31b - It's frustrates me!(S1)

NIHARIKA Pov's:

What does he think of himself? Why does he behave like that? I have my questions, my complaints, but now I can't tell him. One moment he doesn't even acknowledge me as his companion in a closed room, and the next moment he makes all these promises. How am I supposed to react? Does he think I'm this easy to play? Do I look this naive? Yes, maybe I am, but it doesn't feel right for him to use my vulnerability against me.

"I ju...st sto..p.pped him fro..m smo..k..king?"

And why did I? I should have stopped myself!

What exactly am I made of?

Why do I repeat the same mistakes always? Why does it affect me more when he says I'm nothing? Why do I go numb? It shouldn't mean anything to me.

Whom do I ask all these questions?

The weight of her confusion and frustration bore down on her as she grappled with the complexities of her emotions, longing for answers that seemed elusive.

(There was a gentle knock on the door, interrupting the quiet solitude of the room.)

"Could we come inside?" a voice called out from beyond the door.

"Y-yes," Niharika responded, rising from her place on the bed.

Suhani entered the room, taking a seat beside Niharika. "We wanted to apologize first," she began, her voice sincere.

"How silly we could be. We were gifting you something that was already worn, and it wasn't meant to hurt you. And Vaishali, she simply asked out of curiosity. If her words hurt you, it wasn't her intention to cause any harm. It was our first time meeting you, so we couldn't let you leave empty-handed. We were taught to never let those who bring a smile to our faces leave empty-handed, to show how great or fancy we feel after meeting them for the first time. We're sorry," Suhani explained, her words carrying genuine remorse.

Niharika listened quietly, her mind still in turmoil as she processed the apology. She felt tired, drained from the emotional rollercoaster of the day. But as Suhani finished speaking, her mouth opened, and she shook her head aggressively.

"No, n..o, it's n..not like th..h.at. You mis..u..underst..o..ood me,"

Niharika responded, her voice firm as she met Suhani's gaze. There was a determination in her eyes, a resolve to set things straight and clear any misunderstandings.

"No, we should have thought before giving you... and sorry, but we weren't actually aware of Prithvi's life affair. No one informed us beforehand when we returned, otherwise we would have had something prepared in advance," Suhani admitted, her tone apologetic as she acknowledged their oversight.

Niharika listened intently, her expression softening as she looked at Suhani with a hint of innocence. It was as if a realization had dawned upon her, a moment of clarity amidst the chaos of her thoughts. She realized that she shouldn't have just run away from the scene without a proper reason, understanding now how it might have caused concern for others. In her mind, she had made her own conclusions about the people in this house, feeling invisible and detached, but now she saw the impact of her recklessness.

"Be..l..lieve m..e, it's j..just so..o..mething else, b..but it w..wasn't rela..ated to you. I d...didn't m..mean to show my disa..s..ppointm.ent," Niharika explained earnestly, her sincerity evident in her eyes as she sought to reassure Suhani and clear any misunderstandings.

Niharika's convinced and genuine expression was so compelling that Suhani couldn't help but believe in her words.

"Okay, we accept that you weren't disappointed in us," Suhani affirmed, her tone reflecting her newfound trust in Niharika. Seeing Niharika's relaxed demeanor, Suhani felt a sense of relief wash over her.

"But only if you accept this," Suhani added, extending a box towards Niharika.

Niharika looked down at the jewellery box, her expression confused.

"Actually, we bought these during our latest trip, and we would feel great if you accepted them," Suhani explained, her voice tinged with sincerity.

"No, I d..don't w..ant —" Niharika replied, her response firm.

"Why? You just said you weren't angry with us, and now you don't want to accept our token of sincerity. kya samjhe hum? bataiye( Please, tell us)" Suhani urged, voicing her inner doubts aloud.

