Shivani’s POV
Morning
It’s been ten days since I arrived here—and not only has my health recovered, but something inside me feels lighter too. For the first time in a long while, I feel… happy. Genuinely happy. Living amidst a family like this makes me wonder—why wasn’t my own family like this? What would have happened if they were? Maybe… maybe I would’ve never felt the need to run away.
My trail of thoughts was interrupted by a soft knock. A maid entered the room with a smile, “Breakfast is ready, please come down.”
“I’ll be there in five minutes,” I responded, pulling myself out of the memories I had momentarily drowned in.
As I made my way downstairs, the usual cheerful chaos of the house welcomed me. The elders were already seated at the dining table, along with Kartavya bhai. I settled into my chair, waiting for Adwait bhai and Omkar bhai to join.
Right on cue, they entered—rather, stormed in—laughing and chasing each other like boys half their age. Omkar bhai ran ahead, while Adwait bhai chased behind, following closely.
“Kaminey, ruk ja wahi par! Main tujhe batata hoon sote kaise hain!”
("You scoundrel, stop right there! I’ll show you how to sleep properly!") Adwait bhai shouted, clearly annoyed.
“Pehle khud toh seekh lo,”
("First, learn it yourself.") Omkar bhai quipped, laughing as he dodged around the table.
Watching them like this made me smile unconsciously. I stood up as they approached the breakfast table, the scene growing more chaotic by the second.
Adwait bhai kept chasing Rudra bhai around the table.
“What kind of behavior is this?” Meenu aunty scolded, her expression sharp with rage.
“Chachi, ask Omi what he’s done! You have no idea!” Adwait bhai complained, catching his breath.
“Kya maine tumhe subah-subah sote hue uthaya hai? Woh bhi Maa ke kehne par.”
("Did I wake you up early in the morning while you were sleeping? And that too, on Mom’s orders.") Omkar bhai argued, glancing at his mother.
“Maa, aapne hi toh kaha tha ki Adwait bhai ko utha du.”
("Mom, you’re the one who told me to wake him up.") he added quickly.
“Yes, I did ask him to wake you up,” Meenu aunty said gently. “I know your sleep got disturbed, but I only wanted you to eat something before resting again. You returned late from the office last night.”
“It’s not about the sleep, Chachi. It’s how he woke me up!” Adwait bhai exclaimed, still fuming.
“Kya tum ghode bech ke so rahe the? Main ne kitni koshish ki tumhe insano ki tarah uthane ki, magar aap uth hi nahi rahe the. Toh maine apna thoda dimag chala liya.”
("Were you sleeping like a log? I tried everything to wake you like a normal human being, but you wouldn’t budge. So I used a bit of my brain.")
“Main hairaan hoon jo tere paas nahi hai, woh tune chalaaya kaise?”
("I’m surprised—you used a brain you don’t even have?") Adwait bhai retorted, making everyone laugh.
Omkar bhai whined playfully.
“What exactly did you do, Om bhai?” Kartavya bhai asked, barely holding in his laughter.
“That’s the right question, and it’s asked to the right person,” Adwait bhai chimed in.
“Will someone please tell me what this Omi has done?” Atharva uncle asked, confused.
“Yes, please tell them what you did to wake up Adwait bhai,” I said, genuinely curious.
“You won’t be able to tell it right—I will!” Adwait bhai declared dramatically. “He squeezed toothpaste into one of my hands while I was asleep and then started tickling my nose. Naturally, when I moved, the toothpaste-smeared hand touched my face. So yes—I woke up with toothpaste everywhere.”
Everyone burst into laughter.
“I’m telling you what this idiot did to me, and you’re all laughing!” Adwait bhai protested.
“Of course we’ll scold him—but after we’re done laughing,” Mira aunty said, chuckling.
I sat there, smiling softly at the lively scene in front of me. So much warmth. So much laughter. How was I supposed to say what I’d come here to say?
As I sat contemplating, lost in my thoughts, a calm voice brought me back.
“You want to say something?” Avyaan uncle asked, watching me closely.
“I’ve been observing you since breakfast—you seem hesitant, but there’s something on your mind.”
“Yes, what is it, Shivani?” Mira aunty joined in, concern softening her expression.
I took a deep breath. “I… I wanted to say that I think it’s time for me to leave. It’s been ten days, and I’m feeling better now.”
The laughter disappeared almost instantly. The air turned heavy, serious.
“Where do you want to go?” Kartavya bhai asked quietly.
“The orphanage,” I said.
