Mujhko shikaayat karni hai sabki
Mujhko sataate hain maa
Ab tu chhupa le paas bula le
Mann hai akela yahaan

Radhika lay on the cold, hard floor of her tiny room, which was more like a storage closet in the big mansion. Her small, fragile body was covered in scars, burns, and bruises, all reminders of the years of cruelty she had faced. They told the stories no one wanted to hear. Since her parents passed away, She hadn't known a single day of comfort or safety, leaving her in the hands of Rajendra and Aarti. Her Godparents.

A sharp knock on the door woke her up as the maid called her to get to work. She jumped to her feet immediately, moving like a puppet on strings, terrified of making a mistake like a day before, when she had accidentally spilled tea while serving Aarti. The punishment had left a dark bruise on her wrist that still gave her pain every time she moved.

Once the maid left, Radhika sat up slowly, feeling the bruise on her wrist from the previous day. It was a dull ache that hurt every time she moved.

✧

The house was full of busy maids, each working hard in their own corner. They moved quickly, careful not to make any mistakes, knowing the consequences could be as bad as what Radhika faced the day before. They didn't want to be the next ones to get punished.

The maids knew better than to feel sorry for Radhika. As she walked down the stairs, they avoided looking at her, their whispers soft but constant. They had seen how she was treated, but in this house, they knew it was safer to stay quiet.

Radhika quietly joined the others in the kitchen, preparing food and cleaning without pause. Hours slipped by unnoticed as she worked, her body on autopilot. When breakfast was ready, as usual, Aarti made her serve it. The family always ate first, leaving behind only leftovers for Radhika, like she was some stray dog.

As she poured juice into a glass, her trembling hands betrayed her. A small spill spread across the table, her heart sinking in panic. She frantically cleaned it up, her hands shaking, knowing the smallest mistake could lead to punishment.

"I don't know why we keep her around. Useless, all of it," Aarti's voice cut through the quiet. "Takes up space, takes up food. She's nothing more than dead weight."

Radhika knew better than to react. She didn't look up to look at Aarti, her hands only working cleaning the juice she spilled, while cleaning she looked at the faint scars on her hands that painted a map of her life here. She had tried, once, to stand up for herself. She remembered the slap, the sudden burst of pain that had left her ear ringing for hours. Now, she only hopes to be unseen. After cleaning she rushed towards the kitchen, not wanting to listen to any more insults.

Kavya's laugh floated through, cruel and taunting. "Look at her, hiding away as if anyone cares where she goes. Pathetic little bitch."

Every word felt like a dagger, cutting deep. It was a cruel reminder that, in their eyes, she was nothing. Less than nothing. They spoke as if she couldn't hear, as if her feelings didn't matter, as if she wasn't human. But she was and every single word hurted her, breaking her, shattering her into pieces. The words stabbed her like daggers.

✧

By the time night came Radhika's stomach was twisted in knots. She knew that somehow, something would go wrong. It always did, especially when Kavya was in one of her moods. And tonight, she had been watching Radhika with that familiar look-anticipation, like a cat watching a trapped mouse.

Radhika tried her best to avoid eye contact, to keep her head down and fade into the background, but it didn't matter. All it took was one small thing—Kavya intentionally knocked over a glass while Radhika was serving dinner, leading to water spilling on the floor. A small wicked smile came on Kavya's face. 

"Papa! Look what she's done!" Kavya's voice echoed down the hallway blaming Radhika, her tone high-pitched and gleeful, savouring the moment.

Radhika's heart sank. She looked at his godfather. His face was a storm cloud, dark and threatening, and she felt herself recoil as he closed in.

"Is it too much to serve dinner now?" he growled, his eyes flashing with anger. He reached out, and before she could brace herself, his hand was around her arm, fingers digging into the bruises that were still healing from the last time. "You think you can just get away with this? That you're entitled to stay under this roof?"

She didn't dare to respond. Words wouldn't save her, and she knew better than to try.

