Chapter- 24

Radha and Abhi shared a knowing look before shifting their eyes back to their elder brothers.

Mahir was busy feeding Radha her soup, and Arjun was tearing small pieces of paratha to feed Abhi; an oddly domestic scene, if not for the thick tension hanging in the air. To the younger two, it was painfully clear that Arjun was angry with Mahir; his clipped responses, the way he only hummed when Mahir asked something, and how he instantly redirected the conversation toward Abhi said more than any shouting ever could. Everything was right there in front of them, yet neither Radha nor Abhi dared to ask.

"Enough, Bhaiya," Radha murmured, stopping Mahir just as he brought another spoonful of soup to her lips.

Mahir nodded without arguing, placing the bowl back on the tray.

"That's unfair," Abhi complained instantly, offended. "You should finish it all, just like you force food down my throat every time I fall sick."

Radha shot him a sharp glare. "What you eat doesn't even come close to being called food. Who on earth eats paneer and chicken curry when they're sick? Bhaiya doesn't force you; you force yourself."

Abhi rolled his eyes. "Yeah right, my paneer and chicken are ten times better than your soup."

"Then have some pity on your little sister," Radha retorted, "rather than asking Bhaiya to feed me that disgusting liquid."

"And you didn't like that?" Arjun asked sharply, startling her. "Bhaiya made it with so much effort, and you're complaining, Radhika?"

Radha froze, staring at Arjun and then at Mahir. Something was definitely wrong. The way Mahir's glare had hardened toward Arjun and the way Arjun refused to even look at their Bhaiya... what the hell was going on here?

"She didn't mean it that way..." Abhi stated firmly, his voice cutting through the silence. "We're just joking around. Why are you taking it so seriously?"

Arjun looked away immediately. He was in desperate need of space. He rose to his feet, dumping the plate into Abhi's hand. "I will be back," he mumbled, turning to leave.

"Bhaiyu..." Abhi reached out, holding his wrist and stopping him. "What has happened?"

He looked at Mahir. "Aapke aur Bhaiyu ke beech kuch hua hai, na? (Something happened between you and Bhaiyu, right?)"

"That's none of your business," Arjun snapped, pulling back from Abhi's hold.

"I know," Abhi's voice rose an octave, sharp yet controlled. "Neither am I asking for the reasons; it's between you and Bhaiya. But stop making it so obvious, so awkward for Radha and me if you want us to stay out of it." He stormed out of the room, his frustration barely masked.

His Bhaiyu had a short circuit. He knew that well enough. But Abhi hated seeing fights or indifference between his brothers. He had already seen enough of that from their parents to tolerate it again among brothers.

Radha looked on as Arjun walked out of the room. The silence he left behind felt heavy. She was dragged out of her thoughts when Mahir quietly slid the medicines toward her. Without a word, she swallowed them.

"Are you feeling pain anywhere?" Mahir asked, adjusting the pillow under her feet with gentle precision.

"No," Radha replied softly.

"In your arms? Headache? Anything like that?" Mahir pressed, eyes scanning her face for the slightest discomfort.

Radha shook her head again.

"Agar kuch hua toh...? (If something happens...)" He added lightly.

"I will tell you first," Radha completed for him, her voice gentle, reassuring. She paused for a moment before adding, "For now, I think you should go after them. Bhaiya... they both need you."

Mahir sat beside her, shaking his head. "They need to cool off first before I talk to them."

Radha hesitated, her voice small but concerned. "Aapke aur Bhaiyu ke beech... kuch hua hai na? (Did something happen between you and Bhaiyu?)"

A faint, tired smile tugged at Mahir's lips. "Well... you know your Bhaiyu," he sighed. "When he's angry with me, he would rather snap at the entire world than tell me what's going on."

Radha nodded; she knew her Bhaiyu was loud in his emotions, and her Bhaiya was silent when in pain. Somewhere in between, both of them suffered alone.

"That's because he loves you too much to say anything wrong in anger," she said softly, resting her hand on his, "He respects you too much to hurt his elder brother just because he's angry."

