Chapter- 29

“Can we go home Bhaiya?” Radha asked as soon as the door closed behind them, ”please.”

She just wanted to leave and hide herself in her room like she always does. Everything was confusing her; by now, her father would have lashed out at her, her mother would have made her realize what kind of crime she had committed compared to Mahir’s calm reaction that scared her further. What was she supposed to expect from her bhaiya? Her heart knew, but her brain refused to accept that, sticking to what she was used to.

“Did you hit the girl?” Mahir asked, coming straight to the point as the silence stretched. He was hoping to hear something else rather than his sister’s defeated tone.

Radha nodded, still keeping her head lowered. ”I am sorry,” she whispered. “I—I will take the p—punishment. I—I wa—want to go—go home.” She shuddered nervously.

Mahir pulled her into a warm hug instantly. ”Relax, baccha.”

Radha fisted his coat tightly, her breath hitching like a panic attack on its way as her mind wandered to the different reactions she might see from her bhaiya. Would he be mad? Disappointed? Angry? Hurt? Would he also step back and…

“Deep breaths, Radha,” Mahir’s soft voice filtered into her ears. “Listen to my heartbeat and follow the rhythm.”

He guided her breathing slowly and steadily, noticing the change in her demeanor. Radha followed his steady heartbeat, matching her breaths to its calm rhythm.

“Thik hai tu?(Are you okay?)” Mahir asked gently.

Radha pulled back with a small nod. ”Can we go home please?” she repeated.

“We will, baccha,” Mahir reassured softly, ”but after sorting this all out.”

“Is everything alright?” Arjun asked, approaching them from behind.

He had just stepped away earlier to receive a call. He had come with Mahir to meet the professor, the same man who preferred siding with Riya rather than actually finding out the truth, and also to see for himself who dared to bully his sister.

After He had informed Mahir about everything, their bhaiya had thought carefully, though he was just as pissed off as Arjun. Still, Mahir had come up with a better idea: to confront the matter directly in front of the authorities so the truth would come out and it would send a clear message that Radhika Dhanrajgir was not alone. But from the look of things now, it seemed something else was going on.

“Radha, look at me,” Mahir said softly.

Each passing moment made him more unsettled seeing his sister standing there looking so defeated, as if she already knew what his reaction would be, that he wouldn’t trust her, wouldn’t listen to her side of the story, and would simply declare his judgment like her parents always did.

Radhika shook her head, staring at the floor. ”Sorry, Bhaiya,” she whispered. She refused to see the disappointed look in her brother’s eyes. Despite the softness in his tone, her mind kept screaming precautions.

Mahir lifted her chin, making her look up at him. ”And the reason is?”

Radha met his gaze hesitantly. ”I shouldn’t have punched her... ouch.” She yelped in pain as Arjun whacked her on the head without any remorse.

“How can your brain work lower than room temperature, Radhika?” Arjun hissed, annoyed.

“Bhaiya...,” Radhika whined, trailing off as Mahir stepped back.

“You would have let the girl go just like that? Usse kuch kehte bhi nahi tu, (You wouldn’t have said anything) for insulting you like that?” Mahir asked, locking his gaze with Radhika. ”And from what I am seeing, this isn’t the first time she has used such abusive words for you. Am I right?”

Radha averted her gaze. It didn’t matter. It wasn’t like Riya or her friends were the only ones who called her names; even her classmates taunted her, keeping their distance as if she were some kind of bad omen, something Sakshi herself calls her.

“Look into my eyes and answer me, Radhika,” Mahir’s voice was stern. ”My child should never hesitate or stutter when she needs to talk to me. Wrong or right, I don’t care.”

Radhika flinched at the sharp tone. Arjun immediately kept his hand on her shoulder in support.

Mahir allowed her to lean into Arjun’s touch while he stood his ground. He was learning slowly and steadily; with each step he took, he thought of the pros and cons, its effect on Radha before he stepped into that role, and he was willing to do his best in every way possible.

He was also grateful for Arjun’s unrelenting support. Their little sister was a tough nut to crack, and gentle parenting was an option for her, but he soon realized it didn’t work on her. Unless he gave her a look or commanded her to comply in his stern tone, she wouldn’t speak a word or obey.

“What did that girl say that you had to raise your hand at her?” Mahir pressed. If his sister’s reaction was so calm when Riya abused her openly, he couldn’t believe that she punched the girl in her defense; there was something more to it.

