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AAVYA RAJAWAT

Age: Fourteen

“Why can't you understand?” Mum’s voice cracked through the room like a whip. I flinched before I could stop myself. The words didn’t shock me anymore—only the volume did. My fingers instinctively reached for the hem of my school skirt, twisting the fabric as I stared down at the marble floor. Cold. Silent. Just like me.

She was mad again. Which only meant one thing—my marks hadn’t met her expectations. They never did. “When will you stop disappointing me?” she spat, arms crossed, nails digging into her skin like she was holding herself back. “Ananya is the best—why can't you be like her?”