He had slapped her.

Sakshi couldn't believe it. Never had her Tau ji or Tai ji touched her. She had least expected this harshness from the only person she had thought, would support her in every situation.

Maybe, she did wrong. The pic looked wrong and it was questioning her character. But that didn't give him the power to hit her.

"How dare you raise your hand on me!" She had asked calmly, getting angry slowly.

Tears were flowing but she could control her sobs. Her cheek was stinging but she wasn't afraid of him. She looked him dead in the eye.

"How dare me?" Raghav flared his nostrils angrily. He looked at his mother in disbelief who too looked shocked. He looked back at Sakshi, "If you are going to lie to me, I'll slap you again. I will have to if that's what brings sense to your mind-"

"Who sent you this pic?" Sakshi asked, cuttings his words.

Raghav glanced at Pihu and breathed angrily. "It was unknown number. But the pic is not by any chance, fake." He glared back at his sister.

Sakshi shook terribly, she never wanted to live this scene but now that this moment had arrived, she'd live it through.

"We have hopes and dreams for your future," said Raghav, his eyes turning bloodshot. "What are you doing there? Sleeping with these douchebags?"

"It's as less than what you used to do in my age!" Sakshi replied, a loud sob following.

Raghav's eyes stoned as he breathed angrily. Pihu widened her eyes and palmed his chest. "Could even please listen to her first?" She asked, worriedly.

"Sakshi, what is the meaning of this photo? What are you doing with that Malhotra boy?" His mother walked forward, her eyes now focused on Sakshi who felt getting surrounded.

"Everything that a girlfriend does with her boyfriend. And whatever you both are thinking," she sobbed, and answered, "He hasn't touched me."

"You were warned years ago. Weren't you? You lied to all of us for him. You repeated the same after all these years. What point is left for us to get you educated all these years when you shame us like this?" His mother asked, trying to calm Raghav down because he would speak, there would be more violence.

Sakshi gulped shakily. She felt Pihu's hand on her forearm in support.

"He has changed."

Raghav let out a humorless laughter, madness empowering him. "Changed? My foot. He's the same dick, he was years ago. He is again playing with you. This time, he is the one inferior to you. He has his name gone bad, suicide attempt and all that shit. He is undeserving of you-"

"He has changed."

Pihu observed the stubbornness in Sakshi's eyes and the same in her husband. Both brother-sister were of same quality and she knew, none of them was going to back down.

"Tell her to shut up or I'll-"

"What will you do?" Sakshi screamed at him. "Hit me again? Get me married to that pervert of a professor?"

Their mouth opened in shock. Raghav was dumbfounded hearing the same words from her mouth that Shrey had said.

"I never asked you to get me married to Shrey. I am not telling you to accept him," she cried. "I have left him. We ended up relationship. We were a thing but not anymore. I ended it because I know what is right and what is not."

She glared at him shakily. "So, I came here, ending everything with him. I don't know who sent you this pic. But you were supposed to trust me before trusting that person. Shrey and I love each other but we never crossed the limit."

Pihu's lips parted seeing her voice getting louder. She looked back to see her father-in-law coming out of his room, his eyes widening at the scene.

"I don't want to marry him," Sakshi told him, her voice going down. "For me, seeing you all accepting my life is more important than seeing myself with him."

She sobbed while wiping her tears. "But even if I wanted to marry him, I don't understand what's wrong with that. When you had forcefully married the girl you loved!" She ended up glaring at him.

Insecurity reflected in Raghav's eyes, he couldn't believe her courage.

"Don't you dare," he muttered through gritted teeth.

Sakshi sneered, "You dared to torture her like a possessive boyfriend for months. You made her cry. Not to forget, you kidnapped her with full planning. Taking your men with you and scaring her to death, talking about all that acid-attacks and rapes. You traumatized her."

Pihu opened her mouth in shock, looking wide-eyed at Sakshi.

"Sakshi!" Raghav's mother grabbed her hand, trying to drag her. "Stop! Enough, it is."

Sakshi tried to free herself and screamed, "Enough? Now when I am talking about his deeds?" She glared back at her brother and exclaimed, "Shrey is nothing like that. He apologized for what he did to me for the sake of his brother. But now, he is a gem. He is nothing like you used to be."

"When he wants to marry a girl of his choice, he gets her. Willingly or not!" Sakshi freed her hand from her Tai ji and pointed at Raghav. "When I have a boyfriend, it is wrong of me. You all are biased. And why won't you all be?"

She stepped back, looking tearfully at Raghav. "After all, I am just a burden."

Turning around, she ran up to the stairs with her Tau ji following.

"Sakshi," he called out, trying to stop her.

When they were out of sight, Pihu looked back at Raghav who had lowered his eyes. Shame and hurt had filled his face and she knew, he felt insulted deeply.

"Raghav," she forwarded her hand to touch him, but before it could happen, he turned around and walked out of the home.

If this had shocked her, the next words from her mother-in-law had made her freeze.

"Never knew, she would end up like this. Raghav was uncontrollable but she was sincere. It isn't a competition going on. It's the way a person is," her mother-in-law spoke with tears in her eyes. "Sakshi needs to be controlled."

