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The maid brought chahak downstairs . Devendra and Rajeshwari forced a smile. As the maid lead chahak in hall where other girls sits for kanyadaan poojan .

Ayaan smile at chahak . " Tum toh bohot achi lag rahi ho " Ayaan said . Chahak smiled .

" Haan toh isme kya naya hai ? yeh haveli ke kapde hai . Inme toh koi bhi acha lagega . " Rudra said , looking at chahak from head to Toe before looking away as if the sight itself is an insult .

" Apki haveli toh babut badi aur sundar hai . Hamane esi haveli kabhi nahi dekhi . " Chahak said with wide smile .

" Yeh hamari haveli hai achhi toh hugi hi . " Rudra said crossing his arms tilting his chin proudly .

" Acha bas karo . Pooja a time ho gaya hai ." Rajeshwari said .

The pooja started . Mr. And Mrs. Sharma watches with smile as Vineet and devyani washed and clean the nine girls feet including chahak .

" Kitne bure din aa gaye hai Hume ek bandhua ladki ke feet wash kar rahe hai ." Devyani whispered, her jaw tightened, eyes clearing showing disdain .

" Zara smile karo . Agar yeh investors chele gaye toh bhaiya ji hume nahi chhodege ." Vineet whispered to devyani.

Devyani glared at Vineet before forcing a smile .

Devendra and Rajeshwari tied the red thread and apply vermilion to their forehead . Then they served the food to the girls .

" Areeh wah khana toh bohut acha hai . " Chahak said while eating .

" Agar tumhe acha lage toh aur lelo ." Ayaan said with smile as he give her more puri .

" Apne Ayaan ko acha etiquettes diye hai " Mrs. Sharma said to devyani with smile .

Devyani smiled back . " Ayaan toh hamesha se dusron ki help karta hai . " Devyani said creaseing ayaan's head affectionately.

" Devendra ji apne apne bacho ko bohot ache se rakha hai . " Mr. Sharma said .

" Yeh bas hamari dharam patni hai jo ghar sambhalti hai . Hum toh kabhi kabhi hi bacho ko time de pate hai . " Devendra said with smile .

After the pooja ended , Devendra and Rajeshwari escorts the investers out . Vineet went to attend a call .

" Tumhe pta hai mere pass bohut sare colors hai . Hum mil ke drawing karenge. " Ayaan said to chahak .

" Sachi ! . Thik hai fir hum milke rango ke sath khelenge . " Chahak said with wide smile . Ayaan chuckled .

Rudra scoffed . " Rango ke sath Holi par khelte hai . Tumhe drawing ka matlab pata bhi hai . ?" Rudra said crossing his arms .

Chahak looked at rudra with frown .

" Nahi toh . Hume nahi pta ." Chahak said .

" Drawing ka matlab hai rango se kuch bnana . " Ayaan said .

" Achaa . Toh tum mujhe bhi yeh sikhaoge . ?" Chahak asked . Ayaan nodded.

" Ayaan ! Aap chlo hamare sath " devyani called Ayaan as she hold his wrist taking him upstairs . Ayaan look at chahak waving bye at her .

Chahak look at their retreating figure away back . She then turn to look at rudra .

" Kya hua ? Ab toh Ayaan bhi chala gya ab tum kya karogi ? Hamare papa abhi aate hi honge . Tumhari toh shamat hai ajj." Rudra smirked . He turned and left from there .

Chahak stood in the hall all alone . Devendra and Rajeshwari come back in hall and look at her . The fake smiles were gone from there faces .

Devendra take a one look at Chahak before turning his face to Rajeshwari " Iss ladki ka kuch kijiye . Hume aur bhi kam hai . Isse aap hi dekhiye . " Devendra said to Rajeshwari and leaves from there towards his room .

Rajeshwari walk to chahak . " Shukar karo ki ajj tumhari wajah se koi nuksan nahi hua . Warna tumhari vo halat karete ki sari zindagi yaad rakhti . " Rajeshwari said . Chahak look at her confused .

" Par humne toh kuch nahi kiya . Kya ab hum Ghar ja sakte hai . Maayi intazar kar rahi hongi ." Chahak said .

" Bohut zuban chalti hai tumhari . Kamla ! " Rajeshwari called the maid the same one who got chahak ready earlier .

" Ji badi maalkin " maid said walking to them .

" Le jao iss ladki ko aur tabale mai band kar do" Rajeshwari said . The maid nodded as she hold chahak's arms and started to drag her harshly from there .

" Chodo hume .! Hume apne ghar jaana hai !" Chahak said trying to free her arms from maid's grip .

" Ek dum chup ! Ajj se yehi tera ghar hai . Aur yaha se bhagne ki koshish bhi mat karna nahi toh teri hadiyaan Tod denge . " The maid said as she push Achanak in one wooden cage where animals were supposed to kept . Maid lock the door .

