Selfish For You

43

The room was dimly lit, with only a faint ray of sunlight sneaking in through the curtains. Kritika lay motionless on the bed, her body still weak and feverish, her face pale. The IV drip beside her stood as the only reminder that she was being kept alive, but even in this fragle state, her heart fought on

Mahi sat by her side, wiping her sister’s forehead wiamp cloth, her eyes swollen from days of crying. Each tear that fell was a reminder of her helplessness. She had always admired Kritika’s strength, her quiet determination, but now she could barely look at her without breaking down.

For four days, Mahi had been by Kritika's side, watching over her, unable to do anything more than offer what little comfort she could. Every time she saw the bruises on Kritika’s skin, she wanted to scream, to do something...anything , but she knew she was powerless. Her mother’s wrath was unmatched and Mahi had learned long ago that speaking up would only make things worse.

"I’m so sorry, Di…" Mahi whispered, her voice cracking. "I should’ve been there with you. I should’ve stopped her"

Her hand trembled as she held Kritika’s limp fingers, hoping for some response, but her sister remained unconscious, her body still fighting off the fever.

Mahi hadn’t slept in days. Every time she closed her eyes, she could still hear the sounds of her mother’s rage, the blows that had landed on Kritika’s fragile body , she's afraid that they will do something bad again if she left her sister's side even for a second let alone sleeping. It was a nightmare she couldn’t escape

Suddenly, the door to the room creaked open. Mahi looked up, startled, as her mother entered, her expression cold and calculating.

"Well" her mother began, her voice as sharp as ever " you think you are her servent, her maid , to be always beside her "

" Maa please don't do that " mahi requested with teary eyes

" That's my answer i guess " kamlesh sneered looking at her stupid daughter before turning to look at kritika "it seems your sister is finally calming down. Good for her, we need her to be presentable"

Mahi stiffened, instinctively moving closer to Kritika as if her presence could shield her from whatever was coming next.

" W..What do you mean" she gulped looking at her mother, she felt like she don't even know who she really is

"I’ve found someone" her stepmother continued, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the room "A suitable match for this thing. Although she don't deserve it but the boy is from a respectable family. It’s time for her to go away from my sight for forever, I'm tired of tolerating her , I'm happy she did something that her father himself want to get rid of her now" she chuckled feeling happy

Mahi’s heart sank, knowing what that meant. Her mother is determined to sell Kritika off to the highest bidder, a marriage designed to benefit her and her father, without any regard for Kritika’s happiness.

" You can't do this , she love yuvraj so much , do you think she'll be able to live  after marrying someone else?" Mahi shouted at her mother, angry tears rolling down her cheeks

" Do you think i care if she live or die?" She asked mockingly

" Maaa " mahi yelled looking at her mother Who's looking foreign to her today, she really don't know the lady standing in front of her

" Keep your voice down , do you want me to lock you again in your room ? And don't ever dare to take that boy's name again in front of me . Tell her when she wakes up" her stepmother said, her tone cold and final

Mahi opened her mouth to protest, but before she could speak, her mother’s gaze fell on Kritika’s feet. A frown tugged at the corners of her mouth as she noticed the anklets , delicate, intricate, and clearly expensive.

"What are these?" Kamlesh’s voice dripped with disdain as she approached the bed, her eyes narrowing. Mahi tensed following her mother's eyes , The anklets 

Without warning, her mother reached down, her fingers wrapping around the anklets with a sneer "These aren’t fitting for someone of her status. These need to go"

" Maa stop it , you'll hurt her more" mahi tried to pull her hands back but nothing worked

She tugged at them, trying to remove them forcefully, but the anklets wouldn’t budge. Frustration flashed across her face as she pulled harder

Kamlesh continued pulling the anklets, a faint clicking sound came from the jewelry , it was so light that no one able to hear it, Mahi's eyes widened in alarm at the force her mother is applying, it's like she don't even care if she hurt kritika's ankle

" Maa Stop it please" Mahi cried, moving toward her mother more , she's sobbing badly " bas karde please, I'm begging you"

" Dafa ho jao mahi , don't force me to do something with you" kamlesh glared at her

But before Mahi could say anything more, her mother’s frustration boiled over, and she yanked even harder at the anklets, her face twisted in fury.

Suddenly, Kritika stirred, her eyes fluttering open for the first time in days. She was weak, her vision blurry, but she felt the rough grip on her ankles and the painful tug of the jewelry.

"No…" Kritika’s voice was barely a whisper, her throat dry and her body too frail to fight. "Stop…" her mind is still fogy not getting what's happening but it's paining...it's paining everywhere

Her stepmother didn’t listen. With one final pull, she attempted to rip the anklets off, but before she could, Mahi intervened, grabbing her mother’s arm with surprising strength.

"Leave her alone!" Mahi shouted, her voice shaking with emotion "Don’t touch them! Please don't come near her, you had done enough, please don't invite your death with your own hands , please spare me this much , please please" she sobbed falling down on her knees

Kamlesh glared at Mahi, momentarily stunned by her defiance " you are fighting with your mother for this trash" she pointed at kritika who's trying to understand the commotion

" Maa please leave us alone, please go " mahi said in very tired tone and with last glare at them kamlesh left the room cursing kritika more for turning her daughter against her.

Meanwhile Miles Away...

Yuvraj sat in his office, seething. He's trying to solve the problem as soon as possible but the moment he get free even for few minutes his mind again go back to his Jaan. He had barely slept since leaving, tormented by thoughts of her sudden disappearance and the unanswered questions swirling in his head. Anu’s words echoed like poison in his ears 'She left without a word'

He didn’t believe it...not for a second, but with every passing hour, the thought of her betraying him, even if unintentional, gnawed at him like a festering wound.

Suddenly, his phone vibrated on the desk. Yuvraj glanced at it, expecting another business call or message from his father, but his heart skipped a beat when he saw the notification...it was the alert he had set up on Kritika’s anklets.

Someone was tampering with them.

A rush of adrenaline surged through him as he stared at the message, his face becoming pale with passing second. His chest tightened, and his fists clenched around the phone. Without thinking, he slammed his fist into the desk, causing papers and files to scatter with multiple pieces of glass. Anger, sharp and uncontrollable, coursed through him like wildfire

Someone was trying to take them off.

Without wasting a second, Yuvraj grabbed his jacket, his mind racing. Something terrible was happening, and he had to get back to her...Now

He stormed out of the office not caring about his bloody hand, pushing past anyone who dared stand in his way. The first employee who tried to speak to him was met with a glare so fierce they shrunk back instantly. The next person who approached him and tried to stop him wasn’t as lucky. Yuvraj grabbed them by the collar, his voice venomous.

"Tumhe marna hai kya?"  he growled, shoving them aside and run out but that person called bodygards to not let him leave the company's gate

Yuvraj's temper was unhinged. Every second wasted only intensified his fury. He barely registered the concerned glances from his staff, the whispers that followed him as he stormed through the building. His sole focus was getting back to Kritika...now...he want her in front of him nothing else