Chapter 27

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"Enough for those fake tears, Janvi. I thought you already ran out of eye drops."

Those words are enough for pin drop silent in the room. Mrunali and Naksh's jaws were almost on the ground while Pihu's eyes turned into something dark.

Sidharth was standing in the corner of the room with that dark mischief in his eyes.

Shivay's face was emotionless, but he was silently judging the whole room while Janvi didn't lift her eyes from the ground.

"Aahan, how could you talk like this to her? She just lost her brother." Mrunali's tone was between anger and shock.

Her eyes were throwing glares at her own brother for being silent at this nasty remark.

"Brother?" Aahan scoffed.

"What so funny about it? DID YOU LOST YOUR MIND, AAHAN?" She screamed, her voice filled with anger.

"Because it's funny. "

"You completely lost your mind." Mrunali through her hand with a done expression. She turned to Shivay, "Are you just going to stand there, frozen in place like a decorative doll, or was all that bravado and empty promises just a sweet nothing to tickle Janvi's ears?

But Shivay didn't speak a word, only looking intensely at Janvi, who didn't lift or move her single muscle.

Mrunali's voice shattered the air, "ARE YOU BOTH GONE CRAZY?" She spun around, her eyes blazing with a mix of anger and desperation. "What the hell is wrong here? Has everyone lost their minds?"

Naksh's soft voice cut through the tension, "Bhai, it's too much." But before he could continue, Aahan's sarcastic tone sliced through the room.

"Yeah, it's too much for this fakeness. And the question is why?" Aahan's eyes narrowed, his gaze piercing as he glared at Janvi.

"Enough is enough, Aahan." Pihu's deadly voice rang out, her fist clenched at her side as she stepped forward, her eyes blazing with fury.

"Am I wrong?" He matches Pihu's stare.

Pihu's face twisted in rage, her voice dropping to a menacing growl. "Wrong or right, I don't give a shit about it. But if you didn't shut your fucking mouth, I will turn your shitty face into pieces."

Aahan chuckled, "How can I miss this? Of course, you're the one who is capable of this all drama."

Pihu's glare was arctic, her eyes flashing with a cold, calculated fury. She didn't bother to respond, instead sending Aahan a withering look that seemed to say, 'fuck off'.

Aahan refused to back down, his eyes locked on Pihu's, his gaze suspicious and challenging.

Suddenly, a hand grasped Pihu's arm, pulling her back. She stumbled, bumping into a solid back. Naksh's back. His broad shoulders and sturdy frame formed a barrier between her and Aahan.

Pihu couldn't see Naksh's face, but she sensed his anger. His body radiated tension, his muscles coiled and ready to spring.

Naksh's eyes locked onto Aahan's, his gaze empty yet blazing with a hint of anger. It was a rare sight, as Naksh usually looked at Aahan with huge respect and adoration.

"Bhai, I respect you so much," Naksh's voice was low and serious, "but I won't let anyone, not even you, go against my wife." His words were laced with a deep-seated protectiveness, a fierce devotion that made Pihu's heart skip a beat.

Aahan's expression remained neutral, but a flicker of surprise danced in his eyes. He nodded a small, curt movement, acknowledging Naksh's words.

For a moment, the two brothers locked eyes, a silent understanding passing between them.

Naksh's stance softened, his shoulders relaxing as he wrapped a reassuring hand around Pihu's wrist.

Aahan's gaze lingered on the pair, a hint of satisfaction creeping into his eyes.

"I hope we can clear up whatever misunderstanding is going on here," Naksh said, his eyes returning to their usual softness. "Let's talk to Janvi before we jump to conclusions."

With that, he gently took Pihu's hand, his fingers intertwining with hers as he guided her away from Aahan and the prying eyes of the others. They stepped back, creating some distance between themselves and the tension-filled room.

Naksh's grip on Pihu's hand remained firm, his body still rigid with a lingering sense of protectiveness. He positioned himself slightly in front of her, shielding her from any further suspicious glance as he continued to scan their surroundings.

