Author POV

Ruhanika and Yuvraj were in the room when suddenly some loud voices echoed from downstairs. Both of them paused, exchanging a glance, and then quickly moved towards the source of the chaos.

As they reached the living room, the scene before them unfolded-Twinkle, Ruhanika's best friend, was standing there, her eyes blazing with fury, locked in a venomous argument with Ruhanika's so-called father and mother.

Ruhanika's chest tightened and she whispered sharply, "Twinkle has come... she will definitely kill you Because you didn't tell her about me in the hospital."

Yuvraj's hand immediately reached for hers, his voice steady and protective, "I will handle her."

But Ruhanika shook her head, her tone firm, "No. Let's handle her together first."

Both of them stepped down the stairs, and the moment Twinkle's eyes caught Ruhanika's face, her anger doubled. She turned to Ruhanika's parents, her voice dripping with venom, each word like a slap.

"You don't deserve a daughter like her," Twinkle spat, her voice trembling with rage yet powerful enough to make the entire room fall silent. "Do you even realise what kind of gem she is? The way she loves, the way she survives despite your cruelty-she is everything you could never be."

Her eyes narrowed at Ruhanika's father, almost daring him to speak, "A father protects his daughter. A father values her, lifts her, stands with her. But you? You broke her. You taunted her. You made her believe she was nothing. And still, she stands stronger than you ever will."

She took a step closer, her voice sharp as a blade, "Ruhanika is fire. She is grace. She is the kind of girl people dream to have in their lives. And yet she's cursed with parents like you. You don't deserve her love, her respect, or even her presence in this house."

Every word Twinkle spoke carried poison, but also truth. Yuvraj's hand brushed against hers, steady, protective, but before either of them could move, Rohan and Yug rushed in from the other side of the hall.

"Twinkle, calm down," Yug tried, his tone careful, almost pleading. "You didn't come here for this. You came to meet Ruhanika. She's been in the hospital, she needs you. Don't make a scene at midnight-"

"Yes, Twinkle," Rohan joined, softer but firm. "Go to her. She needs her best friend more than this fight. Please."

Ruhanika's lips curved into a bitter smile, and she turned her sharp gaze on both of them.
"You think I need peace right now?" she said coldly. "No, Yug. No, Rohan. I need truth. And this-this is truth. My best friend has more guts to say it aloud than my so-called brothers who stood silent while I bled."

Her words made both brothers lower their eyes, guilt flashing across their faces, but before they could respond, Twinkle stepped forward, her rage softening the moment her eyes met Ruhanika's.

Twinkle crossed the hall, pulled her into her arms, and held her so tightly as if afraid to ever let go.
"Are you fine?" Twinkle murmured into her hair. "When I got to know... I swear, Ruhi, I was so scared. My hands wouldn't stop shaking. You don't even know what you mean to me."

Ruhanika closed her eyes, tears brimming, whispering, "I know."

But Twinkle wasn't done. The moment her gaze shifted from Ruhanika to Yuvraj, her expression turned venomous again. She pointed her finger straight at him, voice slicing through the silence.
"And you. You better get out of my sight right now. Why the hell didn't you tell me about her being in the hospital? You had one job-you told me to check in the mansion ? What kind of twisted irresponsibility is this, Yuvraj? What were you thinking?"

And before Ruhanika could step in, another voice slithered through the hall.

"Oh, so Yuvraj sent you, huh? Perfect timing. One more actress to add drama to this mansion," Aarohi sneered, her voice dripping with mockery.

Twinkle turned sharply, her eyes narrowing. "Drama? Sweetheart, if you think standing here and watching people treat Ruhanika like dirt is drama, then maybe you should check your dictionary again. Because what I see here is cruelty, not family."

Aarohi's jaw tightened, but she tilted her head with false innocence. "Cruelty? Don't make me laugh. This is Ruhanika we're talking about. She's always been like this-overdramatic, attention-seeking, making herself the victim since childhood. Trust me, you don't know her as we do."

Twinkle let out a bitter chuckle, stepping closer, her heels clicking against the marble floor. "Oh, I know her more than you ever will. I know the girl who cried herself to sleep because of people like you. I know the girl who hides her scars behind a smile so no one sees how broken she is. And you stand here, calling her dramatic? That's rich coming from a spoiled brat who's been spoon-fed lies since day one."

The smile on Aarohi's face faltered, replaced by venom. "Spoiled brat? At least I don't need outsiders barging into my house to tell me who my sister is. You're nothing but a friend trying to play hero. But you'll never understand-Ruhanika has always been the problem. She pushes everyone away, and then cries about being left alone. That's not called strength, Twinkle. That's called manipulation."

The word manipulation made Twinkle's blood boil. She took another step forward until her face was inches away from Aarohi's. "Don't you dare use that word for her. Manipulation is when you twist people's minds against her, when you stand with your mother and poison every bond she ever had. That's manipulation. What Ruhanika has is survival. And if you were half the sister you pretend to be, you'd see that."

Aarohi's lips curved into a cruel smirk, though her eyes betrayed the sting. "Survival? Don't glorify her weakness. She's weak, Twinkle. Always was, always will be. That's why no matter what she does, she'll always be the outsider in this family."

Twinkle let out a humorless laugh, shaking her head. "Weak? Then maybe you should ask yourself why, despite your perfect upbringing, despite your fake loyalty, Yuvraj's eyes never leave her. Why no matter how much venom you spit, she still stands here, breathing, unbroken. That's not weakness, Aarohi. That's the kind of strength you'll never understand because you've never suffered a single day in your life."

The air between them was suffocating, charged with venom and truth. Aarohi's fists clenched at her sides, her words failing her for the first time as Twinkle's sharp eyes burned into her soul.

The air grew heavy the moment Aarohi spat her last line at Twinkle, her words sharp like poison. Before Twinkle could lash back again, a firm, deep voice cut through the chaos.

