scattered Bond

Radhya…

I can see the questions in his eyes, as if an entire ocean has settled within them. Those piercing eyes, capable of seeing right into my soul, haven't left me for even a moment. He was talking to Aaliyah, but his gaze never wavered from me. He seemed upset—anyone would be. I can understand what's going on in his mind.

And maybe, because of that very realization, I wanted to talk to him. Just once.

My mother… she's in no condition to hear what I want to say. That her presence in this house will create problems—problems that will shake the very foundation of certain relationships. That maybe, in this home, she has no one left. No one except me. Her husband now belongs to someone else.

Yet, the truth remains: I can't leave her alone. Not like this. I understand how hard it must be for her to hold herself together. The man she left behind—her husband, her child—she gave it all up for one person. And now, that very person has left her for someone else. Maybe it's karma. It always comes back around. My mother was so blinded by love that she never saw his flaws, never realized what she was sacrificing. She gave up everything for him. Everything.

I was standing at the door when her call came. One look at Dad's face, and I knew—he was already aware. He knew what had happened.

I'm grateful to him. Despite the betrayals, the pain, the resentment—he still stepped forward for my mother. He didn't think, even for a moment, about what this would mean for his new relationships, how this would affect the life he has now.

I don't know what kind of storm Rakshit's mom, Sagarika, must be going through at this moment. But one thing is certain—my mother's return will test many relationships. It will reveal their true strength.

When we reached Mom's house, she was in a terrible state. Maybe realizing one's mistakes or negligence is the hardest thing. She was sitting on the floor in the corner of her bedroom, shivering, muttering something incoherent. I couldn't bear to see her like this.

She was my mom—the woman who always stood tall with pride, exuding an aura of class and dominance. And now? Now, she looked like nothing more than a scared, cornered kitten. This wasn't the same woman who had never feared anything. Yet here she was, flinching at the slightest sound, rubbing her hands together frantically as if trying to convince herself that this—this harsh reality—was truly happening. A reality she had never imagined, not even in her worst nightmares.

I turned to look at my dad, who stood beside me. And to be honest, what I saw in his eyes was something I had never expected. Concern—yes—but far more than that. I had always known that my father loved my mother, but after all these years, I had assumed that love had faded, had been buried under time and resentment. But I was wrong. His eyes said it all. Even now, she still held a special place in his heart.

I took a deep breath and stepped forward. Lowering myself onto my knees in front of her, I hesitantly placed my hand over hers, which rested limply on her lap.

She flinched. As if my touch had burned her. She recoiled, pulling her hand away as though she didn't recognize me.

"Don't touch me. Please… don't touch me."

Her voice was trembling, lost.

"Mom… it's me, Radhya. Your daughter, Radhya. And look, Dad is here too," I said gently, holding her hands firmly. Maybe she wasn't even in her senses enough to realize who I was.

Then, suddenly—

"Radhya… my child…" she whispered, her hands reaching out desperately. And before I could say another word, she pulled me into a tight embrace and broke down completely.

She sobbed so hard that I could feel her body trembling against mine. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her tightly, rubbing her back to soothe her.

"Mom… it's okay. I'm here. Dad is here. Everything is going to be okay."

She pulled back slightly, cupping my face in her trembling hands.

"Radhya… I'm sorry, beta… I'm so sorry," she sobbed, pleading for forgiveness. But before I could respond, I felt her grip on my cheeks loosen. Her body slackened. And then—

She collapsed.

"Mom?" I gasped, catching her just in time. My heart pounded in fear.

"Dad! Look at Mom! What's happening to her? Why isn't she responding?" I cried out in panic.

My father, who had been frozen in place, immediately snapped out of his daze and rushed forward. Without hesitation, he lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bed in one swift motion.

"Call Dr. Agnihotri. Now." His voice was firm, commanding.

The doctor arrived soon after. According to him, Mom had passed out due to extreme mental distress. Her condition wasn't physically alarming, but he prescribed medication and urged us to keep her away from stress—to make sure she felt safe, loved, happy.

That's why we brought her home.

Because she had no one else.

Because I couldn't leave her alone to fight this battle.

Not when the coward who claimed to love her had abandoned her. Not until that man—the one who destroyed her—was caught and made to pay for his betrayal.

—

"Radhya, take your mom to the guest room. She needs rest," Dad said softly, looking at me.

I nodded. "Yes, Dad."

Together, we helped Mom to her feet. She was too weak to stand on her own, so Dad supported her on one side while I held her on the other. We led her to the guest room and laid her down on the bed. Thanks to the sedatives the doctor had given her, she drifted into deep sleep almost instantly.

My father placed a gentle hand on my head, stroking my hair with rare tenderness.

"Now you go rest too, beta. You need it," he murmured.

I held his hand in mine. "Are you okay, Dad?"

He placed his other hand over mine, squeezing it reassuringly.

"Yes, I'm fine. Everything will be fine. Just don't stress too much," he said, his eyes filled with a quiet hope.

I nodded. "Yes, Dad. I'll go to my room now. You should get some rest too."

He gave me a small nod in return.

—

But I didn't go to my room.

Instead, I found myself standing at the threshold of Rakshit's room.

I needed to talk to him. I needed to tell him how I felt, what I was going through. I needed someone to listen—to share the weight of this emotional storm raging inside me.

His door was slightly ajar. I raised my hand to knock—

And then I heard voices from inside.

I stopped.

"…You don't understand, Aaliyah. It's not that simple. Ms. Anika being here—it's not good for Mom. I don't trust that woman. She could hurt Mom. Hell, just her presence here is enough to make Mom suffer," Rakshit's voice was laced with frustration.

Aaliyah sighed. "Rakshit… Mom is okay"

and

"She's Radhya's mom .We can't just ask her to leave."

Rakshit turned to her, his expression dark with irritation. "That's the problem, isn't it? She's Radhya's mom."

I froze.

"She's just another burden on top of everything else. As if things weren't already complicated—Mom's marriage to Uncle Aditya, us living here, and now this? Ms. Anika? I don't trust that woman. Everything is wrong, Aaliyah. Everything."

My breath caught in my throat.

A burden.

My mom… was a burden.

To Rakshit.

To the person who had been my whole world.

Suddenly, it felt like the ground beneath my feet had vanished. My legs felt weak, as if someone had stolen their ability to hold me up.

"Radhya…"

Aaliyah's voice pulled me out of my trance.

She pushed the door open fully and looked at me. There was hesitation in her eyes, guilt in her posture.

"You… what are you doing here?" she asked, her voice uncertain, almost apologetic.

I could see it in her eyes. She knew I had heard everything.

"I…"

I tried to speak, but my voice faltered.

I tried to breathe, but my lungs refused to work.

I tried to find words, but my mind had gone completely blank.

"I… Rakshit…"

I turned to look at him.

He was staring at me, stunned—his expression unreadable, as if trying to figure out what was going through my mind.

I shook my head slightly. "I'll… come back later."

My voice was barely above a whisper.

"Radhya—Radhya, wait! Listen to me!"

Rakshit's voice followed me as I turned away, but I couldn't hear him anymore.

All I could hear was the echo of his words.

My mom was a burden.

To him.

To Rakshit.

To the person I love

I walked away.

And for the first time in my life, I didn't look back.

*************************************

Hey Lovelies!

First off, a big sorry for the delay! I couldn't update due to some important reasons, but I promise to stay consistent from now on.

If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to vote, drop a comment, and add the book to your library—it really helps me as a new writer! Your support keeps me going.

See you in the next chapter! Until then, take care.

With love,

Novelfairy

Thanks for reading!