Chapter- 6

 It was past midnight, and Ronit had yet to regain consciousness. Sakshi, who sat inside the ward, stared at her husband, who lay there unconscious, his breathing steady but slow. According to the doctor, it was the effect of the medicine; soon he would be up, but the assurance did little to calm Sakshi down.

The anxiety gnawing at her, the anger bubbling within the surface, and the helplessness in her heart felt too real. Her almond orbs were filled with unshed tears, and the weight of the situation pressed on her chest, yet she refused to let any of it show, keeping a straight face.

What made it harder to bear was the way Ronit mumbled Mahir's name in his unconscious state. Somewhere in her heart, Sakshi might have found it hard within herself to forgive Mahir for the words he spat at her husband, but now, seeing the love of her life so pale and sacred, laying in the hospital, she refused to forgive Mahir or even Radhika, who was eventually, like always, the cause of fault behind everything happening in their lives.

Sakshi clutched Ronit's hand as her mind wandered back to the past, when she had once begged Ronit to stay cautious and keep his distance. It had been 21 years since Ronit made a mistake, a mistake that had shaped their family's fate forever. A mistake that Sakshi had tried with all her might to stop, but he hadn't listened.

The day Ronit brought 4-year-old Mahir into their family, into their home, welcoming the kid with open arms, was the greatest mistake he committed.

Sakshi stood near the doorway, her voice trembled between anger and desperation as she looked at her husband. "Ronit, tum samajh kyun nahi rahe ho? Yeh bachcha humari zimmedari nahi hai. Tumhe usse ghar laane ki zarurat nahi thi. (Ronit, why don’t you understand? This child is not our responsibility. You didn’t need to bring him into this house.)"

Ronit looked at her, firm yet calm, his eyes carrying a decision he had already made. "He’s alone, Sakshi. His father, entrusted him to me. The boy needs love and support in the middle of the despair he’s facing. I cannot break the promise I made to my friend. Mahir will stay with us."

Sakshi’s grip tightened on the edge of her dupatta. "Aur hamara kya, Ronit? Hamari zindagi? Hamara ghar? (And what about us, Ronit? Our life? Our home?) Do you really think bringing a stranger’s child here will fix everything? Do you even realize what people will say?"

Ronit’s jaw clenched. He stepped closer, meeting her gaze steadily. "Mujhe farq nahi padta log kya kahenge, Sakshi. (I don’t care what people will say, Sakshi.) The only thing I care about is that a four-year-old child should not be left alone. He needs love, and I will give it to him.

Sakshi’s eyes burned, a mix of fear and helplessness. "Tumhe lagta hai tum ek bacche ka itna bada bojh utha loge? Kal ko uske liye tum mujhe aur hamare apne bacchon ko nazarandaaz kar doge. Ronit, yeh faisla galat hai! Dad kya kahenge, kabhi socha hai? He won't ever let you do this. (Do you really think you can carry such a burden? Tomorrow, for his sake, you’ll neglect me and our own children. Ronit, this decision is wrong! Have you even thought about what Dad will say? He’ll never allow it.)"

Ronit’s tone softened for a moment but carried unshakable resolve. "Main jo kar raha hu, Dad ko puch ke kar raha hu, Sakshi. (Sakshi, I’ve spoken to Dad. I’m doing this with his consent.) And I will never neglect my own children. Mahir will be mine too… ours too. Just like the child we will have in future. You only need to trust me."

Sakshi shook her head, tears pricking her eyes. "No Ronit… Yeh tumhari sabse badi galti hogi. (This will be your biggest mistake.)"

But Ronit, determined, walked out of the room, leaving Sakshi with her words hanging heavy in the silence, words that would haunt them both for decades to come.

When her husband thought he was doing the right thing by bringing a child who wasn't his own blood, Sakshi knew better. She knew that Mahir would only bring destruction to their family.

Mahir wasn't Ronit's biological son, but for Ronit or even his father, Abhijay, that didn't matter; all that mattered was that Mahir was the son of Vikram Rathod.

The Rathod family and the Dhanrajgir family shared an old bond, a close kinship that stretched back to their long, forgotten ancestors, a friendship so deep it made them part of each other’s families. So, when Vikram, on his deathbed, extracted a promise from Ronit, he was left with no choice but to keep it and fulfill it.

Vikram Rathod wasn't an ordinary man. He was a man with a strong sense of integrity and had always been deeply involved in politics, working tirelessly to fight the corruption that ran rampant in the city.