Suddenly, A sharp sting erupted on her left cheek, the sound of a slap echoing in the room. The slap left marks on her cheek.  Radhika's eyes glistened with unshed tears, not because of pain but shame. This pain was nothing compared to what she had endured. She mumbled a quick sorry in her broken voice and quickly started cleaning up. As she bent down to clean up, tears finally escaped her eyes bringing her pain out. And like always Kavya got what she wanted.

✧

The entire mansion seemed to fall silent as darkness settled, a tense stillness in the air. Radhika retreated to her small, dim room, her body worn from a day of silent endurance. But there was no comfort waiting for her. Her mind raced, knowing too well what the night might bring.

When she heard the creak of heavy footsteps outside her door, her stomach twisted, fear clutching her like an iron fist. Rajendra. She could feel his presence even before he entered, his figure looming, filling the doorway, casting shadows across the tiny room.

Her heart pounded as she backed against the wall, but it was no use. Rajendra was there in an instant with a cruel smirk on his face. Tears automatically flowed down from Radhika's eyes. She knew what was coming, She had accepted her fate, their cruelty, pain everything. She knew nothing could stop it. 

Rajendra was drunk like any other night, he would come and use her as a punching bag like everyone else, hit her or assault her till she passed out, everyone knew but nobody dared to stop him. But, today he also had a cigarette in his hands, seeing this Radhika's whole body went cold because she knew what he would do to her. After all, She had thousands of burn marks on her body. 

Without a word, he grabbed her by the arm, his fingers digging into her flesh, his grip bruising and unforgiving. Before she could even register the pain, he threw her to the floor. She hit the ground hard, the impact sending a jolt through her entire body, and a whimper escaped her lips despite her attempts to stay silent.

"You worthless burden," he spat, towering over her as she lay sprawled on the floor. "Taking you in was the worst mistake I ever made."

She knew better than to respond. Her silence didn't appease him; nothing ever did. With a vicious sneer, he bent to her level. She tried not to look up, keeping her gaze fixed on the floor, but the smoke filled the small space, choking her, and burning her throat.

He took a drag, letting the smoke linger in his mouth before releasing it in a slow, mocking exhale. And then, without warning, his hand grabbed her shoulder to keep her in place as he pressed the burning cigarette into the back of her arm. The pain was blinding, a fiery, searing agony that made her gasp, but she clamped her mouth shut, biting down so hard she tasted blood.

Rajendra's face twisted into a satisfied smirk, pleased by her silent suffering. He let go of her, watching with satisfaction as she cradled her burned arm, her skin blistered and red. She could feel her pulse throbbing through the wound, the pain mingling with the countless other injuries her body carried.

"You're lucky we even let you stay here," he whispered, his breath hot and stinking of smoke. "Worthless, all of it."

"You don't belong here," he hissed. "You don't belong anywhere."

Her breaths came in shallow, shaky gasps, her body trembling from the mixture of pain and humiliation. But he wasn't done. But Rajendra wasn't finished. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his lighter, flicking it open with a menacing glint in his eye. She knew what was coming, but there was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.

He grabbed a handful of her hair, yanking her head back as he brought the flame closer to her exposed skin. The heat radiated against her neck, and she squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for the next wave of pain. She felt the flame lick against her skin, her senses overwhelmed by the smell of burning flesh.

Her vision blurred, black spots dancing before her eyes as her body struggled to process the agony. Her knees gave out, and she slumped forward, the last of her strength leaving her.

The faint sound of footsteps echoed in the distance, and a vague awareness tugged at the edges of her mind. The maids-they were there, somewhere nearby, perhaps watching in horror but helpless to intervene. 

Radhika's mind began to drift, the pain slowly dulling as darkness crept in around her. Rajendra's wicked laughter echoed through the room, a sound that seemed to reverberate in every corner of her broken soul. She tried to focus, tried to fight it, but her body was no longer her own. Her vision blurred, and the world around her seemed to spin in slow motion, the edges of reality fading like a bad dream.