Mahir raised an eyebrow. "So, without even knowing what's the matter, you also think your Bhaiyu is right to be angry? That means I really did something wrong."

Radha shook her head immediately. "Bhaiyu chooses silence because he refuses to hurt you. I'm not siding with him. I know you might have your own reasons, and Bhaiyu has his own. Just... talk it out. It's that simple. Aapne hi sikhaya hai na. (You only taught us that, didn't you?)"

Mahir's faint smile faltered as he met her gaze. "Aapne Bhai ki kahi haar baat tujhe yaad hai. (You remember everything your brother says.) In fact, you have answers and understanding for your brother's situation... but not for yourself. Is that even fair, Radha?"

Radha stiffened, but for the first time, she didn't look away. She met Mahir's gaze steadily, her eyes burning with an anguish that felt like it was running through her veins instead of blood.

"Has life ever been fair to anyone, Bhaiya?" She whispered, just loud enough for him to hear. "Has life ever been fair to you, taking away your parents when you were just five? Has it been fair to Bhaiyu or Abhi, who spent years worshipping their parents only to realize later that the very people they placed on a pedestal were... so wrong, so selfish?"

Her breath trembled, but she kept going, her voice raw, "Has life ever been fair to me, Bhaiya? Ever since I understood that my own father hates me? Was it fair that Ma... Ma used her last breath to say 'sorry,' and even before she could complete 'I love you'...?" Her voice choked, unable to continue.

Tears spilled before she could stop them. Mahir wiped them away gently. Slowly he cupped her face in both hands, firm but tender, making her look at him.

"Life was unfair to me," Mahir said in a low, steady voice, "but I still got Mom and Dad. However they are... whatever mistakes they made... I don't care. Because at the end of the day, I got two younger brothers and one little sister. My siblings who are my soul."

His tone softened further, the weight of truth settling in his words. "Life wasn't fair to Arjun and Abhi either. Agreed. They were forced to face the manipulation of the very parents they trusted. But still... they chose to stand with the truth. They chose to live with integrity, Radha, rather than living in a fabricated lie."

He gently brushed the tears gathering at the corners of her eyes and reached for her unharmed hand, holding it carefully. "What Chachu and Chachi did was wrong," he continued quietly. "And there is no other way to glorify their actions. But what you are doing... is it right, Radha?"

His gaze flicked to the medicines on the bedside table before returning to her face. "You giving up without even trying... is that fair? To yourself? To us? To anyone?"

Radha slowly pulled her hand away, her voice barely above a whisper. "What if I say... I'm tired?"

Mahir's heart pounded in his chest at her words; loud, frightening, desperate, but he forced himself to stay calm.

"And what if I ask you to hang on a bit longer?" He murmured. "What if I ask you to give me a chance? To give yourself a chance... to step out of that shell you want to hide inside? To break the shackles that are holding you back?"

He extended his hand toward her, open, warm, and waiting. "Will you, Radha?"

Radha hesitated. Her breath hitched. She trusted her brother with her life. But she didn't trust herself. She didn't trust her jinx that someday, somehow, she would ruin everything; the moment she tried to choose something for herself. Still, with trembling fingers, she reached forward... trying to place her hand in Mahir's.

But Mahir pulled his hand back at the last second.

Radha froze, stunned. "Bhaiya?"

"Apne liye kar rahi hai ya mere liye, Radha? (Are you doing this for yourself or for me, Radha?)" Mahir asked firmly.

Radha looked away. He always knew. Always understood even what she didn't say.

Mahir let out a small exhale and shook his head. Rising to his feet, his tone softened again.

"You should rest, bacha," he said gently, adjusting the pillows beneath her back and feet with slow, careful movements. "I'll go check on your brothers."

Radha looked at him, her eyes soft yet searching. "Gussa ho? (Are you upset?)" she asked quietly.

Mahir shook his head. "No."

"Then why did you pull back?"