He was known for being honest and straightforward and was respected for the kindness he carried from within for the people in need, always helping not for the show of running a charity but everything that came from his heart.

Vikram's focus was always on eradicating the crime rate, making night traveling safer for women, and a better place to live for the elderly citizens and children. Vikram always believed that true strength came from standing up for what was right, no matter the personal cost. His honesty, loyalty, and uncompromising moral ethics were the qualities that made him both admired and feared in his circles.

But it was his very loyalty to his cause, and to the people he loved, that ultimately cost him his life. When in broad daylight, Vikram was shot in cold blood, his life snuffed out before he could ever see his work completed.

That day, for the first time in his life, Vikram felt fear. It wasn't for himself, but for Mahir, his son... His only child, whom he had always shielded from the harsh realities of the world. Vikram had spent his life protecting Mahir, keeping him sheltered from the criminal underworld he was so deeply entrenched in. But as his time dwindled, he knew he couldn't shield Mahir forever. He needed to make sure someone would care for him after he was gone.

So, with his dying breath, Vikram made Ronit swear an oath, a vow to take care of Mahir.

When a father wants his son to carry his name, his legacy, Vikram wanted something different. He wanted Mahir to stay away from the Rathod name and family, or even the legacy that had been grinding itself in politics for generation after generation. It was a father's love and fear that made him want to protect his child as the last breath he took.

Vikram asked Ronit to raise Mahir as his own, not as a Rathod, but as a Dhanrajgir. The Dhanrajgir family could give Mahir a chance to grow up with values that Vikram had fought for his entire life: integrity, honesty, and a sense of justice. He needed to ensure that Mahir was given the right upbringing, far from the shadows of politics and corruption that had tainted his own life.

And that single oath taken from the heart changed the course of their family's destiny!

Ronit had agreed, not out of obligation, but out of love for his old friend. He promised Vikram that he would protect Mahir, and that's exactly what he did. But what neither of them could have foreseen was how this decision would slowly tear apart the fabric of their own family.

In the initial years, Sakshi kept her distance from the boy, but when he made his way into her heart, she did remember. Sakshi started to adore Mahir as she wasn't able to conceive and wasn't ready to take up a child's responsibility. She was happy with what God gave her, taking Mahir as Almighty's blessing.

However, everything took a U-turn when she got news of her own pregnancy. Blood over bond maligned her thinking, and she started to retreat from Mahir. Not completely, but enough for her own sake.

She convinced herself that it was natural, wanting to give her unborn child the undivided love and attention they deserved.

The hands that once combed Mahir's hair, the arms that held him close on stormy nights, started to retreat with the excuse that the boy was growing up and she was making him independent like his father, rather than a mumma's boy.

She tried to justify it, telling herself that Ronit was there for the boy; her husband loved Mahir enough for both of them, and she was only doing it to make Mahir stronger, conveniently forgetting that she was failing the boy who called her Maa with so much trust, love, and affection in his voice.

But now, sitting beside Ronit in the hospital, watching her man who once believed in every promise he made to fulfill them no matter what came their way, Sakshi couldn't help but wonder if it was the price of her and her husband's sufferings. The price her children, Arjun and Abhi, were paying for a promise that perhaps should have never been made.

But Sakshi had had enough. She was determined to do the right thing even at the cost of losing Mahir. The child who came years back had transformed into an independent man.

Mahir could handle himself and his so-called sister too. Sakshi didn't need anyone. She glanced at her husband, knowing it wouldn't be easy to convince him or her kids, but she knew how to make them comply with her wishes, and she would!

✨✨✨

A cold breeze swept through Radha, making her shiver as it hit her skin. The sterile white walls of the hospital, the soft beeping machines, the low murmurs of nurses, and the soft shuffling of footsteps all seemed distant, like a world split where she was feeling unbearable pain.

As she stood frozen, her gaze fixed on her mother's frail frame lying on the bed, wrapped in bandages, connected to a series of machines that beeped, cutting through the air coldly.

"We are sorry. You can meet her.....she doesn't have much time left." The doctor's words echoed in her ears on repeat, and each word felt like a hammer striking against her heart.

Radha’s vision blurred as tears welled up in her eyes. Time itself seemed to freeze, and the world around her seemed to slow down as she realized something was slipping away from her life. Her heart pounded in her chest with a hollow beat. Guilt, regret, grief, and... love? Each emotion collided within her, creating havoc of its own, overwhelming her future even more.

"Radha." A soft voice called out, snapping Radha out of her daze. She looked up at her mother.