Pihu looked back at the stairs, her eyes filling up because years ago she had dealt with something like this. Not wanting to marry a person her parents had chosen. Getting misjudged by Raghav for being friends with Ayaan and Rishabh.

He was impulsive when angry, she knew. But today, she had seen him breaking up.

What would he do now? She didn't know.

_______

Sakshi threw her clothes into her bag, walking from here and there. Her Tau ji caught her by hand, making her sit on the bed.

"Swear on me, child. You won't leave this house." He yelled angrily, his tone completely scared.

Sakshi stopped and looked at him, observing the similarity in him and her own father's photos. Tears broke out, making her sob loudly.

"I didn't mean to hurt him," she cried in his chest.

Pihu smiled from at the door while getting inside. Her eyes met her father-in-law who nodded.

"Tell me what happened? Do you love the boy? I will get you married to him. But I don't want any world war in my home," her Tau ji spoke in fearfulness.

"I don't want to marry anyone, Tau ji. I don't know who took the pic. I ended it up with Shrey." She told him, wiping her eyes.

Pihu came forward, sitting beside her. "Who will sent the photo to Raghav? Who could take it? Is it Aarush or Aditi?"

Sakshi shook her head without any doubt. "They would never do something like this. It is either Shrey himself or worst Kabir. He is a creep. I have been telling you all along, he stalks me."

Pihu's eyes met with her father-in-law who gulped. She looked back at Sakshi and asked, "What do you want now?"

"I don't to want to marry anyone. I am leaving this house," Sakshi cried, angrily. "I am filing an FIR against your husband! This was completely abuse. How dare he fucking hit me! When he has been the jock all along. Still a goon, that man. What does he think of himself!"

Pihu was dumbfounded, she stood up. Seeing the pain on Sakshi's face, she gulped and walked out of the room, not being able to listen to her anymore. She walked towards her room and entered it quietly.

Rian was still deep in sleep, she sighed in relief but even then, peace was nowhere.

Her head was aching, there was burning in her chest, her legs felt tired and on top of everything, she was mentally stressed.

She just wanted to sleep. But how would one want to sleep when the home was hit by a tornado. It seemed as if everything had scattered here and there.

Days ago, she was herself upset with Raghav. Now, on the same subject, he was being taunted openly. He was hurt and embarrassed, she knew. How would she overcome this phase now? How could she make everything alright?

Her eyes fell on Rian sleeping peacefully and his toys lying on the floor. There was the building him and Nihar had made together. She bit her lip while picking up her phone from the drawer, calling Meera. Because this was the time, they all needed someone less angry and more thoughtful.

Nakul.

________

Shrey winced while changing the bandaid. He observed himself in the mirror and looked in his eyes. They seemed confident and hopeful.

He nodded. This was what he wanted to see.

Confident that he had said enough to put his mark in Raghav's mind and hopeful that he would one day accept him for Sakshi.

But the path wasn't as easy as it seemed.

Sakshi was still not picking up his calls. Moreover, she had switched off her phone this evening. He couldn't know what was going on in her home.

He couldn't really guess if Raghav would ask her about him or scold her.

Anxiety filled in his veins when he thought that a whole of drama could happen in her house because of Raghav's anger. There was so much possibility, that they all would question her character.

He would answer then all sooner but for tonight, the topic of Kabir should be out of their minds. Sakshi must tell them all clearly how the professor truly was.

"Hello," he picked up the call when he noticed the phone screen on the table.

"No, I am with an old friend. He lives here alone so it wasn't a big deal."

His mother's voice and by his own voice echoing, he felt that the phone was on loudspeaker. It would be no shock if Rishabh and Alisha were listening too.

"Did you see her?" His mother asked quietly.

Shrey shook his head, backing away from the mirror and walking towards the window, feeling the soothing night air.

"I met her brother."

His mother gasped. "What did he say?"

"I told him everything. He threw me out of the building."

He heard his mother's breathing turning shallow. "Shrey, you don't have to do this alone. Your father and I will come at your one call. Please say yes. We will handle it all."

"No, mom. It's all fine. It's all going to be fine because I said the truth. Raghav acts angrily but before sleeping tonight, he will think of me for sure," Shrey said confidently. "Tomorrow, I'll go to her home. To talk to her uncle and Aunt. Then, I am sure, things will be fine."

His mother didn't say anything except for asking, "Did he hit you?"

It seemed as if she was asking this on someone else's request. She herself wouldn't even think of him getting hit. Shrey could guess that Rishabh was around. Only he was aware of Raghav's madness.

"He did."

His mother gasped. "Shrey!"

"It was just a punch. I am fine," he stressed on his words so she could believe him. "Sakshi wants to be with me, that's the supreme point. I just have to do it all strategically and she will be mine."

"Shrey," she couldn't say anything more. He was aware of her fears and he knew, she was worried.

"I'll take care of myself, mom. Tomorrow evening, I will be done with this and at the end of the day, her brother will end up giving her hand to me."

"I don't know any of this, Shrey. No one has done something like this in our family. Please don't ruin what's left of you, son. Come back home, please."