Mahir leaned down and placed a tender kiss on her forehead. "I can ask you to survive for me... for Arjun and Abhi," his voice barely above a whisper. "I can ask you to hang on. To fight. To stay. But at the end of the day, whatever you choose to do should be for yourself, Radha. To remember who you are in reality. Not for me. Not for your brothers."

He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, his voice softening like fur. "We love you more than anything. Enough to cross fire, enough to fight the world if we have to. But I want my child to love herself first. To think for herself. To choose herself. Not just because I asked her to. But because she wants to."

Radha's breathing slowed, medicine pulling her down into drowsiness, but she held onto his hand, letting the words sink into the quiet spaces of her heart.

"You have time to think," Mahir continued. "One week from now, I'll ask you the same question again... with the hope of hearing a different answer."

Radha blinked sluggishly, sleep tugging at her eyelids. "And... what if my answer is the same?"

A small, gentle smile spread across Mahir's lips, soft, patient, unshakably loving. "Then I will wait," He said simply. "I'll give you more time. But I won't let you give up on yourself, bacche. Not now. Not ever."

He pulled the blanket up to her shoulders, his fingers brushing lightly across her hair. "I promise."

Radha's eyes fluttered once... twice... and then slowly closed, her breaths evening out into the soft, heavy rhythm of sleep.

Mahir waited beside her for a moment, watching the tension fade from her face, the quiet replacing everything she had been fighting inside.

With a gentle hand, he dimmed the lights, letting the room settle into a warm, calming glow. He took one last look at his sister, tucked in, safe, finally resting before silently turning toward the door. Closing it with the softest click, Mahir stepped out, his expression steadying as he made his way to the kitchen.

✨✨✨

The sun was sinking behind the horizon, painting soft hues of orange and red across the sky. The world below seemed peaceful, painfully peaceful, but Arjun didn't feel anything like that. He stood on the terrace, elbow resting on the cold railing, eyes fixed on the sun as if it held all the answers he had been running from.

A faint breeze brushed past him, yet nothing cooled the fire shimmering in his chest. His hands shook as he took a deep breath and gripped the railing harder, knuckles turning white. From the outside, he looked composed... quiet, still, unbothered. But inside him, a storm raged... a silent, suffocating storm that never screamed, never burst, never spilled, just burned.

It was always like this with him. When Mahir was protective, Abhi was affectionate, and Radha held her softness. Arjun held silence. Silence sharp enough to cut, silence heavy enough to choke. People thought his quiet meant calmness. But only his siblings knew... Arjun's silence meant he was losing control.

When angry, his bhaiya went silent because he was hurt. Arjun went silent when he was trying not to hurt.

He knew his rage. He knew how ugly it got when he was angry. He didn't prefer shouting. He simply spilled words that could cut deep, stir wounds, leave someone bleeding inside; words he could never take back. And today was the same.

Arjun wasn't just angry at his inability to help his bhaiya. He wasn't just angry for himself but also for Mahir. For a brother who had shouldered everything, who locked all the pain inside his chest and acted brave before them, even when he was close to collapsing. And Arjun hated it.

His bhaiya wasn't a superhero, even though the younger him had believed that with all his heart. Yet the grown-ass man he was now knew the truth: even superheroes are allowed to fall weak. They are allowed to cry, they are allowed to be just themselves rather than what world defined them to be.

Arjun wanted just that from his brother. But as the realization settled in that Mahir was carrying far more than he ever should, Arjun felt scared. Scared that he would lose his bhaiya beneath the mountain of responsibilities his brother kept burying himself under.

He hated himself for even thinking like that. He was 25, a ruthless criminal lawyer who never faltered in courtrooms, who never lost a single case, who was feared for his sharp tongue and unforgiving cross-examinations, who made seasoned criminals tremble.

Yet here he was, behaving like a seventeen-year-old boy terrified of losing the most important person in his life. His hand trembled again as the past urges kicked in...

Suddenly, a cup of steaming coffee slid into his view, startling him. Silently, Arjun took the cup. He didn't need to tilt his head to see who it was; the creamy coffee was answer enough.

