Chapter- 42

The moon hung high up above the dark velvet sky, the chilling breeze whispering softly against the quiet night, brushing past them like a gentle sigh. The night felt calm, soothing after the chaos of loud voices and hollow celebrations.

Warm golden light strings shimmered all around inside the dome. Mahir had it built a month back. Radha liked to sit on the terrace; however, rain or sometimes scorching sun didn’t allow her to stay for long, so he created a sheltered space just for her comfort.

In the center of the glass dome, on the table, was placed a cake for Mahir, simple yet perfect, just the way he preferred.

Mahir took the knife Arjun passed him. The party was long over. His father wanted to celebrate his birthday with champagne and fake crowd cheering, but he firmly denied. He didn’t like the noise, the pretence. He wanted peace and some time to spend with his siblings, and he just got that.

He glanced at his siblings, their faces beaming with happiness, the only thing he had ever truly wanted. With a faint smile adorning his lips, he cut the cake as their soft cheers filled the quiet dome.

“Kisko khologe pehle? (Who will you feed first?).” Abhi asked playfully, leaning back on Arjun.

Mahir glared at his brother. He knew the answer, but the idiot always liked to tease him.

Radha chuckled softly. “Feed him the first bite, Bhaiya. I don’t mind.”

She didn’t understand why her brothers had to feed her the first bite. All three of them were the same, even Abhi, who was just a year older than her. The normal gestures that no one in the family did for her were something that came naturally to her brothers. She was grateful for that, but she didn’t mind being the last one either, as long as they were together.

Abhi whacked her without missing a beat. “Can you stop being so nice? I was just teasing Bhaiya. You know our rule... pehle tu, phir hum (first you, then us).”

Radha shrugged again, giving in like she always did.

Mahir shook his head in disbelief. He fed Radha the first bite, and she did the same, followed by the brothers, a small ritual that meant more to them than any grand celebration ever could.

He cleared his throat dramatically, glaring down at his brothers. “Where is my gift, boys?”

Abhi grinned widely. Before anyone could react, he picked up icing on his fingers and smeared it across Mahir’s face.

Silence fell over the space instantly. Arjun, Radha, and Shreya’s eyes widened in shock. Mahir wiped the cream off slowly, his eyes throwing daggers at the little brat.

“You asked for a birthday gift,” Abhi said, stepping back cautiously. “I just gave that, Bhaiya. Don’t look at me like that.”

Mahir took a threatening step toward him. “Then how about a return gift too, beta? You’ll like it, no?”

Abhi shook his head, jumping behind Shreya. “Nope! Not interested. You are older than we are; you should be the one giving us gifts. But here you are asking us for it... So not fair. Right, Radha?”

Radha blinked, startled as the idiot threw her under the bus. She looked at Mahir sheepishly as he turned toward her. Quietly, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him.

“Happy birthday, Bhaiya,” she mumbled against his chest.

Mahir held Radha close to his heart. “Thank you, bacche.” He placed a tender kiss on her crown.

Every year, there was something that held them back. They never got a chance to celebrate freely, always sneaking around. They were cousins, but more than that… they were real siblings, something that even blood relations sometimes failed to become.

He was happy that this year he got to celebrate his special day without any restrictions. His brothers were with him, and so was his sister.

Radha’s fingers fisted on his kurta. Memories she was pushing down flashed before her eyes: cold room, harsh voices, and lonely nights. Her grip tightened on his fabric, her breath hitching for a heartbeat. It felt like she would come down with a panic attack in the middle of the joyful celebration. She didn’t want to spoil the day that meant so much to her brother...

“What happened?” Mahir’s worried tone pulled her back out of her spiraling thoughts.

Radha gulped down the lump in her throat, steadying herself in the arms of her brother, who was her only solace at the moment, and the same person she didn’t want to spoil this happiness for.

“I am sleepy,” she muttered quietly.

Mahir pulled back, his gaze searching hers for a lie or hesitation. Finding none, he nodded. “Fine. Go to your room.” He looked at Abhi. “You both go. You have school tomorrow.”

“No!” Abhi whined. “Can’t we skip tomorrow? Please?”

Arjun glared him down. “It’s Bhaiya’s birthday, not yours. Why do you want to skip?”

“Because I can,” Abhi sassed back. “Any problem?”

Arjun raised his hand to set him right, already done with his nonsense, but Abhi ducked down quickly, escaping his grip.

“What is your problem, Bhaiyu? I asked Bhaiya, right?” Abhi chided. “Why are you unnecessarily getting angry? You just find reasons to hit me.”

Arjun shook his head sarcastically. “I don’t need reasons when it comes to you.”