"Aarohi, stop it. Don't you dare talk about Ruhanika like that."
Everyone's eyes darted toward Rudransh, who had stepped forward, his face pale but his jaw tight. There was guilt written all over him, guilt that had been haunting him since the truth about Ruhanika's pain had surfaced. But tonight, the guilt burned alongside anger.

Aarohi's eyes widened for a second, but then her lips curved into a bitter smile. "Oh, so finally Rudransh bhai speaks. And of course-for her." She sneered, folding her arms. "You know, bhai, you were never like this. You never raised your voice, never questioned us. But the moment Ruhanika came back into this house, suddenly everything is about her. Suddenly, she deserves all the protection, all the sympathy."

Rudransh's fists clenched. His voice trembled, but not from fear-rather from the weight of his own mistakes. "Don't twist this, Aarohi. You know what we did. You know how much she suffered because of us. And yes-I changed, because the truth changed me. Because her pain woke me up."

Aarohi scoffed. "Truth? Or just your guilt eating you alive? Don't act like you're some saint now, bhai. You were the same one standing silent when everyone blamed her. You were the same one nodding when people called her names. And now suddenly, you want to wear the crown of her savior? How convenient."

Her words hit him like daggers, but Rudransh didn't back down. His voice rose, heavy with both guilt and resolve. "You think I don't know that? You think I don't replay those moments every single day in my head? I failed her, Aarohi. I failed as a brother. And I will never forgive myself for that. But I won't let you sit here and keep spreading venom about her just to make yourself feel superior. Not anymore."

The room went still, tension sharp enough to cut through. Aarohi laughed bitterly, though her eyes flickered with unease. "So that's it, huh? You've chosen her side. Against your own. Against the people who stood by you all your life."

Rudransh shook his head slowly, his voice steady despite the storm brewing inside him. "It's not about choosing sides. It's about finally seeing the truth. And if protecting my sister means standing against you, then so be it."

The silence that followed was suffocating. Rudransh stood there, chest heaving, guilt etched deep into his face, while everyone else exchanged uneasy glances. For once, it was clear-he wasn't just fighting Aarohi. He was fighting himself.

The hall had grown strangely silent after Aarohi stormed out, her words still lingering like poison in the air. Twinkle's jaw was tight, her chest heaving with an anger she was barely containing. She finally spoke, her voice sharp but steady.
"I will find out who messed with the peanuts . I don't care how long it takes, but I will not let this go."

Her eyes scanned the room, challenging anyone to stop her. Then, softer, she turned back to Ruhanika, her tone protective again.
"Let's go... come to the room, Ruhi. You've already been through enough."

But Ruhanika did not move. Her gaze stayed fixed on the door Aarohi had exited through. There was something broken yet unshaken in her expression.

"Wait a minute," Ruhanika's voice finally cut through the tension, soft but firm. "I... I want this moment with Aarohi."

Everyone froze. Even Yuvraj, who was about to step closer, stilled in place.

Ruhanika swallowed hard, her voice trembling but filled with clarity.
"Till the day I have come here, it's only the beginning. But I want to know... I deserve to know. The girl who just stood here and threw venom at me-" she paused, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears, "-is she the same Aarohi who once saved me from bullying... only to become the one who bullies me? I want to know... why?"

Her words left the room hollow, empty of response. For a moment, the weight of history hung heavier than the present.

"You..." her voice broke for a second, but she steadied it. "...go to my room. I am coming."

And then, without another word, Ruhanika too walked out. Her steps were slow, deliberate, almost echoing against the marble floor as she followed the same path Aarohi had taken.

Ruhanika's POV

I want to know. Somewhere deep down I know she hates me. She doesn't like me, she never did. But why? We both got the same love. She even received more from her parents. She got everything I got in childhood. Then why? Why so much hatred?

She became my villain, and I want to know a villain's backstory. Because people say nobody is born a villain. Something makes them. Something breaks them.

And I wanted to see that side of Aarohi.

I called her name. "Aarohi."

She stopped in her tracks, her jaw tightening before she turned her head. Her eyes were sharp, her tone cutting.
"What do you want now?"

I stood firm, even though my heart was trembling.
"The truth."

Her brows furrowed. "What?"

I swallowed hard, voice cracking but steady enough to spill out the words that burned inside me.
"Why did you hate me so much? I still remember the day when we first met. You hugged me with a softness that felt like a shield. You saved me from bullies. You even fought with your own mother for me. But after six months... everything changed. You started bullying me. You started creating misunderstandings between me and my brothers. You framed me for things I never did. And in the end... you were the one who gave the idea to my father to send me away, to that hostel. Why? Aarohi, why?"

For a second, I thought her eyes would soften.
But then she smiled-no, smirked-like poison dripping from her lips.

"Oh, the truth. So finally, the great Ruhanika wants to hear the truth." She laughed, but it wasn't laughter. It was venom cracking the silence.

"I don't just hate you. I hate you from the inch of my heart. Every single breath of yours disgusts me. You want to know why? Because you took everything that was mine. My place. My identity. My mother's property. Everything that should have belonged to me, somehow became yours."

Her eyes burned as if the world itself was on fire inside her.
"You came in like some sweet, innocent angel, and everyone started loving you. Everyone saw you as their doll, their sister, their pride. But me? I was pushed aside. I was made invisible in my own house. Do you know what that feels like?
Her voice trembled in rage, but every word was sharp enough to cut my soul.
"So yes, I hate you. I always did. And I always will."

"I think you misunderstood," I snapped, my voice sharp, my eyes not leaving hers.
"My parents didn't love me more. They loved you more.

Yes, I agree-your parents loved me mostly more. Because for them, you was a curse. And do you know who planted that seed in their heads? My mom."she said

She leaned closer, venom dripping in every word.
"You know when you were born, our grandfather gave half of his property in your name, not my mother's.

