Chapter- 28

The new day began, bringing with it soft sunlight and reluctant hope, Radha stood ready for school. It had already been three weeks since the accident, and her overprotective brothers had refused to let her step out, despite her feeling much better.

It wasn’t that she was dying to return to school after everything that had happened, but she also didn’t want to come across as ungrateful after all that her Bhaiya was doing for her.

The taste of unconditional love was foreign, almost overwhelming, so eventually her mind trained itself to believe that whatever Mahir was doing was his way of loving his sister. However, it came with expectations. After all, wasn’t that what love was supposed to be?

Radha shook her head, running her hands over her face before looking at her reflection. Her tie was perfectly aligned, her uniform crisply ironed, and her hair neatly tied into two flawless braids. She was functioning exactly as she had been taught, like a machine, everything fitting into a system she knew too well. She refused to question or disturb that order.

Picking up her bag, she made her way downstairs, hoping her Bhaiya would at least allow her to go back to school today.

“Good morning,” Radha wished softly, entering the dining room, already finding her brothers settled in their places, halfway through breakfast.

Three heads snapped in her direction in shock, worry, and pure disbelief.

“Why did you get up, Radha?” Mahir asked, rising to his feet instantly, his chair scraping against the floor.

“And why are you in your uniform?” Arjun asked, already striding to her side. ”You are still supposed to be resting.”

Radha sighed. ”I am fine, Bhaiyu. Saachi, (Really,) Bhaiya,” she added immediately as Mahir opened his mouth to say something. ”I have already missed three weeks of classes. Aise toh mere notes complete karne ka kaam aur badh jaayega. Please let me go. Agar kuch hua toh... yes, I will ask the teacher to call you. Promise!”

“No,” Arjun stated firmly. He looked at Mahir. ”Bhaiya, aap samjhaiye isse. Isse upar jaake aaram karna chaiye. Otherwise, I will pick her up and take her back to her room.”

“Bhaiyu!” Radha hissed, annoyed. ”Last theen hafto se room mein hi hoon na. I am getting bored.”

“I don’t care,” Arjun shot back. ”You need rest and proper recovery. First, we will go for a check-up, and if the doctor says you’re fine and can move around, then only will you go back to school.”

Radha placed her hands on her hips, glaring her overbearing brother down. ”Just for your information, bhaiyu, hum kal hi doctor ke paas jaake aaye hain. And she told me I am fine my injuries have healed already. Aur kabhi pain hua bhi toh I can take the painkillers she prescribed. Did you forget that already?”

Mahir watched the exchange silently for a moment before exhaling slowly. ”Okay, enough,” his tone was firm.

Both siblings turned to him.

Mahir gently took Radha’s bag off her shoulder.

“First, have your breakfast,” he said calmly. ”You can go to school. Arjun will drop you off and pick you up. No stairs alone, no overexertion, and the moment you feel tired, you call me. Samjhi?”

Radha’s eyes lit up instantly. ”Promise!”

Arjun groaned. ”Bhaiya…”

“I understand your concern, Arjun,” Mahir said patiently, ”but she needs normalcy too. We have been overbearing with her, but she didn’t say anything. Now let her go. You can’t keep her locked up forever just because you are scared.”

Arjun sighed, finally giving in. His bhaiya was right. He was letting his fear overpower his judgment, and that wasn’t fair to Radha.

Radha smiled as she made her way to her seat, feeling grateful and relieved. She served herself her favorite parathas. Eating what she liked, her preferences being respected, that too with food made by Mahir daily without any restrictions, was slowly becoming a habit for her.

A few weeks ago, she would have felt guilty for troubling her bhaiya like this. But now, it had started to feel normal… and comforting.

“Mujhe bhi aapke haatho se khana hai, (I also want to be fed by you,)” Abhi whined the second Mahir started to feed Radha. He just can’t bear to see his sister getting the princess treatment all the time; he also wants the same now.

“I am here only?” Arjun hissed, changing his seat and sitting beside Abhi to feed him. “Tere haathon mein chot aayi hai that you want bhaiya to feed you like a baby.”

Abhi’s eyes narrowed at him. ”Oh, so Radha is a baby? That she is getting fed like that?”

Radha glared at her annoying brother. ”Can’t you eat quietly now that Bhaiyu is stuffing you? Why do you have to compare every time?”

Abhi grinned lazily. ”That’s my favorite pastime, dear sis.”

Radha rolled her eyes. ”What... to irritate everyone around you?” she teased.

“Nope. To tease you!” Abhi countered.

Radha simply turned her head and stared at Mahir. Her puppy eyes did their work instantly, and Mahir stared his little brother down until he went quiet.

Arjun shook his head. Why did Abhi even try to argue when he knew he would end up digging his own grave anyway? His little one was truly a unique piece.