Radha’s hands fisted her uniform; she knew there was no way out of it. Her brother wouldn’t leave the topic until she spilled the beans, and she did just that. With lots of courage and tumbling words, she uttered what happened in the class: how Riya and her friends came to meet her, how she ignored them, but finally snapped when they tried to insult her brothers.

“Great,” Arjun drawled casually as the silence stretched. ”When we get back home, just show me how you punched the girl. Let’s experiment on Abhi; in fact, I will teach you some tricks too.”

“Ho gaya tera? (Are you done?)” Mahir glared at him.

Arjun zipped up, nodding his head.

Mahir looked at his sister. ”Look at me,” he commanded. Radha’s eyes snapped to him. He asked, ”So whatever you did, was it right to do so?”

Radhika shook her head, locking her eyes with him.

“Why?”

Radhika ranted, frustrated. ”I should have handled it calmly or just ignored her like I was doing rather than getting involved. It’s not like she isn’t wrong. How can she say such words about my brother? I was doing my best to control myself, but she was the one who brought you between, and I snapped.”

“So you took a stand for your brother, and it wasn’t wrong, right?”

Radhika nodded.

Mahir stepped closer, cradling her face in his palm. ”Then how did taking a stand for yourself and fighting for yourself end up with YOU apologizing instead of telling your side of the story?”

Radhika tried to look away, but Mahir didn’t let her.

“Fighting with family for your rights and for yourself is never wrong, Radha.” Mahir’s tone softened. ”You don’t want to become a homewrecker, but by keeping quiet, you are suffering and letting the wrong one win. Just like that, letting an outsider bully you the way they want and you suffering in silence. They are wrong, but you are more at fault. Galat karne wale se zyada usse chup chaap sehne krne wala galat hota hai. (The one who silently tolerates wrongdoing is more at fault than the one who actually does it.) The doctor informed Arjun about the bruises on your stomach.”

Radha stilled; the lie was ready on the tip of her tongue to shut it away saying it was nothing, but the tenderness in her brother’s gesture didn’t let her dismiss it for the first time.

“What if Abhi does this, what will you do? Will you allow him to repeat the same behavior?”

Radhika shook her head immediately.

Mahir wiped away the sheen of tears from the corners of her eyes. ”Then what shall we do?”

“Tell the truth,” Radhika whispered.

Mahir smiled, kissing her crown gently, and stepped back.

Arjun beamed. ”Ready for showtime then?”

Radhika threw him a disgusted look before trailing behind Mahir. Arjun whined but followed suit; his siblings simply didn’t know the meaning of appreciation.

✨✨✨

Everything that spiraled after that was chaos, something Radha had never experienced before. The way her Bhaiya and Bhaiyu walked back into the room was different this time, as if they owned the space, their presence alone shifting the atmosphere.

Mahir stopped right in the middle of the office, his gaze sweeping across Riya, who stood there unfazed, the professor, before settling on the principal.

“I will make this very clear,” he said coldly. ”You have thirty minutes to bring every single person involved in this matter in front of me: those who touched my sister, those who accused her, and those who witnessed what happened. And while you are at it, I expect you to look into the matter behind the cheating allegation placed against her.”

His voice hardened further. ”Because accusing a student without proof is not just irresponsible but unethical.”

Rao fumed immediately. ”Unethical? What do you mean by that, Mr. Dhanrajgir? You think I fabricated the accusation? And what about your sister using violence against her schoolmate? Is that not unethical…?”

“Enough.” Arjun cut him off sharply, his gaze turning icy as he looked at the man. ”Whether what you did was ethical or not, we can discuss that quite legally. I won’t mind. But just for your knowledge, let me clarify one thing, Mr. Rao... you accused a student in front of the whole class without any evidence, disturbing her state of mind without any regard for her mental well-being, and even today you seem to support a physical altercation without verifying what actually happened.”

He paused, his voice turning dangerously calm. “Do you want me to tell you how many legal lines that crosses? How much trouble you and your school will be diving into?”

Arjun’s lips curved into a thin smile that held no warmth. ”And trust me, Mr. Rao, when I say this, there are many cases ongoing in court, and by the time your number comes up… your teaching career will be long over.”

The room fell silent.

The professor quickly stepped back. The threat was loud and clear, just hidden beneath layers of legal pursuit, something he was witnessing for the first time.

