Forgetting Billions | ✓

19 | Forgetting Fights

JASMINE MADE her way back home after helping Maria out of her binds. She was ready to accept the storm that was to come, considering she broke out of the hospital the day before she was supposed to be released, all while being accused of abusing drugs.

And when she reached home, a storm was truly what she received. Bianca sat on the kitchen stool like she normally did, sipping a cup of chai while her parents spoke in hushed whispers. When the door slammed shut behind her, their heads turned to her. Jasmine was ambushed by her parents, her father screaming at her for breaking their trust over and over again while her mother whispered that she didn't recognize her anymore.

To them, the daughter they raised would never disobey them, take drugs, or escape from a hospital. Little did they know that she wanted to break so many more rules, especially the one they held with the most resilience. She held back tears and focused on her breathing, taking in their disappointment as their words hit her like gusts of sharp wind.

Bianca slammed her mug on the kitchen table, the tea forgotten when she stepped in front of Jasmine with a stony face.

"That's enough, bhaiya," she said, lifting her chin up as if to warn him against challenging her. "She understands her mistake. There is no need to continue hurting her."

Silence filled the air for one blissful moment before her father finally erupted, spewing the emotions he had held within him for so long.

"It's not your place to discipline our daughter when you can barely raise your own children. I told Rahul when he married you that it would be a mistake, that the family you would build together would be riddled with mistakes and that is exactly what happened. So forgive me if I don't want you, of all people in this world, to be involved in my personal affairs with my daughter," her father screamed and this time, her mother didn't try to calm him down. Aishwarya would not protect Bianca for a daughter who wasn't worth listening to. They had lost all their respect for Jasmine and with that, Bianca lost the force field around her.

Jasmine shrunk further into her shell as her mother spoke, her voice a shrill hiss resembling that of a serpent. "I want you to leave this family. You have an insane person running after you and you are completely fine with letting us stay in the middle of it all. Wherever you go, death follows and I will not let you risk the people I love with your omens."

Tears rolled down Bianca's cheeks and Jasmine pulled her aunt into her arms. She watched her parents with disgust flashing in her cloudy brown eyes. "You say you're ashamed of her, but look at you. Your racist outlook on life is the reason we aren't a true family. Yes, Karina and Aditya grew up without a father, but we could've helped them. Instead, you decided to leave them to fend for themselves and have the audacity to blame her for mistakes any single mother would make. I am ashamed of you bot—"

"Jasmine Karesh, watch your tongue!" her mother shouted. Her voice had never been raised higher than a deathly whisper in all of Jasmine's years and this scared her more than her father's insults ever would. "We have raised you better than to speak to your parents in such a way. No daughter of ours would be standing here speaking to us like this."

"It's about time someone spoke to you that way," Jasmine said, her voice unwavering and her spine straight as she held her shivering aunt close.

"It is not us that are in the wrong here. It's you. We are your parents and we know exactly what is best for you," her father said. "You're barely eighteen years old. The last thing you need is to be associated with a woman like Bianca. So you can keep quiet and go upstairs. We'll deal with you tomorrow."

"No," Jasmine whispered, starting to lose her confidence as quickly as she had gained it.

"Excuse me?" her mother stuttered, "When your father asks something of you, you will do it. He deserves to be treated with respect."