Siddharth came back to his senses as Mallika came there with her bag.
Mallika: Siddharth vo kuch nahi kha rahi hai. Please take care of her.
Siddharth nodded. Mallika made Ruhi stand and explained to her that she was going with Siddharth.
Siddharth held Ruhi's hand and walked out of the office with her. He made her sit in the car in the back seat. He sat in the driver's seat and drove off the car. The whole drive was silent. Ruhi was too scared to speak anything with Siddharth. Siddharth had no idea what to say or talk about. He was too disturbed to talk.
As they reached. Siddharth came out of the car. He took Ruhi too. They walk in silently.
As they walked in. They found everyone on the dining table. Only Ishani was aware of Ruhi, no one else.
Abhishek (looking at the little girl): Ashu ye bachi kaun hai?
Listening to Abhishek's words. Everyone's attention turned towards the door.
Sumedh: Sid tujhe kya hua? Tu theek nahi lag raha hai. Sab theek hai?
Ishani looked at his face. She knew the reason. She knew he was in pain. She looked at Ruhi. That little girl too seems lost.
Siddharth looked down, not knowing how to explain his brothers. Abhishek, Vaishnavi and Sumedh were worried.
Ishani (sighed): Aao baitho Ashu. Hum sab tumhara hi wait kar rahe the. Aa jaa bache.
She said the last line to Ruhi
Abhishek: Dadi aap janti hai ye kaun hai?
Ishani (nodded): Khana kha kar baat kare? Sab ko bukh lagi hogi. Ashu isse mujhe de beta.
Siddharth nodded and he made Ruhi sit beside Ishani.
Siddharth: Mujhe bukh nahi hai. Aap log kha lo. Main aaya fresh ho kar.
Abhishek and Sumedh looked at each other.
Sumedh: Aese kaise bukh nahi hai? Chal baith idhar.
Siddharth: Bhai please-
Vaishnavi (cuts him): Kya hua hai bache? Idhar aa mere pass baith.
She said the last line in an ordering tone. Abhishek, Sumedh and Vaishnavi sensed he was going through something. Siddharth obeyed Vaishnavi's words and sat beside her.
Vaishnavi: Kya hua? Tu ro raha tha?
She asked looking at his face. Siddharth shook his head. He couldn't control it anymore and hugged Vaishnavi. He started sobbing. Taking his pain out.
Looking at him. Abhishek and Sumedh panicked. Vaishnavi's muscles stiffened. She caresses his hair. Ishani sighed sadly. Ruhi was looking at them.
Vaishnavi: Bol Ashu kya hua? Tu friends ke sath Cafe gaya tha na? Kisi ne kuch bola? Ye bachi kaun hai?
Siddharth sobbed. Vaishnavi broke the hug and cupped his face. She wiped his tears.
Vaishnavi: Bol ashu kya hua?
Sumedh (rubbing his back): Bata bache kya baat hai?
Siddharth (sobbing): Sarika Nigam... She died...
He mumble. Listening to his words Abhishek and Sumedh's eyes were wide open in shock.
Abhishek (pointing at Ruhi): Ye... Ye unki beti hai?
Siddharth nodded. Abhishek and Sumedh sat there in shock. Vaishnavi looked at Ruhi, she was feeling sorry for her.
Sumedh: Tujhe ye sab kaise pata chala?
Siddharth looked at Sumedh. He then looked at Ishani. She nodded in no.
Sumedh: Bol Ashu...
Ishani: Ye sab choro. Dekho dono bacho ki halat. Sumedh, Abhishek, Siddharth samajh sakti hoon kaisa mehsoos kar rahe hoge tum log is waqt par bacho is me is bachi ki kya galati? Kaise hum isko is bari duniya me akele chor de?
Abhishek (with hurtful eyes): Dadi ye akeli aesi bachi to nahi hai jisne apne maa-baap kho diye. Jaise baki bache rehte hai orphanage me. Ye bhi rahe legi.
