Author's pov-
Present-
The Malhotra family stood frozen at the sight of her. Siara Malhotra, their once vibrant doll, was now a shadow of her former self. She stood at the gate, a slim figure draped in a simple pastel kurta, her face devoid of makeup, her eyes dull and lifeless. The crazy little girl who used to roam around the the house in a Tshirt and shorts is now looking like a matured person. The spark they had once adored was gone, replaced by a void that none of them could fathom.
Her mother, clasped her hands tightly, her nails digging into her palms to keep herself from rushing to Siara."How thin she looks," she thought, guilt tightening her chest. "Sheâs nothing like my little girl anymore." Just as the guilt came, the dying image of anya came to her mind, how she told them that siara pushed her through stairs. Her anger returned and She looked away.
Aarav, her father, held his usual stern expression, but his eyes betrayed him. He studied her closely, noting how she avoided their gazes, how her posture was stiff and guarded. "She looks like a stranger⦠why did you do this to me beta" He thought
Her brothers, Reyansh, Ekansh, Ayaan, Aryan, and Vivek, exchanged silent glances, each processing the change in their own way. Reyanshâs jaw tightened. "What has happened to her? Even when she left she never used a single penny we transferred to her account. How did she survived. . She pursued medicine but...she was never serious about it. Her life was her dance, what is she doing for living? Why did you do this to me doll, how can I forget that I couldn't even see my baby, they died?" he thought. Ekanshâs fists clenched. "Why did She betrayed us" The younger ones specially aryan felt a pang of helplessness they couldnât express.
Siara said nothing as she walked past them, her steps deliberate, her face emotionless. Her heart thudded in her chest, but she wouldnât let it show. She had mastered the art of masking pain.
She entered the living room, where her dadu, frail and waiting, lay on the sofa. His face lit up when he saw her. âSiara, my dollâ¦â His voice cracked, but she didnât flinch.
âHow are you, Dadu?â she asked, her tone flat. No smile, no warmth. Just words.
The room was silent as the family watched, their shock palpable. This wasnât the Siara they remembered.
âIâm glad you came, beta,â He said, his voice trembling. âI donât have much time left. Thereâs something I need to say.â
Siara sat beside him, her back straight, her expression unreadable. âWhat is it?â
He reached for her hand. âItâs a promise I made to an old friend, Ranvijay Sehgal. I swore Iâd see you married to his grandson, Mahir.â
The words hung in the air like a bombshell. Siaraâs face didnât change, but inside, something twisted. "Married⦠to Mahir?"
The brothers exchanged tense looks, their minds racing.
Reyansh's Flashback
"Bhai--Bhai leave me...niche utaro muje (put me down), Mummy look avyaan bhai is holding me upside down." Siara screamed
"Oh, be quiet! You talk too much, he is just helping you to fix your damaged brain by doing that" vivek said
"Whatttt--papa papa, rey bhai helpp" Doll said while making crazy faces
"Leave her, you have 5 seconds" I ordered while glaring at aryan and avyaan
Hopefully they left her, because they knows that if they don't than I will give them tonnes of work at office
"Love you Bhai"- my doll told me
"By the way bhai, she is going to a party tonight and hopefully will make a boyfriend also" vivek said while smirking
This got the attention of our dearest papa who was till now reading the newspaper with utmost concentration. He, me and ekansh looked at her..noo glared at her and mom was trying hard to hide her smile.
"No he is lying, you all know shadi to m mahir se hi karungi. Mera dulha to wahi banega to kisiko boyfriend banke kya fayda" saira said while giggling
(No, he is lying! You all know that I will marry only Mahir. He is the one who will be my groom, so what's the point of having a boyfriend?)
"She is living in her own delusional world guys, that guy doesn't even love her but she is crazily after him from that day when his grandpa introduce her as his future grand daughter in law. Heck she didn't even met him more than thrice. Nice joke dumboo" aryan said while laughing furiously
"Well I agree on that doll, mahir doesn't love you. Even though he knows about your love for him but he considers you just a child" I told her this, I don't want to break her heart in future
"Koi nai shadi k baad ho jayega pyaar to" she smirked
(No worries, love will happen after marriage anyway)
Present
"Siara beta plz fulfill this wish of mine, I can die peacefully. I forgive you beta, I can't die without removing this thought from my mind that i couldn't forgive my doll," her dadu said breathing heavily
Reyanshâs heart sank. "Mahir doesnât love her. Heâll never love her." Ekanshâs jaw tightened. "How can we let this happen?" Vivekâs fists clenched. "She deserves someone whoâll cherish her, not this."
But none of them spoke. Siaraâs voice broke the silence. âIf thatâs your wish, Dadu, Iâll do it.â
Her words shocked them further. Adhira bit her lip to keep from crying. Aarav turned away, unable to meet her eyes. The brothers felt the weight of her sacrifice, but they didn't know that this was Siara nowâa girl who no longer hoped, no longer fought, and no longer believed in love.
As she rose to leave, her movements were stiff, her head held high. She didnât look back at the family she once adored. She had come back, but not as the Siara they knew. This Siara was broken, cold, and resigned to a fate she no longer had the energy to resist.
In all this, the question that revolved in every family members mind was
'where is our bubbly, chatterbox doll' but again hate and anger can surpass any regret. The family that once was shattered is always going to be shattered only because the girl who can fill the broken walls is not that lively girl now.