Bandhan

Confrontations and Confessions

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Khawahish walked into the living room and sank onto the sofa, her heart heavy with confusion. At just twelve years old, grappling with the revelation of having new brothers was more than she could handle. Suddenly, she felt someone pull her into a warm embrace, and instinctively, she recognized it was Aalekh. As he held her tightly, she couldn’t contain her emotions any longer; tears began to spill down her cheeks.

“Why are you crying, princess?” Aalekh asked softly, concern lacing his voice.

“I don’t know,” Khawahish muttered, her voice muffled against his shoulder. She truly had no idea why she was crying. The thought of having more brothers was unsettling, and she felt a sense of dread about the possibility of leaving the only home she had ever known.

“Okay, calm down, princess,” Aalekh said gently and wiped her tears with a tender touch. “Tell me, what do you feel about having new brothers? Are you excited?”

His question hung in the air, and though he tried to sound upbeat, there was an unsettling tension within him. Looking at Khawahish's glare, he quickly sensed that he might have asked the wrong question.

“Aap log kya chahte hai? Achaanak itne saal baad kuch strangers mere saamne aa gaye, aur aap log kahte hain woh mere bhai hain! Ab bhai, aap log kya expect kar rahe hain? Main khushi se paagal ho jaun? Nachu ya gaun?” Khawahish shouted in frustration, her voice rising higher than she intended. She instantly realized her outburst, the shock evident on Aalekh's face. She quickly mouthed an apology, feeling a mixture of fear and anger.

Aalekh took a deep breath, deciding to let it slide for now; this wasn’t the moment to focus on his sister’s outburst. “Khawahish, Rey ne tujhe bataya na kuch reasons hain, aur tu un reasons ko jaanne ke liye abhi bahut chhoti hai,” he said, trying to maintain a calm demeanor. He, too, was struggling to help her understand this overwhelming situation.

“Thik hai, fir mujhe abhi tak bhaiya ne unke baare main kyun nahi bataya? Aur hum unse kabhi mile kyun nahi?” she asked, her curiosity mingled with irritation. Aalekh sighed, recognizing the validity of her questions but also knowing that only Riyansh had the right answers to them.

“Khawahish, woh sab abhi matter nahi karta. Abhi yeh sach hai ki woh sab tere bhai hain, aur hum Bombay shift ho rahe hain,” Aalekh said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

“Bhai, mujhe nahi jana kahin bhi, please!” Khawahish pleaded, her voice trembling as tears threatened to spill from her eyes. Aalekh could see the fear behind her frustration; he knew there was so much more going on in her mind than she was letting on.

Tujhe Mumbai ku nahi jana, mujhe sach batana, princess,” Aalekh said, looking deeply into Khawahish's eyes. She lowered her head, struggling to keep her tears at bay, but after a moment, she looked up and spoke.

“Jab se woh log aaye hain, bhaiya sad rahne lage hain. Woh pehle ki tarah humare sath time spend nahi karte. Hamari poori family mein distance aa raha hai, mujhe accha nahi lagta,” Khawahish confessed, her voice trembling. “Bhaiya, is baar mera test bhi bhul gaye, aur toh aur unhone us Chirag ke liye mujhe thappad bhi maara! Unhone ek baar bhi mujhse nahi pucha ki kya hua? agar Mumbai jaane ke baad bhaiya puri tarah badal gaya toh?” Her words were laced with insecurities that no one could understand better than Aalekh.

Taking a deep breath, Aalekh replied, “Tujhe yeh dikh raha hai ki Riyansh thoda sa disturbed hai aur woh Chirag ke close jaane ki koshish kar raha hai, par tujhe yeh nahi dikh raha ki tere do aur bade bhai bhi tujhse close aane ki utni hi koshish kar rahe hain? Princess, is baat ki guarantee main de sakta hoon ki Riyansh ka pyaar tere liye kabhi kam nahi hoga. Lekin agar tu try karegi, toh tere aur bhi bhai hain jo tujhe bilkul waise hi pyaar karenge jaise main aur Riyansh. They will protect you, they will cherish you.”