Chapter- 3

Radha groaned inwardly as she sat on the kitchen counter, staring at her brother, or better yet, glaring at her brother; who was busy launching the knife into the onion, cutting them into weird shapes. For a fact, she didn't even understand why suddenly Mahir wanted to play master chef. Earlier, he had shoved the tablet in her hand and asked her to recite the recipe for Paneer Tikka step by step. The appetizing dish was her favorite, but she pitied her taste buds for the disaster they might be tasting once it was made.

“Doesn’t this seem wrong to you?” Mahir asked, showing her the piece of diced onion, the shape of which even Radha didn't know, as she had never studied them in mathematics.

Radha shot him an incredulous look. "Kuch? Ki sab kuch, Bhaiya? (Wrong? You mean everything, right, Bhaiya?)"

She got down from the counter, took the knife and onion he held, keeping them aside before facing him. "You see, har koi har cheez nahi kar sakta. Ek baar aapne hi mujhe yeh samjhaya tha. Toh phir kyun khud par aur mujh par yeh atyachar kar rahe ho? Aapke haath mein guitar accha lagta hai na ki yeh chaku. (You see, not everyone can do everything. You were the only one who explained this to me once. So why are you torturing yourself, and me like this? A guitar looks far better in your hands than this knife.)"

Mahir bit back his smile; the sarcasm wasn't lost on him, and he loved that, as it was a reminder that his sister still had that brat in her, hiding deep beneath the layers.

Nothing was planned. Earlier, he simply thought on his feet to keep Radha distracted, as she wasn't going to school. Either way, she would bury herself in her studies or in her gloomy thoughts, something he didn't want. He wanted Radha to feel everything she had been deprived of.

At that moment, for Mahir, Radha was like a flower whose seeds were almost ripened; yet, if one took care of them, giving them water, sunlight, and much-needed air to breathe, in the end, they would blossom into a beautiful flower.

"You are insulting me?" Mahir asked with a playful glare.

Radhika shook her head. "Why will I do that, Bhaiya? You want to cook? GREAT! Cook then. But how about I help you? I can chop the veggies..."

"No!"

"But...."

"I said no, Radha!"

Radhika shrugged and hopped back on the counter. The finality in his tone gave away that he wouldn't budge. She knew how to cook thanks to her mother, but winning in words with Mahir Dhanrajgir was the hardest thing to do, and for now, she didn't want to do any of that. Maybe later!

Mahir nodded, satisfied, and focused back on the vegetables. No matter what, today he was determined to create an eighth wonder.

"Wase aaj subha subha yeh khana bane ka bhoot kha se chadha aapko? (By the way, where did this sudden obsession with cooking come from so early in the morning?)" Radha asked, scrolling through the tab. The recipe was long forgotten.

"I want to try new things," Mahir said casually, whisking the curd in a bowl.

“But you guys don’t even eat paneer tikka.”

“So? You like it, don’t you? I’m making it for you, and like I said, I wanted to try something new.”

Radha went quiet. The simple words Mahir said spread a different kind of warmth in her heart that she rarely felt. The whole family was non-vegetarian except for Payal, and eventually, Radha took it from her mother. It wasn't like she hated non-veg; it was just that she preferred vegetables and more paneer.

Payal obviously made food for her, but when she was busy, Radha would end up having food made of stuff that had taste but not the love she craved. So, seeing Mahir putting so much effort into what he was making for her felt like being cared for, something that even her brother didn't realize, or maybe he did.

"What's the next step?" Mahir asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Add the spices," Radha replied before checking the screen.

"OMG!" a loud shrill boomed in the kitchen.

Mahir and Radha ignored the creature they called their brother, concentrating on the work they were doing.

“Stop ignoring me,” Abhi scowled. “By the way, Bhaiyu, where did the sun rise from today? Bhaiya is cooking. Wow...like the eighth wonder of the world.”

Arjun gulped down the water, ignoring his overdramatic brother. Even though it was a shockwave for him too, he looked around, searching for his parents. Not finding any of them, he sighed in relief.