Her chest rose and fell in shallow gasps, her breaths ragged, each inhale a struggle against the searing pain that radiated from her arm and neck. Her throat felt raw, but she couldn't make a sound—couldn't even call out for help. She wanted to reach out, to cry for help, but her body wouldn't respond. Not that anyone would come. She had learned long ago that no one would.

As her body trembled from the shock of it all, her mind clung to memories of her parents. The warmth of their embrace. The love in their eyes. She tried to picture their faces, to find comfort in their memory, but the more she tried, the more distant they became, like fragments of a dream fading with the rising dawn.

The floor beneath her was cold and unforgiving, but it was all she had left. She wanted to curl into herself, to hide from the world that had turned so cruel, but the ache in her body was too much. It was as though the universe itself was punishing her, forcing her to endure this endless suffering.

Rajendra's voice cut through the haze of her thoughts, his words dripping with venom. "You're lucky to be alive in this house, stupid girl. Don't forget that. "Radhika squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the sound, but it was impossible. His presence consumed everything, and all she wanted was for it to stop. To find peace, even if it was only in her mind.

A distant noise caught her attention, faint but familiar—a sound that was always a part of the evening routine. The soft shuffle of Aarti's slippers on the floor, followed by her high-pitched voice. "Is she done yet?" Kavya's laughter rang out, cruel and cutting. "She's still breathing, isn't she? I think she's good for now. "Radhika's heart sank at the thought of them, those two who had made her life a living hell. The same two who had watched Rajendra torment her time and time again, never lifting a finger to stop it. They were no better than him. They were just as responsible for the nightmare she lived in.

The sound of Aarti's footsteps grew louder as she approached, her voice sickeningly sweet as she spoke. "Clean up your mess, you bitch. And don't you dare think of asking for any help. You're already worthless and a burden for us." Radhika barely registered the words. The weight of her exhaustion and pain pressed down on her, and she felt herself slipping further into the darkness, her body trembling from the toll it had taken. 

But somewhere, in the distant recesses of her mind, she clung to a single thought—it would end one day. It has to. Just before the darkness fully consumed her, she heard Aarti's final words. "Pathetic... so pathetic. Why don't she just die so I don't have to see her unlucky face daily."

And then, nothing.

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PREVIEW OF NEXT CHAPTER......

"You think blood makes us family?" Nikolai's voice was cold, laced with venom. He stood across the room, his shadow stretching long under the dim light. "You've made it clear, Mr Petrov, that I'm nothing more than a showcase for display in your perfect dynasty otherwise you never even look at me."

His father's laughter crackled, bitter and unkind. "You think you've earned anything, boy? The trust fund, the empire—it was never meant for you. You were always the mistake I had to endure. It's so sad that because of my mistake, you became a useless burden which cost me, my lovely wife and mother of my worthy children."

Nikolai's jaw tightened, his fingers curling around the crystal glass jar in his hand. "Don't forget, dear Mr. Petrov... your empire was built on blood. But don't forget so have I.  The difference is, I'm not afraid to burn everything down, including you, if you stand in my way.."

For the first time, his father went still, the words sinking in. He knew exactly what Nikolai was capable of.

"Remember this," Nikolai added, his smile dark and lethal. "You might have built your empire from blood... but I'll be the one to tear it down."

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Now here are some questions for y'all😼💅

->Why did Rajendra and Aarti adopt Radhika if they hate her so much??

->Why doesn't Radhika try to fight back?

->Are Rajendra and Aarti hiding something behind their motive to adopt Radhika??

->Why don't servants of Bharadwaj mansion help Radhika?

I am sorry for any Grammatical Mistakes.😞🙏

BRO- comment y'all so I can write better! uwu~ I need motivation🤡😞😶‍🌫️

BEFORE YOU ALL LEAVE...😞

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I'D📍- taraaverse_