Ishq Inteha

tadap

I walked into the hall for dinner as I didn't do breakfast even and saw Bapu Sa sitting in the center. Maa Sa was next to him, and my brothers sat beside her. I stood there for a moment, hoping to catch Bapu Sa’s eyes, but he didn’t even look at me. He ignored me as if I wasn’t there.

I turned to Maa Sa. Her face was hard, her eyes full of anger. Fear gripped me. I clenched my lehenga tightly to stop my hands from trembling. As I took one more step forward, Bapu Sa stood up. Maa Sa stood with him, and together they walked past me without a word, without a glance.

I turned and saw Maa Sa looked at me for just a second, her sharp gaze cutting through me like a knife. My heart raced, and I quickly looked down. Closing my eyes, I tried to calm the storm inside me.

I moved forward and saw Vansh smiling at me.
“Aaiye, aapka hi intezaar tha,” he said softly.

I forced a small smile and sat down beside him. My hands fidgeted, my fingers twisting around each other. My eyes stayed fixed on the plate in front of me, but my thoughts were spinning.

“Yuvi, kya hua?” Adarsh asked, his voice pulling me back to the moment. He was washing his hands, done with dinner.

“K-kuch nahi,” I said in a low voice, still staring at the empty plate.

After a while, Adarsh and Vansh stood up. They both patted my head gently.
“Khana kha lena aur araam se so jaana,” Adarsh said kindly before they went upstairs.

I nodded, smiling faintly, but the moment they left, the silence felt heavy again.

I reached out to open the lid of a utensil, but before I could, an attendant quickly took it from me.

“Kya kar rahi hai aap?” I asked, shocked.

She didn’t answer and walked straight to the kitchen. I sighed and reached for another utensil, but another attendant came and snatched it away too.

This time, I stepped in front of her. “Dijiye hume,” I said, trying to sound strong, but my voice was shaky.

“Hum nahi de sakte, Kunwari,” she replied.

“Kyun?” I asked, confused.

She hesitated for a moment, then leaned closer and whispered, “Rani Sa ne mana kiya hai.”

Before I could say anything, she ran off, leaving me standing there, frozen. Her words echoed in my mind, louder and louder with each passing moment.

My stomach growled, and I felt a tear roll down my cheek. How cruel is this? Born into a royal family, surrounded by riches, but I sleep hungry ,  with tears in my eyes and pain in my heart . It doesn’t feel right, does it? But this is my life—this is me. I’ve never really fit in here.

This isn’t new. Maa Sa does this often. It’s her way of hurting me, of showing me I don’t matter. And yet, no matter how many times it happens, it still pains me like first time.

I wiped my tears and started walking upstairs. I didn’t have another choice.

I stepped out onto the balcony, hoping to calm my racing mind and endless thoughts. The stars twinkled softly above, and the cool wind played with my hair, some strands slipping free from my braid. I let out a deep sigh, my hands gripping the stone railing as I leaned forward.

Below, I noticed a man playing with his children—his one daughter and three sons. I knew him; he was the most trusted zamindar in our kingdom. His wife sat on the steps of their small home, lighting lamps. There was a genuine smile on their faces, one that I hadn’t seen in my own family for so long.