Hearing her crying, Shrey felt his own eyes getting glossy. "I'll call you tomorrow."

Without even listening to her reply, he cut the call.

______

Staring at his back, Pihu kept thinking about his thoughts. He was awfully quiet since he returned after dinner time. He didn't do dinner until she threatened to not give food to herself and Rian. They weren't a dramatic family but a decent one.

He ended up doing his dinner but after that, he had been quiet. Rian was sleeping between them while she couldn't even close her eyes.

"Would you talk to me?" She said innocently, putting her hand on his arm. Rubbing her palm on his back, she sighed heavily. "You know, the slap was harsh."

Raghav immediately turned on his back and looked at her. "You think, that I feel like a King after hitting her. No. I feel like cutting my hand," he said, releasing along breathe, looking at Pihu in stubbornness. "Am I not her elder? Do I not have a right to protect her? I hit her because this is what happens to girls who get careless like this. Trusting douchebags, then ending up getting their hearts broken, photos leaked, issues reaching to family, spoiling family's name and what not."

"If she loved him, why wouldn't she come to tell me about it?" He asked angrily, voice lowered down nonetheless.

Pihu's jaws clenched. "This is why, this beastly mode of yours. Because she knows you don't listen to your own people but the one outside who wants to break our family. You needed to ask her politely rather than hitting her."

"I had no intention except for parental love," he muttered, blinking while looking away. "On top of everything, that boy came in the office in the morning."

Pihu's eyes widened, she sat up. "He did? What do you mean, he is in Chandigarh?"

Raghav didn't reply because it seemed like Pihu was excited to know about it.

She shook his shoulder. "Raghav, tell me. What did he do?" Her tone turned worried.

Raghav sighed, sitting up on the bed and staring ahead, not looking at her. "He told me about their relationship going on for last two months. It was Sakshi who went to see him secretly when he was on bed, after suicide attempt."

Pihu's heart shrank at seeing disappointment on Raghav's face.

"You know, I am not against her marrying the person she loves. I am against this person she has fallen in love with. It was a dream, a wish to find a suitable guy for her. Without any flaw," he said, his voice turning lower that wasn't suiting well.

Pihu bit her lip, holding his hand, squeezing it. "If you'll think it from her side, Raghav. It is possible to love a person's flaw. I love yours and you love mine. She isn't telling us to marry her to him. She knows the practicality of the issue. She knows, it won't be right for both families. She told Dad everything. She is just disappointed with you not trusting her and acting impulsively."

"Why don't girls listen to their families? Why don't they understand that boys could be dangerous? They can break hearts, they can use you and then throw you. It's better to focus on study and jobs, then get to marry the most deserving person with equal status, equal desire. What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing," whispered Pihu, understanding him completely. "But there's nothing wrong with having a boyfriend too. She is mature enough to handle her life. She has stood up to her words, today. She is not to be put down, Raghav. Remember how you used to force me in the relationship with you. I didn't want to be like that. But imagine how happy we would have been if I had liked you the way you liked me."

Raghav blinked and kept the grumpy expressions on his face. "You talk like I am old school. I am as straightforward as you are. As she is. I would want my daughter to be most eligible princess. But that doesn't mean, I won't be strict in judging her love interests. Do you not understand my point?" He looked at her.

"But the slap was wrong."

He twitched his lips. "I'll apologise to her. I had planned to. But not before the solution to this problem. I can't let her get crazy about that Shrey. It's a bonus she understands the family and morals."

"She is sacrificing her love," Pihu argued, looking at him in disbelief. "Do you not see how she has said it. She understands what is right or wrong. She knows, our families would never mix up. Which is why, she doesn't want to marry him. But she loves him," she explained, desperately.

"And that Kabir is a pervert," she added, stealing his clear attention.

Raghav gave her a stern look. "Shrey had said the same."

"Something must have happened. They know something about him," said Pihu.

Raghav's jaw ticked. "I swear, if I find out that this guy is corrupt, I will not just break the proposal, I will beat the shit out of him."

"You need to talk to Sakshi, in peace." Pihu said before heaving a sigh. She felt sleepy and her body too heavy to keep sitting like that.

"What she did was wrong? I never slept with you before marriage. Literally. Figuratively," mentioned Raghav, uncomfortable discussing it.

Pihu shook her head, letting out a taunting chuckle. "I feel so lucky having my father and brother so open-minded. If they wanted, they could have blamed me for seducing you. But they listened to me, understood my tears and helped me out. Protected me instead of blaming it back on me. Even when my family was more orthodoxy than yours."

"I am sure, even if I was involved with you as much as you were, if we were really the lovers, my parents would have understood my love and let me be happy with you. What will you do when one day our daughter will have a boyfriend? The more I think about it, I guess till that time, live-ins would get common in Indian society too. You wouldn't allow it. Would you?" She asked, looking at him. "If the man is not right, I understand. But when a girl is mature enough, she can have her own decisions. Or will you hit our daughter too?"

Getting no answer from him, she sighed before laying back down, looking at Raghav from the corner of her eyes.

He was thinking and before she could even remember, he had laid back down. She eventually fell asleep.

_______

Hope, you liked it.

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