Abhi glared at him. “Fine then. Touch me once, and I swear I won’t stay quiet this time. Bhut ho gaya aapka bhi.”

Arjun glared back sharply. “Try me. Let’s see how long you last. Wase bhi zayda manmani krne laga hai Aaj tk tu.”

“Enough!” Mahir intervened firmly before Abhi could retort. “Kahan khade ho, kitne baj rahe hain, kuch nahi dekhna. Bas mauka milte hi kutte-bille ki tarah shuru ho jaate ho kahin bhi. (Don’t you see where you are and what time it is? The moment you get a chance, you start fighting like cats and dogs anywhere.” He scolded sternly.

Arjun and Abhi looked down like chastised puppies. Radha sighed, pulling back from Mahir’s warmth. Why did her brothers have to argue without realizing they were standing before their bhaiya? Mahir could accept light bickering, but the way they were going down the line was not acceptable to him.

She held Abhi’s wrist and looked at Mahir. “I will take him. Good night.” Saying that, she walked out, dragging the reluctant pup with her.

Mahir turned to Arjun once the younger one was out of sight. “Are you done? Or do you want to argue more?”

Arjun stepped forward, wrapping his arms around his brother. He didn’t mind anger, but he minded upsetting his brother on his special day.”Sorry,” he muttered quietly.

Mahir sighed, hugging him back. “Learn to be a little patient, Arjun. You can’t let your frustration dictate your brother’s actions.”

Arjun nodded, pulling back. He knew that, but sometimes, when Abhi chose to ignore his studies, it became hard for him to deal with it. His baby brother was the smartest; he could pass exams even if he studied the day before.

However, Arjun feared that if his little brother faltered, it would give their mother reasons to force Abhi into doing what she wanted, and he wanted his brother free from control and the suffocating expectations that once caged them all.

“Aap Di ko ghar chhod dijiye,” he suggested gently.

Sherya stayed with them in their little celebration despite her reluctance, all because Radha asked her once, and she gave in without any protest. Even now, she stood behind, letting them all have their fair share of time with their bhaiya without interrupting or making her presence feel imposing. That kind of understanding, that quiet respect, should be acknowledged and valued.

“I will check on Abhi and Radha,” he added before Mahir could deny.

“There is no need for that, Arjun,” Sherya said softly, “I brought my car…”

“I will drop you,” Mahir cut her off firmly yet politely, “it’s late. I don’t want you to leave alone at this time.”

He could ask her to spend the night at their house, but her parents might be waiting already. She stayed just because Radha asked; he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable by crossing boundaries.

Arjun walked away quietly, giving them privacy. He hoped one day both of them would confess what they felt for each other rather than dancing around unspoken emotions that were already too evident to ignore.

✨✨✨

Darkness in the room deepened, wrapping around the walls like a heavy shadow that refused to lift, in contrast to the night outside that breathed quietly under the silver glow of the moon. Silence filled the air, thick, almost suffocating.

Radha rolled, turned, changed her position, but sleep seemed far away from her, slipping through her grasp every time she tried to hold onto it. Her thoughts jumbled in one direction, knocking on the doors of memories she so wanted to avoid and delete from her system, yet they returned, louder, heavier, impossible to ignore.

Fourteen-year-old her walked into her parents’ room as her bathroom tap wasn’t working. Sleep seemed to be becoming her best friend when it was supposed to be her enemy, as per her parents’ ideology.

She had a class test coming up, and after already scoring low in her math test last week, her father had gone bonkers. He had yelled at her, letting his displeasure be known, and like always, Radha had nothing to offer except a quiet sorry.

But she was determined, like always, to give her hundred percent. More than that, she was being a little egocentric today. Within two hours, it was her Bhaiya’s birthday. And if she wanted to go with him and her brothers to the sunset point to celebrate it, she had to complete her revision of two chapters. Otherwise, her father wouldn’t allow it.

She knew she was doing wrong thinking of celebrating and going out when her parents expected her to focus only on studies, who only wanted her to be good. But she couldn’t help it either. She couldn’t miss her Bhaiya’s birthday, already, with everything happening around…

The way her brothers had started to maintain distance from their parents just because of her, she didn’t like that. In the hope of setting things right, she herself started to stay a little away from them, wishing they would forget about her and focus on their bonds. But it seemed they were getting hurt even more because of her distance. And hurting her brothers was the last thing Radha could ever stand.

She splashed cold water on her face to push away the drowsiness clinging to her eyes. Grabbing the towel from the hanger, she wiped off her face when her parents’ voices fell on her ears.