"No... I'm not t.he r...r..right person to r...receive all of th..e..ese things, an...d..d I don't t..t.hink... and I se..e.em to feel... ba..c.ck in the ha..l..ll, I'm not s..o..omeone as im..m.portant to rece..e.ive some..thing you c..c.c.herish mo..st or cons...i..ider so pr..ecious," Niharika said, her voice trailing off as she accepted her reality, her tone filled with resignation.

In response to her words, Suhani abruptly stood up, causing Niharika to snap her head up in surprise.

Suhani's expression turned strict, her demeanor becoming authoritative. However, her voice remained low as she countered Niharika's statement.

"No, what rubbish are you talking about?" she said, her tone conveying disbelief and frustration.

" Wait phele utho jaldi ," Suhani continued, her voice now commanding. Niharika stared at her, taken aback by the sudden change in her demeanor.

" Humne kaha na utho jaldi! "

Niharika complied, rising to her feet, her face reflecting the shock she felt at witnessing Suhani's abrupt shift in tone and behavior.

"Now, turn and move over there," Suhani instructed, her tone firm.

"Arey chaliye, Apne suna nahi , hum kya bol rahe hain (Come on, you didn't hear what I said? What are you doing?)" Suhani chided, urging Niharika to follow her instructions.

Niharika hesitated for a moment before complying with Suhani's directive, moving to the spot indicated by Suhani and standing in front of a mirror.

"Hmm... Now, quickly say 'sorry' to yourself ten times—not to me, but to yourself," Suhani instructed, her voice commanding yet gentle.

"Quickly, say it to yourself," Suhani repeated, emphasizing the importance of the action.

Niharika stared at Suhani, trying to comprehend the strange request, unsure of what to do.

"Look into the mirror, Yuvrani, and say sorry to yourself," Suhani said, moving forward to place her hands on Niharika's shoulders and guiding her to face her reflection in the mirror. "Say, 'I'm sorry to the girl I see in the mirror.'"

Suhani then withdrew her hands, leaving Niharika to complete the task on her own.

"We're waiting for you to finish," Suhani said calmly, her expression giving no hint as to why she had instructed Niharika to perform such an unusual task.

"Done?" she asked.

Niharika turned to face Suhani as she spoke. "Now, promise yourself that you will never betray that girl you just apologized to in the mirror," Suhani instructed, her tone firm but compassionate. "Promise that you will never utter words like 'we aren't right' or 'we don't deserve'—such deceitful words to yourself."

She paused, allowing Niharika to absorb the lesson, before continuing. "Because you just said sorry to her, right?" Suhani asked, seeking confirmation from Niharika.

Niharika nodded in response.

Suhani then shifted the topic swiftly, remarking, "We have read 'Life is too short to learn German' by Richard Porson."

Niharika looked at her with a puzzled expression, scrunching her nose in confusion.

"Now you sit here, so we were saying you can't change the bad things about you and the flaws inside you. So always, from now on, whenever you perceive bad things about yourself, Yuvrani, at that time, you will make sure you count the good things about you that others don't have. Don't you dare to become a cheater, and remember, the first person you cheat is yourself. Make a perfect balance between the two and move on; don't waste a second on them," Suhani said softly to Niharika.

Niharika listened, looking down, staring at the floor.

"Bas 'der die ' and 'das die' karke aage badh jao. Ab dekho" Niharika looked up from the floor, staring at Suhani, still not fully understanding what she meant.

Suhani continued, " Hume kya fark padta hein phele 'der' die or yay 'das' die at the end mar toh dono rahe hein end mein " She said frankly.

Niharika couldn't hold back herself and interrupted, looking innocently, "M..matlab?"

"Meaning this!" Suhani explained, "Matlab yeh! Yuvrani, These are all nouns for 'the' with respective genders in Germany."

Niharika's face relaxed as she grasped the meaning. She looked at Suhani again as she spoke, chuckling softly. "See, this is why we said earlier life is too short to learn German."