The hope shining in her eyes, combined with a lingering guilt, forced her to take a step towards Payal. She reached out with her trembling hands, brushing against her mother’s cold skin, a kind of coldness that only reminded her of the distance that had always existed between them. But no matter what, she wasn't ready for this. She never would be!

The mother and daughter stared at each other, one consumed by years of guilt, and the other struggling to find the words to express what was left of her broken heart.

"Radha..." Payal squeezed her hand gently as she removed her oxygen mask. "I—I am—am S—sorry."

Radha's heart skipped a beat; her eyes widened in shock. The sudden apology felt foreign, especially from her mother, a woman who had always held her pride, believing in what she decided was always right, no matter what others thought or went through because of it. So eventually, Radha wasn't ready for this, not now, when she could see her world crashing down before her eyes.

Payal closed her eyes against the tears she had been holding back, yet they spilled over. The shocked look on her daughter's face felt like a slap. In the process of being the ideal daughter-in-law of the Dhanrajgir house, in the process of being a perfect wife for her husband, she forgot to fulfill the role of a mother in her daughter’s life.

She knew she was a terrible, horrible kind of mother to Radha, the selfishness, the neglect, and the years of distance. She had failed Radha in ways that no matter what, even a simple sorry can't work as a soothing balm on the wounds inflicted on her daughter's heart. The past was beyond redemption!

But in her final moments, Payal did something she had never done before; she gave her daughter what she had always longed for.

Payal reached out and pulled Radha into her embrace, enveloping her in her arms and pulling her close. Pain coursed through her body, yet she held back the yelp.

With weak trembling fingers, she stroked Radha's hair gently. Each fiber of her bones screamed in agony from the pressure put on them, but Payal chose to ignore it all because this... this was the only thing she could give her daughter for now.

Slowly, Payal's breath hitched. Radha could feel her heart flattering in her chest. What she yearned for years was something she was getting at the moment when she was losing her everything. Fate seemed too unfair to her at that moment! The machines beeped, a stark reminder of how little time they had left.

"I---I am sorry." Payal murmured, her voice breaking. "I---I couldn't be the... mother you needed. I---I couldn't be the mother... you longed for. If—if you can please forgive me... beta... I---I just wanted you to know... that I---I love..."

And then there was silence.

A stillness seemed to settle down over the room, thick and suffocating. Radha felt her heart drop, the finality of the moment hanging in the air. She could feel Payal’s stiff body beneath her. The hand that caressed her hair earlier slipped off her hair abruptly. There was nothing, no sound, no heartbeat, no breath.

The heart monitor flatlined with a single continuous beep.

It was over.

Radha felt the world around her pause as she stood up straight and stared at her mother's lifeless form. Soon she was enveloped in a warm hug, but her body stood stiffly rooted to the spot. There was no more time for apologies. No more time for what could have been!

Her body gave up, and she fainted in Mahir's embrace.

Radha woke with a start; her body jerked upright, cold sweat dripping down her forehead. Her heart raced in her chest as she looked around, trying to grasp her surroundings. She blinked rapidly, and reality crashed down on her mind... it was a dream, yet a reality she was trying to run away from!

She wiped the sweat away with the sleeves of her hoodie. She glanced back at Arjun and Abhi, who were asleep, tangled together in awkward positions on the bench beside her. Slowly, she stood up, removing the jacket that was wrapped around her before wrapping it around her brother's shoulders, carefully not to disturb their slumber.

Her eyes scanned around, looking for Mahir, who was nowhere to be seen, not even inside the ward where Sakshi sat alone with Ronit still unconscious. With a deep sigh, Radha made her way out of the hospital, grabbing a cup of steaming coffee on the way.

The familiar scent of the hospital, the dim light of early morning, everything brought back the memories that haunted her every night when she slept. If her mother's last words caused an ache in her heart, then her father's reaction cut deep.

Even when he was taking his last breath, he refused to meet her; he refused to look at his own daughter, and that only made Radha realize what a big mistake she was in her parents' lives. An unwanted child! Maybe just maybe, if she hadn't been born into the family, the whole Dhanrajgir clan might have been living happily together.

There would be no fights, no differences, or neither the division. The equation between her brothers and their parents might be perfect, just like every other parent and child. It was just her who created havoc in the family!

Radha passed through the hallways. It was 8 in the morning; the remnants of early morning were showing around. Every little detail reminded her of that moment, the moment she could never undo and neither forget.

