Rishi stood frozen at the threshold, his eyes fixed ahead, but his thoughts racing in a thousand directions. The confrontation outside, the words of those men echoing in his ears, "Her father will handle you.... and now the girl who had turned his calm life upside down stood behind him, quiet, trembling, and holding back tears.
He stepped inside and dropped onto the sofa heavily, shoulders tense, fists clenched on his thighs. His gaze avoided both Laxmi and Niharika. He didn't want to look into eyes that could unsettle his guarded heart.
Niharika followed silently. Her heart beat fast, as if each step she took toward him might decide her fate. She stopped a few feet behind and said gently, "Rishi..."
The name dropped like a fragile feather, yet it hit Rishi like a stone.
"I'm not your friend," he snapped, standing up abruptly, his voice sharp and cold. "Don't take my name so casually. We're not close. Not even remotely."
Niharika flinched. But she didn't step back. "Please... I'm not lying to you."
"I don't care," Rishi barked. "I've heard enough fake stories. I have real work to do. And I'm not interested in playing savior to a stranger who can't be honest about anything. Aunty, do what you want. Let her stay, feed her, give her a bed. But don't involve me in this anymore."
"Rishi," Laxmi started.
But he held up a hand and turned to leave.
"Fine!" Niharika's voice cracked as she shouted. "If you don't want to hear anything, then don't! Just take me back to my house. Let my father decide how to ruin me. Let him sell me off to a life worse than death. Maybe I should just give up and accept that this is my fate!"
Rishi stopped in his tracks. Her voice carried something... raw not drama, not manipulation, but desperation. Still, his heart remained closed. "You want to go home?" he asked over his shoulder. "Great. Get ready. I'll take you there right now."
"RISHI," Laxmi shouted. Her voice, for the first time, carried the authority of a mother not just concern. "Enough. Sit down. And listen. You may not care, but I do. I see pain in her eyes, I see truth. If you can't look past your anger, then sit in silence. But you will listen."
Rishi looked at Laxmi in surprise. He'd never seen her raise her voice like this, not even when he was a broken boy after his parents died. She had always soothed him, never scolded. But now, her tone was fierce. Slowly, hesitantly, he returned to the sofa and sat without a word.
Laxmi turned to Niharika, "Beta, tell me. Tell us everything."
Niharika's throat felt dry, but she nodded. Sitting beside Laxmi, she began in a shaky voice.
"My name is Niharika Sharma. My father is Madhukar Sharma, a businessman known for his steel trading empire in this city. But the truth is, his business has been crumbling. Loans, losses, court cases... he's drowning. And to save his name... he chose to sell mine."
Rishi's eyes twitched at that line.
"He arranged my marriage to a man twice my age-Mr. Verma- a widower, wealthy, heartless. A business deal in disguise. My father promised me that I would secure our family's future, that I was lucky to be chosen. But I'm not a pawn. I'm his daughter."
She wiped a tear that slipped down.
"When I said I didn't want to marry him, he locked me in my room. The next morning, I heard him talking to my brother. He said if I didn't agree, he would force me into it one way or another. I panicked. I escaped through the balcony at night with just a small bag. But I didn't know this city well... I got lost."
Her voice wavered, but she continued.
"And that night, the goons found me. They were sent by my brother, not to bring me home, but to scare me into submission. They would've taken me by force if Rishi hadn't stopped the car."
She looked at Rishi now, his eyes fixed on the ground, unreadable.
"That's how I ended up in your house, aunty. I didn't mean to cause so much trouble... I just wanted to live. I just wanted one chance to write my own story."
The room fell silent. The only sound was the ticking of the wall clock and the occasional rustling of wind outside. Laxmi had tears in her eyes. She reached over and held Niharika's hand, whispering, "You did nothing wrong, child. Nothing."
But Rishi remained motionless.
Niharika stood up slowly. "If you still think I'm lying, then it's okay. You can drop me at the house gate. Maybe this was my mistake. Maybe I should never have asked for help... from anyone."
She turned to leave. But a voice stopped her.
"Wait."
Rishi finally looked up. His eyes weren't angry now-they were conflicted. Somewhere behind the silence in them was a boy who had once lost everything. A boy who knew what it felt like to have no control over your life.
He stood up.
"If you're lying, I'll find out," he said bluntly.
Niharika looked down.
"But..." he paused, "if what you said is true... then I won't let anyone harm you. Not your father. Not those men. Not anyone."
Niharika looked up, eyes wide in disbelief.
Rishi turned to Laxmi, "Aunty, I'm going to help in whatever way I can. And Niharika will stay here... she stays with us."
Laxmi smiled tearfully. "That's my boy."
For the first time, Niharika's lips curved into a fragile smile. A smile that held both relief and hope. She had found a safe place.
Outside, the wind had softened, the moonlight poured in through the window, bathing the room in a soft glow. The blessing of this quiet beginning.
To be continued.....