𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄

VIDHI POV

📍 Ajmer, Rajasthan.

I pulled off the gas as tea was prepared , i gently lifted the clay tea pot in air to pour the tea on the cups making me smile when sweet rich aroma filled in my nostrils.

" Hey mahadev Kaash ye chai papa ka dil jeet le or vo hume aaj gaale laga le " i prayed to my mahadev like everyday from my childhood to get love from my father , the same love he gave it to my both brothers.

(Mahadev, I wish this tea wins Papa's heart and he embraces me today)

" or agar aaj bhi une gaale se nahi lagaya toh ?"

(And if he don't hug you even today then)

I startled by listening a voice only to found sanjukta kaki who were working for us from bade bhaiya birth ,

" Kya kaki aapne toh Dara diya , or Aaj nahi toh kisi na kisi din toh gale lagayenge hi "

( You scared me kaki , if not today then someday he will surely embrace me )

I said with a proud smile ,a only hope to get a hug from my father, his love .

" Kya papa , Prateek bhai dono aagye ?" i asked her getting excited which she nodded at me and.

" Haan par - shit hum abhi unki chai lekar jate hai vo intezaar kar rahe honge late hua toh phir gussa karenge hum bhi na" i didn't let her complete the sentence while cutting her off and picking tray of cups .

And made my way toward living room which i stopped in my tracks when I heard someone yelling voice,

" The day i or my son get proof against you or your son for whatever your son with my daughter i promise tujhe or tere bete dono ko yaha se ghaseet kar lekar jauga ye abhiraj meghna singh Rathore ka waada hai "

(The day I and my son get proof against you or your son, for whatever your son does with my daughter, I promise I will take both you and your son away from here, this is Abhiraj Meghna Singh Rathore's promise)

I shiver by listening him making my hold gets tighten on the tray , what's happening there .

Who is that person ?.

Before i took a step to enter in living room i got pulled by someone who is none other than sanjukta kaki,

" Kaki aap yah-" i says but she didn't let me complete the sentence and take me back to the kitchen with her ,

" Kya hua kaki aap hume yaha kyu le aayi ?" I whined as we both reach out in the kitchen which she turned around to face me ,

" Vidhi beta waha itne log tha tumhe waha dekh kar malik gussa hojate " she whispered while peeking outside which i nodded at her understanding her concern.

" But vo log kon tha ? Vo papa or bhai ko dhamka kyu rahe tha?" I questioned which she looks at me for a second then we both heard papa voice from living room .

" Lagta hai sab gaye , mai chai lekar jau " i ask her which she nodded at me ,

" Mai bhi chalti hu tumhare sath hm" she said while covering her head with the pallu and after that we both left for living room..

I entered in living room to found papa and Prateek bhaiya , my elder brother sitting on the sofa while talking about something,

" Relax baba they will not found any proof against me . Soon I will leave for US to check the situation"

Bhai said to him while looking at him whose eyes went to me for an second , a hope arise that today he will accept me as his daughter.

But ...

He looked away ,

" Ab kya vahin khadi rahegi chai se humari "

He yell making me jump in my place and hurriedly went to them with tray of tea , bhai looks at me while passing small smile to me .

I passed a cup of tea to him when bhai left outside to take a call and look at papa with hope will he love the tea or not .

But my hopes was short lived when he hurled the cup of tea to the floor , cup shattered into floor making me take a step backwards,

His gaze locked into mine blazing - anger , fury and disapproval which can't describe sending a shiver down in spine .

In an next second i felt sharp pain , stinging pain erupt in my left cheek making my head snapped other side due to force ,

My skin burned where he slapped leaving hot throbbing sensation, slowly turned back to face him as i heard,

" Ye chai itni thandi kyu hai , kuch kaam theek se kar hi nahi sakti teri maa khud toh marr gayi but mere upar bojh chodh gayi tujhe chodh gayi "

He spat venom making me look into his eyes which was full of hatred for me making my eyes glistened with tears ,

How can father say these lines to their children? To his late wife. To my mumma .

" Papa aap aaram se bhi toh bol sakte tha na " i whisper to him while looking down while ignoring the pain which he caused.

A wince of pain escape from my mouth when he gripped my hairs pulling me towards him.,

" Ab tu mujhe sikhayegi ki mai kya bolu kya nahi bohot juban chal rahi hai na teri abhi band karvata hu "

He spat venom at my face making my tears falls from my eyes when he seized my hairs in a tight grip yanking my head backward ,

His other freed hand claimed around my throat,his nails digged into my skin as he applied pressure.

A wave of pain surge surged through my body as my breath caught up in my chest whole seems blurred due to my tears leaving me in vulnerable when i tried to tap my hand against his ,

" Jab se is duniya mai aayi hai humari jindagi barbad kardi hai apni maa ko toh kha hi gayi ab hume bhi marne mai lagi hai aaj tujhe teri maa ke pass hi bhej deta hu"

He spat while putting pressure on my neck making me helpless maybe it's my last day ....

Just as the world seemed to close in around me, my brother burst into the room, his eyes wide with alarm. With a swift motion, he shoved the assailant away, breaking the vice-like grip on my throat. The sudden release sent me staggering back, gasping for breath.