Ishani (angrily): Itna pathar dil kaise ho gaya mera beta? Main manti hoon tu logo ke emotions ki itni value nahi karta hai par iska matlab aese to nahi hai ke tu itna pathar dil bane.
Sumedh: Dadi par humare sath kyun? Uske apne relatives bhi to hoge. Bol dete hai jisko chaye rakh lega vo.
Ishani: Vo koi khilaona hai kya? Ek bache ko pasand nahi aayi to dusre ko de dege? Aur uske baap ke galatiyo ki saza isko kyun bacho?
Siddharth again hug Vaishnavi. He was not crying anymore but flashback of his mother crying was hitting in his mind. Vaishnavi was caressing his hair and silently looking at Ishani, Abhishek and Sumedh. She knew neither Abhishek and Sumedh nor Ishani is wrong but situations are. She looked at Ruhi who was crying silently. Vaishnavi shook her head looking at Ruhi. Ruhi wiped her tears but again fresh tears roll down her cheeks.
Abhishek: Dadi iski maa ke vajah se humara pura khush parivar tut gaya. Iske maa ke vajah se meri maa ko heart attack aaya.
Ishani: Galat Abhi... Iske baap ke vajah se. Uske baap ki niyat kharab thi. Uski maa bekasur hai aesa nahi hai par vo us aadmi jitni gunegar nahi hai. Iske maa-baap ki galati thi jo bhi thi. Iski bachi ki nahi hai.
Sumedh: Vo jo bhi dadi. Ye yaha nahi rahegi. Dekh rahe ho Siddharth ki halat. Isko dekhege to hume dukh hi hoga. Har waqt vo dhokha hi yaad aayega. Vo baar baar humari chot ko hath lagate rahegi. Hume dard dete rahegi.
Ishani: Chot ko hath lagana. Sumu bache kya pata uske hath me davai ho. Jo teri chot ko lagne par kuch pal dard degi par baad me raahat milegi. Aur haa dikhi mujhe Ashu ki halat. Samajh sakti hoon tum log kaise mehsoos kar rahe rahoge. Beta maine tum me se kisi par bhi iski zimedari nahi daalugi. Usko main sambhalugi. Main bada karugi.
Abhishek: Dadi aap kyun apne sar musibat lena chahte ho. Kyun le rahe ho iski zimedari. Aapki umar ab aaram karne ki hai. Aap-
Ishani (cuts him): Abhi bolne se pehle ek baar soch to kya bol raha hai? Mana main apne bete ko sahi seekh dene me koi galati ki hogi par maine tum logo ko pyar, sneh, sanskaar sab dil se diya hai. Main meri parvarish dusri baar aese fail hote nahi dekh sakugi. Nahi leni zimedari mat le, nahi rakhna ghar me mat rakh par is bachi ne tera kya bigada hai jo tu usko musibat bol raha hai? Vo to teri zindagi me abhi aayi.
At last, she broke down. She was hurt not because of them fighting with her but because of Abhishek's word Musibat.
Looking at her crying, Sumedh and Abhishek went towards her. Sumedh sat on the other side of her and hugged her.
Abhishek: Dadi mujhe aapko hurt nahi karna tha. I am sorry dadi.
He apologizes. Sumedh was consoling her. Both of them were out of words to even say anything. They don't want to hurt Ishani. She always stood with them. She disowned her son when she got to know he was cheating on Vibha. She fought with him when he was trying to take Abhishek and Sumedh with him. She was beside Vibha always. After her death, She solely raised Siddharth, Sumedh and Abhishek. She did everything for them. She always used to blame herself for her son's deeds.
As Ishani was crying, Abhishek and Sumedh came towards her. Ruhi stiffened. She was scared of the new atmosphere and the new people around her. Already she couldn't digest the fact that her mother was no more. This little girl was going through so much.
To be continued...
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Half-Sister
Fanfiction* It never comes from your enemies; it comes from those you trust the most. * It doesn't matter who my father was; It matters who I remember he was. ~~~ Siddharth, Sumedh and Abhishek... Three young men lost their childhood because of their father'...
