Chapter 1

"No maa, no way." Reeva's voice trembled with fury as she confronted her mother's audacity. How could she? Even after all these years... Reeva's heart ached with the bitter realization that her family always favored boys over girls. But despite her longing for familial affection, she found herself continually overlooked and undervalued. "Why is it," she wondered, her voice choked with emotion, "that even the pet dog in our family has a status, but not me?"

As hot tears streamed down her cheeks, Reeva grappled with the familiar sting of rejection. This was nothing new to her. Countless days had been tainted by the weight of her family's patriarchal beliefs. And she knew she wasn't alone. In a society steeped in gender bias, countless girls like her endured similar struggles.

Reeva Desai, the eldest daughter of Sathyanath Desai and Reena Desai, had always fought to defy the limitations imposed upon her. Despite the odds stacked against her, she refused to let her dreams be stifled by societal expectations. From a young age, Reeva excelled in her studies, driven by a fierce determination to prove her worth in a world that often dismissed her simply because of her gender.

Working tirelessly, she juggled part-time jobs to support her family while pursuing her education. Despite facing financial hardships and constant discouragement, she earned a scholarship for her Bachelor's in Business Administration at Mumbai University. Her academic achievements were a testament to her resilience and tenacity, but the scars of her familial struggles ran deep.

Reeva's journey was marked by countless obstacles, but with each challenge she faced, she emerged stronger and more determined than ever to defy the limitations imposed upon her by society. Her story was not just her own—it was the story of countless girls who dared to dream in a world that often sought to crush their aspirations.

Reeva always dreamed of standing independently, in a position where no one would look down on her. Her dream job was in the competitive yet marvelous world of business. Perhaps it was the constant bickering and struggles with her family that fueled her passion for negotiation. But her talent as a negotiator only seemed to alienate her further within the family. She was always relegated to the end of the line—the outcast. Whatever her brother didn't like, or all those secondhand goods, always found their way to her. Even her parents' affection felt secondhand.

After high school, Reeva begged to keep studying, but her family wouldn't hear it. They said it was her duty to help her younger brother Adwik with his education instead. It hurt like hell. Adwik Desai, the typical spoiled-to-rotten child of the family, was the one who took everything for granted. He was just two years younger to her, but act like her great ancestor.

It took her grandparents stepping in to finally get her parents to agree—but only if Reeva paid her own way. It was like a slap in the face. Still, Reeva refused to give up. She worked hard and managed to snag a scholarship. But even with that success, the sting of her family's favoritism lingered, leaving her feeling angry and betrayed.

In the present scenario, Reeva had carefully set aside her scholarship stipends and work bonuses for future plans. However, her mother and brother had their eyes set on that money, intending to invest it in their 'baby brother's' business venture.

"We've raised you, provided for you, and now you're being ungrateful," her mother erupted. "It's your responsibility to support the family. What's wrong with giving your brother the money? He won't squander it like you. He'll make something of himself within a year."

"Maa, he's just two years younger than me," Reeva argued. "If I could get through college without your help, if I could stand on my own without anyone's support, he can do the same."

"Ah, always talking back and disrespecting your elders," her mother scoffed. "Do you think any decent boy will marry you with your attitude? How did I give birth to such an ungrateful child?"

"Maa, am I not your daughter? Why... why am I not loved? What did I do to deserve this treatment? Is it because I'm a girl? You should have just gotten rid of me when I was born, or abandoned me. My life would have been better..." Reeva struggled to speak through her tears.

"You ungrateful girl!" her mother snapped. "Maybe I shouldn't have given birth to you. You enjoyed all the privileges that should have been your brother's, and yet you speak to me like this."

"Yes, the privileges," Reeva mocked bitterly. "Daily lectures about how a girl will ruin the family, constant reminders about the cost of everything from clothes to food, the endless arguments and manipulation at the dinner table, and being treated like the family's maid and your son's personal servant. Yes, my life was truly privileged."

As she listened to her mother's words, Reeva's heart sank with a bitter realization. 'I'm a fool to think things could ever change,' she thought ruefully. 'Hoping for kindness from these blood relatives is like hoping for sunshine in a storm. Perhaps being alone would be a lesser burden than enduring their constant cruelty.'

As Reeva sat in her room, her thoughts consumed by the hurtful exchange with her mother, the sound of heavy footsteps approaching sent a shiver down her spine. The door creaked open, revealing her father's imposing figure standing in the doorway.

"What's all this noise about?" he barked, his voice thick with authority.

Reeva swallowed hard, her heart pounding in her chest. "Nothing, Papa," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

Her father's eyes narrowed as he took in the scene before him. "Nothing? You call this nothing?" he growled, gesturing angrily at Reeva.

Before she could react, his hand shot out, striking her across the face with a resounding slap. Pain exploded through Reeva's cheek, and she stumbled backward, shock etched on her face.

"You dare to speak back to your mother?" her father thundered, his voice echoing off the walls.

Reeva's eyes burned with unshed tears as she struggled to find her voice. "I-I'm sorry, Papa," she stammered, her words barely audible.

Her father's expression softened slightly, but the underlying anger remained. "You will learn to respect your elders," he warned, his voice cold and unforgiving. "Or there will be consequences."

As Reeva trembled in fear, her brother Adwik appeared in the doorway, a smirk playing on his lips. "Looks like someone needs to be put in her place," he sneered, his tone dripping with disdain.

"Stay out of this, Adwik," Reeva's father snapped, his gaze turning to his son. "This is none of your concern."

Adwik shrugged indifferently. "Just saying, Papa," he replied, a hint of smugness in his voice.

Reeva's mother entered the room, her expression a mixture of anger and disappointment. "This behavior is unacceptable, Reeva," she admonished, her voice laced with frustration. "You will learn to obey your parents and respect your brother. Otherwise, there will be consequences."

Tears welled up in Reeva's eyes as she listened to her mother's words, the weight of their expectations crushing her spirit. But deep down, a flicker of defiance burned within her—a determination to break free from the chains of their patriarchal oppression and forge her own path, no matter the cost.

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