_Ranjish_

~Chapter 9~

She knocked on the door.
"Bhai, aap so rahe the kya! I.. "
"Tera hi wait kar raha tha! Andar aaja! ", it was Ranveer.
He made her sit on the sofa, as he settled beside her.
" What is is Rish! I can feel something is wrong. Talk it out! ", Ranveer said softly.

" Bhai..Woh....woh..Aaj.. Aaj jab hum Jaighar  gaye the.. Waha, we found a small baby.. abandoned in the bushes. He was crying....Bhai.. It.. It was so painful... To see the baby's condition.. To see the bay crying.. It.. It pained..

You know...It..It felt like I was the one.. The one behind  the baby's pain.

Sach.. Sach kahu toh...
Mei.. Mei bhi toh yehi karna chahti thi na.. No.. Worst than that.. I wanted to kill my Ira.. How could I bhai? How could I let even that thought pass across my mind.
Such a bad person I am.. How could I think so bad about my own child. About my own blood bhai!
Even today when that thought passes across my mind, I feel like punishing myself, like killing myself.
Bhai.. How could I.. ", Rishita completely broke down in front of Ranveer.
He could see the emotions that his sister had bottled up. Rishita cried and cried over the bitter memories of her past.

" Chotti ab bas kar! ", he finally said, as he caressed her, taking her in his embrace.
" Kaise Bhai... Maine aise kaise soch liya..
Jo Ira meri jaan hai, jisse meri puri duniya hai, uske bare mei yeh sab kaise soch sakti hu mai.. "
"Chotti, it was long ago, Long long ago. Tab tujhe pata bhi nahi tha, ki Ira is there within you. You can't be ignoring that fact.
And moreover when you discovered about Ira being their within you. That period was difficult for you. We both know!
You were in depression. And, you didn't think or try to harm Ira, rather you tried to kill yourself. So stop feeling guilty over it. "

"Wasn't it the same bhai! Killing me, meant killing the life growing inside me. I was out to harm my Ira..Even if I didn't knew about it, but Ira was growing inside me. My stupidity would have harmed her..how could I bhai..", Rishita cried in Ranveer's hold.

" Rish! ", he finally had it enough. He held her firmly by her shoulders shaking her a bit he said, " Listen to me very carefully.
That period that you did all of that! Was a difficult one for you. There was so much that happened.
And yes! Even if you want to believe that the thought crossing your mind was wrong,which was wrong, because you tried self harm, which is a total wrong thing to do,but you can't unseen the present now.

Chotti ! Ira, our princess is here, because you didn't give up on her. She is with us, happy, only and only because of you.
You are her mumma. Her world. Her everything Rish.
Just like you do, she too loves you the most in this entire world.

And even if you want to reprimand yourself for the acts of yours during the difficult phase, you can't really look away from the fact that, you are the best mumma.
Rish, if Ira gave you a new life, don't forget the fact that you too did give her everything.

No! I am not calling you the best mother, just to coax you.
Chotti, our mumma, she is the best for us right? "Rishita nodded her head frantically to his question, as he continued, " She loves us the most, but.. She didn't stand for us when we needed her to. No! I am not blaming her, nor am I calling her coward. I know she if soft and fragile.
But you my dear sister, you have been the toughest shield for Ira. You are her strength. The one that makes her stronger.
And unlike maasa, you are brave. Brave to not allow anyone to lay any finger on Ira. Brave to burn the whole world down for Ira.
So never! Never say that you are a bad mumma.
Did you get it!
Sometimes time make us act helpless, but you ,you have turned the path of time,Baccha! ", he firmly completed.
Rishita hugged him tightly.
" Thank you bhai! Thank you. ", she said as she controlled her sobs.

After few moments she was quiet okay.
Her head felt okay. She felt a bit of peace having let it put altogether.

They both settled, thier backs touching the wood of the sofa, as Rishita laid in her elder brother's embrace.
" Bhai.. Aap kab tak iss sab se chipte rahenge!I want you to get out of all this bhai! I want you to be like you used to be. ", Rishita softly said.

