Chapter 4

The whole haveli was in chaos now everyone was running here and there leaving a confused Inaayat behind. She didn't know what was happening because no one bothered to tell her but she was happy that the chaos were not for her.

She woke up early and did her with without any clumsiness. Her curious gaze was looking at everyone but what she wanted to know was why everyone is looking so happy. As she standing in a corner and observing everyone, Thakurain approached her. She immediately cascaded her eyes down in fear.

"Aye ladki, ab sab ko kya aise dekhti hi rahegi? Bohot kaam pada hai haveli mein. Jaa ke chote Thakur ka kamra saaf kar." she ordered her while a little confusion appeared at Inaayat's face.

(Translation: Hey girl, will you keep looking at everyone like this? There is a lot of work to be done in the mansion. Go and clean Chote Thakur's room.)

Because as far as she knew chote Thakur's room was closed for years because he went somewhere suddenly and then no one entered his room since that day because he didn't like anyone in his room except her, which Thakurain didn't like even a bit. Then why she was sending her in his room now.

"Ab kya murti ki tarah khadi hi rahegi idhar? Jaa yaha se!!" Thakurain yelled at her making her flinch so badly and she immediately lifted her feet to run away from there.

(Translation: Will you remain standing here like a statue now? Go away from here!!)

But before she could take even a single step Thakurain grabbed her jaw hard raising her face up. A pout was formed of her trembling lips and tears burnt her eyes looking at Thakurain's cold face. Her face alone scares her a lot and all she wanted was to run away from there and hide dimwitted in the dark so no one would find her ever.

"Agar ek bhi saman toota aur wahan se gayab hua to tujhe is duniya se gayab kar doongi samjhi?!" she yelled right at her face which made tears to pool in her honey brown eyes.

(Translation: If even one item breaks or disappears from there, I will make you disappear from this world, understand?!)

Thakurain gritted her teeth seeing her tears which she hates because everytime she faces Inaayat all she does is crying. She left her face with a jerk and cleaned her hand at her expensive saree like touching her made her hand dirty which hurt her again for the thousandth time because every member of the family does this.

Seeing her still standing there Thakurain clenched her jaw and pushed her towards the stairs. Inaayat stumbled and fell on the last stair bumping her elbow hard at it's corner. She started whimpering and stood up from her place before she had to face Thakurain's wrath. Running upon the stairs she didn't even stop for a second.

After reaching at the second floor she picked the cleaning materials and went to Chote Thakur's room. As soon as she opened the door of the room she met so much dust there while everything was as it is, at its place like back then. The poor girl was too naive to understand that Thakurain had intentionally told her to clean the room because it will take her whole day as well as energy.

She sighed softly and picked up a duster first and starter dusting the dirt from the things. She saw his expensive toy cars because since his childhood he loved cars a lot. She started cleaning them with utter care and love that her one touch will break them. She cleaned his cricket bats, badminton rackets and many other things.

Suddenly something fell down from the cupboard which left her frozen at her place. Her body started shaking due to fear even without imagining what Thakurain will do to her if she will get to know she broke something of her dear son's thing. She clutched the cloth of her kurti tightly in her sweating palms and turned around slowly to face the mistake she has done.

Her honey brown eyes were tightly closed like blocking the view for a moment. Beads of sweat were gracing her forehead and breathing laboured. When slowly she opened her eyes she saw a box lying there. She took small and hesitant steps towards the toy and slowly picked it up. When she picked it up she saw a little stuffed toy in it.

She frowned first and then sighed in relief when she saw the stuffed toy was fine and it was not dirty like the other things because it was kept in the box. It had two soft ears with two beautiful eyes, a nose and sad face. It never leaves any chance to amuse her. She couldn't understand how the stuff toys are always so beautiful and how they are made.

Suddenly a memory hit her little brain hard after looking at the stuffed toy for so long.

Flashback

Her eleven years self was sitting at the backside of the haveli after getting a good beating from the Thakurain. As usual she was doing the house chores in early morning. She was cleaning the things in the living room when suddenly a small vase slipped from the table and fell on the floor. It shattered into millions of pieces.

Her honey eyes widened and before she could clean it up she felt her arm getting into a iron grip that it started hurting. She looked up and saw Thakurain standing there with her eyes red in anger. She knew that she was doomed because no one was their to save her and she couldn't save herself no matter what.

"Ye kya kiya ladki? Pata bhi hai kitna mehenga hai ye? Tujhe poora ka poora bech doongi to bhi iski aadhi keemat nahi milegi." Thakurain roared in early morning and snatched her from the floor making her stumble.

(Translation: What have you done girl? Do you even know how expensive this is? Even if I sell you completely, still I won't even get the half price of it.)

She started trawling towards a store room filled with stocked things and so many mouses and insects. Inaayat was whimpering in her iron grip hold and tried to explain herself but nothing came out of her except small and soft sobs. Thakurain pushed her inside the store room and started beating her with a stick kept in corner.

"N-n-nahi." Inaayat tried to stop the Thakurain but couldn't even form a word.

(Translation: N-n-no.)

"Chup! Agar zara bhi awaz nikali muh se aur zor se marungi!" Thakurain said and repeatedly rained the hits on the poor girl.