It was the unsaid rule in the Dhanrajgir house that men were not allowed in the kitchen to cook, something their grandfather started and their parents followed till this day. Even the chef who cooked for them in the house was an elderly lady.

Mahir was never allowed in the kitchen, nor were Arjun or Abhi, causing the fights to escalate between Mahir and their parents. As Mahir didn't believe in orthodox thinking; for him, they were living in the 21st century. Equality mattered the most to him. If a woman can cook, a man can help her; there is nothing wrong with that.

Arjun had often seen Ronit being too harsh with his words when Mahir said he wanted to join cooking classes a few months back. His Bhaiya was always firm and to the point but never disrespectful, and in the end, Ronit had to give in.

Though Arjun knew the reason why his Bhaiya wanted to learn cooking, which was obviously their sister. Payal ran her own catering service, so her being busy was the cost Radha paid by having to eat food made by staff or even when she home not working.

Sakshi could cook too, but her rude behavior towards Radha was always on display, making the girl keep her distance, and neither did he want his sister to beg the woman he called mother. He held his own grudges with his mother only if... Arjun shook off his gloomy thoughts and looked at his siblings, who were busy in their own world.

Abhi hopped on the counter beside his sister. "What is cooking?" he asked in a whisper.

"Paneer Tikka," Radhika whispered back.

“This early in the morning?”

“It’s my favorite dish. I don’t really care about the time when it comes to eating.”

"Is it edible?" Abhis glanced over the pan where paneer was getting fried.

Radha shrugged casually. To her, it didn't matter; even if they were burnt or tasteless, she would have them because her brother made it for her.

"Well, I can ask the chef to cook something for us," Arjun suggested.

"No need," Mahir said firmly, stopping Arjun. "I made enough for all four of us."

Arjun scratched his eyebrow, “Bhaiya, I know you must’ve made it well. But you see, if something goes wrong then…” He trailed off as Mahir turned and shot him a warning glare. “Arrey, I—I was just saying we could have a backup dish, you know?”

"He is right, Bhaiya." Abhi joined in, rushing towards Arjun's side. "We can have paratha' with paneer tikka. They both will go well in combination."

Mahir passed Radha an onion as she looked frustrated. "Do the honors."

Without a second thought, Radha threw the onion at Abhi, which landed straight on his stomach, making him wince.

"What was that for?" Abhi asked, annoyed.

“First of all, I got up early because of you. And now Bhaiya is working hard here, you guys should be helping him, but instead you’re busy teasing him. Like seriously!” Radhika burst out.

Abhi and Arjun blinked once, twice, and thrice before bursting into a fit of laughter. Even in anger, their sister looked too cute, like an angry cat, and for them, witnessing the sight rarely eventually made them laugh.

Radha smiled sarcastically before picking up the jug of water and splashing it at the laughing jokers.

Mahir whistled, stirring the vegetables. His brothers definitely needed some lessons on precautions. Who even dares to tease an angry cat, especially in front of her?

Arjun and Abhi stood, shocked and drenched. Luckily, there wasn't much water in the jug, or they would have had to drag themselves to change yet again.

Arjun and Abhi glared at the brat, "You..."

"And the food is done," Mahir interjected, plating the paneer tikka he made. Serving the first plate to his sister, he passed the other to his brothers.

Arjun and Abhi instinctively gave Radha pleading looks, asking her to taste first.

Radha chuckled softly; nonetheless, she tasted the dish. However, her taste buds leapt in agony due to the excess amount of salt. She gulped down the bite and looked at Mahir, who was waiting for her reaction. She felt in a fix, not wanting to say anything that might upset him, as he made it for her with so much love.

Mahir took a bite of paneer himself as he saw the uncertain look on her face, and the very next moment, he spit out the piece, unable to eat it.

“It’s too salty.” Mahir said with a sigh. He was still in the process of learning to cook, but the measurement of salt always made it hard for him. Sometimes it's too much, and sometimes there is nothing.

Arjun and Abhi kept the plates back on the counter. Jokes apart, they knew Mahir was putting too much effort into making things right, and somewhere they felt guilty for not being able to help him. They sucked at even boiling eggs. So cooking was like setting the house on fire for them.