Though his expression had softened, his stance remained guarded, a testament to his unwavering commitment to keeping Pihu safe.

Pihu's face was a picture of shock and surprise, her eyes wide with disbelief. She couldn't comprehend what had just transpired. No one had ever stood up for her, fought for her, or defended her without expectation of anything in return.

She had always been the one to fight her own battles, to stand up for herself. But Naksh, her forced husband, had just done something that left her breathless.

He had defended her without asking questions, without seeking explanations, or without expecting anything in return.

He had simply stood up for her, shielded her, and protected her. And that selfless act had awakened something deep within Pihu's chest.

For the first time in her life, she felt a lump form in her throat, her eyes stinging with unshed tears. She was taken aback by the intensity of her emotions, emotions she had never experienced before. Without realizing it, her grip on Naksh's hand tightened, as if she was holding on to him for dear life.

Naksh's gaze met hers, his eyes filled with a soft, gentle understanding. He tilted his head, his expression questioning. Pihu's voice was barely above a whisper as she spoke, "You know, I can defend myself."

Naksh's smile was warm and reassuring. "I know,"

Pihu's eyes searched his, seeking answers. "So why?"

Naksh's smile never wavered. "I know there's nothing in the world that Pihu can't fight. But I would be a shitty husband if I let you bother with those small matters, Bossy." The nickname, once a term of teasing, now felt intimate and heartfelt.

For the first time, Pihu felt a deep connection to the nickname, to the man who had given it to her. Her heart swelled with emotion, her eyes locked on Naksh's, as she felt a sense of belonging, of being protected, of being love-.....

She cut her own thoughts.

"But you went against your brother," Pihu said, "What if I was wrong?"

Naksh's expression softened, "Did you hurt Janvi?" he asked, his tone gentle, yet probing.

Pihu's response was barely above a whisper. "No."

A small smile playing on his lips. "Then I don't have anything to regret, Bossy." His voice was low, reassuring, and it cracked the fragile mask Pihu had been trying to maintain.

With a soft sigh, Pihu placed her forehead on Naksh's shoulder, feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over her.

"I'm tired," she murmured, her voice muffled against his jacket.

Mrunali's voice cut through the air, drawing Naksh's attention away from Pihu. "Aahan, could you explain what's going on?" she asked, her tone firm, yet curious.

Pihu didn't lift her head, didn't bother to listen. She didn't care about the explanations, the justifications, or the drama. Or maybe she already knows what is going on there. All she cared about was the gentle touch, the soothing caress of the thumb against the back of her hand, and the sense of being protected.

As Mrunali's gaze met Aahan's, he was taken aback by the confusion and hurt reflected in her eyes. A pang of guilt struck him, and he felt a twinge of regret for his earlier behaviour. He walked towards her, his cold expression softening ever so slightly.

Mrunali looked up at him with curious eyes, her gaze searching for answers. Aahan's voice was low and gentle as he whispered, "Just trust me for once, Little one." He patted her head softly.

Mrunali's eyes narrowed, her gaze drifting from Aahan to Janvi before returning to him. She could see the hint of hope flickering in his eyes.

She sighed.

Mrunali's voice was laced with a warning as she said, "Fine, but just one chance. And you will not be rude."

Aahan's lips curled into a reassuring smile, and he nodded in agreement.

But amidst the tender moment, a dark presence seethed with disgust. Sidharth's eyes twitched with revulsion as he watched the exchange between the pair. He hated the lovey-dovey scene unfolding before him, the affection and concern that he showed to her making his skin crawl.

With a last, venomous glare, Sidharth turned and left the room, his departure going unnoticed by the others. His heart seethed with hatred, his mind consumed by dark thoughts.

The scene he had just witnessed had only strengthened his resolve, fueling the malevolent intentions that had been simmering within him.

"Janvi, can you drop the act now?" Aahan asked.

Mrunali intervened, her tone cautionary, "Aahan, I told you not to be rude. Her brother is...was just killed today...-"

But Aahan cut her off, his words slicing through the air like a dagger. "Which brother, exactly? The one she's always wished didn't exist? The one she's hated since childhood? The one responsible for her trauma, her scars? Or the one she's never felt connected to?"