As Radha stepped outside, the crisp morning air greeted her, carrying the faint scent of damp earth and blooming flowers. The golden hues of the rising sun cast long shadows across the ground, wrapping everything in quiet serenity. Birds flitted between the branches of the trees, under which Mahir sat, looking lost in his thoughts. The strained look on his face from being awake for hours seemed palpable.

Taking a deep breath, Radha stepped forward. The hospital grounds were still in early morning silence, with a few passerby nurses and patients taking strolls.

Radha sat beside her brother, who had yet to acknowledge her presence.

She gently placed the hot cup of coffee in his hands, taking away the cold one from earlier. "Bhaiya?" she called out softly.

Mahir looked up, startled. His eyes softened as he looked at Radha, "Feeling better?"

Radha nodded, "Aap thik ho? (Are you okay?)"

Mahir let out a deep breath and nodded. He would be fine; he had to be. He kept the coffee aside; he wasn't in the mood to have anything, not until his father was up.

"Aap soye nahi na poori raat? (You didn’t sleep the whole night, did you?)" Radha asked, worried.

Mahir nodded, running his hand through his messed-up hair, "I will… once Dad wakes up, then…" He looked at her. "Do you want to go home? I’ll ask Arjun to take you and Abhi back."

"I want to stay, Bhaiya," Radha intervened gently.

Mahir sighed, "That’s not necessary, baache. You look tired…"

"So do you, Bhaiya." Radha cut him off again, reaching out to hold his hand. "Can I ask you something?" she said hesitantly.

Mahir nodded.

"After we went out yesterday… something happened at home, didn’t it?"

Mahir stiffened. He didn't wish to lie to his sister, but that didn't mean he wanted her to know the truth.

Radha's eyes welled up with tears. The silence itself gave away that something had happened. The only topic the father and son fought over was her, and now that Ronit was in the hospital and Mahir seemed so sad, she was sure she was the one reason behind...

"Nothing happened because of you, Radha." Mahir's firm tone snapped Radha out of her gloomy thoughts, and she looked at him.

Mahir cradled her face in his palm. "Nothing happened because of you, and I don’t want you blaming yourself for something you didn’t do. Clear?"

"Then what did happen?" Radha asked quietly.

Mahir kissed her crown softly. "That's between me and Dad, and we will sort it out. For now, all you have to know is you aren't the reason behind anything that's happening. Understood?"

Radha nodded; somewhere she was still reluctant to believe it but knew her brother wouldn't lie to her like that.

Mahir rose to his feet, pulling Radha up with him. "Chal, I will get you something to eat. Arjun aur Abhi ke liye bhi kuch le lete hain. (Come on, I’ll get you something to eat. We’ll get something for Arjun and Abhi too.)"

Radha cringed; hospital food sucked.

Mahir chuckled, seeing her expression. "I’ll make you a sandwich once we get home. Until then, you’ll have to eat something, right?"

Radha nodded, "Thoda sa bas. (Just a little.) You won’t force me."

"If only you had enough for the medicines you need to take," Mahir guided her inside.

Earlier, what he said to Radha was his truth. Whatever happened, the topic was Radha, but she wasn't the reason behind his father ending up in the hospital. It was him who should be called out. It was his years of pent-up frustration that came forth, and he lashed out, forgetting the fact that Ronit was a heart patient already surviving two heart strokes.

Mahir regretted the part where he yelled at his father; he regretted telling him that he would leave the house, but he didn't regret taking a stand for his sister. Nor would he ever!

Radha walked beside Mahir, glancing around when her eyes landed on Sakshi moving towards them. The glint in her eyes and the way she stared at Mahir as she approached them told a story of its own. Radha had seen that gleam enough to know who was going to be her badi maa's next target.

Radha glanced at her brother, who was busy doing something on his phone. The tired eyes and worried look of his made her not want him to take the heat of Sakshi's anger. Though she didn't know what happened, she was sure it was something big.

"Bhaiya." Radha stopped, gaining Mahir's attention. You go, I’ll bring Bhaiyu and Abhi to the cafeteria."

Mahir looked around; people were coming in and going out. The crowd was increasing at its usual pace as the sun was rising. He didn't wish to leave Radha alone, be it in a small or big place; it didn't matter.

Yet he had to. The girl was 15, and for the first time, she asked to do something on her own rather than following orders like a puppet. He didn't have the heart to discourage her in any way.

"Fine." Mahir smiled faintly. "Just don't stroll around. I will order for you all. Just come fast."

Radha nodded. Mahir turned to the left where the cafeteria was, and Radha rushed straight towards Sakshi. Thankfully her brother was facing her, so he didn't noticed his mother or the disaster that was on its way.