Mahir’s eyes met Arjun’s, a silent message passing between them, quiet and relieved. Abhi had been quiet since last week. He was always in his room, always busy either studying or, better yet, sleeping.

The usual spark was suddenly missing, and both brothers were worried. They had tried asking what had happened, but Abhi dismissed it, saying it was nothing.

But now that he was being his usual mischievous self again, they relaxed. Maybe it was just about his upcoming exams, nothing serious like they had been thinking.

Once done with breakfast, the siblings rose to their feet. Mahir kissed Radha’s forehead tenderly and repeated the gesture with Abhi.

He looked at Radha. ”The moment you feel unwell or anything happens, you will call us directly. Clear?”

Radha nodded.

Arjun picked up the car keys and walked out, followed by Abhi and Radha. A new day began with clamness, it might bring challenges or unexpected moments; only time would tell.

✨✨✨

Radha was best at hiding and avoiding. That’s why she had even named herself an ostrich, someone who knew how to detect danger or trouble and bury their head in the sand, escaping the perimeter at every given chance.

Coming back to school after three weeks with the baggage of being tagged as a cheater was not enough, that everyone stared at her like she was an alien. And Radha hated stares of any kind. She hated when someone looked at her as if passing a silent judgment or scrutiny. Even though she was used to it by now, it still made her feel uncomfortable and exposed.

So when the class emptied at the recess bell, Radha finally took a breath of relief, getting some time for herself and a moment of peace.

However, her bullies, the witches, as she called them in her mind, had different plans as the trio entered the class right on cue.

Radha ignored them again and focused on writing her notes, her nose buried deep in her book just to avoid those three. She had already missed the morning assembly on purpose, trying to stay hidden in the classroom.

But luck was, as usual, not on her side.

Radha kept her eyes fixed on her notebook, her pen moving steadily across the page as if she hadn’t noticed the three girls gathering around her.

“Radha,” Riya sneered, dropping onto the bench beside her, ”you didn’t even tell us about your return.”

“Haan yaar, hum tera accha wala welcome karte,” Sneha added mockingly, sliding onto the front bench. She turned around to face Radha while Trisha settled beside her, both of them leaning back against the desk.

“By the way,” Trisha said casually, tilting her head, ”did you hear about the invisible person living in our school… like a ghost?”

“Really?” Sneha gasped dramatically, placing a hand over her chest.

“I heard that when she comes to school, she turns into an invisible person so others can’t see her. So sad, na?” Trisha added.

“Hm… quite interesting,” Riya hummed, ”Maybe she has some magical powers. That’s quite scary, you see.”

“Wait…” Trisha whispered, glancing around the classroom. ”Is she hearing us right now?”

“What if she makes us invisible too?” Sneha said, widening her eyes in fake fear.

“No way,” Riya scoffed, rolling her eyes. ”I think that person is too cowardly to do something like that.”

“Exactly,” Trisha chuckled, leaning forward slightly. ”Always hiding… running away… pretending she doesn’t exist.”

Radha took a shaky breath, continuing her writing, but she felt it... stuck and cornered. Like always!

“Well, we heard about the breaking news,” Trisha said mockingly. ”You cheating in your test. That was quite a brave move, especially from a scaredy-cat like you, I suppose.”

“Of course, we didn’t expect that from you,” Riya chuckled, opening a random book and flipping through its pages carelessly. ”And here we were thinking kaha yeh ladki seedhi-saadhi, bhole-bhaali dikhne mein aisi hogi. (And here we were thinking how could a girl who looks so simple, innocent, and naive turn out to be like this?)”

“After all, everyone shows their true colors at the right time… correct, girls?” Trisha added with a smirk.

Before Radha could react, Trisha snatched the book from her hands, annoyance flashing in her eyes at the lack of response.

“We are talking to you, bitch. At least show some respect,” Trisha snapped.

Radha’s grip tightened around her pen as she stared at the bench. She just needed an escape, but there was no way she could go. She could have walked away, but the girls were blocking her way completely. Abhi was in school, but he hadn’t come to check on her, which meant he was busy with something, leaving her completely on her own, forced to face her battles alone.

She flinched back when Sneha slammed her hand harshly on the desk.

“End of our sweetness,” Sneha hissed, grabbing Radha’s jaw and forcing her to meet her gaze.

“Don’t you dare ignore us, bitch!” Sneha hissed. ”We are being way too polite with you, but guess what? You don’t deserve that.”

Radha’s head hit the wall behind as Sneha released her face with a rough jerk. She pressed her lips together, swallowing the hiss of pain that was ready to escape. Endure, she repeated in her head. Just a few more minutes, the recess will end… and so will the torture.

“Leave her, yaar,” Riya said lazily, leaning back in her seat. ”Don’t you guys know she’s a mute wench?”

“Of course. Such a papa’s princess,” Trisha sneered.