The room plummeted into a stunned silence, the only sound the heavy weight of Aahan's words.

Mrunali eyes widen in shock, "You mean...-"

"Aahan was right. Janvi's brother was the most toxic member of her family. She always hated him. So I also don't know why she needs to fake those tears and act like a heartbroken sister or lie to the police that they were close in the past." Shivay spoke first time with still eyes on Janvi.

Now Mrunali understood why he was not bothering with Janvi's tears today. Because they r not real. Neither did she need his support because she was not hurt. It's all fake. And Shivay was trying to solve what was wrong with Janvi by analysing her this whole time.

"Why did she fake it?"

"Maybe it has something to do with Avan's death."

"Stop playing charade." Janvi's voice rang in the room making everyone still. Now her composer turned from vulnerable to confident as usual.

Her eyes met with Mrunali, "Thanks for your concern and support, Mru."

Then her eyes met with Aahan. She sighed, "Sorry for disappointing you, Bhai."

"I am not disappointed. I want to know why?"

She took a long breath.

Janvi took a deep breath, her eyes scanning the room as she began to share her story. "Some of you may be familiar with my past, while others may not know the full extent of it. I'm not here to justify my actions from today, but I do owe you all an explanation."

She paused, collecting her thoughts as the room fell silent. Everyone waited patiently, their eyes fixed on Janvi with a mix of concern and curiosity.

"You all know that I've experienced trauma and abuse in my past," Janvi continued, her voice steady. "But what you may not know is that it didn't start at some random point in my life. It began before the day I was born."

Mrunali's expression turned uneasy, and she instinctively moved closer to Janvi, taking her hand in a gesture of support. Janvi gave her a small, appreciative smile, her eyes locking onto Mrunali's for a brief moment before she continued.

Janvi's voice trembled as she began to unravel the painful threads of her past. "My brother, Avan, was six years older than me. My mother doesn't want another child because she was blindly in love with Avan. She doesn't want to share what Avan deserve. My father was okay with it because he only ever cared about his son. And only he cares about the heir to the family business. I was a mistake, a careless error. Unwanted before I even took my first breath."

Janvi's grip on Mrunali's hand tightened as she struggled to compose herself. She took a deep, shuddering breath, the sound echoing through the silent room.

"But being an unwanted child wasn't the worst of it. what made the situation worse was that I was born as a girl." She chuckled humourlessly.

"My father refused to acknowledge me, and my mother withheld the love and attention I craved or i deserved. I didn't know how my childhood was until I started understanding things. I was a ghost in my own family, invisible and insignificant."

"Even though I was ignored by my parents, I was okay because I never knew what love was. But everything changed when I caught Avan's attention. He was...a monster in human form." The words barely escaped her lips, her voice wavering on the edge of despair.

FLASHBACK

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A little girl of seven years sitting on the floor was scrabbling through her notebook. Her hair is open, even though it bothers her whenever she looks down. Her puffy cheeks are red from the cold; her nose is running, maybe due to fever.

She was mumbling the words she was copying from the book.

"G-R-A-P-E-S ... Glapes."

"O-R-A-N-G-E... Olange." Her voice is so delicate as she trying hard to pronounce correctly.

"Do you want something to help, little sissy?" The voice of a young boy blooms into the room.

Little Janvi looked up from her work. Her innocent eyes met with her cunning brother's gaze.

"No" she replied with hesitation.

"No? Are you refusing me?" Avan's voice raised a little.

Janvi didn't speak. She doesn't know anything about Avan. The only thing she knows is to hide from her brother because her brother is different. Or maybe she was too little to understand her brother is cruel.

"So you bumphead get guts to ignore me, huh?" He asked, sitting on his knees in front of her.

"B...Bhai... I will do it myself." She whispered.

He chuckled, "Let brother help you."

With that, he snatched her book from her little grip. He looked at Janvi and then at his notebook, and he tore it into pieces. Janvi gasped as her eyes filled with tears.