No one in the house had that specific habit of adding exactly two spoons of creamer and one of jaggery; his guilty pleasure, especially his favorite made by his bhaiya, that could calm his nerves like anything.

When everyone, including Abhi and Mahir, preferred their coffee pitch-black, and Radha hated the very thing, too conscious of her health to even smell caffeine, let alone drink it. His family definitely had a bitter werid taste, and he couldn't help it.

The brothers stood in silence, admiring the slow descent of the sun melting into the horizon, painting the sky in a soft, fading glow.

Mahir waited calmly, leaning on the railing, sipping his drink and giving Arjun the space he needed. He didn't push, didn't question. He simply stood beside him, quiet, steady, letting his brother know he wasn't alone, and he never would be.

"I'm sorry, Bhaiya," Arjun muttered, staring at the cup. "I shouldn't have talked to Radha like that."

He realized, perhaps a bit too late, how foolish it was to snap at her. Any other time, it would have been fine if Radha knew how to retort back and make him grovel, just like Abhi does, but things weren't the same with her. His sister was already carrying so much. Any harsh word, any raised voice, from any of them, would only deepen her insecurities. And that was the last thing he wanted.

Mahir sighed softly. "She's fine, Arjun. She understood your frustration. You know she'll never hold a grudge against you."

Arjun looked away. Deep down, he didn't like what he heard. Radha was too understanding, far too forgiving, and that was precisely the problem.

When you start behaving maturely... when you start understanding everyone while keeping aside your emotions... at the age when you're supposed to feel everything without boundaries... that's when you lose yourself, lessening your self-worth in your own eyes.

How he wished Radha could have a normal life, free from restrictions, hesitations, fears. But not all wishes come true. At the end of it all, who was responsible for Radha's condition? No matter how many times a day Arjun repeated the answer to himself, it still stung.

Shaking off the thoughts, he set his cup aside and turned to face his bhaiya. The past couldn't be undone, but he refused to make mistakes that would hurt his brother unintentionally.

"I'm sorry," He mumbled quietly, meeting Mahir's gaze steadily.

Mahir frowned, his brows knitting slightly. "For what, Arjun?" The sudden guilt in his brothers voice unsettled him.

Arjun reached for Mahir's hand, holding it tightly. "I shouldn't have talked to you like that in the kitchen earlier. I understand everything you're doing, bhaiya. I understand everything you ever did, every reason, your helplessness. But bhaiya... you too deserve better. Sari zindagi apne bhai-behen ke naam karke aap khush reh loge, par hum nahi. (You might be able to find happiness by dedicating your entire life to your siblings, but we won't be happy with that.) When I wanted to become a lawyer, Dad agreed only because he made a deal with you that you would take over the company with him."

Arjun's eyes drifted to the horizon. "You chose me without even telling me. That was your love. And I will never dare to question it. But what about you, bhaiya?"

He looked back at Mahir, meeting his gaze head-on. "Ek bade bhai hone ke rishte se aapne apna farz nibha diya. Par kya mera koi farz nahi aapke liye? (As an elder brother, you have fulfilled every responsibility of yours. But don’t I have any responsibility toward you?) Don't I love you enough, or don't I support you enough, that every time you end up shouldering everything alone? Meri khamoshi aap samajh sakte hain, bhaiya... par shayad main aapki kabhi nahi. (You can understand my silence, Bhaiya… but perhaps I have never been able to understand yours.) I will never understand your pain, your suffering. A brother like me deserves nothing..." He trailed off with a startled gasp as Mahir slapped him lightly on the cheek.

"Khabardaar jo mere bhai ke baare mein kuch bhi ulta-seedha bola toh. (Don’t you dare say a single word against about my brother.)" Mahir's voice dropped, firm enough to freeze Arjun. "You are my brother, Arjun. Blood doesn't bind us... I know that. But what I share with you, Abhi, and Radha goes beyond blood. I already have one Radha in my life. If you and Abhi are so desperate to walk down her path, I swear I'll belt you both. Samjha? Understood?"

