"Sometimes, the cruelest decisions are made by the people who were meant to protect you."

Nearly three weeks had passed since the twins' birthday.

Life in the Sharma household had returned to its usual rhythm.

Or perhaps...

It had never changed at all.

Every morning, Aadhya woke before dawn.

Every night, she fell asleep long after everyone else.

The only difference was that lately...

The house had become unusually quiet.

Not peaceful.

Just... tense.

Mahesh Sharma sat in the living room, staring at a pile of unpaid bills spread across the center table.

Electricity.

Bank loan.

Business payments.

School fees.

Every paper seemed heavier than the last.

He rubbed his forehead in frustration.

"This can't go on."

Sunita entered with two cups of tea and placed one in front of him.

"Did the bank call again?"

Mahesh gave a tired nod.

"They've been calling every day."

"And the business?"

"No improvement."

He leaned back on the sofa.

"If this continues, we'll have to sell the car."

Silence filled the room.

Only the ticking of the wall clock could be heard.

After a long pause, Sunita spoke quietly.

"I've been thinking about something."

Mahesh looked at her.

"What?"

She hesitated for only a second.

"Our problems began fourteen years ago."

Mahesh frowned.

"What are you trying to say?"

"The day..."

She lowered her voice.

"...Aadhya was born."

Mahesh looked away.

Sunita continued,

"Ever since then, nothing has gone right."

"Business losses."

"Loans."

"Failed investments."

"Bad luck follows us everywhere."

She sighed dramatically.

"I told you years ago..."

"That girl is unlucky."

Mahesh didn't answer immediately.

Instead, he stared at the unpaid bills once more.

Sunita slowly added,

"How long are we going to keep carrying this burden?"

At that very moment...

Aadhya was in the kitchen.

Completely unaware of the conversation taking place only a few feet away.

She hummed softly while kneading dough.

Every now and then, she glanced toward the living room.

Papa looked worried.

Maybe business wasn't doing well again.

She silently decided...

"I'll stop asking for new notebooks this year."

The thought made her smile sadly.

She had never really asked for much anyway.

That evening...

Mahesh received another phone call.

His face darkened.

"I understand."

"...I'll arrange the money."

He disconnected the call with trembling hands.

Sunita walked over immediately.

"What happened?"

"They've given me one month."

"If I don't repay the loan..."

"They'll begin legal proceedings."

The room fell silent once again.

Sunita slowly sat beside him.

Then, almost casually, she said,

"There's still one way."

Mahesh looked at her.

"What?"

"We can reduce our expenses."

"We already have."

"Not enough."

She looked toward the kitchen where Aadhya was washing vegetables.

Then she whispered,

"Send her away."

Mahesh's expression stiffened.

"Sunita..."

"Think about it."

"One child is enough."

"Aarush is the one who'll carry our family name."

Her voice became firmer.

"Why keep someone who only brings misfortune?"

Mahesh closed his eyes.

Deep inside, a tiny voice told him this was wrong.

But another voice...

The voice of fear.

The voice of financial pressure.

The voice of desperation.

Slowly began drowning out his conscience.

The following afternoon...

While Aadhya was at school...

Mahesh and Sunita sat at the dining table.

A file lay open between them.

Birth certificate.

School records.

Identity documents.

Medical papers.

Every document belonging to Aadhya.

Sunita carefully arranged them into a neat folder.

Mahesh looked uneasy.

"Are we really doing this?"

She didn't even look up.

"We have no choice."

"There are always choices."

"And this is ours."

She zipped the folder shut.

"I've already spoken to someone."

Mahesh frowned.

"Who?"

"The orphanage."

His hands froze.

"They'll take her."

Just then—

Footsteps echoed from the staircase.

Aarush had returned home early from football practice.

Hearing his parents' voices, he paused before entering the living room.

"...I've already spoken to the orphan—"

The rest of the sentence became muffled as a truck passed outside.

Aarush frowned.

"Orphan...?"

He couldn't hear clearly.

Sunita's voice reached him again.

"...it's for her own future."

Mahesh sighed.

"I hope we're making the right decision."

"She'll adjust."

"We'll tell her it's better for her studies."

Aarush's eyes widened slightly.

"Studies?"

"Are they sending Didi to boarding school?"

He had heard classmates talk about boarding schools before.

Strict rules.

Hostels.

Better education.

Maybe...

His parents thought it would help Aadhya.

He felt a little sad.

But boarding schools weren't bad.

Right?

Satisfied with his own conclusion, he quietly walked back upstairs before anyone noticed him.

Meanwhile...

Aadhya returned home carrying a science project she had worked on for two weeks.

"Maa?"

"I'm home."

No response.

She placed the project carefully on her study table before changing into old clothes.

Within minutes...

She was back to sweeping floors.

Preparing tea.

Washing clothes.

Helping with dinner.

She noticed her parents whispering several times that evening.

Whenever she entered the room...

The conversation stopped.

She tilted her head slightly.

"Maybe Papa's business is getting better," she thought hopefully.

"They're probably planning something important."

She smiled to herself.

Completely unaware...

That the important decision they had made...

Was about her.

Late that night...

After everyone had gone to sleep...

Sunita quietly opened her cupboard.

She removed the folder containing Aadhya's documents.

Beside it lay a small slip of paper.

Written neatly across the top were the words—

Nandini Children's Home

Admission Appointment: Monday – 10:00 a.m.

Sunita folded the paper and slipped it back into the file.

Then she switched off the light.

In the small storeroom beside the kitchen, Aadhya slept peacefully, unaware that the home she had spent fourteen years trying to earn a place in...

Had already decided it no longer wanted her.

And somewhere upstairs...

Aarush stared at the ceiling of his room.

"Boarding school..."

He sighed.

"I hope she likes it there."

He never imagined...

It wasn't a boarding school at all.

It was goodbye.