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A few days passed, and the Pathak family slowly settled into their new life in Banaras.

Devnath Pathak began going to his new school, while Divya and Rahul were also enrolled in new schools.

Life started finding its rhythm again.

Divya and Ishani soon became very close friends.

Their laughter echoed through the house, and their bond grew stronger with each passing day.

Rahul, however, was a different story altogether.

Whenever Ishani came to their house, Rahul could not even bring himself to look into her eyes.

The moment he saw her, a strange shyness took over him.

His heart would start beating wildly, as if it wanted to jump out of his chest, and his ears would slowly turn pink.

He did not understand why this was happening to him. He only knew that something within him felt restless whenever Ishani was around.

What confused him even more was that this feeling disappeared when he stayed away from her.

So, in his innocent attempt to protect himself from emotions he could not yet name,

Rahul began keeping his distance from Ishani.

He believed that staying away from her was the only way to keep his heart calm even though, deep down, it missed her presence more than he realized.

Morning arrived gently, filling the house with the quiet promise of a new day.

Divya had already woken up, taken her bath, and dressed neatly for school.

Rahul, however, was still lost in deep sleep, curled up peacefully as if the world could wait.

For the past two or three hours , Divya had tried waking him up again and again, but Rahul refused to open his eyes.

Finally, his father’s loud voice echoed from outside, calling his name sharply.

Startled by fear, Rahul jolted awake and quickly sat up, his sleepy eyes wide open.

Divya watched the scene and burst into laughter. Teasing him, she said, “You’re only scared of Papa. Good! You deserve to get scolded like this.”

Half-asleep, Rahul looked at her with irritation, his face still heavy with sleep and annoyance.

Just then, Rahul’s mother entered the room.

Seeing that he was finally awake, her face softened immediately. “You’re awake, my child,” she said lovingly. “Come, I’ll bathe you.”

Rahul protested, rubbing his eyes. “Ma, I’ve grown up now. I’ll bathe by myself.”

Hearing this, his mother laughed warmly. “My child, you’re not that grown up yet. Come on, let me bathe you. Otherwise, you’ll just splash water and come back without even using soap properly.”

Then she turned to Divya and said, “Go check on Papa. If he needs anything, give it to him.”

Divya replied, slightly annoyed, “Ma, I’m making my hair.”

Her mother said, “Your hair will take at least an hour. Go now—by the time I bathe your brother, check if Papa needs anything. I’ll come back and do your hair properly after that.”

Irritated and grumbling under her breath, Divya walked away.

Meanwhile, Rahul’s mother gently lifted him into her arms and carried him toward the bathroom.

Divya went and asked her father if he needed anything. He smiled gently and said, “No, beta. Go and get ready, or you’ll be late for school.”

Divya nodded and returned to her room to fix her hair.

Just then, Ishani arrived, already dressed and ready.

Seeing Divya standing there with her hair still undone, she raised her eyebrows in surprise.

Divya looked at her and said irritably, “Yaar, these curly hair of mine just won’t get fixed. And then the teacher will shout again, saying I didn’t come with my braid properly done.”

Watching Divya struggle so helplessly,

Ishani laughed softly and said, “Sit down, I’ll do your hair.”

Divya sat on the stool in front of the mirror.

Ishani placed her bag on the bed, picked up a comb, and began gently arranging Divya’s hair.

At that very moment, Rahul came out of the bathroom with a towel tied around his waist, water dripping from his hair.

As his eyes fell on Ishani, his heart suddenly began to pound wildly.

The sound of his own heartbeat filled his ears.

Then his gaze dropped to himself, and realization hit him all at once.

Ishani noticed him standing there and started laughing.

Overcome with embarrassment, Rahul immediately turned around and rushed back into the bathroom, his face burning with shame.

Divya noticed Ishani laughing and asked, “What happened? Why are you laughing?”

Still smiling, Ishani replied, “Your brother came out after bathing, but the moment he saw me, he got so shy and ran back into the bathroom.”

Hearing this, Divya burst into laughter as well.

Inside the bathroom, Rahul’s mother was wiping the wet floor with a wiper.

She saw Rahul standing there and asked, “Why haven’t you gone out yet?”

