Chapter-16

 The evening was heavy with silence, a silence that screamed of a deserted graveyard, a silence resembling a sleeping forest. A thick familiar fog wrapped around the Dhanrajgir Mansion. Inside the mansion, chilling breeze whispered through the drawing room, causing the curtains to dance and the windows to rattle.

Radha stood in the middle of the living room, gazing at the white marble beneath her. Her eyes displayed the uncertainty and fear she felt within. Her hands curled into tight fists, gripping the hem of her blazer as she felt herself sinking into yet another wave of despair.

"I asked you a question, Radhika," a voice boomed in the room, making Radhika flinch in her place. With tears in her eyes, she slowly looked up at Ronit, who towered over her frail frame. His expression revealed a mix of anger and disappointment, all directed toward her.

As she had predicted, the professor called Ronit, and everything just spiraled out. She was looking forward to a big scene happening at school itself, but it didn't go that way. Ronit didn't visit school as he was stuck in an important meeting. However, the moment Radha stepped into the house, she was met with Sakshi's angry face and Ronit's questions. 

"I—I didn't do..."

"Try telling the truth, Radhika!" Sakshi interjected, angrily. She hated the fact that that girl got in trouble at school and that her husband had to leave his important meeting to intervene. 

The thought of Ronit sitting in that principal's office, listening to yet another lecture about Radhika's antics, filled her with frustration; luckily that didn't happen, or it could happen in the future, something that was not their duty to deal with, it was her parents' job, who were no longer there.

"I-I am telling the truth, Badi Maa." Radha stuttered, fixing her gaze back at the floor. "I didn't do anything. The-The professor found the chits under my desk. He didn't even cross-check the handwriting. He just..."

"And where did those chits come from in the first place?" Sakshi cut her off. "Are you blind that you didn't notice them? Or just dumb to think that we will believe your foolish theories?"

Radha clenched her eyes shut; she knew they wouldn't believe her. There was exactly no point in trying to make people understand who didn't even bother to see the other side of the coin, just seeing what they wanted to see. The suspension letter the principal handed over to her gave her a simple reality check, and her family's distrust worked like salt to her wounds.

How does it feel to be so helpless? Despite knowing everything and that you was right and that you deserved to be heard and understood, it seemed like shouting into the void, into an empty room where no one seemed to care. It didn't matter how hard one screamed; the silence just swallows you up, and in the end, you aren't unable to express yourself. Radhika felt the same.

The helplessness she experienced was in stark contrast to the fierce spirit inside her that longed to break free from the barriers and boundaries that confined her at that moment. She wished to scream out the simple truths without any fear of consequences. Yet every time she tried, she was met with indifference and anger, as if her emotions were nothing but background noise in a symphony that wasn't even hers.

"I am asking you something, Radhika! Answer me." Sakshi probed, annoyed. 

The silence was grating on her nerves; all she wanted to do was knock some sense into the girl. But for some reason, her husband was holding her back. Since the day she returned a week ago, she had been seeing a different side of her husband. Every time something related to Radhika came up, Ronit just backed off. Even now, despite the anger blazing in his eyes, he had restrained himself from bursting out, and that didn't sit well with her. Was her husband suddenly feeling empathy toward his niece? And if yes, then she had to work fast on what she was doing!

"Jab aap meri baat maane waale ho, (When you"re not going to listen to me anyway) then what's the point of me saying anything, Badi Maa?" Radha spat, frustrated unable to hold back, and gasped, shocked realizing her own words that came out so rudely.

Her face turned in reflex as Sakshi raised her hand, but nothing came. Radha opened her eyes slowly, only to be taken aback as Ronit stopped Sakshi.

"Leave my hand, Ronit." Sakshi glared at her husband. "Dekha kaise baat kar rahi hai yeh ladki. Bas abhi yahi rah gaya hai. (See how this girl talks now? That’s all that was left to happen.) She will commit a crime, and rather than confessing to it, she will argue with us. Lie to us. Iske bhai ne isse saari par chadha rakha hai. (Her brothers has completely spoiled her.)"

"Calm down, Sakshi." Ronit firmed his tone. 

Firstly, it wasn't his place to do anything, not even Sakshi's place. The guardianship of Radhika was handed over to Mahir before leaving; his son informed him, so eventually, they had no right over Radhika to reprimand her for her mistakes. 

