Shreya’s life seemed to follow the script of a fairytale when she married Abhinav. From the outside, it appeared to be a perfect union, but the reality was far from that illusion. Abhinav’s family, greedy for wealth, had demanded an enormous dowry from Shreya’s family, and despite receiving it, their hatred for her only grew. Among them, her mother-in-law was the cruelest, constantly framing Shreya for the smallest mistakes and making her feel unwelcome. Yet, amidst the coldness of the household, Abhinav was her only source of warmth. He was nothing like his family—gentle, kind, and truly in love with her. His heart was pure gold, and Shreya found solace in him, even as her world felt like it was closing in.
Soon after their marriage, Shreya became pregnant, a time that should have been filled with joy, but instead, it was marked by isolation. She was young, unprepared, and surrounded by people who despised her. Her own family, who had always supported her, lived far away, unable to help her in person. Abhinav, too, tried his best, but his family’s influence over him was strong. Desperate and longing for a better future, Shreya made a brave decision. She sold her family’s precious necklace,and with the money, she urged Abhinav to leave their toxic home and find a job elsewhere. They both hoped it would be their escape from the oppressive environment, a way to start fresh.
However, as soon as Abhinav left, his family’s intentions became darker. With him gone, they saw an opportunity to get rid of Shreya and remarry Abhinav to someone wealthier, gaining more dowry in the process. Their greed knew no bounds, and they began plotting to kill her, viewing her as nothing more than an obstacle to their plans.
Shreya's water broke one evening, and her heart raced with a mix of fear and excitement as the time to deliver her baby had arrived. She expected her in-laws to take her to the hospital, but instead, they coldly ignored her cries for help. They forced her into a dim, dusty storeroom, locking her away like a forgotten object. There, with no support, no care, and no help from anyone, Shreya faced the most terrifying moment of her life alone.
With excruciating pain and sheer determination, she somehow managed to deliver her baby in that forsaken room. Exhausted and overwhelmed, she held her newborn close, but there was no joy from the family, no celebration for the arrival of a new life. Abhinav’s family refused to even glance at the baby, their hearts poisoned by greed and cruelty. Shreya, still so young and unprepared, found herself completely alone in caring for her child. She didn’t know how to take care of a baby, and fear gripped her, but her love and determination outweighed everything.
Day by day, she learned—learning how to feed her child, soothe its cries, and care for its needs. The sleepless nights, the endless worries, and the loneliness were all suffocating, but Shreya grew stronger with every passing moment. She realized that despite being abandoned by the world around her, she was all her child needed. In the midst of darkness, she found a flicker of strength that no one could take away from her.
Despite the distance between them, Abhinav’s heart never strayed far from Shreya. He longed to return to her, but every time they spoke, Shreya would insist that he focus on finding a job, telling him their future depended on it. Her strength kept him going, and though it pained him to be away, he understood her resolve. Eventually, Shreya moved to be with him, but life was harsh. They had nothing—barely enough to eat, and most nights, their hungry stomachs would lull them to a restless sleep. Their meager diet consisted of instant noodles, day after day, but even in their struggle, they had each other, and that was enough.
Then, things began to change. Abhinav secured a job with a foreign company, a turning point in their lives. Slowly but surely, their fortunes improved, and soon they were no longer just two souls surviving—they had a beautiful daughter, and their small family of three became a joyful family of four. Their home, once quiet with hunger, now echoed with laughter, love, and life. Everything seemed to be falling into place, and Shreya finally allowed herself to dream of a future filled with happiness.
But that peace was short-lived. Abhinav’s manipulative mother, sick and neglected by her husband and younger son, suddenly appeared at their doorstep one day. Shreya welcomed her, despite everything, but within three days, she passed away. Her death, like her life, came with bitterness. Abhinav, being the eldest son, was shouldered with the blame. His father and siblings, who had never cared for the ailing woman, cruelly twisted the narrative, accusing him of negligence and saying he was responsible for her death.
