THE ACCUSATION

RADHE RADHE READER'S

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The next afternoon...

School had just ended.

Rahul walked into the Oberoi Mansion with tears streaming down his face.

His school bag was hanging from one shoulder.

His eyes were red.

Mira immediately rushed to him.

"Rahul!"

"What happened?"

Rahul buried his face in her arms.

"Mumma..."

"Abhimanyu bullied me..."

The entire living room fell silent.

Abhimanyu, who had just entered behind him, froze.

"What?"

Rahul continued crying.

"He told everyone not to play with me..."

"He laughed at me..."

"He said I wasn't part of this family..."

Abhimanyu's eyes widened.

"I... I never—"

Rahul cried even louder.

"He threatened me..."

"If I told anyone..."

"He would stop talking to me forever..."

Mira looked at Abhimanyu in disbelief.

"Abhimanyu..."

"Is this true?"

He shook his head immediately.

"No, Mamma."

"I never said that."

Before he could explain further, Rahul wiped his tears.

"I knew no one would believe me..."

"I tried to stay quiet..."

"But I couldn't anymore."

His trembling voice convinced almost everyone.

Rajendra frowned deeply.

"This is unacceptable."

Savitri looked heartbroken.

"How could you say something like that to your own brother?"

Vikram's expression hardened.

"Abhimanyu."

"I'm ashamed."

"You've crossed every limit."

Abhimanyu felt his throat tighten.

"Papa..."

"I didn't..."

But Vikram interrupted him.

"Enough."

"You've already disappointed us so many times."

Mira looked away, unable to meet his eyes.

"I never expected this from you."

Raghav sighed.

"This behaviour has to stop."

Naina nodded.

"You'll only become a better person if you learn from your mistakes."

Aarav folded his arms.

"Seriously, Abhi?"

"Bullying Rahul?"

"I never thought you'd stoop this low."

Aanya's eyes filled with disappointment.

"I always believed you."

"But now..."

"I don't know what to believe anymore."

Vivaan spoke firmly.

"You should be protecting Rahul."

"Not becoming his biggest problem."

Every word struck Abhimanyu harder than the last.

His eyes slowly filled with tears.

"I really didn't do it..."

His voice was barely a whisper.

But no one seemed to hear him.

---

Just then...

Mira's phone rang.

The Kapoor family was calling from Mumbai.

The video call connected.

Jai smiled first.

"Hello, everyone!"

But his smile disappeared when he saw the atmosphere.

"What happened?"

Vikram sighed.

"Rahul says Abhimanyu has been bullying him at school."

Jai's eyebrows shot up.

"What?"

"That's impossible."

Ishika looked toward the screen.

"Maan..."

"Tell me."

"Did you really bully Rahul?"

Abhimanyu looked at her.

For the first time...

The one person who had always trusted him...

Was asking him the same question.

His heart sank.

He slowly whispered,

"No..."

"I didn't."

Ishika closed her eyes for a moment.

Then spoke, her voice filled with disappointment.

"Maan..."

"If you're hiding the truth..."

"I'm really disappointed."

"You know bullying is never right."

Those words broke something inside Abhimanyu.

He had expected everyone else to scold him.

But not his Butterfly.

Not Ishika.

A tear rolled down his cheek.

He lowered his head.

"I'm sorry..."

Everyone assumed he was admitting his mistake.

Only Jai frowned.

He looked carefully at Abhimanyu's face.

No anger.

No guilt.

Only pain.

Jai shook his head.

"No."

"I don't believe this."

"I know Abhi."

"He can make mistakes."

"But he cannot bully someone."

Anu immediately stepped beside him.

"I don't believe it either."

She looked directly at Rahul.

"Something isn't right."

Rahul felt his heartbeat quicken.

For the first time...

Someone had openly questioned his story.

But before anyone could say another word...

Vikram spoke firmly.

"Enough."

"As punishment..."

"Abhimanyu, you're grounded for two weeks."