Rahul replied softly, “Ishani has come, Mummy.”

His mother laughed and said, “So what if she has come? She’s like your sister. Come on, you silly boy.”

Saying this, she almost dragged him outside with her.

Meanwhile, Ishani continued fixing Divya’s hair patiently, while Rahul kept avoiding Ishani’s eyes, his gaze fixed everywhere except on her.

Rahul’s mother then said warmly,

“Ishani beta, you got ready so early. And look at my daughter—she hasn’t even finished her hair yet.”

Divya immediately protested, “Mummy, please don’t complain about me in front of everyone. You always criticize me.”

Her mother laughed and replied, “Oh, even a little advice sounds bad to you.”

Then she turned to Rahul and said, “Come on, where are your underwear and vest?”

The moment he heard this, Rahul became deeply embarrassed. “Ma, please go from here. I can wear my clothes myself.”

His mother teased him further, “You still do not manage to wear your underwear inside out, and you’re saying you’ll dress yourself?”

Then she asked Divya, “Where did you keep his clothes?”

Divya answered casually, “Ma, in the cupboard. Where else would they be?”

Rahul’s mother took out his clothes from the cupboard while Rahul stood there, frozen with embarrassment.

His heart kept pounding loudly in his chest, and he could not bring himself to meet Ishani’s eyes.

Ishani quietly continued tying her hair, pretending not to notice his discomfort.

Carrying the clothes, Rahul’s mother came back and began dressing him, talking all the while. “Ishani beta, you and your brother are such good children. And look at my two neither of them can do a single thing on their own. I get so tired. On top of that, I have to take care of your uncle too his breakfast at four in the morning, his clothes, everything.”

Divya immediately protested, “Mummy, I wear my own clothes and do my hair by myself. What do you even do for me?”

Her mother snapped playfully, “You stay quiet. If you won’t even do this much, what will you do when you go to your in-laws’ house?”

Divya made a face at this, clearly annoyed.

Sensing the awkwardness, Ishani quickly finished braiding Divya’s hair and said gently, “It’s done, Divya.”

Divya looked at herself in the mirror and smiled brightly.

She loved how it turned out. Standing up, she said, “Thank you so much, yaar.”

Ishani smiled back. “It’s nothing.”

Divya then said, “Ma, I’m leaving with Ishani. The bus must be coming.”

Her mother replied, “Take your brother along with you.”

“No,” Divya said quickly. “Papa will bring him later. I’ll miss my bus.” She picked up her bag to leave.

From the room, her mother called out, “Divya, your tiffin is kept there. Take it.”

“Yes, Mummy,” Divya replied.

Divya and Ishani left together. The moment Ishani stepped out of the house,

Rahul finally felt a strange sense of relief washed over him.

His racing heart slowly calmed down, and his breathing returned to normal, as if the storm inside him had finally passed for now.

Rahul finally got ready and sat down for breakfast.

Watching him eat so slowly, his father said impatiently, “Why do you take so much time every morning? Can’t you wake up early? Look at your sister she bathed, got ready, and has already gone to school. And here I am, unnecessarily paying for your bus fee when I drop you myself.”

Rahul made a face as he listened to his father’s scolding, but deep inside, a small spark of happiness lit up maybe I won’t have to go to school again, he thought, almost secretly pleased.

His mother quickly intervened. “That’s enough now. He’s still small. He’ll wake up early tomorrow, won’t you, Rahul?”

Rahul nodded at once. “Yes, Ma. I’ll wake up early.”

His father sighed and said, “Eat fast. I have to go to my school too.”

Rahul hurriedly finished his food and left with his father.

His father dropped him at his school in an auto and then went on to his own school.

By the time Rahul reached, the morning assembly prayer was already over.

The students were heading toward their classrooms when the PT teacher noticed him and called out, “You there come here.”

Rahul’s heart sank. Great, he thought, another scolding. I’ve been getting scolded since morning.

The PT teacher looked at Rahul sternly and said, “I’ve been watching you for a week now. You come late every single day. Which class are you in?”

Trembling with fear, Rahul replied, “First class, sir.”

“Alright,” the teacher continued, “why do you come so late every day? What’s your name?”