As soon as the word left my mouth, a loud thud echoed. We all turned. Adwait bhai stood near the doorway, his expression dark, stormy.
“Why?” he asked sharply. “What’s the problem with living here?”
I swallowed hard. His anger made me nervous. “I… I had told you before that I’d only stay for a week. It’s already been ten days.”
“Whom did you tell?” Omkar bhai asked, his voice puzzled.
I glanced toward Mira aunty. She nodded slowly, answering their unspoken questions.
“Why, Didi? Why did you tell her to stay for only a week?” Meenu aunty asked.
“What could I have done?” she replied. “She wasn’t even ready to come here in the first place. I had to convince her to stay at least a week—just until she recovered.”
“Fine,” Atharva uncle said after a pause. “If you want to go, we’ll need to start the documentation process with the orphanage. Until then, you’ll have to stay here.”
“Papa, what are you saying? She’s not going anywhere,” Omkar bhai interrupted firmly.
“I am going, bhai,” I said softly. “And as for the documentation… I’ve already done it.”
Their expressions shifted instantly—every eye widened in disbelief.
"What did she just say?" Meenu Aunty asked, her voice trembling with disbelief.
"I've already completed the documentation," I said quietly, barely able to meet her eyes.
Dadi, who had remained silent all this while, suddenly spoke—her voice calm, yet heavy with emotion.
"So you were planning to leave... without telling us?"
"No, Dadi, it’s not like that," I replied quickly. "I was going to tell you—on the day I left. I just... I didn’t want everyone to be upset for longer than necessary."
There was a painful silence before Meenu Aunty stepped forward, her eyes glistening.
"This isn’t right, Shivani. You can’t just leave like this. We’ve considered you a part of this family. You are family. Please—consider this a request, not a plea." Her voice broke on the last word.
"Aunty, please don’t make this harder than it already is," I said gently. "There’s a difference between being a part of a family and being considered one. I don’t want to be a burden to any of you. As much as you’ve tried to make me feel included, the truth remains—I’m an orphan. And no matter how kindly I’m treated, that truth doesn’t change. An orphan doesn’t truly belong anywhere. I never wanted to hurt any of you, but... this is my reality."
"Anyway, I’ll be leaving in the afternoon," I said softly, trying to hold the crumbling pieces of myself together. "Until then, please… try to be happy. I never wanted to make any of you upset."
Adwait Bhai scoffed, his anger rising like a storm.
"Listen to who's asking us to be happy—the very person who doesn’t even acknowledge our feelings!" he snapped, his voice sharp and laced with hurt.
"Bhai, it’s not like that—" I began, but he cut me off with a wave of his hand, eyes blazing.
"Don’t!" he warned. "Don’t call me your ‘Bhai’ anymore. If you walk out that door, don’t ever show your face again. Do you understand me?"
The words struck like a slap, and my eyes instantly brimmed with tears, stinging and hot, threatening to overflow.
"Adwait, what are you saying? Do you even realize—" Mira Aunty interjected, her voice raised, shocked by his harshness.
"Yes, I know exactly what I’m saying!" he fired back. "If she never considered our emotions, our love, then why should we keep begging her to stay? Huh? Did she even stop for a second to consider how Chachi Maa must feel? Did she?"
Chachi Maa’s eyes welled up, her hands trembling as she tried to speak, but her voice was swallowed by the tension in the room.
Adwait Bhai continued, his fury blinding.
"Go, if you must. But don’t you dare hurt this family again. I can bear pain myself, but I won’t watch you break the hearts of the people I love. And Chachi?"—he turned toward her—"She’s like a second mother to me. How dare you reject her request with such coldness? We’ve done nothing but stand by you. We gave you a home, a family. Was that not enough? Instead of gratitude, this—this is the truth of your heart?"
Gasps echoed across the room. Everyone stood frozen, stunned by the venom in his voice. That’s when Kartavya Bhai suddenly stood up, fury shaking his voice.
"Enough!" he thundered. "Shut up, Adwait!"
His shout rang through the hall, breaking the thick silence like a whip.
By then, I couldn't hold it in any longer. My tears fell freely, streaming down my face. My eyes, nose, and even my ears burned red from the flood of emotion. My throat clenched with a lump so large I could barely breathe, let alone speak.
Without saying a word, I rose to my feet.
"Excuse me," I murmured, voice nearly broken, and slowly walked away—leaving behind a room
full of love, pain, and accusations I couldn’t bear to carry.
I closed the door to my room behind me, and only then did I let the sob escape.
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