dad about my results. But to our utter surprise, he retorted, "Where is my dinner and don't bother me with such bullshit?"
We had dinner and departed to our rooms. At last, the day turned to an end.