She frowned, reaching to open the door, but stopped herself at the last moment. If they found out she was here, even before she could explain the reason, they would think she was eavesdropping and snap at her.

Quietly, she stayed inside, hidden, hoping to find an opportunity to escape without getting caught. She was in no mood to hear another set of scoldings…

“I want Radhika away from the boys,” Raghav ordered, glaring at his wife. “Mujhe woh Mahir, Arjun ya Abhishek ke aas paas bhi nazar nahi aani chahiye. (I don’t want to see her anywhere near Mahir, Arjun, or Abhishek.) Tell your daughter to follow that.”

“Don’t, Raghav,” Payal pleaded. “Aap jaante hain humse zyada Radha agar kisi ke saath comfortable hai toh woh Mahir hai. (You know better than anyone that Radha is most comfortable with Mahir.) Aap usse apne hi bhai se door rehne nahi keh sakte. (You can’t ask her to stay away from her own brother.)”

Raghav’s jaw tightened. “Iss cheez ki naubat hi nahi aati agar tum ek achchhi maa ban sakti apni beti ke liye, (This situation wouldn’t have come if you had been a good mother to your daughter,) that she has to go looking for Mahir and his brothers for everything. You can’t even control your own daughter.”

Payal glared back. “Kya woh aapki beti nahi hai, Raghav? Aapka usse koi rishta nahi hai? (Isn’t she your daughter, too, Raghav? Don’t you have any relation with her?)”

“Hai rishta, isliye main jo kar raha hoon usme tumhe mera saath dena chaiye. (There is a relation, that’s why you should support me in what I am doing.) You should support your husband before your daughter rather than staying quiet or asking me to let things go. Aise toh Radhika kabhi kuch nahi seekh payegi. Ek achhi biwi na sahi, ek achhi maa toh ban jao. (At this rate, Radhika will never learn anything. If you can’t be a good wife, at least try to be a good mother.)”

“Raghav…” Payal whispered, hurt. “Main ek achhi biwi nahi ban payi? Main? Jisne aaj tak aapki har ek baat maani… Apni do din ki bacchi se doori banayi kyunki ghar mein kisi ko woh nahi chaiye thi… Aapke parivaar ko… aapke maa-baap ko khush karne ke liye woh sab kiya jo woh chahte the… Lekin phir bhi main ek achchi biwi nahi ban payi… right? (I couldn’t be a good wife? Me? The one who has followed every single thing you said till today…I distanced myself from my own two-day-old baby because no one in this house wanted her… I did everything your family, your parents, wanted just to keep them happy… And still, I couldn’t be a good wife… right?)”

Raghav looked away, running a hand through his hair, frustrated.

Payal turned him toward her. “Aur aap kya chahte hain, Radha aapke ishaaron par naache? Kyunki aap usse apni beti kam, apna ek khilona zyada maante hain. Aapka bas chalta toh usse ussi din maar dete jis din usne janam liya. Lekin Papa ne aapko rok diya. Aur unhone ek beti ke baap ko nahi roka tha, unhone apne bete ko roka tha, jiske haathon itna bada paap na ho jaye. (And what do you want.... Radha to dance to your commands? Because you see her less as your daughter and more as your toy. If it were up to you, you would have killed her the day she was born. But your father stopped you. And he didn’t stop a father of a daughter, he stopped his own son, so he wouldn’t commit such a grave sin.)”

“That was his mistake.” Raghav spat. “He stopped me, and I thought at least he wouldn’t change his decision. Lekin agle hi din unhone phir decision badal diya, company ka CEO bhaiya ko bana diya… (But the very next day, he changed his decision again and made Bhaiya the CEO…) forgetting that he married against his wishes, forgetting every belief he once held onto. He was okay making Mahir... an outsider, a future hire of the Dhanrajgir’s, but not accepting a girl child.”

He exhaled sharply. “Isliye aaj uss galti ko main sudhaar raha hoon. (That’s why today I am correcting that mistake.) I want Radhika to take over the Dhanrajgir Empire once she grows up. I want her to take over from Mahir and throw him out of this family, show him his real place. If I can’t get the son I want… I will whip my daughter into what I wish for. Uska sapna wahi hoga jo mera hai. Bas! (Her dream will be the same as mine. That’s it!)”

“Apni hi beti ko zeher banaana chahte hain ki woh aage jaakar apne hi bhaiyon ke saath vishwasghaat kare? (You want to turn your own daughter into poison so that she betrays her own brothers one day?).” Payal’s voice trembling with disbelief, “Do you even realize what you are saying, Raghav? Bhai-bhen hain woh chaaron… (The four of them are siblings…).”

