Disguised Darling|✓

Episode 27

“Shh, here, drink this.” Ruhi coos, caressing Tara’s hair as she nudges the glass of water against her lips letting the girl take tiny sips.

As expected, they had found the girl unconscious in her room, calling the doctor immediately to their house as well as Mihir. Both had reached the place within fifteen minutes. Mihir with a panicked, ‘You guys should have called me before’ to the siblings.

It had been Raghav who with laboured breaths had told the doctor about Tara’s condition, asking if she’ll be ok soon, while it was Ranveer who had finally told them what had happened, not that he knew the case in detail, just that she saw Samrat’s mother on the laptop screen and had rushed to her room. 

It has been five minutes since the girl has woken up and all her friends are sitting surrounding her. 

“Are you feeling any better now?” Mihir asks the girl who nods but her lips quiver as she does. 

Raghav takes a seat beside the girl, his hand hovering over hers not knowing whether she would appreciate the contact or not. He puts it beside her on the bed. 

“What’s wrong, Tara? Tell us. Ranvi told us about the video. Is it – is it something to do with it, something to do with Samrat’s mother?” Just as he says that an immediate sob escapes her lips as she breaks down completely, her shoulders shaking as she cries. 

They all know that Raghav has hit the nail.

Ranveer starts tearing up with the girl, wiping his cheeks with the back of his hand, his lips turned down. 

“She –” Tara begins but her wailing interrupts her. “She – that woman –”

Tara looks at her friends, her vision blurred with tears as she chokes out, “She was the one who k-killed them …my parents. She had sh-shot my father, and she had put my mother into jail where she breathed her last. That w-woman was the one who took them away from m-me!” Tara cries, immediately curling to herself after saying those words hearing which Ruhi’s hands pause on Tara’s face from where they were wiping away her tears while blood drains from Raghav’s face. Ranveer stops his crying, while it is Mihir who chokes out a horrified, “What?” 

Silence follows the question as no one answers, too busy to take in the information that might just change their whole lives. 

*

“So, Daya Sir, huh?” Samrat asks with a gentle voice walking with her to the kitchen once all the guests have left the house, the evening sun lightening the atmosphere.

“Yeah…” Mishti smiles, putting the plates in the dishwasher and getting herself a glass of water. “You want?” she asks but Samrat shakes his head, choosing to go and stand against the counter as she drinks water. 

“I was his favourite in the orphanage.” Mishti reveals with a huge smile, eyes twinkling that sadden visibly as she murmurs the next few words in her mouth, “Everything was good until he was there….” 

“I’m sure you were,” Samrat replies with a smile of his own, getting her out of her mournful reverie. “I have seen that drawing of you in his purse. I used to be so jealous of you.” he huffs out a chuckle, so does Mishti. “He didn't talk much about his day outs in the orphanages, guess because he didn't want me to be sad, but if he had, I’m sure I would’ve heard about you or even met you.”

Mishti hums agreeing, a part of her mind imagining how things would have been if she would have met him in childhood.

Maybe Samrat wouldn't have liked her because she used to be a pouty child who needed her brother everywhere.