"You're doing the right thing, Bani. You don't have to endure this any longer. Leave."
Meanwhile, at school, Bani's troubled state had not gone unnoticed. A concerned coworker, aware of her distress, took it upon herself to reach out to Aman.
"Bani is not in a state to go back to her in-laws' home," she told him. "She needs a place where she feels safe. A place she can call her own. If you promise to come and take her, we will send her home with you."
Aman didn't hesitate. He understood.
That very evening, at exactly 6 PM, Aman arrived at Bani's in-laws' house. He was met with resistance.
"She belongs here," they argued. "She is our daughter-in-law. This is her home."
But Aman stood firm. "If Bani wishes to stay, I won't force her. But if she wants to leave, no one can stop me from taking her back."
The tension in the room was thick. Bani stood at the center of it, her heart pounding. She looked at Aman, at the brother who had always been her shield, and then at the people who had caged her spirit for years.
"I'm leaving," she said, her voice unwavering.
That night, at 10 PM, she stepped out of her in-laws home, not as someone else's wife, but as herself. ***********
She recalled everything whish happen when Her father was on a call with her elder sister.
You have to come," she told to her sister.
Her sister smiled on the other end of the call, her heart aching and relieved at the same time. "I will. And I'll bring your sweet little ones along ."
Bani's lips curled into a small smile at the mention of her nephews. Her younger nephew, mischievous and full of life, would surely turn the house upside down.
For the first time in a long time, Bani allowed herself to feel something she had long forgotten.
Then, they called father's younger brother. His family was mostly controlled by his wife and elder daughter.
Years ago, his elder daughter had a relationship with an auto driver and even eloped with him while she was still a minor. Concerned for her future, her father took unofficial help from the police to find her and bring her back. After that incident, he moved the family from a metro city to a nearby smaller city, hoping for a fresh start.
However, even there, she was seen with the same man. Worried about her future, her father decided to marry her off once she came of age. When the wedding invitations were sent out, my father felt it was not the right decision, as the groom was 15 years older than her. Because of this, no one from the family attended the wedding. Since then, both families have remained distant.
Bani's uncle harbored a long-standing grudge against her father. He believed that his brother favored his elder brother more—while offering little support to him and his family. This resentment had only deepened over the years, fueled further by his wife, who shared the same grievance.