The principal agreed immediately. She knew very well the power Mahir Dhanrajgir held in his palm. The calm promise in his tone and what Arjun had said… both brothers together were lethal; far more dangerous than open anger.

Riya, on the other hand, was stunned. The earlier sass she had displayed jumped out of the window as students started singing like canaries before the principal, giving away her and her friends’ names with details on how she bullied Radhika and some other victims just to have fun. Few even mentioned the name of the boy who had written the cheat chits for himself but, in a hurry, had thrown them under Radha’s desk.

Riya glanced at Radhika, who sat between Mahir and Arjun. She looked relaxed, calm, and even unbothered, a quiet contrast to the scared and timid girl Riya knew. With just a few words, the brothers had twisted everything in their sister’s favor, leaving Riya completely on edge.

“I am rusticating your daughter from this school, Mrs. Sinha,” The principal stated firmly.

She was ashamed to find out that students were being bullied in her college in the name of power despite the anti-bullying campaigns they ran for students’ safety. At least with Radha’s brothers’ help, she had finally found out what was happening right under her nose.

Ravi Sinha, Riya’s mother, glared at the principal. ”May I ask why, Ms. Sagrika? What did my daughter even do? Bacche kuch bhi kehte rehte hain. Bacchon ke khel-kud mein lag jaati hai baat. (Kids keep saying all sorts of things. Sometimes small fights happen while children are playing around.) It’s not like my child murdered someone.”

“Bullying is a serious offense, Mrs. Sinha,” Sagrika cut her off sharply. ”And after hearing your words, I don’t know whom I should blame... Riya for her actions or you for the thinking you passed on to your daughter.”

Ravi shook her head in disappointment. ”That’s not what I was expecting to hear from you after funding this school for a decade and supporting most of its development projects.”

“And you think money can buy accountability or silence the truth?” Mahir asked, rising to his feet. From the moment the lady had stepped into the room, arrogance had dripped from her, the same arrogance Riya carried so proudly. He had kept his hopes too high, expecting to hear something different, but clearly that wasn’t happening.

Ravi turned with a frown. ”And you…” She paused, her eyes widening in realization. Mahir… The rockstar Mahir Dhanrajgir was standing before her. She quickly rose to her feet, trying to keep her star-struck reaction at bay. She was his die-hard fan.

Arjun cleared his throat deliberately. The woman was married and was now openly gawking at his brother like an ostrich. Jeez! He was least interested in breaking a delusional family that thrived on power and influence. His Bhaiya deserves better.

Riva snapped out of her moment and smiled softly. ”What does it have to do with you, Mahir?”

Mahir winced internally at the casual use of his first name. He wasn’t comfortable with it, but he kept his face devoid of any emotion. He could clearly read the star-worship in the woman’s eyes, but unfortunately, her thought process had already changed his impression of her. There was no need for her to suddenly pretend to be sweet.

“My sister.” He wrapped his arm around Radha’s shoulder, his tone cold and uncompromising. ”Radhika. Your daughter bullied her, raised her hand against her, and even abused her right in front of me. The principal provided you with statements from multiple students, yet here you are saying kids play and get hurt. Either you accept your daughter’s rustication, or I will see you in court,” he stated flatly.

Riva’s eyes flashed with anger. All the star-worship flushed down the drain. All the charm she once saw in Mahir the rockstar evaporated into thin air. No one could come and tell her what to do. No one could threaten her like that, not even Mahir Dhanrajgir.

“Relax, Mom,” Riya said, standing beside her mother. ”It’s anyway my word against hers. This girl never says anything. Today the principal asked a few students and they just gave my and my friends’ names, the easiest people to target. Otherwise, Radhika didn’t even say once that I bullied her. But she did admit that she punched me first in front of the professor.” She snickered, knowing very well that Radha would never speak up for herself.

Riva nodded. She looked at Sagarika with a raised eyebrow. ”Now what? You still want to rusticate my daughter when this girl should be out of this school?”

She looked at Mahir. ”I am not even interested in dragging this matter. Just let our kids deal with their problems themselves. Bacche hain vo abhi. (They are just children.) Sometimes kids fight with each other. It’s not a big deal anyway.”

Riya scoffed. ”But it’s a big deal for this girl, Mom. She has this habit of doing anything just to get attention. Her parents never loved her, they hated her, and now she is looking for sympathy from others. Bloody witch.”

