The house had barely recovered from the whole "Meow is not Cat" debate when another storm walked in — this time through the main gate.
“Arre suno, Chachi aur Chachu aa gaye!” Veer called out, peeking through the curtain.
Ammi quickly adjusted her dupatta and walked to the door with a polite smile. Dadi beamed with pride, already standing at the entrance as if the Queen herself was arriving.
“Lo aa gaye humare chhote beta aur bahu!” Dadi said, her voice two tones higher than usual. “Aur dekho Aarav bhi kitna bada ho gaya!”
Chachi entered, carrying a small purse like she was attending a wedding. Chachu followed, phone glued to his ear, nodding occasionally. Aarav, their son, strutted in like the house was his kingdom.
Haseena, sitting in the corner with her most prized possession — Gudhu Baba (a chubby, squishy doll with one eye slightly wonky) — looked up. She blinked at the new faces.
Aarav spotted the doll in her arms.
“Mujhe yeh chahiye,” he said, pointing directly at Gudhu Baba.
Haseena hugged it tighter. “Nahi. Yeh mera hai.”
“Bachpan se tumhare paas hi toh hai. Ab main loonga,” Aarav said with a pout.
“Gudhu Baba mera hai!” Haseena shouted and pulled the doll back as Aarav tried to snatch it.
In one quick motion, Aarav grabbed the leg of the doll and tugged hard.
Haseena didn’t even think — she pushed him with both her tiny hands. Aarav stumbled back a few steps and immediately let out a fake cry.
“Aaahh! Chachi dekho, isne mujhe dhakka diya!”
Dadi rushed to the scene faster than ever. “Haseena! Kaisi badtameezi hai yeh? Mehmaanon ke bachchon ke saath aise bartav karti ho? Kya yeh sab sikhaya ja raha hai tumhein?”
Haseena’s lower lip trembled, not from guilt — but from pure anger. She clutched Gudhu Baba close and looked away, her tiny eyes shimmering.
“Par usne chhina tha...” she muttered, but her voice was drowned out by Dadi’s loud scolding.
Ammi rushed in and scooped Haseena into her arms. “Choti hai abhi. Samajh nahi aaya use... main samjha dungi,” she said softly.
Dadi huffed and walked off with Aarav, who smirked behind her back.
From the corner of the room, Veer and Vansh exchanged a look.
“Yeh Aarav toh shuru se hi drama karta hai,” Veer whispered.
“Agli baar main usko dho doonga,” Vansh mumbled under his breath.
And as the afternoon sun poured in, casting long shadows on the floor, Haseena quietly rested her head on Ammi’s shoulder — holding on to Gudhu Baba like her life depended on it.
The house was buzzing with chai cups clinking and Dadi’s laughter echoing in the drawing room as she sat with Chachi, proudly showing off Aarav’s school report card.
Haseena had quietly retreated to the corner of the bedroom, cuddling Gudhu Baba close. Her tiny fingers ran over the worn-out stitching on the doll’s tummy, as if whispering to it — “Main hoon na.”
But trouble has a way of finding her.
Aarav tiptoed into the room. His eyes locked on the soft pink doll in Haseena’s arms. He looked around — no one in sight. Only Haseena sitting with her back turned to the door.
“De do na usko. Ek baar khelenge toh kya ho jaayega?” he asked, tone sweet but eyes sharp.
Haseena turned and said, “Nahi. Gudhu Baba sirf mera hai.”
Aarav’s lips twisted. “Tum sirf roti ho. Har waqt roti ho. Isiliye sab tumse naraz rehte hain.”
She frowned. “Main nahi roti! Aur Gudhu Baba nahi doongi!”
Aarav’s face turned red. He lunged forward and tried snatching the doll again — this time forcefully. As Haseena held tight, he raised his hand...
Before it could land, a loud voice broke the air.
“Haath neeche kar, Aarav!”
It was Veer, standing at the doorway, fists clenched.
Vansh ran in right after him. “Bhaiya, Aarav ne Baby ko maarne ki koshish ki!”
Veer walked toward Aarav slowly. “Tumhare ghar mein koi choti bachchi hoti toh samajh aata. Par tum toh sirf badtameezi seekh ke aaye ho!”
Aarav froze, startled by Veer’s anger. For once, he didn’t have a comeback.
“Abhi ke abhi bahar jao,” Veer said firmly.
Aarav turned and ran out, not even looking back.
Vansh immediately dropped beside Haseena. “Baby, theek ho?”
Haseena sniffled once, then nodded bravely. “Usne Gudhu Baba ko chhuna bhi nahi!”
Veer sat down on her other side. “Tum strong ho. Par agar koi bhi tumpe haath uthaye, humein bula lena. Hum hamesha saath hain.”
Haseena smiled. It was small, but proud — like a warrior who had just won her very first battle.
And in that tiny room, surrounded by two protectors and a half-blind doll... Haseena felt like the strongest girl in the world.
YOU ARE READING
༺ 𒆜Ishq Ka Pehla Saya 𒆜 ༻
Fanfiction✧ Phase One: A childhood full of mischief, secrets, and survival. ✧ Phase Two: A college girl's battle between forbidden love and family duty. Haseena was born into rejection. But she was also born to fight. With two brothers who love her, a grandmo...