Sanjukta kaki hold me in her arms while rubbing my back when i start coughing hard,

" Vidhi bache tera bhai hai yaha hm relax you are safe , kaki aap ise room mai lekar jaye ". Bhai said while caressing my head then his eyes went to papa who is still glaring at me making me look at him weakly , i whispered

" Papa aapse galee lagne ki iccha thi gala dabvaane ki nahi"

( Papa I longed for your embrace, not for you to choke me )

By saying those words i turned away avoiding his eyes left the room.....

Sanjukta Kaki gently guided me to my room and helped me sit on the bed. As I settled, my gaze drifted to a framed photograph on the wall: my mother and Prateek Bhai, both smiling radiantly. A profound sense of loss washed over me, and I murmured,

"माँ, आपकी कमी कभी इतनी महसूस नहीं हुई जितनी आज हो रही है।"

(Mother, I've never felt your absence as deeply as I do today.)

The room was dimly lit, casting soft shadows along the walls, the air thick with an unspoken sorrow. Sanjukta Kaki sat beside me, her presence a silent comfort as she pressed a glass of water into my trembling hands. I drank it in one go, the cool liquid sliding down my throat, but it did little to wash away the lump of pain lodged deep inside me.

She took the empty glass from my hands with care, setting it aside before guiding me down onto her lap. The moment my head rested there, her fingers slipped gently through my hair, their touch tender, soothing-radiating a motherly warmth that I had longed for.

"Kaki," I whispered, my voice barely above a breath.

She hummed in response, a silent acknowledgment, as her fingers continued their slow, comforting strokes.

I swallowed hard, my hand clenching the soft fabric of her saree. My heart weighed heavy with a question that had haunted me for years, a wound that never healed.

"Papa mujhse itni nafrat kyun karte hain?" My voice cracked, the words spilling out like an ache too painful to keep in. "Kya isliye ki meri wajah se unhone Maa ko kho diya? Par main akeli thodi thi, Virendra bhi toh tha na... Usse toh hamesha pyaar se baat karte hain, lekin mujhse nahi."

A choked sob broke free from my lips, my body curling into itself as the grief pressed down on me.

"Kabhi kabhi lagta hai jis din main is duniya mein aayi, us din maine sirf Maa ko hi nahi, apne Papa ko bhi kho diya..."

The weight of my own words settled over me like a suffocating fog, and for the first time in a long while, I allowed myself to break in the quiet comfort of Sanjukta Kaki's embrace.

"Shhh... Mera beta aise nahi sochte," she murmured, her voice a soft lullaby against my pain.

Her words, meant to comfort, only deepened my confusion. My breath hitched as she continued, her voice tinged with a sorrow I had never noticed before.

"Malik shuru se aise hi hain, beta... Tumhare aur Virendra ke aane se pehle bhi. Aaye din tumhari Maa ko maarte the... Woh chup chap seh leti thi."

I froze. The quiet, bitter truth unraveled in her words, wrapping around my heart like a vine of thorns. My eyes widened, snapping up to meet hers. Shock flickered in my gaze, my mind struggling to grasp this new reality.

"Maa...?" The word barely left my lips, a whisper drowned in disbelief.

She had suffered? Endured his wrath even before we were born?

The weight of this revelation settled deep into my chest, making it harder to breathe. For years, I had believed that my existence had stolen my father's love, that I was the reason for his hatred. But now... now, it felt as if the world I knew had cracked open, revealing a truth far more painful than I had imagined.

Sanjukta Kaki's warm hand rested against my cheek, her eyes filled with an understanding only she could offer. But all I could do was stare at her, lost in this newfound grief, unsure if I should feel relief or despair.

Before any words could be exchanged between us, a sudden creak echoed through the quiet room. My body stiffened instantly, my breath hitching in my throat. The sound of the door cracking open sent a wave of unease through me, and without thinking, I clung tighter to Kaki, my fingers gripping her saree as if she was the only anchor keeping me grounded.

My heartbeat pounded in my ears as footsteps approached, the familiarity of the sound sending a shiver down my spine. For a fleeting moment, fear clawed at my chest, the weight of past experiences making my mind spiral into worst-case scenarios.

But then, as the door fully opened, my eyes lifted hesitantly-only to find Prateek Bhaiya standing there.

His gaze softened the moment he saw me curled against Kaki, my face still damp with unshed tears. In his hand, he held an ice pack, his grip firm but gentle, as if he had expected this moment.

The tension in my shoulders loosened slightly, but the weight in my chest remained. He didn't say anything at first-he didn't need to. Instead, he stepped forward, his presence steady and reassuring, and held out the ice pack, offering it without question or demand.

The silence between us wasn't uncomfortable; it was understanding. He wasn't here to ask, to probe, or to judge. He was just there-just like always.

"Bhai..."

The word left my lips in a whisper, fragile and uncertain, as if I wasn't sure if I was allowed to seek comfort from him. My fingers still clung to Kaki's saree, reluctant to let go, but Prateek Bhaiya's gaze was unreadable-void of emotion yet firm in its resolve.