(Translation: Shut up! If even the slightest sound comes out of your mouth, I will beat you even more!)

She started rolling on the floor in pain while crying hysterically but voice came out of her lips. After beating her for almost fifteen minutes Thakurain threw the stick and seethed in anger. Grabbing Inaayat by her hair she slapped her hard.

"Aaj ke baad aisi galti dobara ki to tere haath tod doongi." saying this she kicked her for the last time and walked away from there.

(Translation: If you make a mistake like this again after today, I will break your hands.)

Inaayat kept laying there not having enough energy to gather herself. After God knows how much time passed away she lifted her shaking hand first and looked at it. When she realized that there is some energy left in her she slowly sat up at the floor. Cautiously she stood up at her two trembling feet.

After sometime, she started limping out of the storeroom wanting to hide somehow. She recalled the backside of the haveli where no one visits much so she went there hiding from everyone and sat on the glass with her back against the wall taking it's support for her weak body. Suddenly she saw a shadow and started trembling in fear. She took her knees closer to her chest.

But the next moment she saw a stuffed toy peeking from behind the wall. She silently kept looking at the stuffed toy in fear who had it's lips turned down like it's sad. And suddenly she heard a familiar voice.

"Aree tum kyun ro rahi ho?" the voice came and the stuffed toy was moving in the air. She knew someone was doing it intentionally.

(Translation: Hey why are you crying?)

"Kya hua? Jawab nahi dogi aaj bhi?" the voice again came and she immediately turned her doe eyes at the floor.

(Translation: What happened? Won't you answer me today also?)

So the owner of the voice came out from behind of the wall and sat in front of her at his knees. He tried to look at her face but she didn't let him so he sighed softly. He was none other then seventeen year old Chote Thakur of the haveli, Arjun Pratap Singh.

"Maa ne tumhe aaj phir mara Inu?" Arjun asked her sympathetically using the nickname he gave to her but as usual she didn't answer him back.

(Translation: Did mom hit you again today, Inu?)

"Dikhao kahan lagi hai?" he asked her and tried to examine her hands but she hide them behind her back.

(Translation: Show me where you are hurt?)

"Tum abhi bhi mujh par bharosa nahi karti na? Mai sach mein tumhara dost banna chahta hoon." he said softly but the poor girl was too broken to trust anyone.

(Translation: You still don't trust me, do you? I really want to be your friend.)

He knew she won't let him touch her and examine her injury she he sat on the grass in front of her with his crossed legs. She tried to scoot more back but couldn't due to the wall.

"Pata hai Inu, ye teddy bear mai tumhare liye laya tha. Kyun ki jab maine ise mall mein pehli baar dekha to iski udaas chehre ne mujhe tumhari yaad dilayi. Tum hamesha udaas aur dari hui rehti ho." he stated caressing the stuffed toy softly.

(Translation: Do you know Inu, I brought this teddy bear for you. Because when I saw it for the first time in the mall, its sad face reminded me of you. You are always sad and scared.)

"Mai nahi janta ki tumhare gharwale kahan hain aur tum hamare yaha kyun kaam karti ho par mai ye zaroor janta hoon ek na ek din tumhe bhi wo sab milega jo tum deserve karti ho." he said to which she frowned not understanding the meaning of his word.

(Translation: I don't know where your family is and why you work at our place, but I definitely know that one day you will get everything that you deserve.)

"Deserve? I mean- mera matlab jiski tum haqdaar ho." he said trying to make her understand in simple words.

(Translation: Deserve? I mean- I mean what you deserve.)

"Inu, tum mujhse dosti kyun nahi kar leti pehle ki tarah. Hum kitna khelte the saath me pehle achanak se tumhe kya ho gaya hai?" Arjun asked her sadly reminding her of another horrible incident of her life which she didn't want to remember.

(Translation: Inu, why don't you be friends with me like before. We used to play so much together earlier, what has happened to you suddenly?)

So she immediately stood up in a speed and started running away from him. Arjun also stood up at her feet and tried to stop her but she didn't even look back at him leaving the teddy bear still with him.

"Inu!!" he called her out loudly in hope that she will stop.

"Inu ruko!!" he called her again and again but she didn't stop.

(Translation: Inu wait!!)

Flashback ends

"Arre kaamchor ladki kahan hai tu?" a voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

(Translation: Hey slacker girl where are you?)

She immediately sprang up and placed the box back at it's place. She immediately started dusting the room and heard some footsteps behind her. She didn't turn around to face the person behind her.

"Lo jii, maharani abhi tak yahi kaam kar rahin hain." a maid said to her tauntingly which made her to increase her speed of working hands a little more.

(Translation: Oh no see, the Queen is still doing the same thing.)

"Sun, ye kamra saaf karne ke baad sab ke liye rotiyan bana diyo. Mai jaa rahi hoon apne kamre me aram karne." said the maid and left for the foyer where the servants of the haveli lives except Inaayat.

(Translation: Listen, after cleaning this room you have to make chapatis for everyone. I am going to my room to rest.)

Inaayat immediately started cleaning and mopping the room after the maid left. Then she arranged everything back to their places and put the mops and broom back to its place and then left for the kitchen to make the chapatis for the family members of the haveli.