My jaw clenched. I didn't even hesitate before spitting back, "I know why. Because your mother wastes money. She went to clubs even after what happened between her and your dad. She was in relationships with so many men. That's why. And so what if he gave it to me? It was his property.

"And about me," aarohi continued, voice trembling with a strange mix of hurt and fire, "Yes, I loved you, Ruhanika. I loved you so much when I came into this house. I thought we would get the same love. I thought we'd be equals. But no... from your parents, yes, I got love. But from your brothers? I didn't. From your uncle and aunt? I didn't. From Vikram, from Veer? Never. They always prioritized you. Always shielded you, even when it was your mistake."

Her eyes blazed with envy.
"Vikram and Veer. I wanted their attention. I wanted to be the princess of this house. And for seven years-I was. But then you came back. And suddenly you weren't just the princess, you were their queen. And me? I was the second lead. Always second lead."

I froze. Her confession was ugly.
"What the hell are you even talking about?" I snapped back.
I spat the truth like fire.
"You don't want a family-you want a throne. And for that, you'd stab me in the back. That's why you hate me."

Her face twisted, broken and vicious all at once.
"Yeah," she hissed, her voice low, dangerous.
"Even if I get the chance to kill you, Ruhanika... I will kill you."
She didn't even flinch. Her lips curled into that poisonous smirk.
"Yes. I hate you. I hate you so much. But still, Ruhanika... you're standing here thinking you've got everything back again, right? Think again."

I froze. My chest tightened, rage burning like wildfire.
"What the fuck do you mean?

Her eyes glistened with the kind of madness only jealousy could breed.
"You got your Yuvraj. You got your brothers. You got girls who actually stand with you. But me? I don't even love these so-called brothers. I only love the attention I get. Understood? And about your Yuvraj-" she leaned closer, spitting every word with venom,
"I love him. I want him."

Before she could mock me again, my hands flew to her throat. I grabbed her neck, choking her, my voice low and dangerous.
"Don't you even dare think about my."

But instead of fear, she laughed. A cruel, spine-chilling laugh.
"I stole your childhood, Ruhanika. I stole your college days. I stole everything from you." Her eyes glowed with sick pleasure as she poured poison into my ears.
"Remember? You gave me your toys in childhood so I'd stop bullying you-but I bullied you even harder in school with my friends. I even bribed a guy once to molest you. But every time, someone saved you.

Her words cut through me like knives. My nails dug into her skin, but she didn't stop.

"And don't you dare forget the day me and my mother pushed you into the swimming pool. You were drowning, choking, dying-and I was so fucking happy. But Ruhan saved you. That's the day I started hating you even more. And when you left, I became the princess. The perfect, precious daughter. While you were forgotten."

Her laughter echoed, sharp and cruel, as she pulled herself from my grip.
"Remember those days, Ruhanika. Remember."

And then, with that same haunting smirk, she walked out.

The moment Aarohi walked away, I stood frozen. My chest was heavy, my eyes burning, but what haunted me more was not her words-it was the memory she had unknowingly awakened inside me.

Flashback)

That night, I couldn't stop myself. My mind drifted back. Back to that one evening...

Books clutched to my chest, hair tied in a careless braid, and my feet rushing out of the tuition gate. The world around me was so ordinary-boys laughing, girls walking home in groups, autos honking by the road. And yet, in the middle of that normal crowd, my worst nightmare was waiting for me.

A Guy, taller, with a mocking grin plastered on his face.

At first, I ignored him. I tried to walk faster, keep my eyes on the ground. But then-his voice cut through.
"Kitni jaldi hai? Ruk na... main chod deta hoon ghar."

My stomach tightened. I gripped my bag harder, but before I could step away, his hand shot out and grabbed my wrist. My whole body froze.

"Chhoti si ho... itni badi badi baatein karti hogi class mein?" he sneered, pulling me closer as if I was nothing more than a doll in his hands.

I struggled. My voice cracked, "Chhod do! Please..."

But he laughed. That cruel laugh. "Arre... dar kyun rahi hai? Thoda sa pyaar hi toh hai."

His grip tightened, his other hand brushing against my arm, making my skin crawl. I wanted to scream, but my throat locked itself. My heartbeat was so loud in my ears that it drowned the traffic around me.

I twisted, yanked, tried to pull free-but he was stronger. My books fell to the ground, scattering open on the dusty road. I felt so small, so helpless. My eyes searched desperately for someone-anyone-to notice. To stop him.

But people walked past. They looked away. As if my trembling, my tears, my silent cries were invisible.

In that moment, I wasn't a girl. I was prey.

And for the first time, I knew what it meant to be truly scared of being a girl.

"Why so shy, huh?" His voice was low, taunting, his breath hitting my ear. "Girls like you pretend, but you want this..."

I wanted to scream, to shout, to push him away-but my body betrayed me. I was too young, too scared.

He pressed me back against the wall near the gate, his fingers trailing up my arm. My heart was pounding so loud I thought it would burst out.

"Don't-please don't," I whispered, my voice breaking, but he only laughed.

His laugh. I can still hear it.

The way he cornered me, the way his hand brushed against me where it never should have... the fear wrapped around me like chains. I felt dirty. Trapped.

And then... my tuition sir's voice echoed from inside.
"Ruhanika! Come in!"

That single call saved me.

He loosened his grip, but not without smirking at me one last time, his fingers brushing my wrist deliberately before he let go.
"Next time," he whispered, like a promise, like a threat.

For days after that, I kept replaying that moment. His eyes. His touch. His voice. The way he made me feel small, powerless, and dirty.

That was the first time I realised the world isn't safe. Not for girls like me. Not even in broad daylight, not even outside a tuition class where parents trusted their children to be safe.

I came back from tuition, my legs trembling, my throat burning with unshed cries. I didn't even go to my room. I walked straight to my mother and threw myself into her arms.

"Maa..." my voice cracked as tears spilled endlessly.