“My name is Rahul, sir,” he said quickly. “My father gets late… there’s a lot of traffic, so we can’t reach on time. I come from very far.”

It was a lie one Rahul told only to save himself from another scolding.

The PT teacher studied his face.

Seeing his watery eyes and trembling lips, his anger melted into sympathy.

Softening his voice, he said, “Alright, go now. From tomorrow, come early.

Tell your father to drop you sooner.”

“Yes, sir,” Rahul replied obediently.

The moment he was dismissed, Rahul ran toward his classroom, his steps light, his heart filled with relief and quiet happiness grateful that, for once, he had escaped punishment.

Rahul walked into his classroom quietly. He was still new there and hadn’t made any friends yet.

There was only one boy in the class he didn’t get along with Deepak.

They had already had a few small arguments before, nothing big, but enough to fill Rahul’s heart with irritation.

As soon as Rahul reached his desk, his anger flared up.

Deepak was sitting right on his seat, leaning back comfortably, flashing his teeth in a mocking grin. Seeing him there made Rahul’s blood boil.

Just then, the teacher entered the classroom.

She glanced at Rahul standing near the desk and asked sharply,

“Why are you standing there? Go and sit in your seat.”

Rahul gathered courage and said,

“Ma’am, Deepak is sitting on my seat.”

The moment Deepak heard his name, his smile faded.

Fear crept into his eyes what if the teacher scolds me? he thought.

But the teacher said casually,

“So what? Go and sit beside him. Two students can sit on one bench.”

Rahul made a face and protested,

“Ma’am, I won’t sit with him.”

That was enough to make the teacher angry.

Her voice rose as she said,

“What kind of behavior is this? Are you the Prime Minister that I should bring a separate seat just for you? Go and sit down!”

Her loud voice silenced the entire classroom.

Everyone turned to look at Rahul. For a moment, all those eyes on him made him feel strangely important but only for a second.

Soon, he lowered his head, hiding his embarrassment, and slowly walked to the bench.

He sat down beside Deepak without saying a word.

Deepak, however, was secretly delighted.

Rahul had been scolded, and that made him happy.

He kept flashing his teeth at Rahul again and again, enjoying his small victory.

The class continued as usual. Rahul kept ignoring Deepak, his eyes fixed on his book, pretending that the boy beside him didn’t exist.

But Deepak didn’t like being ignored. The silence hurt his ego.

Suddenly, Deepak picked up his pencil and began scratching harsh lines across Rahul’s notebook page after page ruining it completely.

The moment Rahul saw it, rage exploded inside him.

Without thinking, he snatched Deepak’s notebook and tore it apart.

The sound of paper ripping echoed between them.

Deepak’s face burned with anger. He clenched his fist and punched Rahul hard.

Rahul hit back.

In seconds, the two boys were locked in a violent fight. Fists flew, books fell, benches shook.

The entire class erupted, shouting their names

“Rahul! Deepak! Rahul! Deepak!”

The noise spilled out of the classroom.

Hearing the chaos, the class teacher rushed in.

What she saw froze her in shock two boys fighting brutally.

Blood was trickling down Rahul’s face, his hair messed up, his face bruised.

Deepak had lost a tooth, and blood was pouring from his mouth.

The teacher ran forward and grabbed both of them with all her strength, pulling them apart.

“That’s enough!” she shouted. “Both of you come to the principal’s office. Now!”

The words hit them like thunder.

Both boys went pale with fear.

Going to the principal’s office meant only one thing the news of this fight would reach their homes.

And that thought scared them more than the fight itself.

Both boys began apologizing desperately.

“Sorry, ma’am… please, it won’t happen again,” they pleaded with folded hands.

But the teacher didn’t listen. Without turning back, she said firmly,

“Come with me to the principal. Right now.”

She walked ahead, her footsteps sharp and angry. Rahul and Deepak followed behind her, their heads lowered, hearts pounding with fear.

As soon as they entered the principal’s office, the teacher explained everything every detail of the fight, every mistake.

The principal stared at them coldly, his eyes moving from one boy to the other.

Then he spoke in a heavy voice,

“Call their parents, ma’am. They need to know what their children do when they come to school.”