Riya shook her head, ”Not that. Don’t you guys know her father hates her? So does her mother.”

Sneha gasped dramatically. ”Oh, so our bitch is an orphan?”

Radha closed her eyes against the rush of tears. She knew exactly they wanted her to react. They were provoking her so she would finally snap back, and then they would flip the script, becoming victims with their fake bruises and tears.

Her father had once made her apologize to them just because they claimed she had bullied them and slapped Sneha... her seniors.

Even though Abhi didn’t know the truth, he had still taken her side against his own classmates. But her father... He had always sided with the school authorities and their complaints, believing she was the problem. For him, she was the trouble… never the others.

“So she has no one in the family?” Sneha asked curiously. ”The so-called richy richers, the great Dhanrajgirs, disowned their own daughter?”

The bell rang.

Radha sighed in relief. Finally, the end of this humiliation, taunts, and suffocating bullying.

“No,” Riya said casually, suddenly wrapping her arm around Radha’s shoulder in a tight grip. ”She has three elder brothers.”

Snap!

The pen in Radha’s grip broke into two, splattering dark ink across her fingers and the desk.

“It’s better if you stay within your limits and get lost,” Radha warned, her eyes blazing with uncontrolled rage. She could hear anything about herself, but her brothers were off-limits.

Trisha chuckled. ”Oh toh behenji ko gussa bhi aata hai. That’s something new.”

Radha rose to her feet abruptly. The class was already filling up. She definitely didn’t want to create a ruckus and force the teacher to call her Badi Maa or Bade Papa, but she could barely hold herself back, ready to lose control.

“Leave,” she hissed angrily, glaring at Riya, who sat there completely unfazed.

Riya slowly rose to her feet, facing Radha squarely.

“Or what? Apne bhai ko bulaayegi? (Will you call your brother?)” Riya mocked. ”Even with such a big family... money, power, three elder brothers, you still look nothing but a pathetic loser who is alone and miserable.”

She leaned forward, ”Even your brothers…” she laughed sarcastically. ”I am sure they must be the same as you. After all, you are their sister. So which one is your brother? Loser, coward, weakling, or bas...?”  Before she could finish, Radha’s fist landed straight on her face.

The sharp thud echoed across the classroom, and the students gasped, shocked. Right on cue as the professor stepped inside.

Riya fell backward dramatically, deliberately hitting her head against the nearby bench.

But Radha ignored everything. She was seething. No one had the right to drag her brothers into their filthy words. And if someone did, they had to pay for it. There was no other way.

“Radhika!” The professor shouted, stunned by the sudden fight.

Riya instantly burst into tears, playing the victim as Trisha and Sneha rushed to her side, siding with their friend’s sob story, adding fuel to the fire.

Radha simply stood there, silent, listening to everything.

“Principal’s office. Now,” the professor ordered sharply.

Radha walked out quietly. She didn’t regret what she had done, not even for a second. If needed, she could do it again. Consequences did scare her. The punishment did terrify her, but not as much as what her Bhaiya’s reaction would be.

Yet even then, she refused to let that fear turn into guilt. The punch was absolutely necessary.

Her feet stopped outside the principal’s office. Taking a deep breath, Radha knocked softly and pushed the door open.

However, her heart skipped a beat the moment she stepped inside. Mahir was already there, sitting across from the principal in the middle of a conversation.

That was the last thing she expected. She had been prepared if Sakshi or Ronit had been called. The look of disappointment in their eyes had become the norm for her. She could handle that, but her Bhaiya… she wouldn’t survive seeing disappointment in his eyes.

“What happened, Radhika? Do you need something?” the principal asked kindly.

Radha snapped out of her trance and immediately looked away the moment her gaze met Mahir’s. Even if she wanted an escape, there wasn’t one again.

Mahir was already on his feet. He had come to speak with the principal about the incident from a few weeks ago, the accusation of cheating a teacher had made against his sister, along with the bruises the doctor had mentioned, the ones Arjun and Abhi had informed him about.

Mahir knew if he asked Radha directly, first, she would take the blame without explaining anything; second, she would dismiss the bruises by saying she simply fell somewhere. Forcing answers out of her, pressuring her were options he had, but Mahir refused to use them. First, he needed to earn his child’s trust. He needed to show her that she mattered to him more than she could even imagine, even if it took time; he was ready.

“What happened?” he asked softly, gently cradling Radha’s face in his hands.

It was her class time. Seeing her here worried him.

“Is it paining somewhere?” he asked quickly, making her sit on the nearby couch. ”Do you need painkillers? Did you have your tiffin?”

The rush of questions… the concern in his voice… none of it was lost on Radha, but her voice failed her. She didn’t know what to say or how. Before she could gather herself, the door opened again.

