𝐒𝐚𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐢 ~ 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐞 |𝟏𝟖+| - Chapter 31: Chapter 31

Author's POV:-
He kept pleading, again and again, but his cries fell on deaf ears.
"Aaaaah! Dard ho raha hai, bhaiya... maa!!!" he groaned in agony, his voice cracking as he writhed in pain.
("Aaaaah! It hurts, bhaiya... maa!!!" )
Just then, Buaji entered with a puja thali in her hands, but it slipped from her grasp, crashing onto the floor as her eyes caught the horrific sight-her son being dragged down the stairs like a lifeless person.
"Veer beta!!" she screamed, rushing toward him with trembling feet.
Arjun flung Veer into the center of the living room like a sack of disgrace.
"Le... ab tera pyaari maa bhi aa gayi hai! Bata de unhe... ki unke 'laadle' ne kitna bara kaam kiya hai!" he shouted, kicking Veer harshly on the leg.
("Here... your dear mother is here too! Tell her... tell her what her 'beloved son' has done!")
"Arjunnnn!! Yeh tu kya kar raha hai apne bhai ke saath!? Tu usse laat maar raha hai?? Himmat kaise hua tera!?" Buaji shrieked, cradling Veer's head in her lap, her body shaking with shock.
("Arjunnnn!! What are you doing to your own brother!? You're kicking him?? How dare you!?")
Kajal descended the stairs too, drawn by the chaos.
"Pehle yeh batayiye, iski himmat kaise hui meri biwi ke saath battameezi karne ki? Woh bhi mere kamre mein ghus kar!? Itna himmat kaha se aaya isme!? Bol apni maa ko! Ab chup kyun hai, saale!? Tujhe bhai kehne mein bhi sharam aati hai mujhe, haramkhor kahika!" Arjun roared, delivering blow after blow with his foot.
("First, tell me how he dared to misbehave with my wife!? That too by barging into my room!? Where did he get the guts to do that!? Tell your mother! Why are you silent now, you scoundrel!? I feel ashamed to even call you my brother!")
"Mera beta aisa kar hi nahi sakta!" Buaji cried.
(""My son could never do something like this!")
"Tujhe zarur koi galatfahmi hui hai, Arjun! Mera Veer toh bohot hi masoom hai! Tu aise usse maar nahi sakta... Samjha!? Mera bacha... mera laal..." she whispered, brushing Veer's bruised cheek.
("You must be mistaken, Arjun! My Veer is so innocent! You can't hit him like this... do you understand!? My child... my precious boy...")
"Bohot maara hai na tujhe?"
("Arjun has hit you a lot na beta??")
"Nahi kiya maa... sach bol raha hoon... maine aisa kuch nahi kiya..." Veer sobbed, barely able to speak.
("I didn't do it, maa... I swear I didn't do anything...")
Arjun scoffed.
"Aapke bete ko maine abhi maara hi kahan hai, Buaji? Isse kya maarna kehte hain?" he said with a dark chuckle.
("Have I even really hit your son yet, Buaji? You call this a beating?")
Buaji's face went pale. "Tu insaan hai ya jaanwar? Dikh nahi raha kya haal ho gaya hai iska!? Poora gaal laal ho gaya hai! Khoon nikal raha hai iske hooth se ??!!!"
("Are you even human or an animal? Can't you see his condition!? His cheek is completely red! His lips are bleeding??!!!")
"Bas gaal hi laal kiya hai meine... abhi toh poora badan laal karna baaki hai! Ladkiyon pe muh maarna...gandhi nazar daalna...jhooth bolna... sab churwata hun iske sharir se aaj!" he hissed, storming to the corner and snatching up an iron rod.
("All I did was make his cheek red... I haven't even started with the rest of his body yet! For leering at women... for putting his dirty eyes on them... for lying... I'll rip all of that filth from his body today!" )
"Ek jaanwar k sath janwar giri karna parta hain...Hatiye yahan se aap! Main kehta hoon, hatiye!"
("You have to treat a animal like a animal only buaji... Move aside! I said, move!")
Sakshi's eyes widened in terror. She tried to move forward, but Kajal gripped her wrist tightly.
"Kajal... yeh kya karne wale hain tere bhaiya...?" she murmured, fear lacing her tone.
("Kajal ...what is your bhaiya going to do...???")
Kajal gave a cold smile. "Karne dijiye jo karna hai bare bhaiya ko..Veer bhaiya ko saza milna chahiye.."
("Let him do what he wants to do bhabhi...Veer bhaiya deserves it..")
Buaji threw herself over her son, shielding him, weeping uncontrollably.
"Arjun beta... aise mat kar! Tu itna sakht kaise ho gaya? Veer naadaan hai... woh aise nahi kar sakta..."
("Arjun beta... don't do this! How did you become so heartless? I am telling you.. Veer is naive... he couldn't do something like this...")
