The Singhania Brothers

Did you ever see that perfect serial? I did and I love it.

Another small chapter before a happy moment with Rudra and Anjali.  Rudra and Anjali might hit their tragedy soon. So vote fast and save them.

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I wish I could hide. Hide from everyone. No, I needed to hide from myself first.

Finishing that lunch was the hardest thing I had done in a while. Every bite felt like swallowing broken glass. The lump in my throat refused to go away, making it impossible to eat, to breathe, to exist. I felt so helpless for the first time in my life. Maybe if I choked on my food, it would end this misery for everyone.

Lunch was over. But for me, the torment had just begun. She left the table without sparing me a glance, taking our daughter from Bhabhi's arms and disappearing into her room.

Our daughter.

I didn't even know her name. Had she named her Nitya? The name we had once picked together, back when we were happy? Or had she chosen something else, something more meaningful, something more...hers?

I wanted to talk to her. I had to. At any cost.

Standing in front of her door, I tried to compose myself. To practice what I would say. But every sentence sounded wrong.

'I am so sorry for everything I have done. Please give me a second chance...'

No. Too desperate.

'Can I come in? I will just take a moment.'

As if I could fix everything in a moment.

'Can I talk to you? Please?'

Maybe that would work.

I knocked on the door and immediately took two steps back, as if preparing for rejection. My heart pounded. Sweat trickled down my neck. I was scared.

The door opened.

She wasn't looking at me. Her eyes were somewhere behind her, maybe on our daughter.

And then she saw me.

She froze.

I swallowed hard. "Umm... hi."

She didn't reply. Just arched an eyebrow, waiting.

I wiped my sweaty palms on my pants. "I—I need to talk."

Need? Want! Damn it.

A cry broke out from inside the room.

She turned without a word and shut the door in my face.

I stood there, frozen. Rejected. Again.

I wanted to knock again, to beg, to scream, to do anything to make her listen. But I couldn't. I had lost that right.

Tired. Defeated. Broken.

I turned and walked away. There was only one person who could help me now.

I stopped in front of another door. My fists clenched. My head hung low in exhaustion, fear, and stress.

Taking a deep breath, I knocked.

And waited for my brother.

Bhabhi opened the door and smiled at me. "Who is it?" Bhaiya's voice came through.

"Dev." She answered. "Come in." She led me to the couch in the corner of the room. Bhaiya's room hadn't changed at all in spite of a year of their marriage. Was everything okay between them? Suddenly my problem felt so small.

I gulped. Maybe I should go.

"What the hell do you want?" Bhaiya stood there, eyes sharp, his face like stone. He looked at me once and scoffed.

His words cut deep, but I forced myself to stand firm. "I need your help, Bhai."

Rudra crossed his arms, his jaw tightening. "Help? After everything you did? After throwing away the best thing that ever happened to you?" His voice was razor-sharp, filled with the frustration and anger he had clearly held back for a long time. Bhaiya was always strict but he never raised his voice. He would never lose his calm with us. But now when he spoke like this, I flinched.

"I know I don't." My voice was hoarse, barely a whisper. "But I can't lose them. I don't even know my own daughter's name, bhaiya. I feel so miserable and ashamed of myself?" My voice cracked, desperation clawing at me.

He let out a humorless laugh. "Do you want to know what's worse? You did this to yourself. You let your anger destroy your marriage. And now that she's leaving, suddenly you care? Where was this realization when she begged you to change? When she cried herself to sleep?"

I lowered my head. "I was a fool." I realized that he also knew of my secret marriage. I didn't want to go down that road. He would eat me alive.

"No," Rudra snapped. "You were selfish. She has finally decided to stop waiting for you to be better. Do you think she should just take you back because you suddenly regret everything? That's not how life works, Dev."

Tears burned at the corners of my eyes. "I don't expect her to forgive me overnight. I just want to try. I want to fix this. Please, Bhai. Help me."

Rudra clenched his fists, breathing heavily. He looked away, as if debating whether to keep scolding me or finally throw me out. But then his expression shifted—anger still present, but now with something else beneath it. A hint of reluctant concern.

"No. I can't." He sighed. "Both of you are like kids to me. But you deserve your punishment. Also, my baby girl needs to get certain things right in her life. If the men of her life can walk in anytime and uproot everything, whenever and wherever, then it shall be a bad example. I can't let that happen. You have your chance only if she gives you one. Else move on."

I nodded, wiping my face. "Understood." I stood up and walked into him, hugging the hell out of him.

I am scared.

I am lost.

Maybe I could fight this and emerge out of it.

Bhaiya patted my head after what felt like an eternity and I snuggled into his warmth, basing in all the strength I could muster from him.

"Thank you bhaiya." Wiping my tears, I walked out of their room.

But for the first time in a long while, I felt something close to hope.