At the Patel Mansion~
The drawing room of the Patel Mansion was heavy with silence. Everyone had gathered on Dadu's insistence-only the people who needed to be there: Dadi, Preet, Shreya, Kartik, Taani, Radha, Veer, Reyansh, Anish, and Adhiraj.
It wasn't a regular family meeting. Tension simmered quietly under the surface.
When the door opened and Manish & Kritika walked in with Manvi, holding her hand a little too tightly, everyone sat upright.
Kritika rose from the sofa, voice calm but edged with disappointment. "Manvi," she said, "I need you to tell the truth. No more hiding. No more lies."
Manvi's eyes darted to the familiar faces-some stern, some confused, others filled with quiet betrayal. Shreya avoided looking at her. Preet folded his arms, jaw clenched. Radha sat between Veer and Shreya, visibly shaking.
Dadu's voice was low, commanding. "Manvi. Start from the beginning. Why did you do all this?"
The silence stretched before Manvi finally began, her voice tight. Her shoulders trembled, and then, after a long pause, she spoke. "Because I never liked her."
A silence fell over the room so deep, it felt like even the clocks had stopped ticking.
"I never liked Radha," she said bluntly. "Not since the beginning. Ever since Maa and Papa brought her home, it always felt like... like she became more important. She was adopted, but they loved her like she was theirs. Like more than they ever loved me."
Radha blinked rapidly. "Manvi..." she whispered.
Manvi continued, as if not hearing her. "At school, at home, everywhere-it was always Radha this, Radha that. When we came to the Patel Mansion, she got accepted so easily. Dadu trusted her. Shreya made her part of everything. She was always included. Always loved. Even when I was standing right there, people would ask, 'Where's Radha?'"
Her voice cracked.
"I was angry. I felt invisible. And then Mahir... he saw that. He told me he could make her disappear if I helped him. He said he'd ruin her for good. And he made me believe that I'd be safe-that I'd finally get the attention I deserved."
A stunned silence fell across the room.
Kritika stepped back in horror, her hand covering her mouth.
"How could you?" Shreya whispered, unable to hold her disbelief.
"You were selfish," Preet said coldly. "We all have insecurities, but not everyone chooses betrayal."
Reyansh stayed still, fists clenched in his lap. Anish and Adhiraj exchanged the looks of disbelief.
Dadu's expression darkened, his voice like thunder. "Radha is the kindest soul in this house," Dadu said through gritted teeth. "Her parents died when she was a child. Kritika and Manish gave her a home-and you had a sister who looked up to you, who trusted you. And you... you hated her for being loved?"
Manvi's face was pale. She turned to Kritika and Manish. "I'm sorry. I really am. But I couldn't take it anymore. I wanted her to hurt. Only her. No one else."
"You don't get to decide that," Kritika said, her voice cracking. "She is your sister."
"She never tried to take your place," Dadu said, rising now, trembling with anger. "She never even raised her voice at you, never disrespected you-ever.And this is how you repay her?"
And then, in one sharp motion, he slapped Manvi across the face.
Radha gasped.
Everyone went still.
The sound echoed in the hall, followed only by Radha's soft, broken sob.
Veer wrapped his arm around her shoulders immediately, pulling her close as she cried into his chest. "Take me away," she whispered to him, trembling.
Shreya moved to her side too, holding her hand tightly.
Anish looked at Manvi like he was seeing a stranger. "He used you, Manvi. Mahir was never going to give you anything. You were just a pawn."
"I know," she whispered. "I know that now."
Adhiraj, usually calm and composed, was seething. "Your jealousy could've gotten Radha killed."
Veer looked up, eyes red. "It almost did."
Dadu sighed heavily, stepping back. "You were my granddaughter too, Manvi. And today, you made me ashamed to say that."
Manvi didn't fight anymore. She looked broken, her face streaked with tears and guilt.
Radha still hadn't stopped crying. Veer cupped her face gently, whispering soft reassurances as she clung to him. Kritika walked over slowly, placing her hand on Radha's head.
"I didn't know she felt this way," Kritika murmured. "I thought I raised you both equally. But somewhere... I failed."
"You didn't," Shreya said, firm. "This was never your fault."
Kritika stood frozen. Manish looked like his soul had shattered.
Dadu finally said, "Manvi will be kept away from all family matters. "Sometimes the people who grow beside us carry the darkest shadows."
As the evening sun filtered through the curtains, the family sat surrounded by the shards of what they once believed about each other. But amidst the betrayal and pain, there was clarity.
Mahir had manipulated Manvi, yes.
But the cracks had started long before.
And now... it was time to heal.
Radha lifted her head slightly from Veer's shoulder and looked toward Dadu. "I never wanted to take anyone's place," she said in a quiet voice. "I only ever wanted to belong."
Dadu's eyes softened. "And you always have, beta. Don't cry please."
Veer wiped her tears with his thumb. "We're not letting anyone take that away again."
Shreya nodded, eyes locked on Manvi. "Never again."
And for the first time in a long while, the truth-however ugly-was finally out.
---
End