"Yeh thik nahi ho sakta? (Can’t this be fixed?)" Abhi asked quietly.

Radha hopped down from the counter and rushed towards the fridge, taking out the lemon. She picked up the knife, which was snatched from her hands.

"What are you doing?" Mahir asked. "You won't be touching a knife from now on. Not until you turn 18."

Radha gave him a confused look. "And why so?"

"Because Bhaiya said so," Arjun chimed.

He wasn't against anything Radha did, but the brothers still remembered how last year Payal forced her daughter to learn cooking, even though Radha never wanted to. But it was a different story today; neither of them wanted their sister to do anything forcefully.

Radha let out a deep sigh. "Fine, but cut this in half." She passed the lemon to Mahir.

Without a question, Mahir complied. Radha squeezed the lemon on the dish, and taking out the chaat masala, she sprinkled it on the panner tikka before passing each plate to her brothers. Once, she saw the chef in their house doing the same, and the lady explained her that lemon juice can balance out excess salt, making the dish taste a bit tangy and flavorful, but one has to take care of the amount they put in too, and she just applied that.

"Now taste it," Radha said, taking a bite of the paneer, her taste buds leapt in joy.

"Wow," Abhi squealed. "After eati the this, I think you can open your own restaurant with Bhaiya. Even if he mess up the dish, you can help him."

Radha looked at Mahir, suddenly feeling guilty. If it had been her, she would have eaten it all without a word of complaint, but her brothers were also eating. “Sorry, Bhaiya. The dish was good, it’s just that…”

"I understand, Bacche," Mahir intervened softly. "I am still learning, and you helped me, Radha. Taking help or getting help kisi ko chota nahi banata. I am happy I learned something new from my sister. "I’m still learning, and you helped me, Radha. Taking help doesn’t make anyone lesser. I’m glad I learned something new from my sister."

Radha smiled.

"And what about I suggested?" Abhi chimed in. He hated being ignored like a speck by his siblings.

Radha looked at Arjun; at times like this, the siblings' eyes could speak hundreds of sentences.

Arjun set aside his plate and grabbed Abhi from behind, blocking his hands gently to keep him still without harming him.

"What the hell? What are you doing, Bhaiyu?" Abhi almost screamed, shocked.

Radha picked up a spoonful of salted paneer and brought it near Abhi's mouth but Abhi pressed his lips tightly.

"Ahhhh...." He yelped as Arjun tickled him from behind, and Radha took her cue, feeding him the salty paneer.

"Don't you dare spit it out, or I won't talk to you," Radha warned as Abhishek was all ready to throw up.

Abhi shot her a horrifying look, still chewing. Radha couldn't help but laugh. The sound of her laughter echoed in the kitchen, a laugh that was carefree, without any hesitations or apprehensions, a laugh that was as pure as the first sunrays of dawn and so unfiltered.

The brothers stilled in the moment; their eyes held warmth as they watched their sister, realizing what Radha meant to each of them. The smile on her face was something they vowed to treasure for life!

Ronit, who saw everything, walked away quietly. He had seen enough to understand everything going on around him. He wished he could have confronted them, but he chose to retreat, not wanting to get entangled in the brewing storm.

He had seen his eldest son becoming protective towards Radha, and his other two sons, who had once been obedient, too rebelled against him, following in Mahir's footsteps.

They were becoming fiercely defensive of their sister, unwilling to let anything get in the way that might cause the girl any distress. The strengthened bond among them, just within a few weeks, wasn't lost on Ronit, but he cribbed down his frustration, wanting to take things slow and steady, especially when he wanted Mahir to abide by and comply with his wishes.

Ronit entered the study only to find his wife pacing the room. The infuriated expression on her face told the story of its own. Closing the door behind him, he approached her.

"What happened?" Ronit asked calmly, gaining Sakshi's attention.

"What happened? Are you serious, Ronit, that you are asking me this?" Sakshi hissed, exasperated. "I just can't understand what is wrong with our sons. None of them wants to understand the curse that girl brings with her wherever she goes. Because of her we lost Payal and Raghav, and the past... Did you forget that too? God knows what kind of black magic that girl knows."