"Aap hatenge ya Veer ke saath aap bhi iss rod ka swaad chakna chahte hain! Mujhe koi dikkat nahi hai!" Arjun barked, grabbing her arm roughly and shoving her aside.
("Will you move or do you also want to taste this iron rod with Veer? I have no problem either way!")
Veer began trembling violently, shaking his head as tears poured down his face.
"Bhaiya... nahi... bhaiya... aise mat kijiye... bhabhiji, aap rokiye na bhaiya ko..." he begged.
("Bhaiya... no... bhaiya... please don't do this... bhabhiji, please stop bhaiya..." )
Arjun smirked cruelly. "Teri bhabhiji kya, koi bhi aaj tujhe nahi bacha payega mere haath se. Mujhe abhi tak pehchana nahi tune?"
("Not your bhabhiji, not anyone else-no one will save you from me today. You still haven't understood who I am, have you?")
Sakshi looked at him, silently pleading with her eyes, shaking her head helplessly. But he didn't listen to her.
Then the blows began.
The iron rod came down on Veer's leg - again. And again.
Each strike tearing a scream from his throat.
"Aaaaah bhaiya... lag raha hai...!" he howled, trying to crawl away back.
("Ahhh..bhaiyaa..it paining!!!)
"Kya hua!? Ab maza nahi aa raha maar khane mein!? Lagne k liye hi toh tujhe maar raha hu" Arjun thundered, landing another blow on his back.
("What happened!? Not enjoying getting beaten anymore!? Obviously I am hitting you so it does hurt!")
Buaji fell at his feet.
"Mat kar beta... haath jodti hoon tere saamne... mar jayega woh...!"
("Don't do this, son... I beg you with folded hands... he'll die...!")
But Arjun didn't stop.
"Muh khol apna! Bol sabke saamne ki tune kya kiya hai! Aur ek jhooth bol zara... toh sar phor dunga yahi mein tera!" he roared, continuing the relentless beating.
("Open your mouth! Tell everyone what you did! And dare you lie once more... I'll smash your head right here!")
Veer screamed, voice choked in pain.
"Haaa... haan... ahh ...maine kiya... haan... meri galti hai... main gaya tha bhabhi ke kamre mein... chhod dijiye ..ahhhh...!" he confessed in broken sobs.
("Ahh... yes... yes... it was me... it was my fault... I went to bhabhi's room... please stop... ahhhh...!")
He collapsed, shivering, breathless, body covered in bruises. Arjun finally stopped, his hand red, veins bulging with fury, and threw the iron rod aside with a loud clang.
Buaji was inconsolable, her cries echoing in the tense air.
Arjun bent down, grabbing Veer by his torn kurta and jerking him up.
Veer couldn't stand - his legs had given up, his strength long gone. His entire body is burning in pain....
"Ab ache se bata apni maa ko... kya karne jaa raha tha! Bol! Nahi toh isi zameen mein zinda jala k gaad dunga tujhe !! Mazak nahi kar raha ... kerosene hain rasoi mein.."
("Now tell your mother clearly... what you were trying to do! Speak! Or I'll burn and bury you alive in this very ground!! I'm not joking... there's kerosene in the kitchen...")
He shouts in his ear making him flinch terribly. He nodded his head crying..
"Main hi tha jisne bhabhi ji ko chhedne ki koshish ki... bhabhi ji ki koi galti nahi thi... uss din bhi main hi tha jisne unke upar paani giraya tha..." Veer confessed, his voice cracking between sobs.
("It was me who tried to misbehave with bhabhi ji... bhabhi ji wasn't at fault at all... even that day, it was me who spilled water on her...")
His head dropped in shame.
Sakshi gasped, covering her mouth with her palm. Kajal's eyes brimmed with tears.
Arjun grabbed Veer's jaw, jerking his face up to meet his burning eyes.
"Ab kya hua? Nazre kyun nahi mila paa raha? Sharam aa raha hai? Tab nahi aaya tha jab yeh sab kar raha tha?" he growled.
("What happened now? Can't look me in the eye? Feeling ashamed? You didn't feel it back then when you were doing all this?")
"Maa jaisi hoti hai bhabhi... aur tu ne usi ke saath battameezi ki... kya milta hai tujhe yeh sab karke?" Arjun's voice shook with a mix of rage and heartbreak.
(Bhabhi is like a mother... and you dared to disrespect her like this... What do you even get out of doing such filth?" )
Veer remained silent.
"Afsos ki baat yeh hai... tu mera bhai hai. Rag-rag se jaanta hoon tujhe. Tere dimaag agar paanch kadam sochta hain.. toh mera dimaag usse teen kadam aage sochta hai." Arjun's voice was cold now - almost numb.
("What's worse... is that you're my brother. I know you inside and out. If your brain can think five steps ahead, mine thinks eight.")
