Khwahish

Two

Ruhaan enters his house and the second he does, he knows something is wrong. Sahil is seated on the couch. He looks deep in thought. Sagar is standing in a corner with his arms crossed over his chest. And Riya, his sister that he is finally seeing after a year is pacing around the room. They all look glum but Riya particularly looks angry. She is seething. Waiting to fire questions at her brother. 

She has been a model for around 6 years now. She has seen the good and ugly side of the industry. Many times, she was offered drugs but she refused. Her brother and her grandmother had taught her better. But maybe she was wrong. Maybe she didn't judge it all right. Because the call she got from her lawyer states something totally different from what she believed in. Her brother is a Liar. The sound of steps make them all look up to the man who distressed them to no end. 

Riya wasted no time. She wants answers and she wants them now. "Did you smuggle drugs?" Her voice as dead as her eyes. She expected better from the man she looked up to. Ruhaan's jaw clenched. Who could've possibly told her that?

Mahira. She just can't keep her nose out of other people's business. 

"You just came back Riya. Take some rest first."

"You're not even denying it. So you did it? You always taught us all to stay the fuck away from drugs while you were smuggling them behind our backs?" Ruhaan didn't say anything. He kept all this to himself. His entire life, and now, his past is out and for what? So his sister can accuse him and look at him like he is the most disgusting creature on the planet. "Are you a drug addict too bhaiya? Since you smuggled them."

"Riya, don't assume stuff." Sahil said from his seat. He wants to know the answers too but he isn't going to accuse his elder brother so easily. 

"I am not just assuming stuff. A research said that the people that smuggle drug use it too. Otherwise where would all that money go huh? Drug smuggling makes too much money. What did you do with it bhaiya? Kyu kiya aapne ye?"

(Why did you do it?)

"SHUT UP! JUST SHUT THE HELL UP!" Angry tears flew down Riya's eyes. Her brother has never in his entire life raised his voice at her. Or any of them for that matter. 

"You know Riya, jab tum choti thi, tab tumhare paas ek doll thi. Aur tum kehti thi ki tum uski mumma ho. Aur jab bhi hum khaana khaate the, to tum pehle khaana uski side karti thi aur phir khud khaati thi. Kyu karti thi aisa?" Riya remembers that doll. That was the only toy she had growing up. Ruhaan didn't give her chance to reply. She wants answers, he'll give them to her.

(You know Riya, when you were younger, you had a doll. And you used to say that she is your daughter. And whenever we used to eat, you forwarded every bite, first to her and then to yourself. Why did you do that?)

"Jab hamare bacche hote hai na, to hum unke liye bohut kuch krte hai. Yes, I used to smuggle drugs and yes I did that for over 2 years. And if you ask me, I will do it all over again. Mujhe koi farak nahi padhta koi mere baare mei kya sochta hai. I did it because I had to."

(When we have kids, we do alot of things for them.)
(I don't care what anyone thinks about me.)

"You didn't had to do anything bhaiya. Everyone in life is given choices. You chose what you wanted to choose." Riya had learnt that the hard way.

"Ofcourse. You're right. I had a choice and I still chose it. Because not all of us have easy choices. It was either sell drugs or let my brother die." That made her stop. That made everyone and everything stop. 

"Mujhe paise chahiye the Riya. Mujhe Sagar ka operation karana tha. Mere paas uski surgery ke paise nahi the. Subah uthta tha to sochta tha ki raat kaa khaana kaha se ayega. Dadi akele sab kuch nahi kar skti thi. To mujhe jo Mila Maine kiya. Aur Haan Maine uske baad bhi vo kaam nhi choda." Ruhaan was desperate trying to explain his situation while Riya just cried. She knew they weren't rich. But she was never made to feel this poor to be worried about their meals.