The reason he didn't go to school when the principal asked for his visit was the same; it should be Mahir, but as his son wasn't there, Ronit took in the information on the call and assured the principal that the mistake wouldn't be repeated and he could take any needed action against Radhika.

In conclusion, Ronit was done with everything, the day-to-day reasons his wife found to humiliate Radhika. He was getting tired of them. He loved his wife, but he had started to love his peace too. He was a heart patient with numbered days to live, and he wished to keep his sanity intact.

"Just let it go." Ronit continued, his tone softening a bit. "She is already suspended from school for two weeks. She received her punishment; Mahir will be back within a few days, so let him handle her."

Sakshi yanked her hand back from his hold. "No!" She glared at Radha. "Just because she got suspended for two weeks doesn't mean it ends there. Suspension is like a stain, and being a Dhanrajgir, no one is allowed to taint our name like that. Not, my sons, and definitely not this girl."

Ronit pulled his wife back; he had had enough. He looked at Radhika. "The first thing you will do tomorrow is go back to your school and apologize to the teacher," he declared coldly. "Ask them to dismiss your suspension letter, or you won't like the consequences, Radhika. What you did was wrong, and you will face it yourself. No one will come for your help. I don't care what you do, but it's your responsibility to not let the money we put into your education go to waste. Understood?"

Radha nodded meekly. She doesn't even had choice.

Ronit turned on his heels and walked away; he needed space.

Sakshi grabbed Radhika by her shoulder. She wasn't done with the girl yet. "You have signed the admission forms a few days back. Once I get the confirmation from the boarding school, I will myself throw you out of this house. After everything you did, after snatching away Raghav and Payal from us, after destroying our family, I know you must be satisfied from within. You can trap your brothers with these crocodile tears, but not me, Radhika." 

Her nails pressed in Radha' shoulder, her tone sharpening, "Your father was smart, but your mother fell for your words and made a mistake for which she paid a heavy price. Don't for a second think that I will let you do the same with my sons. You are nothing but a criminal living under this roof behind a mask of innocence, and I will never let a person like you live under my roof. You will go! You will have to!" She left Radha with a jerk.

Radha's breath hitched; Sakshi's words worked like poison, spreading through the right veins. She knew she was a murderer, but hearing it felt more real, more burdensome, and more unbearable to handle.

"Sorry," she forced out the apology, her voice barely a whisper as her gaze lowered once again, and shame washed over her like cold water. 

The eyes fixed on her, the lush walls, and the luxurious décor made everything around her suddenly feel suffocating. All she wished for was to lock herself in her room, away from the scrutiny that weighed heavily on her heart. She apologized, but for what, even she was yet to understand.

Sakshi scoffed bitterly. "Sorry? From where I'm standing, that word has become a norm for you. You make a mistake and throw this word in our face rather than understanding your errors and walking away yourself." Her voice cut through Radhika.

Unable to hear anything else, Radha rushed up to her room, closing the door behind her. Tears streamed down her face as she gasped for air, yet another panic attack on its way.

"I am done with this girl," Raghav's cold voice echoed in her ears. "I think we should just send her away. Boarding school will pay attention to her. They will teach her some manners and ethics. She will thrive under that kind of care."

"No, Raghav!" Payal denied firmly. "She isn't able to handle our loud voices or our scolding's. Do you really think she will be able to handle such a strict environment you are sending her into?"

"So what do you want me to do?" Raghav hissed. "I am done seeing her failing like this. It's clear that whatever we do, she will just tarnish our name. Ek din sahi nahi jaata hai iss ghar mein (Not a single day goes smoothly in this house). I want to make her strong so that when she grows up, she will challenge her brothers and take over the lead in Dhanrajgir Empires."

"Business belongs to Mahir, Raghav," Payal interjected. "Bhaiya..."

"I know! Bhaiya, wants to hande over the business to Mahir. It's good, but I want my daughter to stand beside her brother just like I do. Arjun isn't interested in business, and Abhishek, well, he is Radhika's age, just a year senior, but I know where his interest lies too." His tone turned harsh, "In the end, I want Radhika, who is unfortunately a girl I never wanted, but I need to suck it up with it. I want her to stand beside Mahir and take the lead as soon as she turns eighteen. Bhaiya was eighteen when he started helping Dad. I was eighteen when I started helping Bhaiya, then things spiraled out. But the rules never changed; Mahir did the same, and I want Radhika to do the same. It's best if I send her away. Within a few years, the boarding school will whip her in shape, something I am incapable of doing."