She panicked, holding my face, "What happened Why are you crying like this?"

That moment the whole house turned silent. Rudransh, Papa, even Aarohi and her mother were standing there, watching me break apart.

I could barely breathe when I whispered, "Maa... today a guy... he tried to touch me. He grabbed me... he-he tried to force me..." and my voice choked as I cried harder, my small body shaking against her chest.

Rudransh immediately came forward, his eyes wild with rage. He cupped my face gently, "Little dove, tell me. Where did it happen? Who was it? Tell me his name!" His fists were already clenching as if he'd rip apart the whole world for me.

But before I could even answer, Aarohi's mother's voice cut through like venom.
"See? Didn't I tell you? You send her out too much. Look at her clothes! What else do you expect? The boy would surely-"

my mother snapped, holding me tighter. "It's not like that! Baby, it's not your fault... it's not like that. First drink some water, Ruhanika, calm down..."

But I couldn't calm down. My heart was bleeding with fear and shame.

Then Aarohi stepped forward, her voice dripping with fake innocence.
"Ruhanika... is this the same guy you've been talking to in tuition for the past three to four weeks?"

Her words made me freeze. I turned to her, my lips trembling, ? What are you saying this?"

Before I could defend myself, she looked straight at everyone and continued, "Mama, she's overreacting. She talks to that boy. She sits with him. I've seen her hugging him after tuition. They act like that, and now she's crying as if he forced her. She's lying."

"No!" I screamed, shaking my head furiously. "No, Papa! Aarohi di is lying! I never-never did that!"

But Papa's face turned red, his eyes filled with anger, not trust.
"You do this behind our back?" His voice boomed, cutting me into pieces.

"No, Papa!" I cried, stepping towards him, "Please believe me, she's lying!"

But he didn't listen. His hand shoved me back, his voice colder than ice.
"I knew it. I always knew you were like this."

And in that one moment, my world shattered.
I stood there, broken, betrayed, screaming my innocence, while the people I trusted most chose to believe the poison in someone else's tongue.

"Papa... it's not like that... I never-"

But before I could finish, Aarohi di stepped forward.
"Uncle, why would I lie? Why would I lie about my own sister? Think about it. If she wasn't doing anything wrong, why would I even say all this?"

Papa's jaw clenched, his silence felt like a verdict. My nails dug into my palm, and my heart shattered, because no one was even looking at me, no one was even hearing me.

Rudransh bhai stepped in, his tone softer but distant. "Bas. Stop it. Ruhanika is already not in a good mood. Ruhanika, go to your room. I'll send your phone later."

"Bhai, I didn't-" My words trembled like a plea.

He glanced at me, eyes heavy but not cruel. "I trust you, little dove. You can't do this. There must be a misunderstanding."

But before I could breathe, before I could hold on to his words like a rope, aarohi di slipped in again. "I'll leave Ruhanika to her room. Don't worry."

And no one stopped her. No one.

Her nails gripped my wrist like chains as she dragged me away. My feet stumbled on the cold marble, heart hammering, until we reached my room.

Then-
A harsh push. My body hit the floor. Pain exploded through my small frame as I looked up at her shadow towering above me.

"You got molested by a guy, Ruhanika. Ruhanika darling, what are you even doing?" Her tone was venom dressed in mockery, her smile cruel.

Tears blurred my vision. "Why did you lie? You know I don't even talk to anyone..."

She crouched, eyes gleaming. "I know, I know, Ruhanika... you don't."

And then she grabbed my hairs .
"Ah... di..." I cried out in pain.

"You deserve this, Ruhanika." Her voice was a dagger. "You deserve this. You even deserve more. And don't you ever dare talk to Kabir, or Rohan, about this matter. And Rudransh? Say that you spoke to Akka. Otherwise-" her grip on my hair tightened until my scalp screamed, "-I will kill you, Ruhanika."

My voice broke, "Aarohi di... you always protected me. Now... why... why are you doing this?"

Her lips twisted into a cold smirk. "Because I hate you. And tomorrow... you will not go to tuition. Because I am not trying to protect you, I am trying to destroy you. Don't you dare step out of this room, you fucking bitchy slut."

Her words burned into me, like scars that would never heal.

And then she left.
Left me sobbing, broken, and curled on the floor like a fragile doll.

Flashback end - Present moment

I didn't even realize when my eyes turned moist, when my body froze. The moment replayed itself so vividly that I could feel her nails on my skin again, her breath of venom against my ear.

That night never left me.

She wasn't a villain created by my mind.

She was born one.

And then, without even realizing, my mind betrayed me again.
Dragged me back to the setting that still claws at my chest even today.

(Flashback)

The swimming pool area.
Empty. Silent.
Except for two shadows that never let me breathe-Aarohi and her mother.

I still remember how I had walked there by mistake, clutching my books, my little sandals tapping against the tiles. I wasn't supposed to be there, but curiosity had led me to that corner of the house.

And then her mother's eyes caught me.
Cold. Sharp. The kind that could slice a child open without a knife.

"Ruhanika..." she called, voice dripping with venom.
That single word froze me where I stood.

"Come here."

I obeyed, because back then... I was too small to even understand disobedience.

She made me sit on the floor, right there on the cold, wet tiles. My tiny hands clutched my frock, trembling.

"Do you know what you are?" she asked, bending low, her nails digging into my chin as she forced my face up.
"A mistake. A burden. A shadow that doesn't deserve to stand in this family."

Lick my shoes. Go on-lick them. Show me you know your worth." she spat

I shook my head weakly, tears spilling, but her mother's hand struck my cheek so hard it echoed in the empty poolside.

"Do it!" she shouted again.
The prongs of her voice pierced deeper than any weapon could.

I bent down, choking on my sobs, my lips trembling as they hovered near the leather of her heel. My whole body screamed in shame, but I was too small, too helpless.

And Aarohi?
She laughed.