Her homework is gone.

Janvi's eyes widened in panic as she realized her homework was gone, scattered all over the floor. The only thought racing through her mind was that her teacher would beat her mercilessly. Without hesitation, she bit down on her brother's hand, desperate to defend herself.

Avan's scream of pain echoed through the room as he flung Janvi away from him. Her small body crashed into the pillar, the impact sending shockwaves of pain through her tiny frame. She crumpled to the ground, her eyes streaming with tears as she wailed in agony.

The commotion drew their parents into the living room. But instead of rushing to their crying child's aid, Mrs Agnihotri fawned over her son, cooing sympathetically as Avan nursed his injured hand. "This bitch bit me!" Avan bellowed, his face twisted in rage.

Janvi's father, his face purpling with anger, stormed over to where Janvi lay crying. Without asking her side of the story or checking if she was okay, he scooped her up and slapped her hard across the face. The force of the blow sent Janvi's head spinning, her ears ringing with the impact.

"We're not feeding you to bite your brother!" her father bellowed, his voice dripping with venom. "You're a worthless, ungrateful child! You'll do as you're told and respect your brother, or you'll face the consequences!"

"But...--....-" Janvi tried to talk but her voice engulfed into her crying.

"You little piece of shit needs a lesson." With that another slap landed on her face.

Her mother didn't stop her father. Her brother took fun in her torture. His expression was a twisted mask of satisfaction.

Janvi, her face throbbing with pain, her heart shattered by her parents' cruelty, could only curl up into a ball, her tears falling silently as she wondered why she was so hated, so unwanted.

That was the first day of her abuse. Her abuse starts from slapping to kicking, locking, starving, drowning, belt beating and more and more.

.

.

.

.

"Look monster came,"

"MONSTER..."

"Look at her ugly hair. She is a real beast."

"Ew! Her clothes are dirty."

"Her brother told her that she is a monster, that is why her parents don't care about her."

"Really?"

"Yeah, can't you see. She even look like one."

Janvi's eyes dropped to the floor as she walked down the school hallway, her tangled locks bouncing with each step.

She was only eight, but the weight of her brother's cruel words already bore down on her. Not only in the house but in school too.

"Hey, monster!" a classmate jeered, tugging on Janvi's hair so hard that she stumbled. "What's with the scary scar? Did you make a deal with the devil? You're so ugly, even your parents don't love you!"

The other kids snickered, their eyes gleaming with malice. One of them pushed Janvi, sending her crashing into her locker. Her books and papers were scattered all over the floor.

Janvi's face burned as she tried to ignore them, but the taunts cut deep. She felt like she was being ripped apart, her heart torn into tiny pieces.

Her brother, Avan, stood by the lockers, a sly grin spreading across his face. He had started the rumours, whispering lies about Janvi's "monstrous" appearance to their classmates. He seemed to take pleasure in her pain, his eyes gleaming with a malevolent intensity.

Janvi's eyes met Avan's, and for a moment, she felt like she was drowning in his hatred. She knew she wasn't a monster, but the cruel words and laughter made her wonder if maybe, just maybe, she was. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as she whispered to herself, "Why do they hate me so much?"

As the bullying continued, Janvi's world began to crumble around her. She felt like she was disappearing like she was being erased from existence. And Avan's grin seemed to grow wider, feeding off her pain and suffering.

Beating at home, bullying at school. That was the life of an eight-year-old girl.

She is unwanted. She is a mistake. She is a monster.

She is everything but not a daughter, not a sister, not a friend or not a classmate.

FLASHBACK END

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"After that, it was routine of brother to make my life hell. But it was stop when he left for abroad."

The room seemed to hold its collective breath, the air thick with the weight of Janvi's pain. Mrunali's hand tightened around hers, offering a silent lifeline of support as Janvi's eyes overflowed with tears, her body shuddering under the burden of her memories.

Her tone shifted, growing serious as she continued,

"But then he came back a month ago, and everything changed unexpectedly."

──── ❝ To be continued❞ ─────