“Saage nahi hain! (Not real siblings!).” Raghav snapped. “They are brother and sister? Yes, but cousins. And more than that… Mahir is an outsider. So whatever they have is already weak. I will instill my version of truth in Radhika’s mind. She can love her brothers because I am allowing that till now. But one day, she will have to drag the three of them down, whether she wants to or not. She has to do what I want.”

“Aap aisa nahi kar sakte, Raghav. (You can’t do this, Raghav.)” Payal snapped. “Bacchi hai woh abhi. Aap usse aisa koi faisla lene nahi keh sakte. Baat hum dono ke beech ki hai. Jo hua humare saath hua… let’s not bring our daughter into it. (She’s still a child. You can’t ask her to make such a decision. This is between the two of us. Whatever happened, happened to us… let’s not bring our daughter into it.)”

“She has always been in the middle,” Raghav yelled, his voice echoing against the walls. “Har baar kisi na kisi tarike se tumhari beti beech mein aa jaati hai. (Every single time, in one way or another, your daughter ends up between us.) And I am done with that. I am teaching that dumb girl how to behave like Raghav Dhanrajgir’s daughter. Agar ladka hota toh isse zyada dimaag uske paas hota. Mujhe ek-ek baat itni baar kehni nahi padti. Isliye ab faisla usse lena hi hoga. (If she had been a boy, she would have had more brains than this. I wouldn’t have to repeat the same thing again and again. That’s why she will have to make the decision now.) I will do what I want.”

Payal’s eyes burned with fury. “And I won’t let you destroy the only bond my daughter treasures. I won’t let her lose her brothers in the name of power and your ego.”

Raghav gave a cold nod. “Fine then… maybe we can’t walk on the same path any longer. I have decided that either you choose your husband, or we part ways. Agar tumhe mera tareeka pasand nahi Radhika ki parvarish ke liye, toh tum yahan se jaa sakti ho. Main Radhika ko khud paal lunga. (If you don’t like my way of raising Radhika, then you can leave. I will raise her myself.) Rather than being a barrier in between! Main kisi ko bhi apne maksad ke beech nahi aane dunga. Apni biwi ko bhi nahi. (I won’t let anyone come between my goal, not even my wife.)”

Payal gasped, shocked; never in her wildest thoughts had she imagined him saying something like that. He knew her family would never accept her back; her mother was too old to be burdened again, still grieving her husband, who had passed away just months ago.

Payal had status, class, and a name in society, but the truth was, she was nothing without being Raghav Dhanrajgir’s wife. People respected the title she carried, not her individuality.

He knew that. He knew she had sacrificed herself for this marriage, her choices, her voice, her identity. And yet, he was giving her an ultimatum that would strip her of everything she had left: her marriage, her home, and even her daughter.

She shook her head sadly, tears shimmering in her eyes. “I can’t believe I married you, Raghav. Years ago, I thought I was marrying a man who loves his family… someone who puts his father on a pedestal, respects his elder brother, and stands by his decisions. But I was so wrong.”

Her eyes hardened, the illusion finally shattering. “You are nothing but a selfish man who only wants money, power, and revenge, even if it’s against your own family. You have stooped so low that you want to poison a beautiful soul for your own selfish motives. I think… It’s good that we never had a son. No matter how much we tried, God didn’t fulfill that one wish of ours. Because a father like you doesn’t deserve to raise a child at all.”

Raghav saw red. He wanted his wife to agree with everything he said, just a simple yes. He wanted her to walk through the same hell he had gone through, to follow his path without questioning him. But here she was, insulting him, standing against him instead of submitting.

Before he could stop himself, his hand rose, striking her across the face, the impact snapping her head to the side...

Radha woke up with a gasp, her body jerking upright, chest heaving as if she had been drowning and someone had yanked her out too late.

Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably, her palm clamped over her mouth to silence the sob threatening to escape. The memory was as fresh as a freshly carved wound in her mind; raw, bleeding, refusing to heal.

She had cried like this that day, too… too shocked to react, grasp, understand, or even hold herself together while everything around her shattered into pieces.

One second, her parents were arguing, harsh words, loud voices, the usual chaos she had grown used to… and the next second, her father’s hand struck her mother. After that, he simply walked away as if it meant nothing. There was no regret, no shock in his eyes, only anger.

And she, like a selfish coward, a crying toddler, couldn’t even step out of the bathroom. Terrified, frozen, confused about what she was supposed to do.

Her legs refused to move, her voice died in her throat. She stayed locked inside, watching through blurred vision as her mother wiped her tears, forced a smile… and walked out as if nothing had happened.