Veer folded his trembling hands in front of him.
"Maaf kar do bhaiya..." he whispered.
("Forgive me, bhaiya...")
Arjun scoffed, "Mere se maafi maangne se kuch nahi hoga. Jis insaan ke saath tune yeh ghinona harkat kiya hain... usse maafi maang. Ja - dekh, maaf karti hai ya nahi." He shoved him forward.
("Asking for my forgiveness won't change anything. Apologize to the one you wronged. Go - see if she forgives you or not.")
Veer stumbled toward Sakshi. She stood frozen, her eyes filled with unshed tears, her body stiff like stone.
He folded his hands before her, not daring to meet her gaze.
"Maaf kar dijiye bhabhi ji..." he stammered.
("Please forgive me, bhabhi ji...")
Sakshi turned her face away, tears finally spilling down her cheeks.
There was no forgiveness in her silence - only pain.
Some wounds don't heal with apologies; they heal only with distance and time.
And some, never do.
Arjun turned to Buaji, who now stood like a statue - the puja thali forgotten. She was silently looking at Veer.
"Kya hua, Buaji?" he asked, mockingly calm.
("What happened, Buaji?")
"Aaj kuch bolengi nahi? Ya ab bhi kahengi ki aapka beta nirdosh hai? Mansum hai naa??"
("Not going to say anything today? Or are you still going to say your son is innocent? A saint, right??")
He stepped closer, eyes sharp.
"Uss din toh badi zubaan chal rahi thi... aaj kya hua? Bolti band ho gayi? Ya aapke bhi dimaag mein gobar bhar gaya hai?" he spat the words with venom.
("That day your tongue was unstoppable... what happened today? Lost your voice? Or has your brain also turned to cow dung?")
'Meri patni besharam hain ...iski jaise aurat nahi dekhi iss duniya mein ..saap hain ...woh yeh hain woh hain..aur bhi kitna kuch..ab kya hua??' he roared angrily.
('My wife is shameless... never seen a woman like her in this world... she's like a snake... she's this and that...what not did you say? What now??')
Buaji just looking down silently.
"Bohut garv tha na apko apne bete par? Ab kya hua ?? Dikha diya na aapna asli aukat??' Arjun chuckles sarcastically.
("You were so proud of your son, weren't you? What happened now?? He finally showed his real standard?")
'Kaan kholkar sun lijiye ...Veer aaj aur abhi k abhi iss ghar se chala jayega...' he said glaring at him.
("Listen carefully... Veer will leave this house right now and forever...")
Veer's eyes widens with pain and shock.
'Aapke ladle bete ko boliye aapna saman lekar yaha se chala jaay...mujhe iss ghar mein koi gandagi nahi chahiye ?? Samjhe aap??' he said and buaji listen to it silently processing his words.
("Tell your beloved son to pack his things and get out... I don't want any filth in this house! Understood??")
'Bhaiya ,mein kah-' Before Veer could complete the sentence, he flinches when Arjun shows his hand.
("Bhaiya, I-")
'Tu phirse bol raha hain?? Du kya kaan k niche aur ek????!!!' he asked making him flinch again.
("You're speaking again?? Want another slap??!!!")
Veer quickly shook his head in fear.
'Khabardar jo aage se mujhe bhaiya bulaaye toh...nalayak kahika..' Arjun hissed, lowering his hand but not his anger.
("Don't you dare call me 'bhaiya' again... you disgrace...")
She then slowly went towards him. He signal with his eyes to do something so that Arjun could not able to throw him out of this house.
"Maa, main-" he started, voice barely a whisper.
("Maa, I-")
CRACK!
A sharp slap landed brutally across his cheek.
His face turned with the impact, and for a moment, the world around him seemed to freeze. He slowly brought his hand up to his cheek, his eyes wide, stunned, confused... broken.
"Maa?! Aapne-"
("Maa did you??")
"Mat bol mujhe maa!" she screamed, her voice shaking, laced with rage and betrayal.
("Don't you dare call me your mother!")
"Teri maa aaj se mar chuka hai!"
("Your mother is dead from this moment!")
Tears streamed down her face, but her fury didn't waver.
Across the room, Sakshi gasped audibly, clutching Kajal's hand. Kajal, too, stood in silent shock-unable to believe is it really happening before them??
Did buaji really slapped her loving son??
"Tune jo besharam harkat kiya na apni bhabhi ke saath... uss ek pal ne meri poori zindagi mein kalank laga diya! Tu ne mujhe kisi ke saamne muh dikhane layak nahi chhoda!" she shouted, her hands grabbing the collar of his kurta and shaking him violently.
("The shameless act you committed with your bhabhi... that one moment stained my entire life! You've made me too ashamed to show my face in front of anyone!")
Arjun stared at the buaji surprised by her sudden outburst.