The weight of their accusations crushed Abhinav. His once joyful spirit was slowly consumed by the guilt and manipulation from his own family. No matter how much Shreya tried to comfort him, their words haunted him day and night. Under the immense pressure and emotional torment, Abhinav, the man who had fought so hard to build a better life, could take no more. The grief and manipulation broke him, and he died, leaving Shreya to face the world alone once again.
Shreya was left behind, a widow with two small children, her heart shattered by the sudden loss of the man she loved. Life had never been kind to her, and just when she thought she could finally breathe and enjoy the happiness she had fought so hard to build, everything came crashing down. The peace she had longed for was always fleeting, slipping through her fingers like sand.
Every time things seemed to be getting better, life found a way to overthrow her fragile happiness. Losing Abhinav wasn’t just losing her partner; it was losing the only person who had ever truly stood by her in a world that never accepted her. The very people who had destroyed her from the start—his family, who had never liked her, her kids, or even Abhinav—were the same ones who drove him to his death. Their hatred and greed poisoned everything, leaving her to pick up the pieces alone.
Now, with two children depending on her, Shreya was once again forced to face a harsh reality. There was no one left to lean on, no one to share her burdens with. But despite the deep pain she carried, she knew she had to go on—for her children. Shreya, who had been knocked down so many times, found within herself the strength to rise once more, determined to protect the only family she had left. The world may have taken everything from her, but it couldn’t take away the fierce love she had for her kids. And for them, she would fight on, no matter how hard life became.
At Abhinav's funeral, Shreya’s heart broke even further as she witnessed something that chilled her to the core—her father-in-law, standing among the mourners, smiling. His eyes gleamed with a twisted sense of satisfaction, a stark contrast to the grief that weighed heavily on her shoulders. As she wept for her husband, her father-in-law casually muttered to a relative, "Whatever happened with Shreya was great." His words, dripping with cruelty, pierced through Shreya like a dagger. In that moment, she realized the depth of their hatred and how they had always seen her as an obstacle, even after Abhinav's death.
A few days later, her worst fears were confirmed. Desperate and struggling to provide for her two young children, Shreya went to her father-in-law for help, hoping that, despite everything, he would at least offer some financial support for his grandchildren. But her hopes were quickly dashed. With cold indifference, he refused. “I don’t care for Abhinav or his children,” he sneered, making it clear that he had no intention of giving them any share of the family’s wealth.
Shreya stood there, stunned and devastated. The man who had never accepted her, who had never loved his son, now completely abandoned her and her children, casting them aside without a second thought. She realized then that she and her children had no one to rely on but themselves. The world around her had turned its back on her, but as painful as it was, Shreya knew she couldn’t give up. She would fight for her children’s future, no matter how much the odds were stacked against her. They might have taken away her husband, her security, and her peace, but they could never take away her strength or her will to survive.
Shreya, who had spent her entire life as a housewife, now found herself stepping into a world she was unfamiliar with. Left with no choice, she began searching for a job, determined to provide for her children and build a life where they could thrive without the shadows of her past. With her kids by her side, Shreya made the brave decision to move away from Abhinav’s family and the place that had brought her so much pain. She needed a fresh start, far from the people who had tried to break her, and she vowed never to let their cruelty touch her children.
Though the journey was difficult, Shreya refused to give up. Her younger brothers, seeing her struggle, stood by her side. They paid for the extra expenses that her small salary couldn’t cover and ensured that she never felt completely alone. Their support gave Shreya the strength she needed to keep going, but she was determined to be independent. She worked tirelessly, finding a job that allowed her to provide for her children. She was no longer just surviving—Shreya was thriving, finding her footing in a world that had once seemed so foreign.
Shreya carried Abhinav's memory with her every day. His presence lingered in her thoughts and heart, a constant reminder of both the love they shared and the pain of his loss. She often found solace in reminiscing about the happier moments they had together, holding onto the memories of his kindness and the dreams they once had as a family.
(Characters name are fake but incidents are real)