Hearing this, both boys froze.

“No, sir… please… sorry, sir,” they begged in trembling voices. “It will never happen again. Please forgive us.”

The principal sighed and said,

“I know you won’t repeat it. But your parents must know what you do in class.”

The class teacher picked up the phone. She is called Deepak’s mother and then Rahul’s father.

The boys stood silently in the principal’s office, terrified, their eyes fixed on the floor.

Every second felt heavier than the last as they waited scared of what would happen once their parents arrived.

About an hour and a half later, both sets of parents arrived.

The principal looked

“What happened, sir? Was there some problem?” asked Mr. Pathak.

“Yes, please sit down,” the principal said, gesturing toward the chairs.

Both parents sat down. Rahul and Deepak stood there silently, heads lowered, not daring to look up.

The principal explained everything the fight, the chaos, the injuries.

Rahul’s father’s face darkened with anger.

Deepak’s mother was furious too. Her voice trembled as she said,

“Is this why I work so hard and earn money so that you can come to school and fight? Deepak, do you know what people will say to me? Your father is not here, and they’ll say a mother couldn’t raise her child properly.”

The moment he heard that, Deepak broke down completely. He started crying uncontrollably.

Seeing Deepak cry only made Rahul’s father angrier.

He pointed at Rahul and said loudly,

“Sister, why are you scolding Deepak? This boy is the real troublemaker. Sir, give him whatever punishment you want. I give you full permission.”

Mrs. Sharma also agreed,“Yes, sir. Whatever punishment you decide is fine.”

Just then, the PT teacher entered the principal’s office. His eyes went straight to Rahul.

“What happened, sir?” he asked. “Did Rahul make another mistake?”

The principal looked surprised.

“Why? Has he done something wrong before?”

The PT teacher replied,

“No, not a mistake exactly. But he’s a new student. After the morning assembly ends, he often arrives late. I asked him today why he was late, and he said his father makes him late. So I let it go and told him to be punctual from now on.”

The moment Rahul’s father heard this, his anger exploded.

“So this is what I’m hearing?” he shouted. “Because of me, you come late to school? Speak up! Say it loudly!”

Rahul began to cry in fear. His voice shook as he said,

“No, Papa… it’s not because of you…”

Blinded by rage, Rahul’s father slapped him.

Everyone in the principal’s office froze in shock.

“You good-for-nothing!” he yelled. “Is this what you’re learning? You’re ruining my name everywhere! Is this what you’ll keep doing, huh?”

Rahul stood there silently, tears rolling down his cheeks, the room heavy with anger, shame, and broken words.

Both boys began to cry inside the principal’s office. Their sobs filled the heavy silence.

The principal spoke firmly,

“Mr. Pathak, please don’t hit him. Beating a child won’t fix anything. Control your anger.”

Devnath Pathak felt ashamed. His shoulders drooped as he said quietly,

“Sir, please punish him. He won’t improve otherwise.”

Mrs. Sharma nodded in agreement.

“Yes, sir. Deepak should be punished too.”

The principal turned toward the PT teacher and asked,

“PT sir, what punishment do you suggest?”

The PT teacher replied calmly,

“Sir, make them run five rounds of the ground. It will clear their minds.”

The principal nodded.

“Alright. Both of you go.”

Still crying, Rahul and Deepak followed the PT teacher out of the office.

The principal then looked at the parents and said gently,

“Mr. Pathak, please control your anger. Children should not be beaten like this.

And Mrs. Sharma, please explain to Deepak that fighting is not the solution.”

Both parents nodded silently, their faces filled with embarrassment.

“You may go now. Thank you for coming,” the principal said.

The parents stood up and walked out.

Outside, Deepak’s mother turned to Rahul’s father and said softly,

“Brother, please don’t scold the child anymore. You already hit him. The poor boy…”

Devnath Pathak nodded without a word and started walking away.

As he stepped outside, his eyes fell on the playground.

Rahul was running, struggling to breathe, tears still falling as his feet hit the ground again and again. Seeing him like that made

Devnath’s heart ache. For a moment, he raised his hand slightly.as if to call out to him.but then stopped.