"Ab common ground nhi ban pa Raha na, ik bhi baat ka? But app dekhiye, abhi you are so young , (Now, we're not finding any common ground, are we? But look, you're still so young.) You're too young to judge yourself based on others' opinions. Enjoy life itself; it's too early to be depressed." Suhani remarked.

Before Niharika could respond, Suhani continued, "We all have flaws and unique traits. What matters is how you perceive yourself —Ab ye ap pr depend karta hein ap phele, 'der' ke 'die' hone ka ghum yah shok mana rahe ho yay 'das' ke 'die' hone ka "

"Let me clear up the picture for you. In conclusion, your life is like learning the German language. When you start learning about yourself, it's like stumbling with words like 'der,' 'die,' 'das,' and 'den,' and the list goes on with more similar examples. They all carry the same meaning but are used very differently with different gender aspects. It would be foolish and insulting if you were to refer to a lady as 'der' or a sir as 'die.' Similarly, in your life, it would be offensive or quite betraying if you keep pointing out only the bad things about yourself, bad bitching about you all the time. It's okay to be sensitive about your flaws, but make them your subtle power, not your entire identity," she emphasized, gesturing with her finger.

"But—" Niharika began to speak.

But Suhani cut her off, leaving no room for doubt or negative questioning. "No place for 'buts'," she stated firmly.

She spoke now with utmost frankness. " hamare jo maa sa the na woh hamesa humsa khete the. 'suhani tu suhani baatein karti hi acchi lagti Hein, rone dhone ke liya toh bahut kuch hein or hameshaa rehega. Tu woh likh jo dusro ko hassa de' and we did as she said"

Then, she looked directly at Niharika, whose face was overwhelmed with emotions. Suhani continued, "Toh apka naam bhi toh niharika hein ha, dusro ko apni smile se niharne wali. Toh smile karte raho, Keep smiling to brighten others' days, just like you did in the hall."

With that, she gently cupped Niharika's face in her palms and said, " kitna pyara haste ho! So, promise us—" locking eyes with her.

In that moment, Niharika's eyes filled with tears, her vulnerability evident across her entire face.

She burst up hugging suhani, And.

As Suhani embraced her tightly, Niharika began to cry like a baby, unable to hold back anymore after everything she had been through since morning. She buried her face in Suhani's embrace and cried loudly, the weight of her emotions pouring out.

"Arey app toh rone lagey." Suhani said, concern evident in her voice as she gently patted Niharika's back.

Upon hearing those words, Niharika's tears flowed even more freely, and she began to speak amidst her sobs.

"He s..said... I me...a.an no...t..thing to him... just r..r.epayment... I... I... W...h..hat d..o..o I say?" Niharika's voice was filled with anguish, her words barely coherent amidst her tears.

Suhani held her close, whispering, "Shhh... Chup ikdam ," trying to comfort her in her distress.

Niharika continued to sob in Suhani's embrace, her voice shaking as she tried to speak.

"No, don't speak. It's okay, hum samjh gaye." Suhani reassured her, not wanting to push her to talk if she wasn't ready, having already witnessed the scene unfold before her eyes and wanting to avoid causing Niharika any further discomfort.

Feeling brokenhearted at seeing the young girl in such pain, Suhani held her tighter.

" s...s..ab m...m.eri hi ga..l..lti h..ein, sab —" Niharika tried to speak again, but Suhani interrupted gently.

"No, apki koi galti nahi hein, it's totally not your fault. Everything is Prithvi's fault," Suhani said, patting her back as Niharika struggled to find the words amidst her tears.

Suhani continued patting Niharika's back as she struggled to catch her breath.

"We will speak with Prithvi, how could he say things like that?" Suhani reassured Niharika.

Niharika snapped her head up, saying, "No... d..on't."

"arey Why not? He deserves it. We will complain to Bhabhi sa," Suhani responded, speaking in an orderly manner.

"Ple..e.,ase, no. Sh..e will h...ate me m.m.ore," Niharika pleaded.

"No, no. What? Do you think Bhabhi sa hates you?" Suhani expressed disbelief.

