A Family's Unspoken Love - Part 3
"Why are you...? Are you laughing like this?" Deepu asked, looking concerned and glancing at her."I already knew that his arm was broken," Hari replied with a smile.
Deepu winked at Hari, and he smiled back.
"Hey, is something wrong with you?" Deepu looked worriedly at his hand, which he had hidden.
Hari was taken aback by her actions. He opened his eyes wide and looked at her. "Dee, nothing's wrong with me," he reassured her.
Deepu placed her hand on his shoulder. "Ah," Hari exclaimed suddenly.
"What's going on, Achu?" Deepu asked, bewildered.
"It's nothing," Hari said.
"Take off your shirt," Deepu insisted, gripping his hand.
"Dee, what's gotten into you? I'm feeling embarrassed."
"Come on, boy, have you taken off your shirt and shown your shoulders? If not, I'll do it for you," Deepu warned with a playful glint in her eyes.
"You're going to do it?" Deepu asked, now with a hint of annoyance.
Hari slowly unbuttoned two buttons of his shirt and showed his shoulder.
Achu looked at him in astonishment when she saw that the shoulder part was red and swollen. Deepu's eyes welled up with tears.
"What happened? How did this happen?" She asked, her voice trembling.
"It happened during a fight, but it's okay," Hari explained. "I've applied some ointment, and it will heal."
Deepu touched his shoulder with her trembling hand. "Why, Hari? Why did you get into a fight?"
"Let's not dwell on it," he replied. "It's not a big deal, and there's no need to worry. Just try to go home. It will be late if you stay any longer."
Deepu reluctantly looked at them before walking away.
"Deepu needs to learn patience," Hari called out after her.
She turned and gave them a small smile before continuing on her way.
"Hey, do you want to go to the hospital?" Achu asked.
"No, no, it's just a minor injury. How much more can I give and take?" Hari responded with a smile.
Achu opened her eyes and looked at him.
He playfully tapped her head. "Ah!" she exclaimed, putting her hand on her head.
"Walk without looking back; I need to drop you off at home and head back," Hari said.
She followed him with a smile.
When Deepu arrived home, everyone was gathered in the living room.
"Oh, here comes Your Highness," Ragini sneered.
Gokul glanced around the room, avoiding Krishna's gaze. Krishna noticed and turned his face away, choosing not to engage.
Ragini's expression revealed her pain as she looked at Krishna. However, she refrained from saying anything and walked away silently.
"Is anyone here?" Ragini called out loudly.
She turned to look at them.
"What are you staring at? Go on, it's all set. Is that what you bought?" Ragini asked, motioning to what Deepu was holding.
"If it is, why are you wasting time? Don't you care about your own father? You're too much. Haven't you ever held me close even once? In this house, I'm treated like a maid by everyone, including my own father. Everyone, even my father, treats me like a servant," Deepu declared, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Just so you know, I'm not Ragini or Gayatri, and I won't let anyone treat me like that anymore," she continued, her eyes filled with determination.
"By the way, I'm not Ragini or Gayatri; I'm not ready to bear it any longer," she stated firmly.
Everyone in the room stared at her, a mix of disbelief and contempt on their faces.
"Deepti..." Krishna's voice trembled as he called her.
"You said I could speak my mind, didn't you?" Deepu retorted angrily, looking at Krishna.
Krishna stared back at her sharply.
"Where do you think I'm going? Did you not see what I've been going through?" Deepu asked, pointing to her surroundings.
Gayatri intervened, pushing Deepu aside. "Where is Deepu? What is she saying?"
Deepu glared at Gayatri and pushed her away. Ragini then stepped forward and grabbed her.
"My Gayatri wouldn't say that. I should apologize to them now," Krishna asserted firmly.
"Oh, so she's your daughter, is she? Who am I then?" Deepu shot back, shocking Krishna.
He looked at her in shock, her words deeply affecting him.
"Ask your daughter what happened before she goes into Gokul's room tonight," Deepu declared, causing Krishna and Giri to react in shock.
Gokul and Gayatri exchanged a look filled with resentment.
"Don't make me say too much. I do all the work here in exchange for the food you give me. Don't think that I'll silently bear any insults to my self-respect," Deepu stated firmly before turning and heading to her room.
Unable to respond, they watched her leave.
As soon as she entered her room, she closed the door, leaned against it, and sat on the floor, allowing her sorrows to flow like tears.