"Look at you," Aarohi's mother sneered, her voice dripping with venom. Do you even know your worth? Dirt. That's what you are."

She made me kneel again, pushing my shoulders down with force until my knees ached against the cold floor. Then she dragged my chin upward with her fingers, nails digging into my skin.

"Repeat after me," she hissed. "Say-I am worthless. Say it!"

I swallowed hard, tears threatening to choke me. When I hesitated, her palm cracked across my face once more. Aarohi laughed, her little hands clapping at the spectacle.

"Say it!"

"I-I am worthless," I whispered, my voice breaking.

"Louder!" another slap, another bruise.

"I am worthless!"

They both laughed, satisfied with my brokenness. Aarohi's mother kicked at the water's edge, letting droplets splash over me as if to mock my soaked eyes.

Then, she leaned in close, her breath cold on my ear. "Never forget, child. You are nothing. You will always kneel in front of us. Always.

I was just a child. But in that moment, they didn't treat me like one-they treated me like something less than human.

"Such a weak little thing," Aarohi's mother spat, wiping her palm as though touching me had dirtied her. "Crying already? And here I thought you wanted to be treated like family. Family?" She let out a cruel laugh. "You're not even worthy of being called a servant."

"Get up properly!" Aarohi's mother barked, yanking me by the arm and forcing me to stand. Her nails dug so deep into my skin, I was sure they would leave marks.

"You should be grateful, you know," she hissed. "We give you food. We give you clothes. And yet... look at you, still daring to exist in this house like you belong. Disgusting."

"You should bow your head when I speak to you!" She shoved my head down with her palm, forcing me to bend like I was nothing but an object. "Say it again. Loudly. 'I am worthless. I don't deserve love.'"

My lips trembled, my voice barely audible. "I... I am worthless. I don't deserve love."

Her laughter rang sharp, followed by another blow across my cheek. "Good girl. At least you're learning your place."

Aarohi circled me, her smile venomous. "Maa, look at her. Even dogs look prettier when they cry. She just looks pathetic."

My tears spilled freely now, my small body shaking with every taunt, every slap, every cruel word. They didn't just want to hurt me. They wanted to erase me.

Her words weren't enough for them. They wanted a show. A daily circus of my humiliation.

Aarohi's mother grabbed me by the hair this time, jerking my head back so hard I gasped. My scalp burned. She tilted my face upward, forcing me to look straight into her eyes.

"Do you know why I slap you?" she asked coldly, her breath hot against my face.
"Because you deserve it. Because every time I see your face, I'm reminded that filth like you is living under our roof."

She spat on the ground, just inches away from my feet, then pushed my head aside like I was trash. Aarohi clapped mockingly, grinning from ear to ear.

"Look at her, Maa! She doesn't even fight back. She just stands there like a beggar. Wait-should I give her some coins?" Aarohi pulled a five-rupee coin from her pocket and flicked it at me. It hit my forehead before rolling onto the floor.
"Pick it up, Ruhanika," she taunted. "That's probably the only thing you'll ever earn in your life."

I froze, refusing to bend. My pride, fragile as it was, screamed inside me not to kneel. But Aarohi's mother was quicker-her palm slammed against the back of my head, forcing me down to my knees.

"Pick. It. Up." Her voice was ice.

My shaking fingers picked up the coin. My tears fell onto it before I could stop them. Aarohi laughed so hard she almost lost balance.

"Perfect! Now she even washed it with her tears. Maa, we should use her as a maid. She's already halfway there."

And then came the worst part. Aarohi's mother shoved me toward the poolside, my body stumbling dangerously close to the edge. My reflection in the water was blurry, tear-stained, unrecognizable.

"Do you see that girl?" she sneered, pointing at my reflection. "That girl is nothing. That girl is unwanted. That girl will never belong anywhere." She pressed her hand against my shoulder, pushing me just close enough that my toes almost slipped on the wet tiles.

My heart pounded in terror.
I wanted to scream, but my voice was locked in my throat.

Aarohi leaned in, whispering cruelly in my ear, "Sometimes I wonder why we don't just push you in and end this drama. Nobody would even notice if you disappeared."

And in that moment, I truly believed it.

I should have left the moment she called me there.
But I was too young to understand the traps people laid. Too naïve to see the cruelty in her eyes.

Aarohi's mother's voice dripped with poison as she tilted her head, looking down at me sitting helplessly on the cold tiles of the poolside.
"Look at you," she sneered, "so unwanted, so pitiful. Even your own family doesn't defend you. Do you know why? Because you are nothing."

Her hand suddenly whipped across my face, the sting burning into my skin. I gasped, tears stinging my eyes as Aarohi stood behind her, smirking like she had already won.

"Cry," her mother whispered, bending close, her perfume suffocating me, "cry like the weak little girl you are. Cry because you will never matter."

She slapped me again. Harder. My small frame shook, but I didn't dare scream. They wanted my pain to echo, and I refused to give them that satisfaction.

But then she laughed-a low, cruel laugh.
"On your knees. Bow your head lower. You're not worthy to even look at us."

Aarohi chimed in with a giggle, "Yes, mamma, make her crawl. She looks like a beggar already."

Humiliation tightened around my throat. I lowered my head because if I didn't, her hand would rise again. My dignity shattered piece by piece as they circled me like predators, spitting insults that cut deeper than any slap.

And then... it happened.
Her mother's eyes flicked toward the pool, glimmering with a thought. She exchanged a knowing look with Aarohi.

Before I could even realize what was coming, Aarohi shoved me with both hands-my small body flying backward.

The water swallowed me whole.

The icy shock stole the air from my lungs as I flailed, gasping, choking. My tiny arms slapped against the surface, but the weight of fear dragged me down. My screams dissolved into bubbles, my chest burning as if fire lived inside it.

The memory burned like fire inside me, sharper than any scar left on my skin.