Niharika nodded gravely, saying, "Y..yes."

"No, Yuvrani. Who told you?" Suhani disagreed. "We know her. She is completely upset with herself and her son."

"W-what?" Niharika said, surprised.

"Yes, we know her. Vanshi told us everything what happened at 'muh dikhai.' She is just guilty. You don't know her. She feels guilty about how she let others mock you and stood there like a clown, but she was fighting an inner war," Suhani explained, her words genuine, showing her respect for Bhabhi sa.

Niharika looked at her, taking in her words.

Suhani paused for a moment and changed the topic, as if she didn't want to talk about that topic anymore. Something inside her stopped her. "You see, hoping for or expecting the best for your child is what every parent's desires. It's not wrong, right?"

Suhani looked towards Niharika, who nodded in understanding.

"And yes, we agree. That doesn't mean you should exploit others, but they had so many expectations from their son that they're hurt. She isn't accepting you because of her son. And there's a difference between hating and not accepting. Did you hear her say she hates you?" Suhani asked.

Niharika shook her head in ' no' response.

"or Dekhna app, once she realizes how precious a girl you are, and the fact she can't find any girl like you, she will open up. She's like a coconut. Her exterior is hard, but inside, she's soft. And once she opens up, believe me, no one could love and adore you like her," Suhani reassured her.

Suhani wiped Niharika's tears away, saying, "She will drop her act, but you just don't give up. Keep approaching,disturbing her, and bacche even Prithvi will open up. He's confused right now."

Niharika looked at her, with expressions 'she didn't need to lie just to comfort her.' "Believe us, he has never brought a girl home like that before and taken a stand."

***

AT ABHI'S HOME,

Abhi let out a weary sigh after hearing Prithvi's confession, then made a comment, "And you came here in the middle of the night to talk about this? Men go anywhere, to clubs or stay at your hotel, if you don't want to go back home. Get wasted, drunk, and Prithvi, I'll give you better advice than all these options: just accept her."

"What are you really talking about?" Prithvi asked in disbelief.

"woah! You're acting like I said something foreign. I'm telling you to accept your wife and move on," Abhi replied, shrugging his shoulders. "I know you're acting. Now it's time to stop this drama," he added, offering his suggestion.

Prithvi pondered deeply in grave silence.

Abhi slid his stool forward, facing Prithvi directly. "And look, you've earned enough in life. What are you going to do with all that money? Let her use it. Here's my final piece of advice: go to sleep now, my brother. Let me sleep too," he said, folding his hands together, growing impatient.

"How do I take this as serious advice?when I'm having a mid-life crisis, and here you are, drowning me in hollow words, rather than offering a helping hand," Prithvi retorted, maintaining his grave expression.

Abhi took a deep breath, closing his eyes, and with a forced smile, he spoke, "Prithvi, let me drop some knowledge on you, explaining exactly what's happening in your life. No one is in the wrong here but you. You're confusing everyone with your behavior."

Abhi gets up and paced back and forth, contemplating his thoughts. "What you've told me has led to a very simple conclusion: you're acting like you hate her because your brain knows that the moment you stop hating her, you'll fall for her all over again," he stated, meeting Prithvi's gaze with determination.

Prithvi stared at him, seemingly processing Abhi's words.

"look Love is something you can't control. If you try, you'll be drawn to those impulsive decisions and stupid actions, you took " Abhi continued, stepping closer. "And Ask yourself why you keep telling her again and again that you hate her."

He gestured with his hand, a simple shoulder shrug accentuating his point. "It's simple. You're drawing boundaries because you can't seem to control your feelings," Abhi explained, placing a reassuring hand on Prithvi's shoulder.

"Your brain is using her feelings, her hatred towards you, as a shield, as a boundary. And somewhere deep down, you know it. But why again? Why would you accept it and hurt your ecosystem? If it's not then explain why You feel guilty every time you mistreat her."Abhi concluded, withdrawing his hand and leaning against the countertop with folded arms.