Radha instinctively reached out, grabbing Mahir and Arjun’s wrists, stopping them just as they took a step forward. A second late and Riya would have had it from them.

“Leave, Radha.” The brothers commanded in sync, now furious.

They had held back for so long because it was a girl, but Riya’s words grated on their nerves, snapping their restraint. No one could come and insult their sister, especially right in front of them.

“Bhaiya… Bhaiyu… please stop.” Radha struggled, pulling her hulking brothers back. Thank God Abhi was not there; God knows how she would have handled them all together. Their reaction overwhelmed her, filling her heart with warmth, but still, she couldn’t allow them to break their self-control, her brothers were gentleman and she wished to keep it that way.

Mahir stopped and glanced at his sister. ”Slap her.”

Sudden silence filled the room, his words shocking everyone present. Radha stiffened. She looked at him, stunned. The order in his tone, the authority in his words, would have normally made her react instantly, but she couldn’t.

Riva fumed. ”How dare you…”

“You were the one who said they’re just kids,” Mahir cut in sharply. ”And that they should sort their problems out themselves. So if your daughter bullying Radha was just her having fun, then my child has every right to have her fun too.”

He turned back to Radha, his gaze firm. ”Do it. Now.”

Radha shook her head. ”We don’t get dirt on our hands just because someone else chooses to roll in the mud.”

Straightening up, Radha glanced at Riva, who stood there with her jaw dropped. Meeting her gaze steadily, she spoke firmly, ”It’s not me who is the problem but someone else… it’s you who never taught the difference between right and wrong to your daughter. The difference between empathy and arrogance, that she takes everything for granted and disrespects everyone around her, thinking if she has power, the world is beneath her feet.”

Radha glanced at Riya. ”You were right my parents might not have loved me. Maybe they even hated me. But I still have three elder brothers who are there to support me no matter what goes wrong. It’s my word against the world for them, and I can guarantee that even if someone accuses me of murder someday, they will look at me first and ask what happened rather than believing a stranger.”

Her tone sharpened, her words filled with confidence and conviction. ”I didn’t get my parents’ love, but still, I am not a bitter person like you are, despite having such a loving mother. You are the one bringing shame to your parents’ name, not me! I am proud and grateful that I have a family... my brothers who stand by me without question.”

Radha spun around facing Sagarika. ”Bhaiya just told me, galat karne wale se zyada usse chup chaap sehne krne wala galat hota hai (The one who silently tolerates wrongdoing is more at fault than the one who actually does it.) And I take every single word my Bhaiya says very seriously. Riya, Trishla, and Sneha... they have been bullying me since last year.”

Radha’s voice shook ever so slightly. Her grip tightened on Mahir’s wrist. It was hard to say it all aloud, hard to relive those memories, but she would. Otherwise, it would be an insult to the love her brothers had for her, their support, their faith in her. She had to take a stand for herself.

Slowly, she recounted everything, how the girls had started testing the waters last year. When her parents were called, they had taken the girls’ side instead of their own daughter. That worked like a green signal for them, and Radha’s misery began. Every week it was something new. Abhi was usually by her side, but whenever he wasn’t around for some reason, the girls pounced on the opportunity to corner and harass her.

Arjun whistled, genuinely impressed. “Now what do you have to say, Mrs. Sinha?”  He mocked. The look on the woman’s face was a picture worth framing.

Ravi glared at Riya, suddenly forced to face the humiliation, as if she wasn’t the one supporting her daughter just a few minutes ago. The hypocrisy was almost laughable.

Mahir extended his palm before Radha. He was proud of his sister for taking a stand for herself, for doing what was needed, for finally speaking up, and for finding her own voice.

Radha placed her hand in his, letting her Bhaiya guide her out of the room, followed by Arjun. An hour earlier, she had been scared, terrified, imagining the worst-case scenarios. But now, as she stepped out of the room, there was confidence in her stride, like a heavy weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She felt relaxed in a way she had never felt before.

Has anyone seen how hard it is for a toddler to understand the difference between uppercase ABC and lowercase abc? Somewhere they know how to use them, when to apply those in words, but still find it difficult at certain times.

Radha was feeling exactly that: certain, yet conflicted in her own thoughts. She was trying to find her grounding because this reality felt good, almost too good to be true, far different from the past she had once lived.

Every step she took now felt like entering a new world. She was still scared, but not as much as before, wanting to trust her conscience rather than ignore her own feelings. And that was the new beginning for her!

 

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