Without sparing me a glance, he turned toward Kaki, his voice steady.

"Kaki, aap jayein. Main yahan hoon."

There was no hesitation in his words, no room for argument. Kaki, understanding the silent exchange between us, gave me one last lingering touch on my hair before nodding at him.

With a soft sigh, she stood up, adjusting her saree before making her way to the door. The quiet shuffle of her footsteps was the only sound in the room as she exited, gently closing the door behind her.

And then, it was just the two of us.

The weight of the silence pressed down on me, heavy and suffocating. I watched as Prateek Bhaiya stood there, ice pack still in hand, his presence both familiar and distant.

I wanted to say something-to ask if he was angry, to explain the emotions swirling inside me-but my throat tightened, trapping the words before they could form.

I lowered my gaze as bhaiya settled beside me, his presence grounding yet filled with an unspoken weight. His fingers found mine, playing with them absentmindedly, as if searching for the right words-words neither of us knew how to say.

A sudden, soft touch against my cheek made me look up slightly. His thumb brushed away the lingering tear, his movements careful, almost hesitant, as though afraid I might break. Before I could process the warmth of his touch, a cold sensation replaced it-the ice pack pressing gently against my bruised skin.

I flinched slightly at the chill, but he didn't move away. Instead, he held it in place, his eyes flickering with emotions he rarely showed.

"Life kitni ajeeb hai na?" His voice was low, almost bitter. "Pehle Maa ko chup karvata tha... aur ab tumhe."

His words hung between us, heavy with a painful truth neither of us wanted to acknowledge.

I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat making it difficult to breathe. I had always felt my own pain, my own suffering-but hearing it from him, in this quiet confession, made it feel even more real. Like a cycle neither of us could escape.

For the first time, I realized... I wasn't the only one carrying the weight of the past.

His next words hit me like a bolt of lightning, sharp and unexpected, and for a moment, I couldn't quite grasp the weight of what he had said.

"But not anymore. I won't let you suffer here like Maa. Tum aur Indra Maa ki aakhri nishani ho. Use toh bhej diya, ab tumhara turn hai."

His whisper held a promise-one I wasn't sure I could believe. It wasn't just a promise of protection, but of something else... something that felt like freedom, yet terrifying at the same time.

I stared at him, my heart racing as he pulled something from his pocket. It was a simple piece of paper, but the significance of it hit me all at once. He handed it to me carefully, almost reverently.

"Admission form..." I whispered, barely able to believe the words coming out of my own mouth.

Prateek Bhaiya's eyes met mine, and he smiled-genuinely, with a softness I hadn't seen in him before. Then he nodded, his voice steady but filled with conviction.

"I talked with Nani. She's calling you to Jaipur to start a new life... to achieve your dreams."

The words echoed in my mind, over and over, and for a brief moment, the weight of my past seemed to lift.

Jaipur. New life. Dreams.

It felt like a chance-one I had never even dared to hope for, yet now, it was in my hands. His faith in me, the quiet assurance that I could rise above the pain, made my chest tighten with a mixture of gratitude and fear. Could I really leave everything behind? Could I really start fresh?

"But kyu? Mai aapko aur Papa ko chod kar kaise ja sakti hu?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper, my fingers clutching the admission form as if letting go of it would make this all disappear. My eyes blinked innocently, searching his face for reassurance, for answers, but deep down, I already knew one-Papa will never agree to this.

"Papa mana kar denge..." I added, my heart sinking with the reality of it.

Prateek Bhaiya let out a sharp breath, his grip on my fingers tightening as his expression hardened. His eyes, once filled with a quiet warmth, now burned with something fiercer-determination, anger, maybe even pain.

"Toh kya?" His voice was low, almost daring me to argue. "Maa ki tarah ghar mein baithna hai aur suffer karna hai?"

The words cut through me like a blade.

"No one is asking him for permission."

I looked at him, stunned. His voice didn't waver, his stance unwavering. There was no room for negotiation in his words-he wasn't asking me, he was telling me.

This wasn't just about me anymore. This was about breaking a cycle, about choosing a different path-one that Maa never got to walk.

My throat felt dry, my grip on the paper tightening as a war raged inside me. Stay and suffer like Maa? Or take this chance-the chance she never had?

A heavy silence settled between us as my heart pounded in my chest. The weight of the moment, the choice before me, felt overwhelming. But as I looked at Prateek Bhaiya-at the raw determination in his eyes, the silent plea hidden behind his stern expression-I knew there was only one answer.

I took a shaky breath, my fingers tightening around the admission form, and whispered, "Main Jaipur jaungi, Bhaiya."

His eyes softened instantly, and for the first time in a long while, I saw relief wash over his face. The tension in his shoulders eased, and a small, almost proud smile tugged at his lips.

"That's my girl," he murmured, placing a reassuring hand on my head.

For the first time, I felt a strange kind of lightness-a hope I hadn't allowed myself to feel in years. I was leaving. Not running away, but choosing to walk toward something better. Toward freedom. Toward a life Maa would have wanted for me.

And for once, I didn't feel trapped. I felt ready.

.

.