Just then, Divya came running toward him, with Ishani beside her.

“Papa! What are you doing here?” Divya asked, surprised.

Devnath looked at her and said,

“Your brother got into a fight. The principal called me to complain.”

Divya froze in shock.“Where is Rahul, Papa?”

“He’s running on the ground,”

Devnath replied. “He got punished.”

Divya and Ishani turned toward the playground.

Seeing Rahul run like that, their hearts filled with pity.

Devnath sighed and said,

“Alright, I’m leaving now. I had to step out of work for this. We’ll talk at home.”

“Bye, Papa,” Divya said softly.

After completing five exhausting rounds of the ground, both Deepak and Rahul were completely drained.

Their tears had dried on their faces, leaving faint marks of pain and anger behind.

Divya and Ishani stood at a distance, silently watching them. The blood on Rahul’s face had dried too, and the blood from Deepak’s broken tooth had also clotted, dark and stiff.

Breathless and defeated, the two boys finally collapsed onto the ground itself, sitting there with their chests rising and falling rapidly.

Divya walked toward them holding a water bottle, with Ishani following closely behind.

They stopped near Rahul and Deepak, who were struggling to catch their breath.

Divya looked at Rahul with anger and worry mixed together.

“What is this you’ve done, Rahul?” she scolded. “Why do you never change? Why do you keep fighting? Papa is so troubled because of you.”

As Divya raised her voice, Rahul sat on the ground staring at the grass beneath him, his eyes fixed and empty, as if he didn’t have the strength to look up.

Ishani immediately stepped in.

“Stop it, Divya. Don’t scold him now,” she said firmly. “Look at his condition first.”

Divya took a deep breath, controlling her anger. She held the bottle out to Rahul and said softly, “Here… drink some water.”

Just then, Deepak spoke up weakly, “Didi, please give me some water too.”

Before Divya could respond, Rahul suddenly snatched the bottle from her hand and said sharply, “She’s my sister. She brought water for me, not for you. Do you understand?”

Ishani looked at Rahul, hurt and disappointed.“Rahul, don’t talk like that,” she said gently. “He’s hurt too. He’s tired as well.”

Rahul immediately felt ashamed. His heart began to pound loudly in his chest, dhak-dhak, as if his guilt had found a voice. In a low, trembling tone, he finally spoke, trying to explain himself.

“But… he started the fight,” Rahul said quietly. “He took my bench first. Then he scratched all my copies with his pencil. He’s the one who began it.”

Hearing this, Ishani turned to look at Deepak. He stood there with his head lowered, shame written clearly on his face, because deep down he knew that he had started the fight first.

Ishani asked him gently, “What’s your name?”

In a soft voice, he replied, “Deepak Sharma.”

Ishani smiled warmly and asked again, “Deepak, why did you fight with Rahul?”

Deepak remained silent, his eyes fixed on the ground.

Divya stepped in sharply, “Answer her. Why did you fight, Deepak? Does all this really make you feel better?”

Before Deepak could speak, Ishani raised her hand slightly and said calmly, “You stay quiet, Divya. I’m talking to him.”

Divya fell silent at once.

Ishani walked over and sat beside

Deepak, lowering herself to his level.

In a gentle, caring tone, she asked again, “Why did you fight, Deepak?”

Suddenly, Deepak broke down into tears.

His voice shook as he spoke, “I don’t have any friends at school. No one wants to be friends with me. Everyone says my father isn’t there.”

He wiped his tears and continued,

“When Rahul came, I asked him if he would be my friend… but he also refused. I got angry, and that’s why I started troubling him.”

As soon as Rahul heard this, his anger flared up again.

Ishani immediately looked at Deepak and said firmly, “Deepak, if someone doesn’t want to be your friend, that doesn’t mean you can bully them.”

Then her expression softened. She smiled and said, “Alright. From today, I’ll be your friend. Will you be my friend?”

Before Deepak could reply, Rahul blurted out, “No, Ishani! Why will you be his friend? You won’t be.”

Divya shot Rahul a warning look. “You stay quiet, or I’ll hit you too.”

Rahul instantly fell silent.