I could still feel the icy water pulling me down, my lungs screaming for air, my tiny hands thrashing helplessly against the pool's surface. I was no more than a child, gasping, begging for mercy from the very people who had dragged me into that nightmare.

"Please... please save me..." I remembered my voice cracking, choking with water. I had clawed at the edge, my nails scratching desperately against the tiles, but they only laughed.

Aarohi's voice cut through like venom.
"Look at her! She can't even float, and she thinks she's worth something in this house?"

Her mother folded her arms, her expression cold and cruel, her voice sharper than any whip.
"Cry louder, Ruhanika. Maybe God will come to save you since no one here will."

I had begged again, water spilling into my lungs, "Please... I'll do anything... just pull me out..."

But she only leaned closer, her heels clicking against the tiles, her face lowering until her shadow fell over me.
"You are dirt under our shoes. You belong down there, drowning, struggling. That's the only place you deserve to be."

Aarohi laughed cruelly, crouching down so I could see her face twisted with delight.
"Say it louder, Ruhanika. Say you're worthless. Say you'll lick my shoes if I let you out!"

My tiny body shook, my voice trembling as I whispered, "I... I'll do anything... just please..."

But before I could finish, Aarohi's mother pressed the heel of her shoe onto my fingers that clung desperately to the pool edge.
"You don't belong to this family. Remember that. You are nothing."

I screamed, slipping back into the water, thrashing as the world above blurred. They only stood there, watching. Aarohi clapped like it was entertainment, her laughter echoing in my ears.
"Drown, you weak little thing. Drown and learn your place."

And when I somehow managed to rise again, choking, coughing, begging once more, Aarohi's mother bent down and whispered venom into the air.
"No matter how much you try to survive, you will always remain beneath us. Always. That is your destiny."

Their laughter rang in my ears even louder than my screams, even louder than the water filling my chest

My throat was burning. My tiny hands splashed helplessly against the water, but the more I struggled, the deeper I sank. Chlorine filled my nose, my lungs screamed for air, and yet above me... they were still laughing.

"Look at her! She actually thinks she'll drown in shallow water." Aarohi's voice cut like knives, her silhouette standing tall against the golden sunlight.

Her mother's heels clicked slowly as she leaned over the edge of the pool, her voice dripping with poison.
"Beg louder, child. Maybe God will hear you if we don't. Isn't this your destiny? Always drowning... always beneath everyone."

I choked out the words between coughs, swallowing more water.
"P-Please... I can't... help me, please..."

Aarohi bent down, her smirk widening. "Say it properly. Say you're nothing. Say you don't deserve to live."

I shook my head, terrified, but another harsh splash followed-Aarohi's mother dipping her heel into the water and shoving it against my forehead, forcing me deeper. My lungs burned, my vision blurred.

"Pathetic," she sneered. "Even water doesn't want her. Just look at her flailing."

Their laughter echoed in my ears, sharp, cruel, endless. I kept gasping, whispering broken pleas, but all they gave me was mockery. Aarohi clapped her hands like it was a show. "You're really good at acting! This could be a drama competition entry-'The Drowning Girl'."

Tears mixed with the pool water. My chest convulsed as I tried to scream. "Please, I'll die!"

"Die?" Aarohi mocked, pretending to gasp. "You? No, you're too stubborn to even do that properly."

And just when my body gave up-when I knew I couldn't hold on anymore-strong arms yanked me out of the water.

"Ruhanika!" It was Rohan. His face pale, frantic, his grip tight as he dragged me to the side. I coughed and vomited water, shaking violently, my small body collapsing against the tiles.

"How the hell did this happen?" His voice roared in panic.

Before I could speak, Aarohi cut in smoothly, feigning innocence. "Relax, bhai. She was just... practicing. You know, school is doing those drama activities, right? She was acting like drowning. We were watching her performance."

Aarohi's mother added quickly, her tone firm. "Exactly. If she can't even act drowning properly, how will she survive the real world? We were teaching her."

I looked up at them through blurred, stinging eyes-my lips trembling, my body weak. But no words came. Only the cold truth settled inside me.

That day wasn't practice. It was punishment.

That day wasn't drowning. It was murder in slow motion.

And they watched every second of it with smiles on their faces.

Rhanika POV (Present)

My chest tightened as the memory clawed its way back, suffocating me like the cold water once did. The laughter, the slaps, the sharp sting of humiliation-every sound echoed inside my skull until I could no longer hold myself upright. My knees gave in, and I collapsed onto the floor, my palms pressing hard against the ground as if that alone could anchor me to the present.

"Lick my shoes... beg for mercy... worthless girl..."

Those words rang louder than reality. My body trembled, my mind dragged helplessly back into the cruelty of that day. They didn't just drown me in the pool. They drowned my innocence, my dignity, my childhood.

And now... here I was, years later, still carrying that same scar. Still bleeding from a wound nobody cared to see.

I lifted my gaze weakly toward the empty space ahead of me. For a second, I swore I could still see their silhouettes-Aarohi, her mother, all of them standing there, smirking, while I begged for air, begged for life.

I was just a child... just a child who wanted to survive.

And they turned survival into shame.

Tears stung my eyes, spilling before I could stop them. My voice came out in a whisper, breaking like shattered glass-

"Why me... why always me?"

The silence of the present wrapped around me, cruel in its stillness. But inside me, the storm still raged, the humiliation replaying itself, ritual after ritual, wound after wound.

My steps felt like glass shattering beneath me as I somehow dragged myself back toward my room.
But halfway there, the dizziness hit again - sharp, unsteady, cruel. My knees threatened to give out, and my hand instinctively clutched the chair nearby, desperate to stay upright.

My chest burned, my breaths quickened, and before I could stop myself, my trembling fingers typed a single message -
"Come downstairs. Please."

And when I saw him - my Yuvraj - coming down the stairs with Twinkle beside him, something inside me broke completely.

I didn't wait.
I didn't think.
I just ran forward and threw myself into his arms.