Radha’s breath hitched violently as the memories replayed again and again, like a punishment she couldn’t escape.

She hadn’t gone with her brothers to celebrate her Bhaiya’s birthday. He had asked her what happened, noticing her distress instantly, but she had pushed him away, yelling at him to mind his own business, hurting him.

When he tried to confront her father, who was the real reason behind everything, she stood against her brothers, defending her parents, not wanting her father to burst out again.

Her father wanted her to hurt the people she loved the most. Hurt her Bhaiya… who was her world. Her home... How could she break her own home with her own hands?

A few months back, she had sent her parents away on their anniversary to celebrate, to spend time together. But the truth was different. She had done it because she was petrified that one day… her father might decide she was the problem and send her away. He was already prepared to send her to boarding school.

So once again, she acted selfishly, choosing what felt safe for her. Leaving with her brothers, her safe place, even if it meant enduring whatever her father wanted.

That day remained the last time her father raised his hand against her mother... she didn’t remember them having another argument, at least not in front of her. After that, she learned to stay quiet. To be the obedient daughter they always wanted. Too terrified to ever witness that moment again.

Radha gasped, clutching her throat as her breath turned uneven and broken, tears refusing to stop as they blurred everything around her; she didn’t know how to run away from the storm raging inside her chest.

She hated herself. For being born. For being a girl child. For seeing something she wasn’t supposed to. For staying quiet. For not helping her mother. For not taking a stand. For sending her parents away out of her own fear. For being the cause of their death, just like her badi maa said. For being a daughter who failed when it mattered the most.

The list of her hate and guilt toward herself was long and endless.

She gasped out loud, her chest tightening painfully as if something was crushing her from within. She rolled off the bed, reaching for the pills with trembling, fumbling hands. Why didn’t she do anything? Why didn’t she speak? Why didn’t she interfere? What kind of child stays silent when their mother is being hurt by the same man they once called father?

Her fingers grasped the bottle, but it slipped, falling from her hands. Another harsh gasp tore out of her throat as if her oxygen was being ripped away. The room felt too small, the walls closing in, suffocating her… What kind of daughter was she? How could she live with herself?

She was drowning, sinking deeper into the chaos inside her chest, gasping for air... Suddenly, she was pulled into a warm hug, strong arms wrapping around her, grounding her before she could fall apart.

“Shhh… take a deep breath, Radha.” Mahir’s soothing voice cut through her spiraling thoughts.

Radha tried. She reached out, holding onto him desperately, her fingers fisting his T-shirt tightly like he was the only thing keeping her from breaking into pieces.

She gasped out loud again; the more she thought about that moment, the more she wanted to hate herself… to punish herself for staying quiet for a year.

All these months, she had suppressed her emotions, switching them off like they didn’t exist. But after her parents’ death, and now her Bhaiya’s birthday, they came back brutally, crashing into her all at once, leaving her defenseless.

“Radha, listen to my heartbeat.” Mahir ran his fingers gently through her hair, his touch steady and reassuring, “Follow the rhythm…”

He guided her, even as the pills lay scattered all over the floor. He wanted to reach for them, but he couldn’t. Radha’s grip on him was too tight, too desperate to loosen. According to the doctor, he couldn’t let Radha depend on them anymore. It wasn’t good for her health, so she had to learn to control her attacks through small exercises and breathing techniques.

Earlier, after dropping Sherya, he had returned, but something felt off. His heart had been unsettled, restless… so he came straight to check on her. Only to find her struggling to breathe. He had so many questions, but right now, none of them mattered. First, he needed to steady her… before she slipped away.

Radha tried to follow his heartbeat’s rhythm, which made her relax, his warmth that made her feel safe, but nothing could make her feel at peace at that moment…

She wasn’t someone to be held. She was someone to be hated. Whatever her parents did with her was right. How her Badi maa and Bade Papa treated her, she deserved it all.

Within a few months, she forgot her worth, basking in her Bhaiya’s love and care, but now the reality felt like a slap to her face.

She gasped for air, her chest constricting painfully; she was meant to be despised, never loved. A daughter who can’t defend her mother and chooses to hide was worth nothing, nothing but a burden who only brings pain to others….

“Radha…” Mahir called out, his voice laced with worry, “Baache, relax.” He tightened his hold around her, trying to steady her shaking frame.

Her tense figure in his hold, the way she was trembling uncontrollably, her breath coming out broken and uneven, he wasn’t getting what was going on.

“Bhai… bhaiya… I-I can’t…” Radha choked out, her grip on his shirt loosening as her body went limp, losing her consciousness in his arms, scaring the hell out of him.

← Previous                               Next →