Divya then turned to Deepak and said kindly, “I’ll be your friend too. Will you be my friend, Deepak?”

Deepak looked at both of them with wide, uncertain eyes and said softly, “But… you both are much older than me. How can I be your friend?”

Hearing this, Divya and Ishani burst out laughing.

Divya said cheerfully, “So what if we’re older? Friendship isn’t limited by age. We can be friends with anyone. Will you be a friend to both of us?”

Deepak’s face lit up with happiness. He nodded eagerly and said, “Yes, I’ll be your friend,” smiling wide enough to reveal his broken front tooth.

Ishani smiled back but then said gently, “But if you want to be our friend, you’ll have to listen to us too.”

Deepak asked innocently, “What do I have to listen to?”

Ishani replied softly, “From today onward, you won’t fight with anyone. Not even with Rahul. Say it will you do this for the sake of our friendship?”

Deepak first looked at Rahul, then at Ishani and Divya. After a moment of hesitation, he said quietly, “Okay… I won’t fight.”

Both Ishani and Divya felt relieved and happy.

Ishani then said, “Deepak, you should say sorry to Rahul. Go on.”

Deepak held his ears apologetically and said, “Sorry, Rahul.”

Then Ishani turned to Rahul. “Now you say sorry to Deepak.”

Rahul immediately protested, “No, I won’t say sorry.”

Ishani’s voice softened. “Come here, Rahul.”

Rahul walked over and stood in front of her with his head lowered.

Ishani gently cupped his face in her hands and said lovingly, “This wasn’t right, Rahul. You also fought. Come on say sorry. If not for him, then for me.”

Hearing this, Rahul’s heart began to race again, dhak-dhak.

Slowly, he turned toward Deepak, held his ears, and said, “Sorry, Deepak.”

Deepak’s face brightened with joy. He smiled again, his broken tooth showing clearly.

But seeing that tooth only made Rahul feel a flicker of anger return.

Ishani quickly said, “Alright now. Both of you shake hands and become friends.”

At the same time, both boys blurted out, “No, I don’t want to be friends with him.”

Divya folded her arms and said firmly, “You both just said sorry, didn’t you? And Deepak, you wanted to be friends, right? So now do it. Become friends. Shake hands or I’ll beat both of you badly.”

Ishani shook her head at Rahul and said gently, “Rahul, that’s not nice. When someone wants to be your friend, you should accept it. Come on, hurry up.”

Then she smiled and added playfully, “On the count of three, both of you will shake hands and hug each other.”

She started counting, deliberately slow and teasing.“One… two… two point one… two point six… two point nine…”

Before she could even reach three, both Rahul and Deepak suddenly reached out, shook hands, and awkwardly pulled each other into a hug.

Divya and Ishani burst into laughter, their smiles filled with relief, warmth, and quiet happiness.

The tension of the fight melted away, leaving behind the soft beginning of an unexpected friendship.

Then Ishani and Divya spoke gently, their worry clearly visible.

“Alright,” Ishani said softly, “both of you should get first aid done. You’re hurt badly there’s blood too.”

Rahul and Deepak quietly followed Divya and Ishani to the first-aid room.

After the treatment, Divya smiled reassuringly and said, “Now you both rest here. When school gets over, we’ll go home. Our class is still going on we skipped it just to be here with you. Take some rest.”

Rahul and Deepak nodded without a word.

Three hours later, the final bell rang.

Divya and Ishani brought both Rahul’s and Deepak’s school bags from their classrooms.

Then they helped the boys out of the first-aid room and onto the school bus.

After some time, the bus stopped at Deepak’s stop.

He got down, waved goodbye to everyone, and left.

A little later, Rahul’s stop arrived.

Ishani got down with him and said gently, “Go home and rest, Rahul. And don’t forget to apologize to uncle, okay?”

Rahul nodded silently.

Divya and Rahul walked home together.

The moment Rahul entered the house, his mother froze in shock.

She rushed toward him, holding his face anxiously.

“What happened to you?” she asked, panic filling her voice. “How did you get hurt? Why is your cheek so red?”

Questions poured out of her nonstop.

Divya stepped in calmly and said,

“Mom, please relax. It wasn’t an accident. Rahul got into a fight.”