"You are doing wrong, Raghav." For the first time, Payal was angry at her husband.

Radhika covered her eyes against the echoes of the fight that followed. She stumbled; it was getting harder to stand, to sit, to breathe, to do anything. She reached for her medicine bottle, and for a fleeting second, she emptied it all into her hand.

If she gulped down them all, everything would come to a full stop!

No more fights. No more suffering. No more accusations. No more truth, lies, or imposition. Everything would end with her. Ronit and Sakshi would be at peace, even her parents. Her brothers would grieve, but soon they would also forget her and move on with their lives.

Radha was done with everything! She needed to breathe rather than fight or fear each day. She wished to be like other kids her age, to be carefree and careless, someone who is allowed to make mistakes and someone who has somebody to rely on when everything felt heavy.

Her father wanted her to challenge her brother in business, not help him, and Sakshi found out about it. Since then, her disdain for Radhika increased. Her brothers didn't know what kind of fights roared behind their backs, what kind of power play was displayed, but she knew it as she was the cause of it.

Sometimes she thought maybe if she had just been a bit more like her father wanted, she would have been free from all this emotional torture. Even her father had told her that if she had been a boy, he would have treated him with love and strictness, both, not just the indifference he displayed to her so clearly. In a way, her father was just bearing something he couldn't change.

Radhika looked at the pills in her palm; tears overflowed. She was just one step away from finding freedom for herself... for her heart

Just as she brought them near her mouth, Mahir's calm words echoed in her ears like a lullaby... The words he said before leaving...

"If you need anything, all you have to do is call me, Radha. If you want to talk about something, emergency or not, I don't care. You just have to pick up your phone and call me. I will never be too busy for my child, baache. I will always be there for you, just remember that."

Radha threw away the pills as if they scorched her. What was she about to do? She wasn't punishing herself by taking her life; she was punishing her Bhaiya, who was ready to stand by her side in every storm that came her way. He was being a shield in her life, and what was she doing? Breaking him in the worst way possible?

She reached for her phone immediately; fortunately, she had kept her phone in the inside pocket of her blazer so the girls in school didn't notice it, or she would have lost it today. Instantly, she dialed Mahir's number.

Only he could calm her racing thoughts. However, the call went to voicemail, making her stiff. She needed an escape; her breathing normalized a bit as she looked at the pills lying on the floor, the urge to gulp them down and finish it all... No! She screamed from within and hurried out of her room. 

She needed to find one of her brothers, Abhi or Arjun, anyone of the three who could ground her before she did something she would regret for the rest of her life.

However, not finding anyone in the house, she made her way out. Arjun might be stuck in court, and Abhi might be at his friend's house or somewhere. Passing the gates, she walked out; the guards were on their lunch break, so no one saw her or stopped her.

Her eyes went distant, filling with tears as the memory hit her. Two days ago, right after Mahir had left, Sakshi had handed her a neatly filled-up form, asking her to sign it.

What shook her to the core was the sight of her father’s signature already there, in the space meant for parents.

"Your father was about to give them to you. He filled them out earlier; it was just that things didn't go the way they should have. It was your father's last wish that you go to this boarding school. Won't you fulfill his last wish, especially after what you did to him?" Those were the exact words Sakshi spoke that day.

And Radha, in her haze, in her hurt, signed away the papers without a second thought. Did she regret it? Maybe not, or maybe yes... For now, she was standing at a phase of her life where she didn't know the meaning of right or wrong, and that stung. Her parents were right; she was stupid for not knowing anything.

Aimlessly, she walked down the lanes. Too broken! Too defeated to see where her feet guided her.

✨✨✨

Arjun walked into the house, exhausted. The case he was working on had been complicated: endless nights, twisted statements, and evidence that refused to fit together. Every hearing had felt like a battle, testing both his patience and his principles. Yet, in the end, he won, not just the case, but the satisfaction of knowing that justice had finally been served, that all those sleepless nights had meant something.

Removing his coat and placing it neatly on the couch, he ran a tired hand through his hair and made a beeline toward his sister’s room. But before he could take another step, Abhi’s voice called from behind, as the latter walked in through the door.

"Don't tell me you are returning now, Abhishek?" Arjun glared at his younger brother.

Abhi swallowed hard. "Mein aane wala tha jaldi, saachi (I was going to come earlier, really…) it's just that I lost track of time." Too engrossed playing games, his inner self mocked.