Ronit heard her words calmly. Obviously, after having a wife like Sakshi, who was always short-tempered, he was prone to listening to her rants. And somewhere he agreed and understood where she was coming from; the past and present felt so alike that he couldn't help but blame the girl for everything that was happening in their life, like history repeating itself. Their old beliefs were too strong to see through anything, and they always would be.

Sakshi passed him a few papers, startling him. "What is this?" Ronit asked, confused.

“These are boarding school forms. Sign them and throw that girl out of here.” Sakshi stated. She was done with Radhika for life!

The girl was trapping her sons, making them dance to her tunes. Sakshi was a lady who loved controlling others, as it gave her satisfaction, a kind of power to let everyone know who was the boss.

Eventually, she tried to control Arjun, but as he was an adult now, the boy who once complied with her slipped away from her hands once he became a young man. The same went for Abhi. The boy was growing and seeing too much into the situation. Though he still feared her, the teenage impulses were getting on her nerves.

Lastly, it was Mahir. He was simply out of her reach. Mahir held strong ground; he had the capability to call wrong wrong and right right without any filters. With her husband always backing Mahir, Sakshi was forced to step back, but now she regretted losing her hold on, Mahir, being done with everything and anything.

Ronit let out a deep sigh. He was madly and blindly in love with his wife that even though her words sounded wrong to him, even though what she had done and what she was doing looked like a sin, yet he couldn't say no to her. He loved her too much to ignore her words and, like always, was ready to do anything for her happiness.

"Fine, I will talk to him," Ronit said, giving in. He hoped Mahir agreed, despite he knew the answer.

Sakshi walked out fuming. She already saw the uncertainty in her husband's eyes, and it reflected in hers too, as she knew Mahir's answer already.

It wasn't like she never loved the boy who was now a man. But Radha had become a bone of contention between them for so many years, that the boy who never once raised his voice at her spoke in a cold tone to her, as if she were some stranger, and the cause of it all was Radhika bloody Dhanrajgir. Her insides were burning; she wanted to lash out at someone or anyone.

As she made her way towards her room, she collided with the girl who was the cause of the fault in her life. “Can’t you watch where you’re going!” Sakshi finally burst out.

Radhika flinched back at the sharp tone. "So—sorry Badi Maa, I...."

“Firstly, stop calling me that. I’m not your mother or anything.” Sakshi hissed, her voice raised an octave. "Aur sorry? Kitni baar kitni cheezo ke liye sorry bologi tum? Sorry na hua kisi ko compensation de rahi ho aisa lag raha hai. Galti karo... nahi, infact gunha karo and apologize thinking it will straighten everything....(And sorry? How many times and for how many things are you going to keep saying sorry? It doesn’t even sound like an apology anymore, it’s like you’re handing out compensation. Make a mistake, no... commit a crime even, and then just apologize thinking it will set everything right….)"

"It can, Mom," Arjun said from behind, walking towards his mother and sister.

Sakshi's eyes flashed with warning. "What did you say?"

Arjun smiled widely, adding chili to the burning fire in his mother's eyes. The venom she was spitting lost in her own world that she didn't even care to see the look the servants were throwing their way.

"Sorry? An apology! Well, it can at least lessen someone's pain," Arjun said, pulling his sister behind him. "But I guess Radha forgot this all happens only with people who have a heart, not someone like the GREAT DHANRAJGIR'."

"Don't forget the surname you carry, son," Sakshi shot back.

Arjun nodded with a sad look. “Unfortunately… but what can I even do about it now, Mom?”

Sakshi took a threatening step towards him, but the defensive expression riled her up further, making her walk away.

"You shouldn’t have spoken to Badi Maa like that, Bhaiyu.” Radhika said quietly, tugging at Arjun's hand.

Arjun forced a smile for her sake, guiding her towards her room. He knew he was wrong in the tone he took with his mother and the way he misbehaved with her, but taking a stand for his sister was something he didn't regret. He didn't mind doing the right thing for his sister.

You deal with heartless people in a heartless way only, and he was doing just that. What hurt him was, it was his own mother rather than a stranger!

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