Sakshi looked startled as Radha came and stood before her. "You... you were going to see Bhaiya?" Radha's words stumbled out nervously.

Sakshi's eyes narrowed at the girl. "Yes, why? Do you have a problem with that? Where is Mahir?"

Radha fidgeted with her fingers. "B-Bhaiya is very upset. Maybe… maybe you can talk to him later, please…"

"Oh so now you will tell me ki mujhe kis se kab kya baat karni hai? (Oh, so now you’ll tell me who I should talk to, and when?)" Sakshi snapped. She was already frustrated enough, and Radha was just adding more to it.

Radha flinched back; she didn't mean it in a bad way. Her bhaiya was stressed out, and knowing how much her badi maa's words could pierce through one’s heart, she didn't want her brother to face the same.

"Badi maa, please..." Radha pleaded, her eyes taking in the surroundings; they were starting to attract unnecessary attention.

Sakshi noticed the same and held Radha by her arm hard, dragging her to an empty ward. Anyway, the girl was the cause her husband was in the hospital today. She didn't mind taking out her frustration on Radha. She just needed a punching bag and got one.

Radha flinched back again, as Sakshi closed the door, pushing her inside the room. Mother or not, Radha could identify it well. She was experienced in that criteria. Sakshi loved Arjun and Abhi, but she also loved the control she had over them.

Until and unless they complied with everything she said, they were the best sons in the world, or better yet, the universe. But the moment they slipped or uttered a "no" for something they didn't want to do, they faced Sakshi's wrath. The words that cut deeper than any sword.

And Ronit was a whole different story for Radha. The man didn't back down in displaying the authority he held in the family or in the business world, but when it came to his own wife taking a stand for what was right in front of him, he was blinded by love, unable to utter a word in front of Sakshi.

Radha hated the fact that she could see through the situation too clearly. She hated that her parents and even her badi maa and bade papa refused to accept their kids for who they were and how they were, rather than molding them according to their selfish preferences and needs.

"What happened at home yesterday, Badi Maa?" Radha asked before Sakshi could utter a word.

Her insides screamed that she wouldn't like the answer, but still, she needed closure. Her brothers always protected her; her bhaiya always shielded her, but she believed in knowing the truth. No matter how painful it was, the reailty was better than a facade.

"Mahir ne tumhe nahi bataya kya hua? (Mahir didn’t tell you what happened?)" Sakshi raised an eyebrow.

Radha shook her head, "If he had told me, would I be asking you?"

"Then how about you ask the same thing in front of your brother?" Sakshi challenged. "Even I want to know what Mahir will say, how he’ll justify his deeds this time."

"What are you trying to say? Please, speak clearly."

"You are too young to handle the truth, Radhika," Sakshi scoffed. "You want to protect your brother, right? Tumne mujhe aate hue dekha, isliye Mahir ko kahin bhej diya, correct? (You saw me coming, so you sent Mahir away, correct?)"

"You already know everything, Badi maa, so now just tell me what really happened yesterday?" Radha asked quietly, "I am protecting bhaiya but not from you, but from himself. He is upset; he is feeling guilty for something he might not have done. Hum sab jaante hain Bhaiya bade papa se kitna pyaar karte hain. Bhaiya aisa kuch nahi karenge jisse bade papa ko hurt ho aur... (We all know how much Bhaiya loves Bade Papa. He would never do anything to hurt him, and…)"

"Vo apne liye kisi ko hurt nahi kar sakta, but you know what your brother can do for you, (He can’t hurt anyone for himself, but you know what your brother can do for you,)" Sakshi interjected angrily. She loved breaking the bubble the girl was living in.

"What do you mean?" Radha frowned.

"Yahi ki your brother threatened his father (That your brother threatened his father,) that he will leave the family, the house, his brothers, his parents, all because of you," Sakshi burst out, satisfied. "He wants to take you away and look after you. He wants to give you a better life, forgetting his own and his parents who did so much for him. He wants to leave behind his sick father just because of you."

Radha stepped back as if struck by thunder. She didn't think the fight between the two had escalated to the point where her brother wanted to take her away from the family.

She didn't have anyone except her brothers, and she hadn't had anyone before, so the thought of losing them felt unbearable.

Just like the devil from hell rubbed selfishness on her face, something she wasn't.

Her bhaiya was the who taught her that family meant unity; though she had never felt it with her parents, she had lived but felt it when she was with her brothers. And a unity like that should be unbreakable. Radha was ready to keep it intact that way, no matter what she had to do for it!

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