" Kholo hume ghar jana hai . !" Chahak shouted holding the wooden bars while looking at the maid . The Maid ignored her words and left from there leaving her alone in cold night .

Chahak pouted as sit down on the bunch of hay . She friddle with strands of hay looking out time to time .

" Koi baat nahi hum kal chale jayenge . Yeh hume ese band thodi kar sakte hai . Hum toh maayi ke pass Jaa ke rahenge . " Chahak said to herself with smile .

She laid on the hay without banket cause there is none . She yawn as she closed her eyes as she gradually fall asleep .

...........

Meanwhile inside Devyani's room .

She stood ayaan inside the room and make him sit on bed .

" Ayaan aap uss ladki se baat nahi karenge . Voh hamari haveli ki nahi hai . " Devyani said to Ayaan .

Ayaan look at her with frown " par maa chahak bohut achhi hai . Hum usse dosti karna chahte hai . " Ayaan said .

" Bilkul nahi ! Ayaan aap kisi se doti nahi karenge aur uss bandhua ladki se toh bilkul nahi . " Devyani scolded Ayaan .

Vineet walk inside room closing the door .

" Kya hua kyu dant rahi ho humare bache ko ?" Vineet asked patting ayaan's head as he turned to devyani .

" Apka bachha uss bandhua ladki se dosti karna chahta hai . " Devyani said crossing her arms .

"Yeh toh achi baat hai Ayaan dosti karna chahta hai kissi se . " Vineet said as Ayaan rarely makes friends because of his mother .

" Haan kyu nahi .? Apko toh isme kuch galat nahi lagta . Agar kal ko ayaan logo ka masiha baan gya tabhi apko koi problem nahi hugi . Aree hum Ayaan ko kuch badda bante dekhna chahte hai ." Devyani spat .

Vineet's jaw tightened " Devyani Ayaan ek din kuch bada hi karenga . Usse jo acha lagega vo vahi karenga . Tum har baar power beech mai kyu leh ati ho . " Vineet said .

" Kyu ki hum apne bachhe ko kisi ka naukar bante huye nahi dekh sakte . Ajj aap bhaiya ji ke naukar hai kal ko hamara Ayaan rudra naukar baane yeh hume bilkul bardasht nahi . " Devyani said .

" Ayaan kisi ka naukar nahi banega . Voh jo chahe vo kar sakta hai tabhi toh hum Bhaiya ji ki baat maante hai taki voh hamare bache ko kuch naa kare . Tum baat ko samajhti kyu nahi ho ?" Vineet hold devyani's upper arm .

" Baat toh aap nahi samjh rahe!" Devyani pull away .

Ayaan look at his parents arguing and press his both hands on ears as he laid on bed . It's not new for him .

...........

Meanwhile at her house .

Pakhi is eating her food .

" Maayi didi kab ayengi . Aapne toh kaha tha voh bas pooja ke liye gayi hai " Pakhi said .

Rekha hid her tears .

" Pakhi kitni baar kaha hai ki khate wakat baat nahi karte . Teri didi ko ana hoga toh aa jayegi . " Rekha said .

Pakhi pouted as she resume to her food.

Rekha continue make roti . Knowing well that her daughter will never return .

Dinesh come back from field . He wash his hands and sit beside Pakhi .

" Bapu dekho na . Maayi hume bta hi nahi rahi ki did kab ayegi . Hume khelna hai unke sath . " Pakhi complain to her father.

Dinesh tensed before forcing a smile that hid a pain of losing one daughter .

" Didi ab haveli mai hai . Voh ache se reh Rahi hogi , tum chinta mat karo . Voh jaldi hi wapis aa jayegi " Dinesh said creaseing pakhi's head gently .

A lie . Chahak won't come back . He know that she isn't living good there but what can be possibly do . He himself is a mere slave under rathore's . He is nothing in front the powerful family who is ruling for generations.

Pakhi finish her food and went to sleep . But Dinesh and Kamla stayed there .

Even the food isn't going down their throat . Rekha and Dinesh exchanged a look , Rekha's eyes teary up again. Dinesh patted her shoulder, his own eyes tear up .

" Meri bachi . Pta nahi usne khana khaya bhi hoga ya nahi . Pta nahi un logon ne meri bachi ko khana diya hoga ya nahi . " Rekha sobbed .

Dinesh console her . " Bhagwan kare hamari bachi thik ho . " Dinesh said .

After eating they went to sleep but the sleep was no where in their eyes . Just the pain of losing their one daughter

.........

Next morning

The maid kamla come to check on chahak and give her some work . But chahak wasn't in the cage .

Her eyes widen . " Badi maalkin !" She called out as she left from there to tell Rajeshwari .

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Where did chahak go ? Will devyani's greed end ? What will Rajeshwari do at chahak's disappearance ?

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Thanks for reading . Do check out my book " the game of crown" on Wattpad