Professor Rao walked in, followed by Riya, the same Professor Rao who had accused Radha of cheating a few weeks ago.

“Ma’am,” Rao began sharply, addressing the principal, ”We need to call Radhika Dhanrajgir’s gurdian. The girl pushed Riya so hard that she fell and her forehead is bleeding. She even punched her in front of my eyes. If I had been two seconds late, I don’t know what Radhika would have done to her.”

He shook his head in disapproval. “First, that girl cheated in my exam, and now this. It’s getting out of hand.”

“Do you have any proof that my sister cheated in your exam?” Mahir’s cold voice sliced through the room.

Rao turned, startled. He was so focused on proving himself right that he hadn’t even noticed Mahir and Radha sitting quietly on the couch near the door.

Mahir slowly rose to his feet. He calmly unbuttoned his coat just for effect.

Pranav Rao. Mahir knew the man very well. Abhi had been garbled that the man didn’t teach classes after 9th; his younger brother faced the annoying tirades of the man many times. Everything he heard gave Mahir have enough knowledge about the man.

“I saw her doing it,” Rao snapped, suddenly angry. He hated when any of the Dhanrajgir brothers stepped in to defend their younger sibling.

According to him, it was the parents’ duty to see where their child went wrong and correct them. Instead, what he had always seen with Dhanrajgir, was the opposite, first with Abhishek, and now with Radhika too.

“So you are telling me that you matched the handwriting on the chits and then declared that my sister cheated, or simply made the assumptions on your own?” Mahir asked calmly, though there was an edge in his tone.

Rao fumed. “What do you mean, Mr. Dhanrajgir? That I don’t know how to do my work? Are you trying to question my credibility just to hide your sister’s wrongdoings?”

“No, Mr. Rao, I am not.” Mahir’s tone turned cold. ”But you accused the girl who topped your every class... of cheating without even trying to find out how those chits ended up under her desk, whether the handwriting matched, and the biggest question... did she even use those chits in her test to give answers? Did you bother to verify any of that before declaring her guilty?”

Rao stiffened. Obviously, he hadn’t done anything like that, but he refused to admit his fault. His ego wouldn’t let him apologize to a student, especially when he wasn’t even meant to be teaching such classes. He was meant to be the principal of his school, after giving a decade of his efforts to this school; however, last week, he lost that chance as well when the board members and the school management elected Ms. Sagrika rather than him. He was already holding a lot of grudges, and all this was reopening them.

When Radhika was absent, he thought the girl had simply left the school or transferred somewhere for something so small, but he never imagined she would bring her brother directly. As far as he knew, no one in the Dhanrajgir family ever paid attention to her, that was the talk of the teachers’ staff room half the time, so this sudden change was surprising for him.

He turned his attention to the principal, ignoring Mahir’s questions. ”Radhika used violence against Riya, ma’am. She punched her and made her bleed right in front of the class. You should rusticate this girl before something bigger happens.”

Sagrika looked at Radha and then back at Riya, who stood there with her hands folded on her chest. Despite the injury, the attitude was dripping off her; there was neither respect for the principal nor any remorse for what had happened.

“What happened?” She asked calmly.

Riya shrugged casually, tilting her head toward Radha. ”That bitch punched me and pushed me when I was just trying to ask her for help.”

“Language, Riya,” Sagrika scolded. ”Don’t forget you are standing in your principal’s office.”

Riya scoffed, ignoring the lady.

Sagrika looked at Radha; her eyes softened and so did her tone. ”Kya hua tha, Radhika? Will you tell me why did you hit Riya?”

“When I am already telling you that it’s her fault, that she punched me and used violence, then why are you even asking her?” Riya interrupted angrily.

“Every coin has two sides, Riya,” Sagrika’s tone hardened. ”Just because she hit you, I can’t punish her. I first need to know why she did that and if there was something you did to rage-bait her. Don’t forget your records, Riya. It’s better if you keep quiet and let me do my work, or I will have to rusticate you first.”

Riya rolled her eyes in annoyance. She knew she has nothing to worry. Radhika would never utter a word in her defense, and her family would never listen to her side of the story. Either way, she was safe. So she simply relaxed against the wall, letting the drama begin.

Mahir looked at his sister, who refused to even raise her head. The words Riya had uttered about her made his blood boil. If it had been a boy, Mahir would have slapped him hard for using such filthy words for Radha...damn the age!

But it was a girl, and no matter how livid he was, he couldn’t cross a few lines. And even from the look of Radha, who stood unaffected, it gave away that this wasn’t the first time someone had insulted her, and the realization hit him hard, he hated it.

He grasped Radha’s wrist in a firm yet gentle grip and looked at the principal, ignoring the professor and the girl. ”I want to talk to my sister alone. I will be back.” Saying that, he guided Radha out of the room without waiting for anyone’s response.

His sister was his priority.

 

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