She then explained the entire incident to Rani.

Rani stood there stunned. After a moment, she sighed deeply and said,

“When your father comes home, it’s going to be another earthquake. Why did you do this, my baccha?”

Then, softening, she added, “When papa comes, apologize to him and promise you’ll never do this again, okay?”

Rahul just nodded, his eyes lowered.

Divya, exhausted, went to her room. Rani gently lifted Rahul in her arms and took him to the bedroom.

She changed his clothes, dressed him in comfortable home wear, fed him with her own hands, and finally made him lie down to sleep.

After eating her own meal, Divya quietly returned to her studies.

A little while later, the sound of the front door opening echoed through the house Rahul’s father had arrived.

Devnath took off his shoes as soon as he entered the house.

The exhaustion on his face told the story of a long, tiring day. Rahul’s mother quietly handed him a glass of water.

He drank it without saying a word, then went to the room, changed his clothes, and came back to sit at the dining table.

Rani served him dinner. The house was unusually silent. Devnath didn’t speak at all.

Neither Rani nor Divya could understand why he was so quiet.

He finished his meal calmly and then sat down to check his notebooks.

Slowly, everyone returned to their own work.

Night fell.

Rahul woke up, his body aching from the pain and exhaustion of the day.

Rani came to him immediately, worry written all over her face.

“Are you hurting anywhere, my baccha?” she asked softly. “Should I bring medicine? Should I call the doctor?”

Rahul shook his head. “No, Maa… it doesn’t hurt now.”

Rani sighed with relief and then said gently, “Alright. Your papa is home. Go and say sorry to him. He hasn’t spoken a single word since he came back.”

Rahul’s heart began to pound. Fear rushed through him. He thought his father might hit him again.

His voice trembled as he said, “No, Mummy… I won’t go. Papa will beat me.”

Rani knelt beside Rahul and said softly, “No, my child. Papa hit you in anger earlier, but he won’t now. I’m here with you. I’ll protect you. Come on just say sorry to him and promise that you’ll never do this again.”

Divya added gently, trying to encourage him, “Go, Rahul. Maa will protect you. If you don’t apologize, Papa might get even more upset because you didn’t say sorry.”

After much coaxing, Rani slowly led

Rahul toward his father.

Devnath was busy with his work. Rahul walked forward nervously, his heart pounding.

His mother stood right beside him, while Divya watched everything silently from her room.

In a barely audible voice, Rahul said, “Papa… sorry.”

Devnath didn’t hear him. He remained absorbed in his work.

Rani spoke up, “Listen… Rahul is apologizing to you.”

Devnath finally looked up and said coldly, “What am I supposed to do with his apology? When all he does is follow his own wishes, lie, and ruin my name why should he even say sorry to me?”

Hearing this, Rahul broke down.

Tears streamed down his face as he stepped closer to his father. Crying uncontrollably, he said, “Papa, I’m sorry. I promise, I’ll never do this again. Please forgive me just this once. I swear, I won’t repeat it.”

Devnath’s heart softened at the sight of his son’s tears.

After a moment of silence, he said, “I’ll forgive you only if you obey me. Tell me will you listen to me?”

Rahul wiped his tears and nodded desperately. “Yes, Papa. I’ll do whatever you say. Please forgive me.”

Devnath said firmly, “From tomorrow, you’ll wake up early, get dressed for school on your own, never lie again, and never get into fights at school. Promise me that. Only then will I forgive you.”

Rahul nodded again, his voice shaking but sincere.“Yes, Papa. From now on, I’ll do everything you say,” Rahul promised softly.

Hearing this, Devnath’s face finally relaxed.

A gentle smile appeared, and he said, “Alright. Go and rest now. You’re hurt, after all.”

Rahul nodded obediently.

Turning to Rani, Devnath added, “Give him turmeric milk. It will help ease the pain.”

Rani smiled and replied warmly, “Yes, I’ll give it to him.”

That night, the Pathak family sat together and had dinner

in peace, the tension finally lifting from the house.

After drinking the warm turmeric milk, Rahul slowly drifted off to sleep, comforted by the feeling of forgiveness and the safety of his family around him.

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