Vidyut broke the hug.
Harsha: Aa jaa baith yaha. (Come and sit here)
Vidyut: Nahi bhabhi. Room me hoon. (No bhabhi. I am in the room)
Harsha: Idhar baith Vidyu. (Sit here Vidyu)
He looked at Ruhi who was lying on the bed keeping her head on Harsha's lap, busy staring at Khushi.
Harsha (patting beside her): Aaja. (Come)
Vidyut sat beside her.
Harsha (cupping his face): Kya chal raha hai tere man me? (What's going on in your mind?)
Vidyut (tears brimming in his eyes): Pata nahi Bhabhi... (Don't know sister-in-law)
Harsha (confused): Matlab saaf saaf bata. (Explain it clearly)
Vidyut (tears roll down his cheek): Fight chal rahi hai man me. (There is a fight between two thoughts)
Harsha (wiping his tears): Kaisi fight? Ache se bata na. (Explain it clearly. What it is exactly?)
Vidyut: Bhabhi jab mom ki death hui thi. I used to look at Bhai and Dadi for support. Bhai bhi bahut hurt the, pain me the but they understood the situation. They had an idea of how to deal with it. But She is alone in this world. She is also not aware of the situation. Like I had bhai and dadi for support. She doesn't have anyone. Umm... She has Dadi but according to her Dadi is a stranger. Bhabhi... I don't want to disrespect Dadi by refusing her request for something. She never asked us anything. This is the first time. She is asking us something.
(Vidyut: When mom died, I started to look for brothers and grandma for support, they too were hurt and broken but they understood the situation and took care of me too. She doesn't have anyone. Umm... She has a grandma but according to her grandma is also a stranger. I don't want to disrespect Dadi by refusing her request for something. She never asked us anything. This is the first time. She is asking us something.)
Harsha (nodded): I got you. You don't want her to go away?
Vidyut (looking down): It's not like that bhabhi. I don't want her to live with us. I don't want to hurt my brother in any way. I didn't want to make my mother feel that I couldn't understand her pain. I hate the fact that she is his daughter. I don't know whom should I support. My brothers or Dadi.
Sob escapes from his mouth. Ruhi turned to face him, listening to his sob. Harsha hugs him tight, rubbing his back.
Harsha: Tu itna mat soch Vid. Bas tera jo man kare bole vo bata. We know you love your brothers, Dadi and Maa more than anyone. We know you won't hurt them. We trust you bache. Tu itni tension na le. (Don't worry Vid. Just listen to your heart.)
Ruhi (looking at Harsha): Kya hua? (What happened?)
Harsha (rubbing Vidyut's back): Bhaiya ne daat khayi na. To sad hai. (Brother is sad. As he got scoldings)
Ruhi nodded.
Harsha: Vidyut shant ho jaa. Mat soch itna. Sab theek ho jayega and we trust you. (Vidyut calm down. Don't overthink. Everything will be fine)
She broke the hug and made him drink water. Once, he calmed down.
Harsha (patting her lap): Aa jaa yaha so jaa. (Come here and sleep)
Vidyut looked at Ruhi.
Vidyut: Nahi... Main apne room me- (No... I am in the room-)
Harsha (cuts him): Chup chap so jaa yaha. Aa jaa. (Shut up. Come here and sleep)
Vidyut gave in and nodded. He lay on the bed, keeping his head on Harsha's lap, maintaining a good distance between him and Ruhi.
Harsha (caressing their hair): Tum dono ko main ek incident batati hoon. (I will share an incident with you)
Ruhi nodded.
Harsha: Pata hai jab hum Ruhi jitne which means Aniruddh 6-7 years ka tha, Saurav 4-5 ka. Aniruddh jo balcony me gaya na uska name hai. Saurav se main kal milati hoon Ruhi.
(Harsha: You know when we were of Ruhi's age like Aniruddh was 6-7 years old, Saurav was 4-5 years old. Aniruddh, the one who went on the balcony. Saurav, I will introduce to him tomorrow)
Ruhi nodded, understanding.
Harsha: Jab hum chote the to Aniruddh, Saurav, Dadi and Vibha ma jaha rehte the main tab unke neighbour me shift hui thi.
(Harsha: When I was small. I shifted next to their house.)
Ruhi: Aniruddh and Saurav brothers hai? (Aniruddh and Saurav are brothers?)
Vaishnavi: Haa... Aniruddh, Saurav and Vidyut ye teeno brothers hai. (Yes... Aniruddh, Saurav and Vidyut are brothers)
Ruhi (pointing at Vidyut): Aapka name Vidyut hai na? (Your name is Vidyut?)
Vidyut was quiet.
Harsha: Haa. (Yes)
Ruhi: Aniruddh and Saurav to the to ye kaha the? (Aniruddh and Saurav were there. Where he was?)
Harsha (giggles): Vo Vibha ma ke tummy me tha. (He was in Vibha Ma's tummy)
Ruhi nodded.
Harsha: Haa to main tab na vaha shift hui thi and Vibha ma ke baby to boys hai but unko na girl chaye thi jisko vo ready kare, new dresses leke aaye, roz uski hairstyles banaye.
(Harsha: I shifted over there. Vibha Ma had boys as her kids but she wished to have a girl whom she could dress up, hairstyle and get her ready)
Ruhi (sadly): Meri mumma bhi aese karti hai. (Mom used to do the same)
Harsha (patting her cheek): Girls ki mumma ko aese acha lagta hai. Meri mumma bhi karti thi aese. Acha to main jab vaha shift hui to Vibha ma mere sath bahut time spend karti thi. Main Roz unke sath afternoon me games khelti thi phir shaam ko hum park jate the. Mere mumma papa office jate the to main Vibha ma ke pass hi baithti thi. Ek din pata hai Krishna Janmashtami thi.
(Harsha: Every girl's mother loves to do the same. My mother too loved to do the same. Okay, so, when I shifted there. Vibha Ma started to spend time with me. I used to be with her the whole afternoon playing games, and in the evening we used to go to the park. My parents used to go to the office. I used to spend my days with Vibha Ma. One day, it was Krishna Janmashtami.)
Ruhi: Kanha ji happy birthday! (God Krishna's birthday)
Haraha nodded.
Ruhi (sadly): Mujhe school ke liye Radha banati hai us din, Kanha ji ke temple jate hai aur night me mumma and main cake bhi cut karte hai
(Ruhi (sadly): Mumma used to get me ready as Radha then we used to visit Krishna temple and also cake cutting was our part of the celebration)
Harsha: Wow! Pata hai main bhi Radha banti thi aur haa Ruhi ko main is baar bhi banaugi. Har baar main ready karugi Radha jaise. Khushi jab badi ho jayegi to usko bhi banayege.
(Harsha: Wow! You know my mom too used to get me ready as Radha. And yes I will get you as Radha. When Khushi grows up, we will get her ready too as Radha)
Ruhi smiled, listening to Khushi's name. Her every sentence, her memory, everything has mumma. Her life was surrounded by Mumma and she was happy with her Mumma.
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. ~~~ Vidyut, Saurav and Aniruddh... Three young men lost their childhood because of their father's b...