"Now, go home and get some sleep. I'm done with today's lesson," he concluded, his voice firm.

But Prithvi simply uttered a single word in response "No."

Abhi looked at him in disbelief, waiting for an explanation.

But he didn't get one.

" look ! Prithvi, I'm not in a good mood these days, and I'm not your dating counselor, for God's sake! Get some professional help!" Abhi exclaimed, his frustration evident.

"These days, I find anyone else anymore attractive. Whoever I date, that girl relentlessly lives in my head. I thought I'd make her my wife, you know? That girl—my dear friend—she changed her number. The reason? Because you married her sister, forcefully. And Here I am, giving you fucking therapy, because you forgot to bolt the screws in your mind before making decisions," Abhi's words were charged with irritation.

"Why me, huh? If the sisters were hers and you were the one who married her, shouldn't the hate be directed towards you? Why is it directed at me? I'm innocent here. So screw it, and leave. I'm going back to Delhi after the reception, back to my previous life," Abhi declared, his tone resolute.

"And please, leave me. Keep me away from your problems, for heaven's sake. You're not a kid; handle yourself. You've handled a lot bigger things in life all alone, so I hope you can handle this one too," Abhi said, his tone serious.

Throughout Abhi's tirade, Prithvi remained silent.

Seeing Prithvi's serious demeanor, Abhi made a lighthearted comment, tapping his back in a brotherly manner. "Give it a try. Try to accept your feelings first, and then see what happens. By twist something magical will happen. And if something tragic happens, you can always start from square one. There's no one judging you, at least not me," Abhi concluded, raising his hand in surrender.

Prithvi looked contemplative.

"Now, you must be thinking, should I?" Abhi asked.

Caught off guard by his feelings, Prithvi looked up at Abhi, uncertain.

"The answer is yes, my dear friend. Definitely, you should," Abhi said firmly.

***

BACK AT PALACE

Suhani, after ensuring Niharika was relaxed, exited the room, giving the young girl space, she needed. As she closed the door, she turned around, only to come face to face with Vinay.

Her expression, once cheerful, turned stiff and sour, and she began to walk away, avoiding eye contact with him.

However, she was abruptly halted in her tracks when he called out to her with an icy tone.

"What were you trying to do? Explain yourself, Suhani!" he demanded.

Turning around, Suhani forced a smile. "What did we do? Is there any problem with you, Mr. Chauhan?" she replied, trying to maintain composure.

"We just asked you something," Vinay insisted.

"And we choose not to reply," she stated firmly, starting to walk away.

"You were giving vague hope to the young girl—" he began, his voice stern.

She halted at her position, her eyes widening as he turned to face her.

"—when you clearly witnessed how distressed their bond is," he continued, his tone accusatory.

He waited for her to explain her actions.

"So what? Wrong? We did," she countered, her reply defensive.

"No, everything was wrong, Suhani. We witnessed everything, It doesn't seem right." he said, stepping in front of her as she avoided his gaze.

'It was evident that she was not the only witness to the tragic unfolding; he too had witnessed the scene. Now! it's time for aftermath.'

"So what?" she asked incredulously

"So what was your stupid nephew doing?" she looked down at the floor in disbelief. "Ruining everything for her," she muttered to herself, shaking her head. "Ah, we couldn't believe Prithvi to be this stupid or immature."

He paused, not uttering a word, as she began to move again.

"You shouldn't—" he started, but she stopped and cut him off.

"Mr. Chauhan, it's not our room," she stated emotionlessly, ignoring his words. "You forget," she added with a soft chuckle.

A painful look, which she was masking, leaked from somewhere deep within her.

Not even she seemed aware of it when she uttered, "Others might witness, or to be precise, helpers of this home. will see how fragile the bond of their master stands, our bond stands."

"Be careful," she said, making final eye contact with him before going her way.

He stood there, his hands clenched into fists, closing his eyes as he struggled to find any semblance of self-control.