Arjun swallowed hard. The threat felt a little to real to laugh off. He nodded instantly.

Mahir opened his mouth to continue, but Shreya walked in with a first-aid kit clutched in her hands.

"Are you fine?" both brothers asked in signs, worry flooding their eyes.

Shreya nodded, then turned to Mahir. "This is for you. Aapko chot lagi hai. Did you forget?"

"What?" Arjun interjected, turning Mahir towards him, scanning for injuries. "Kya hua aapko? Kahan lagi hai? Aapne bataya kyun nahi? (What happened to you? Where are you hurt? Why didn’t you tell me?)"

"He scraped his knee yesterday," Shreya informed softly, passing the kit to Arjun.

"Just apply the ointment and wrap the bandage," She instructed softly and quietly, walked away, ignoring the sharp look Mahir shot her way.

The siblings' bond ran deeper than words; it was woven into the corners of their hearts. It's high time Mahir realized just what he truly meant to them.

Mahir exhaled sharply. Shreya was just... he didn't know what to call her anymore. In a way, none of this was even her fault; she had simply walked in at the wrong moment, right when he was talking to Arjun. Yesterday she was the only one who dragged him away when everything was falling apart and forced him to sit down and tend to his wounds. Mahir was grateful for that. But now... he wasn't sure what to feel.

Arjun guided him toward the swing and practically pushed him to sit. Mahir let him be. But the second Arjun settled on the floor and opened the first-aid box, reaching for his leg, he immediately pulled his leg back and stood up; he didn't like his brother sitting near his feet.

"I'll do it, beta," Mahir said softly.

"Let me do it, Bhaiya," Arjun insisted, pushing him gently back onto the swing.

"Arjun..."

"Yeah, I know, you're capable of tending to your injuries, in fact, you are invincible," Arjun chided. "Par agar aapki jagah mujhe lagi hoti, toh aap meri sunte. (But if I were the one hurt instead of you, you would have listened to me.)

Mahir fell silent. He wouldn't have listened. He wasn't a fool... But now he realized how foolish he was being by dissing himself.

Arjun lifted his brother's foot, placing it gently on his lap. With careful fingers, he rolled the pant leg up to Mahir's knee. His eyes softened, misting ever so slightly as he undid the earlier bandage.

Just like Shreya had said, the bruises were bad. Angry shades of blue and purple, swollen and tender. And for a moment, Arjun simply stared.

Mahir noticed the sheen of tears gathering in Arjun's eyes and sighed inwardly. That was why he had wanted to do it himself. He hated seeing tears in his siblings' eyes.

"Bahut dard ho raha hai? (Is it hurting a lot?)" Arjun asked softly as he dabbed antiseptic over the bruised skin with careful, trembling hands.

Mahir swallowed the sharp sting burning through his leg and shook his head for the sake of his brother. "No," he murmured. "It's fine."

On those stairs, it hadn't just been pebbles or dust; there had been shreds of broken glass too, embedded like tiny needles, slicing straight into his skin. But he didn't mind this small pain. Not when his sister was awake and safe. That was what mattered.

Once he finished, Arjun finally looked up, searching his brother's face. "Kaise hua, Bhaiya? (How did it happen?)" He asked quietly.

Mahir debated for a long moment whether he should answer or not. It wasn't that he had a problem telling the truth... but Arjun was already in a different zone altogether. One wrong word, and his brother would drown in guilt that wasn't even his to carry. But hiding wasn't right either... He startled out of his jumbled thoughts and looked down.

Arjun had rested his head on Mahir's lap. Mahir exhaled, shaking his head in exasperation. Like always, his fingers slipped into his brother's hair on their own, combing through the soft strands in a familiar, protective gesture.

"I went to the temple yesterday," He said evenly.

Arjun's body slowly relaxed under his brother's gentle ministrations. He didn't need to ask for details. He had already put two and two together. The holy thread on Radha's wrist he'd seen earlier was answer enough.