Arjun whacked him hard on the shoulder. "You were supposed to be home before Radha arrived from school. Did you forget what have we decided? We won't leave her alone when she is around Mom and Dad?"

Abhi rubbed the sting. "Sorry." He mumbled guiltily.

Arjun shook his head in disbelief. He would have returned himself if not for the case. He didn't mind Abhi going out with his friends, but leaving Radha alone with their parents? They knew what kind of disaster their parents could cause, and he was least interested in that. All he wanted to do was protect his sister!

He stiffened, feeling a pair of arms encircle around him from behind. "Sorry," Abhi mumbled against his back. "Next time se dhyan rakhunga (I’ll be careful next time.) Promise."

Arjun sighed, turning and cradling his brother's face. "I don’t mind you going out and enjoying yourself, neither does Bhaiya. But we know what is going on around us. It's a shame that I have to tell you to be cautious inside our house, but that’s the truth. If you were about to get late, you should have just called me Abhi, and I would have found a way to come back before you. That's all I have to say."

Abhi rested his hand on Arjun's that was cupping his face. "I understand, Bhaiyu. I will keep it in mind next time. If I get late, I will inform you. For now... cut me some slack, please." He displayed the best puppy eyes, he could muster, his ultimate weapon.

Arjun pulled back, nodding his head. "Obviously, I won’t say anything else. I will ask Bhaiya to do the honors."

Abhi's eyes widened in shock. Mahir would just kill him, not for coming late, but definitely for going out with friends in the name of group studies. It was a novelty that his Bhaiyu knew and kept the information himself, or he would have had it long back.

He immediately gave Arjun a pleading look. "Please, yaar, Bhaiyu, kyu bacche ki jaan le rahe ho? Bhaiya will bury me alive."

Arjun pretended to think. "In reality, it's impossible, but yes, in your dreams maybe." He shrugged casually, climbing up the stairs.

"Bhaiyuu" Abhi whined, following behind. "Bhaiya will ground me for life."

"Till your board exams are finished," Arjun drawled.

"You are being unfair," Abhi shot back, now annoyed.

Arjun nodded. "Life is unfair. Haven't you heard that quote?"

"Bhaiyu..." Abhi trailed off as Arjun's phone rang. The latter took out the phone and grinned widely, reading the caller ID.

"Should I tell him?" Arjun raised an eyebrow, showing his brother the phone screen. It was their Bhaiya!

Abhi shook his head vigorously. "I am not willing to spend the next five months locked inside the house. Please spare me the torture." He joined his hands dramatically.

Arjun chuckled, receiving the call. "Radha kaha hai? (Where is, Radha?)" Before Arjun could answer, Mahir asked.

Arjun sighed, moving toward Radha's room. "We are also here, Bhaiya. Pay a little attention to me and Abhi. I will have to complain to Radha about you being biased. My sister will serve great justice."

"Arjun!" Mahir's worried voice came through, startled him. The earlier smile vanished, clouded by concern.

"What..."

"She called me half an hour ago, but I was in a meeting." Mahir cut him off, agitated. "The manager had the phone, and he didn't tell me that Radha was calling. Now I am trying to call her, but she’s not answering my calls. Get her on the call. Something is not right... I can feel it."

On cue, Arjun opened the door of Radha's room and barged in. For the first time, he didn't mind knocking. His steps froze as he saw the phone lying on the floor. His guts twisted.

"Arjun?" Mahir called out from the other side.

However, Arjun and Abhi froze in their spot, taking in the scene of the room. The blanket was half-pulled off the bed, the school bag lay crumpled on the floor, but what caught their attention were the pills scattered across the tiles, rolling aimlessly near the corner.

Abhi’s eyes filled up, with distress. "Bhaiyu?" he whispered, shaking Arjun’s arm, his voice trembling.

"ARJUN, TALK TO ME!" Mahir’s voice boomed through the phone, a mix of fear and command.

Arjun snapped out of his daze. What he was seeing gave away something he didn’t want to even imagine, but the truth couldn’t be ignored. His pulse thudded in his ears, the sound louder than Mahir’s voice on the call.

"Radha is not here," Arjun forced out the words, his throat dry. "Her phone’s in my hand. I... I’ll check the house and call you, Bhaiya. Just give me a few minutes." Saying, he rushed out of the room, his heart hammering in his chest, eyes scanning every corner like a madman. 

He needed to find his sister, but deep down, his gut whispered the kind of truth no brother ever wanted to face!

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