She looked up to Ranveer, only to see him averting his eyes.
" Kuch toh kahiye na, bhaii! "
"It's difficult baccha!
I don't.. I just can't forget all that! "
"It wasn't your mistake bhai! "
Ranveer just chuckled.
"Bhai, you did all that you could. Sometimes fate decides and we are just helpless to it's games. "
"The trap of destiny was mine,Chotti! But he took it over himself. "

Seeing his sister trailing into his dark past, he resorted to change the topic, "Even if I wish things to turn back to normal. Nothing is same, Rish.

This scar that has turned my face to look nothing less than a monster, scares people.
I don't want to cause inconvenience to anyone.
I seriously don't.
And it's not like I am a liability right?
I work. I earn. So what's the need to go out and make people scared and call out. The words, "Ugly, monstrous, "

Rishita listened to him. He went through a lot. He was going through a lot. But still he was strong. She was way too much proud of him.

She took a long breath as she started, "You are certainly not a liability bhai! In fact, you are my greatest asset.
And as far as people or what they say is concerned, neither do I give a fuck about it nor should you!
And yeah! Most importantly, I hope you remember your promise. "
"It's not happening ever Bachha! "
"I know it will happen. "
"You really think a girl would call a man like me, with body of a horse and face of a monster as handsome? Never! "
"There will be someone out there, who'll see how wonderful of a person you are, who'll see you beyond your scar or your face or your body.
And the day, any girl, apart from me Or maasa, says this to you, you'll get back to the world, and show them what Ranveer Singh Rathore is! ", she commanded.
" As you say! ", he chuckled, disbelievingly shrugging her off.
She loved him beyond his physical appearance.
But the rest of the world was not like her. They judge. They tag. They shelf you out into categories. If you don't fit their standards of perfection. You are belittled. You are outcasted.

But that was not his problem. Just like Rishita, he too didn't gave a flying fuck to people's opinions. But..

The issue with him was,
He himself couldn't look at his own reflection. It pained him at the same time reminded him of his failures.
He himself was insecure of his being. The Ranveer Singh Rathore, who at once was the most handsome bachelor , was hiding from the world now.

("Bhai, we're you sleeping? ")
(" No, I was waiting for you only, come inside! ")
(" Bhai..that...today..... Today when we went to the Jaighar fort, there..we found an abandoned baby! ")
(" Chotti,now stop it! ")
(" How bhai..how could I even think like that..
Ira is my life, my world, how could I think of doing something like this to her! ")
("Chotti, it was long ago, Long long ago. At that period of time, you didn't even knew that Ira was growing inside you!  You can't be ignoring that fact. ")
(" Bhai..till when will you hide like this! I want you to get out of all this bhai! I want you to be like you used to be. ")
(" Say something bhai! ")

"Chai piyegi? ", he finally asked her.
She nodded.
" Abhi banakar lata hu! "
"I'll wait outside. Bhair badiya thand hai! ", she said.
" Aur thand mei chai pine ka alag hi maza hai! ", he completed her say, which made her laugh a bit.

(" Tea? ")
(" I'll make it! ")
(" I'll wait outside, the weather is cold. ")
(" And there's a distinct kind of fun in having hot tea, in such cold weathers! ")

Rishita was waiting outside the outhouse, as she sat on to the grass, absorbing the calmness around her.

Aadheesh, saw her from his balcony.
He had earlier seen her enter Ranveer aswell.
He wanted to know, how she was, was she upset. It was just her thoughts that were running across his minds, but he controlled himself.

He saw how she was lost in the darkness of the night. All by herself.
She wasn't the Rishita he knew. She was someone else. Everything about her now was mysterious.
He saw Ranveer come out with cups in his hands.

He watched how the brother-sister duo was enjoying the cup.
He knew, Rishita was most close to Ranveer.
He stared at them for a while before he said, "Tum aachi banne ki acting itni aachi karti ho, ki lagta hai, jaise ki tum sach mei aachi ho, Tara! "

("You act so well about being good, that sometimes I feel you are actually good, Tara! ")

--------------------------------------------------------------

Happy holi everyone!!! 🥰

Hope the chapter was good enough. ✨
Do vote and comment. 🥰
Love Love❤