Yesterday, my mother approached me with a proposition that felt like both a lifeline and a trap. She said, “If you really want to win your father’s heart and get out of this house, just work at his factory for one month. I promise you’ll be able to leave after that. I’ll support you.” I was very reluctant. The idea of working for my father, given our history, felt suffocating. But I was desperate, out of options, and clinging to the hope of freedom. So, I agreed.
Today, I stepped into my father’s office to start work. The moment I walked in, the atmosphere hit me like a wave of despair. It was pathetic and depressing. Everyone there was older than me, all men, and the air was thick with unspoken tension. They knew my father has kept me confined, locked away in more ways than one. Worse, they didn’t care. In fact, some of them have even assisted him in his assaults on me in the past. The weight of their indifference was crushing. My tasks were mundane at best. I barely managed to put together a PowerPoint presentation, filled out some employee form, and then my father asked me to translate for his clients. Apparently, I did well – too well. He beamed with pride, telling me how happy his clients were to speak with me. He even dangled a carrot infront of me “You could earn 3 lakhs a month!” As if money could erase everything else. He doesn’t know me at all. Money doesn’t motivate me. I crave inner happiness, the kind that comes from doing work I love, not from being chained to his expectations. He wanted me to be his translator, his puppet. But I’m done with that.
I quit. Right then and there, I decided I’m not doing this. I won’t be his slave, bending to his will just to survive. Like Jennifer from Labyrinth movie says “You have no power over me”. I want to live life on my terms, doing what brings me joy, not what he dictates.
Tonight, I can’t sleep. I’ve been trying to pass the time by sleeping as much as possible, escaping into dreams where I’m free from all this. But lying awake, I hold onto hope. I have to believe my future will be brighter than this. I’m determined to make it so.
Let’s see what tomorrow brings.