The moment his warmth wrapped around me, the dam inside shattered. My body shook uncontrollably, sobs ripping through me like storms. My hands clutched his shirt desperately, burying my face in his chest as if hiding there would erase everything.

"I can't- Yuvraj- I can't-" my voice cracked, choking between gasps. "Why does it always happen to me? Why... why only me?"

Tears poured down, blurring everything, making the world look as broken as I felt.

"I tried... I tried to survive, I tried to be strong. But no matter what I do, they... they destroy me. They laugh. They taunt. They drown me, Yuvraj, they drown me even when I'm already drowning inside!"

His arms tightened around me, grounding me, but I kept shaking my head violently, unable to stop.

"It's my fault, isn't it?" I whispered through sobs, the words stabbing my own heart. "Maybe... maybe I was born cursed. Maybe my destiny was written to be humiliated, to be broken, to be treated like nothing. Maybe I was never meant to be loved."

My knees buckled and I clung to him harder, almost collapsing fully in his arms. My voice came out in raw gasps, broken and ugly, but painfully real.

"They made me believe I was worthless. And even now... even now, when I should forget, when I should move on... I can't. I relive it, over and over. Their words, their laughter, their hands pushing me under the water-"

I clutched his shirt tighter, my nails digging into him, as if holding on to him was the only thing keeping me alive.

"I hate myself, Yuvraj... I hate my fate... I hate that I was that girl, crying, begging, being laughed at while I was drowning. I hate that no matter what I do, that girl is still inside me-weak, pathetic, worthless."

My voice shattered into silence, only the sound of my sobs filling the air as I collapsed fully against his chest, letting my grief bleed into his embrace.

"Why didn't destiny choose me to be normal?" I whispered one last time, my voice breaking, "Why didn't it choose me to be loved... just once?"

And then I cried harder, as if my body had been holding back these tears for years, finally spilling them all in his arms.

I clutched his shirt tighter, my body shaking violently in his arms, as if my soul was ripping apart piece by piece.

"I was never good enough... I was never the daughter they wanted... never the sister they could love... maybe it was always my fault, Yuvraj... maybe I was born only to suffer, to be punished for something I never even did. Why did I survive? Why didn't I just drown that day? At least it would have ended all of this... at least they would have been free from me..."

My voice cracked, and I hit my chest with my trembling hand as if I could tear away the pain locked inside.

"It was me... I was the curse... I brought shame, pain, burden... I was the mistake in their perfect family picture. That's why they hated me. That's why they let me drown... because I was nothing to them."

Tears blurred my eyes until I couldn't even see Yuvraj's face clearly anymore. I just felt his grip on me, strong, desperate, like he was holding me together when I was falling apart.

I didn't even realize my voice had grown louder, trembling, almost like a scream. "It was my destiny... I was born to be humiliated, to be broken, to be abandoned... I am the reason... I am the problem... it's all me!"

My knees gave up and I fell to the floor, still clinging to him. My chest heaved like it couldn't take in air. My own sobs suffocated me. I couldn't stop, I couldn't control, I was collapsing in every possible way.

That's when I heard footsteps-too many of them. My head jerked up, and I saw them.

Rudransh. Kabir. Rohan. Yug. My father. My mother. And behind them, my dadu and dadi. All their faces carrying that same familiar mixture-pity, confusion, and judgment.

And my heart clenched in terror.

I tried to push myself up but collapsed again. My voice came out raw, broken. "Please... don't... don't come near me... you already destroyed me once... I can't..."

My dadu's voice shook as he stepped forward. "Ruhanika beta... what happened to you? Why are you like this?"

Before I could answer, before my shaking lips could even form words, Yuvraj voice roared through the air, hard and sharp.

"Stay away, Dadi." His tone was ice, but his eyes burned with fury. He pulled me closer into his chest. "I don't want to disrespect you because you're elder... but today, I will say it clearly-stay away from her. She doesn't need your questions, your pretended sympathy. She needs us. She needs me. And I will not let anyone of you hurt her again."

The silence that followed was heavy. My sobs filled the hall.

I wanted to speak, to defend myself, but my throat was caged by pain. All I could do was bury my face in Yuvraj chest and whisper, "Don't let them take me, Yuvraj... don't let them touch me again..."

Author POV

The silence in the hall was unbearable. The sound of Ruhanika's cries still echoed in their ears even though the door upstairs had been shut. Twinkle and Yuvraj had taken her to her room, but the weight of what just happened hung heavy in the air.

Kabir ran both hands through his hair, restless. "What... what the hell was that? I've never seen her like this before. She just collapsed-she couldn't breathe-" His voice cracked, something it rarely ever did.

Rudransh sat back, fists clenched on his knees. He looked shaken, though he was trying to mask it with his usual calmness. "It wasn't just a panic attack. This was... something much deeper. She broke in front of us. Completely."

Rohan leaned forward, elbows on his thighs, staring blankly at the floor. His voice was low, almost guilty. "We wanted to see her strong. We wanted her to show us she's fine. And the truth is... she isn't. She hasn't been fine for years."

For a moment, no one spoke. The heaviness in the room was suffocating.

Yug, who had been standing near the railing, finally spoke, his tone sharper, edged with guilt. "You all saw her tears, right? You saw the way she was shaking? That wasn't sudden. That wasn't out of nowhere. That's been inside her for years-years that we didn't see because we were too busy being blind."

Kabir shook his head stubbornly, though his voice was trembling. "But she was here. She was laughing sometimes. She was talking to us. I thought... I thought she was healing."

"She wasn't healing," Yug cut in bitterly. "She was surviving. That's all she's been doing in this house-surviving."

Rudransh's jaw tightened as he leaned forward. "And now what? Do we just sit here while she cries upstairs? She needs us-"

"No," Rohan interrupted, his tone heavy with regret. "She doesn't need us. Not us. Not the people who were the reason for half of those tears."