"Arjun..." Mahir looked down at his brother, his tone was soft. "I understand everything you said, baacha. I understand your emotions too. Par kabhi kabhi hume sahi samay par sahi kadam uthne padte hai. Haar rishtey ki apni maryada hoti hai, Arjun. (But sometimes, we have to take the right step at the right time. Every relationship has its boundaries, Arjun.) Whatever Mom and Dad did, whatever Chachu and Chachi did... even our grandparents... it was wrong. I tried to tell them. I tried to make them see. But in the end, I failed."

He lifted Arjun's chin gently, making him look up. "When you fail at something, you don't just accept it and step back. You face it head-on. You challenge it. But you don't forget who you're standing against. Mene aaj tak jo kuch bhi kiya, vo mera faisla tha, beta. (Whatever I did till now was my decision.) Maybe Dad influenced it... I won't deny that. But the final Yes was mine. And I don't regret it."

His voice firm yet protective. "So you questioning yourself... burdening yourself for something I chose? That's not acceptable to me, Arjun. Mera chota bhai hai tu, aur tere liye Abhi ya Radha ke liye kuch karne ke liye mujhe kisi ki ijazat ki zarurat nahi hai. (You're my younger brother, and I don't need anyone's permission to do something for you, Abhi, or Radha.) I do what I want, Arjun, and it's high time you understand that."

Arjun looked away. "No one understands that better than me," He mumbled, sulking. "Still... you should've told me about the conversation you had with Dad...."

"Have I ever hidden anything from you, Arjun?" Mahir asked, his voice firm, edged with impatience. He was done dealing with his dense brother.

Arjun shook his head. Of course, his bhaiya never hid anything from him. But still... he wanted to share his brother's burdens, to keep their lives balanced, to give Mahir the space to think about himself for once, maybe even find someone to settle down with.

"Okay, enough," Mahir muttered, pulling Arjun to his feet as he stood.

His brother was like an open book to him. Mahir could read Arjun's face and instantly know what sort of stuff was running through his head.

"For now, my priority is Radha, Arjun," Mahir said, his voice low but unwavering. "I have my whole life ahead of me to settle down But if I lose even a few more days... I will lose Radha to Chachu and Chachi's obnoxious thoughts. And that is the last thing I want."

He squeezed Arjun's shoulder. "Mere liye pehle tum log ho, aur baad mein baaki sab. (For me, you guys come first, and then everything else.) Is that clear?"

Arjun's eyes misted with unspoken emotion as he hugged his brother tightly. He always knew that, but hearing it, every single time, still warmed something deep inside his chest.

"I am..."

"A single sorry from you and I will give you proper reason to apologize." Mahir warned.

Arjun pulled back, annoyed. "You are being unfair! Radha kitni baar aapse sorry bolti hai, but you're always gentle with her, like some giant teddy bear. And with your brothers? You love playing the Hitler."

Mahir smiled sarcastically. "Because my child knows when to stop. Unlike you and Abhi, who love pushing my buttons until I reach my limit."

Arjun rolled his eyes dramatically. "Wow. What a great compliment. Seriously, sometimes I wish we were born girls; at least then you wouldn't show this much partiality."

"And my child doesn't get jealous, Arjun," Mahir shot back, a teasing smirk lifting the corner of his mouth. "But in your sentence... I smell something burning."

Arjun huffed like a five-year-old being teased for wearing his T-shirt inside out by his parents. He hated that feeling. He wasn't a baby anymore and definitely not the one meant to be called Jacko Baby. That title belonged to Abhi, not him.

"So shall we go down now, if you're done?" Mahir said, wrapping his arm casually around Arjun's shoulder. "You need to make it up to someone."

Arjun groaned. Groveling to Abhi was never easy. His little brother could be a devil when he chose to be, but Arjun would have to suck it up. That's what elder brothers do.

The sun settled behind the mountains, the half-moon smiling faintly in the sky, as if blessing the quiet truce between the brothers. The tension lifted, giving way to a gentle, unspoken warmth, the calm that only family could bring back after a storm!

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