𝐁𝐇𝐀𝐀𝐑𝐘𝐀 - 𝐃𝐀𝐖𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐌𝐘 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓

𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐖𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐄

MAITHILI

I lay sprawled across the unfamiliar bed, exhaustion clutching at my limbs, but sleep evaded me. My head spun like a relentless merry-go-round, each revolution churning up fragmented memories I couldn't piece together.

The bed beneath me was soft, the sheets soothing against my skin, a strange comfort that reminded me of him. I hugged the pillow closer, burying my face in it as if I could draw some clarity from its warmth. My heart whispered in soft, steady beats, guiding me to relax, to let go, to embrace this rare comfort.

With a deep breath, I surrendered, closing my eyes and letting the soothing darkness wash over me.

A sharp knock at the door shattered the fragile peace I had wrapped around myself. My eyes fluttered open, though I was still half-asleep, reluctant to pull away from the cocoon I'd built.

Groggy and dazed, I stumbled to the door, rubbing my eyes as I went. As I opened it, a loud, shrill voice jolted me to attention, clearing the last remnants of sleep from my mind.

"Who the hell are you?" a girl screeched, her voice grating against my nerves. The echo of her words pierced the air, and I blinked, trying to focus on her furious face.

"What?" I asked, my voice laced with confusion and a hint of irritation. "Who are you, and why are you shouting at me?"

My voice was calm but edged with anger, a low rumble of frustration building within me. Another woman hurried over, her face a mix of shock and something else I couldn't quite place.

"This," the woman hissed, gesturing at me with disdain, "this is the one who should be in this room? In your place? She's supposed to be the future lady of this house!"

I stared at her, feeling a strange sense of detachment as her words registered. My heart hammered against my ribcage, but I met her gaze with steady defiance.

"And...?" I prompted, as if she hadn't yet completed her thought.

"And!" the girl practically spat, her anger blazing in her eyes. "You shouldn't be here at all!"

A crowd began to gather, faces peeking around the door, drawn by the commotion. My head was spinning, not just from the unfamiliar room but from the whirlwind of accusations flying around. Maa, pushed through the crowd, her eyes wide with shock and a spark of fury simmering beneath.

"What's going on here?" Maa demanded, her voice trembling as she looked from the girl to the woman.

The older woman sneered, her gaze sliding over me with pure contempt. "This girl," she snarled, "she's been lying here in nothing but his shirt! Thakuro ke shok raat ke andhere mei ache lagte hain, din ke ujalon mei chupe rahe to hi behtar hota hai....

Her words hit me like a slap, and my breath caught in my throat. The shirt. I looked down, realizing for the first time that I was wearing his shirt, the faint scent of him still clinging to the fabric. Memories flitted just out of reach, and a cold chill seeped into my bones.

Did we...? What happened last night? Why couldn't I remember? My mind raced, scrambling for fragments of the night before, but all I found were blanks.

Panic clawed at my chest as I searched for any shred of clarity, anything to explain how I had ended up here, wearing his shirt, under the merciless scrutiny of these strangers.

"Where is he?" I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper. He was the only one who could answer the questions swirling in my mind, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"Savitri ji, enough!" Maa's voice cracked through the air like a whip, her anger cutting through the tension. " This girl is Aditya's sister, she's like a daughter to us. Speak another word against her, and I'll forget who you are."

The girl stepped forward, her lips twisting into a mocking smile as she addressed Maa. "Oh, really... Mummy ji?" She emphasized the words with a sickly sweetness that turned my stomach. "Then why is your 'daughter' sleeping in Shashvata's room, wearing his clothes? What kind of daughter does that?"

She glared at me, a predator eyeing its prey. "Just forget whatever happened last night, and get out of here before you embarrass yourself even more."

As if summoned by the venom in her voice, Diya emerged from the crowd, her face flushed with fury. "Who do you think you are, ordering jiji around like that?" Diya's voice rang out, fierce and unwavering.

The girl smirked, her eyes narrowing as she turned to Diya. "Once I'm married, my first order of business will be teaching you some respect."

Kaki-sa, Diya's mother, appeared beside Maa, her expression hard as steel. She pointed a finger at the girl, a warning in her gaze. "You think you're clever, don't you? Well, I'm not Jiji, I won't take this disrespect lying down. Just because you're Maa-sa's special guest doesn't give you the right to insult us."

The woman laughed, a harsh, ugly sound that echoed through the room. "Maa-sa's orders, actually," she drawled, her eyes cold and unfeeling. "And if you need proof, I have the letter right here." She pulled a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket, waving it in the air triumphantly. "It says, quite clearly, that after Preeti's wedding, my daughter will be engaged to Shashvata."

My heart clenched, and a new wave of pain washed over me, sharper and more bitter than before. He was getting married? To someone else? But this wasn't the girl I had seen him with so many years ago. My chest tightened, and I struggled to breathe, the room spinning around me.

Did he ever look at me the way I looked at him? Was I nothing to him, a fleeting memory, forgotten in the wake of someone new?

She sneered at me, her eyes gleaming with malicious pleasure. "So, what will it be?" she challenged, raising her voice to address the room. "such a whore"

A hush fell over the crowd, her words hanging heavy in the air. I felt the heat of shame creep up my neck, tears stinging my eyes. How could she say that? How could any of them believe such lies?

"I... I didn't..." My voice broke, and I choked on the words, unable to defend myself against the cruel accusations swirling around me. I was drowning, floundering in a sea of judgment and disbelief, and I had no way to prove my innocence. The walls closed in, the weight of their stares crushing me, suffocating me. I wanted to scream, to shout that I was innocent, but the words stuck in my throat, strangled by the bitter taste of betrayal.

Kriti stepped forward, her face etched with determination. She wrapped her arms around me, pulling me close. "Maithili, I don't know what happened last night," she whispered, her voice a steady anchor in the storm, "but I know you. You'd never do what they're saying. And neither would Shashvata bhai-sa."

Turning to face the girl, Kriti's voice rose, strong and unyielding. "Did Shashvata bhai-sa even know about this so-called engagement? I doubt it. If he did, you wouldn't be standing here right now, clinging to this delusion."

The girl's eyes flashed with fury, and she bared her teeth in a snarl, shedding her mask of innocence. "So, what, he's going to marry this... this whore?"

Her words echoed through the room, heavy and vile, sinking into the silence that followed. The sharp sting of her accusation cut deep, the weight of her contempt bearing down on me like a storm. I felt the heat rise to my cheeks, the burn of tears threatening to spill, but I held them back, standing frozen in the wake of her hatred.

And in that moment, the world seemed to hold its breath, as if awaiting the next cruel blow.

"What the hell is happening here?" His thunderous voice cut through the room, and everyone fell silent, startled.

I kept my eyes down, feeling the sting of tears leaving their marks on my cheeks. Her cruel words still echoed in my mind, each one hitting like a fresh wound. I felt crushed beneath the weight of her accusations, struggling to breathe. Yet with his arrival, a faint hope flickered amid the pain.

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