Reclaimed Legacy

(16) - Aftermath & Accusations

The atmosphere inside the Poddar mansion was tense, an uncomfortable silence settling among the group seated in the vast living room. Heavy curtains blocked out the dying light of day, and the soft hum of the air conditioning was the only sound filling the space. Kaveri, the matriarch of the house, had extended an invitation to the Goenkas to join them at the Poddar house after the shocking revelations in court. But there was no joy in this gathering—only a suffocating weight of unspoken words and long-buried guilt.

Ruhi sat on the plush sofa, tears streaming down her face, her entire body trembling as though the weight of the truth was too much to bear. Her hands were clasped together, shaking. Swarna sat beside her, her voice a soothing whisper, "Don't cry, Ruhi. It wasn't your fault, beta. You were just a child. This wasn't your mistake."

But even Swarna's words couldn't put out the fire brewing in the room. Surekha, unable to contain her rising fury, slammed her hand on the armrest of her chair, the sound breaking the fragile stillness. Her eyes blazed with accusation as they turned toward Swarna.

"How can you still say it wasn't her mistake?" Surekha demanded, her voice sharp with disbelief. "Are we going to keep pretending that Ruhi wasn't responsible for this? That Akshara's life wasn't ruined because of her? You're all sitting here trying to console Ruhi, but what about Akshu? What about the woman we cast out like she was nothing?"

Swarna's face paled as she tried to hold onto her calm. "Surekha, please understand. Ruhi was just a child. It was an innocent accident. How can we hold that against her? She didn't know what she was doing!"

Surekha's laughter was bitter, her words a biting rebuke. "Oh, right. Now we're calling it an accident. But wasn't Akshu part of this family too? When we outcasted her, did we stop to think about how she felt? No. You were quick to throw her to the wolves, and she didn't even defend herself—she took the blame, just so Ruhi wouldn't have to bear the consequences. That's Akshara for you, always sacrificing, always keeping quiet."

The room fell into a stunned silence. Swarna opened her mouth to respond, but Surekha was far from finished. Her anger was spilling over, too many years of pent-up frustration finally finding a voice.

"You always had a problem caring for your own," Surekha spat, her tone venomous. "You had issues with Naira, but you loved Sirat. And when it came to Aarohi and Akshara, you never even tried to erase the misunderstandings between them! You favored Aarohi because you felt sorry for her—thinking that losing Sirat was more traumatic for Aarohi. You shipped Akshu off to some hostel, made her feel like a stranger in her own home. Don't act like you've always been fair."

Swarna's eyes filled with tears, and she shook her head in denial, but Surekha pressed on, relentless. "Sirat was a mother to both of them, wasn't she? Akshu thought Sirat was her real mother for years! And when Sirat died, all you cared about was Aarohi's trauma. What about Akshu? She lost her mother too! But no, Akshu was conveniently forgotten. Just like Krishna, Kartik and Naira's adopted daughter. You all forgot about her, didn't you? How easy it was for you to erase Naira's children from your minds the moment Sirat came into the picture."

Manish's booming voice interrupted her tirade. "Enough, Surekha! Stop this right now!"

But Surekha's eyes flashed with fury, and she threw back her head in defiance. "No, Bhaisa. No one will stop me today! It's about time someone spoke the truth, and I won't be silenced anymore." She turned her steely gaze back to Swarna. "You always had an issue with Naira." And turned towards Manish and said. "You never wanted Sirat to be accepted, but you let Swarna didi push her into this family. And now, we're all paying the price. Aarohi, her daughter Ruhi—they've been nothing but a curse on Akshara's life, and you all let it happen."