The words hung in the air, hitting each of them like a knife. Because the truth was undeniable.

Yuvraj had taken her upstairs because he was the only one she allowed to touch her in that moment. The others were left here, suffocating in their own guilt.

Kabir looked up, his voice breaking. "She... she's our sister. And yet she looked at us like strangers when she fell apart. Like she couldn't even let us hold her."

Yug's voice dropped to almost a whisper, laced with pain. "Because we made her feel like she was alone all along."

For the first time in years, they had seen their sister break like glass in front of them. That wasn't just tears. That wasn't just anger. That was a child screaming from wounds never healed.

Kabir muttered under his breath, "She never cried like this. Never. What the hell happened inside her that she carried for so long?"

Rohan's voice cracked, guilt dripping from every word. "And it's us... it's because of us. She couldn't even collapse in front of us, Bhai. She needed Yuvraj, she needed Twinkle. Not us."

Rudransh slammed his fist on the wall, his voice sharp. "Don't you think I know that? Don't you think I've seen it in her eyes every damn day? She fears us more than she trusts us." His throat tightened, eyes burning. "And I'm her brother... yet she flinches when I walk too close."

The weight of that silence was broken by a voice. A sweet, venom-laced voice.

"Well... isn't this all too convenient?" Aarohi walked in, her mother right behind her, both faces dipped in fake sympathy. Aarohi tilted her head, pretending concern but her smirk betrayed her. "I mean, yes, we're all tense for her, but don't you think this is becoming her best trick? A little breakdown, a little panic, and suddenly she has the whole house revolving around her."

Her mother added softly, "Exactly. I don't want to sound cruel, but we've all seen her do... drama before. Crying, blaming, twisting-maybe this is just another way she's playing you all."

Kabir's head snapped toward them, his eyes bloodshot. "Enough." His voice was so low, so dangerous, that even Aarohi froze. "Not a single word more against my sister. Not here. Not now."

Aarohi smirked, unfazed. "Oh come on, Kabir bhai. You can protect her all you want, but don't forget-every time she cries, something happens. Someone is blamed. Don't you think it's strange that she's always the victim?"

Before Kabir could explode, Rudransh stepped forward, towering, his voice shaking with fury. "She is not the victim, Aarohi. She's the one who has survived all of us." His glare was sharp enough to cut glass. "So if you think you can poison us against her like you and your mother have done before-forget it. That ends here."

Rohan finally looked up, his voice trembling. "We already failed her once. We won't fail her again. And if you two think her pain is an act... then maybe you should leave this house before I lose the last thread of my patience."

Aarohi's words still hung in the heavy air, venom sugar-coated in fake concern.

Kabir's jaw tightened. His hands curled into fists as he finally snapped.
"Aarohi, you don't understand anything about her. So stop pretending you care. Just... get out of here."

Rohan's tone was sharper, colder, like a blade.
"Leave, Aarohi. Don't make this worse. Not now."

Aarohi blinked, trying to play innocent, but their stares were solid walls. Even Rudransh, who had been silent till now, lifted his eyes and said in a voice like stone,
"Out. Both of you."

For once, Aarohi had no choice. Her mother tugged at her arm, whispering something in her ear. The two walked away, their heels clicking against the marble floor, vanishing into the shadows of the hallway.

Silence settled again. The brothers remained still, their eyes burning with unspoken guilt. Then, finally, their father's voice broke through.

He stood there, shoulders heavy, eyes clouded. His voice cracked as he whispered,
"Ruhanika... she's too weak. I never thought my daughter would shatter like this."

Kabir's throat tightened. "She wasn't weak, Dad. We made her weak."

Rohan's eyes fell to the floor. His words carried the sting of realization.
"She stood alone all these years... against us, against the taunts, against the family. And today it was too much."

Their mother pressed a trembling hand to her lips. Her tears slipped silently, guilt swallowing her whole. "We failed her. Again and again. I saw the signs... but I ignored them."

Rudransh looked at all of them, anger in his eyes but most of all at himself. "We broke her piece by piece, and today she finally collapsed. What happened out there wasn't sudden... it was everything we did to her piled up until she couldn't breathe."

Their father clenched his fists, trying to hold himself together. "How do we fix this? How do we bring her back?"

But none of them had the answer.

Only silence filled the space-heavy, suffocating silence, as guilt drowned every one of them.

Rudransh finally broke the silence.
"Tomorrow... I'm going to her hostel. I want answers.

Rohan turned from the window, his voice heavy with suppressed rage.
"We won't just go. We'll go with proof. With her truth. Whoever dared to touch her life, whoever dared to crush her like this... I swear they'll see hell."

The words hung in the air like a vow.

Kabir gave a dry laugh, shaking his head.
"And Vikram Bhai and Veer Bhai? Where are they now? If they were here, they would've been sitting beside her... not us. They would've shielded her before any of this happened. But they're not here."

Yuvraj's lips curved bitterly.
"Do you know what hurts me the most? I feel jealous of them. Jealous, because they were with her when we weren't. They were there in her hostel days, they knew her tears, they saw her fights, while we just stood outside her world."

Silence. Heavy. Raw.

But then Rudransh's voice came, calm yet firm.
"Don't be jealous, Yuvi. Be thankful. At least someone was with her when she had no one. At least she wasn't completely alone."

Kabir nodded slowly. Rohan's eyes burned. Yuvraj lowered his head.

And that night, the four of them, broken yet bound by one truth, placed their unspoken vow in the air-
they would dig out the truth of Ruhanika's past. They would drag her pain into light, and whoever was behind it... would not survive their wrath.

Hello lovelies, ✨

: I know this chapter must have felt like such an emotional rollercoaster for you, because it was the same for me while writing it. Ruhanika's breakdown-so raw, so painful. And remember, only two flashbacks of her past have come yet, but even with that, she shattered like this... because after such a long time since the story began, she has finally remembered her past in this way.