"No playing."

"No cycling."

"No television."

"And after school..."

"You'll come straight home."

Abhimanyu quietly nodded.

"Yes, Papa."

He turned around and slowly walked upstairs.

Not once...

Did he look back.

On the video call...

Ishika watched him disappear.

For some reason...

Her heart felt unbearably heavy.

While Jai and Anu silently exchanged a glance.

Neither of them believed the accusation.

And somewhere in the corner of the room...

Rahul lowered his eyes.

His lie had been believed once again.

But the growing doubt in Jai and Anu's eyes made him realize...

Keeping the truth hidden was becoming harder.

That night...

Abhimanyu quietly closed the door to his room.

Click.

For the first time...

The silence felt frightening.

He slowly walked towards the bed and sat down.

His eyes remained fixed on the floor.

No tears came.

He was too tired to cry.

He could still hear everyone's voices.

"I'm ashamed."

"I'm disappointed."

"You've crossed every limit."

"Maan... I'm really disappointed."

That last sentence echoed the loudest.

Butterfly...

Even Butterfly...

---

Abhimanyu hugged his knees tightly.

His small voice broke the silence.

"...Did I really bully Rahul?"

He tried to remember.

Every lunch break.

Every game.

Every conversation.

"No..."

"I never called him names..."

"I never told anyone not to play with him..."

"So..."

"Why does everyone think I did?"

His breathing became uneven.

"What if..."

"What if I don't remember?"

"What if I hurt him without knowing?"

He buried his face in his knees.

"What if everyone is right..."

"And I'm wrong?"

---

His eyes slowly drifted to the bracelet on his wrist.

The bracelet Ishika had tied with her own hands.

He gently touched it.

"You always said..."

"My Maan has the kindest heart."

A tear finally escaped.

"But..."

"If Butterfly is disappointed too..."

"Maybe..."

"My heart isn't that kind anymore."

He quickly wiped his tears away.

"I don't want you to think I'm bad..."

"I really don't..."

---

The room felt unbearably empty.

Usually...

Anu would burst into his room without knocking.

Jai would call and demand to hear about his latest prank.

Butterfly would tease him for forgetting his homework.

Today...

No one came.

No one laughed.

No one called him "Maan."

He whispered to himself,

"Maybe..."

"They don't want to talk to me anymore."

His chest tightened.

"It hurts..."

"So much."

---

He remembered the day Ishika had tied the bracelet around his wrist.

"Promise me you'll always smile, Maan."

He gave a tiny, broken smile.

"I'm sorry..."

"I couldn't keep that promise."

---

He looked towards the family photograph on his study table.

Dadu.

Dadi.

Papa.

Mamma.

Chachu.

Chachi.

Aarav.

Aanya.

Vivaan.

Anu.

Rahul.

Everyone was smiling.

"So many people..."

"But..."

"Why do I feel so alone?"

His voice cracked.

"Why does it feel..."

"Like no one can hear me?"

---

He slowly lay down on his bed.

Without changing his uniform.

Without eating dinner.

Without saying good night.

He stared at the ceiling.

"I keep making mistakes..."

"Maybe everyone would be happier..."

"If I stopped troubling them."

He immediately covered his mouth.

"No..."

"I shouldn't think like that."

"They love me."

"They're just disappointed."

"I'll become better."

"I'll be more careful."

"I won't fight."

"I won't argue."

"I won't complain."

"I'll never make anyone upset again."

Even if...

No one believed him.

---

A soft breeze entered through the window.

Abhimanyu closed his eyes.

One silent tear rolled down his cheek.

"I miss you, Butterfly..."

"I miss you, Jai..."

"I miss the old me."

For the first time in his young life...

Abhimanyu wasn't afraid of being punished.

He wasn't afraid of getting hurt.

He was afraid of something much deeper.

That one day...

The people he loved most...

Would stop believing in him forever.

And that fear...

Hurt far more than every bruise he carried on his body.

.