The Voice of Rights

Adrijay, trying to calm his rising anger, throws his shirt into the tub, grabs Sarika’s hand, and almost drags her away from there.

Meanwhile, Sarika, feeling anxious, thinks to herself, What did I do wrong now? I don’t know what he’s going to do… She silently prays to God for everything to be alright.

Adrijay storms into the hall, glaring angrily at Yamini Ji and Vishakha, who are engrossed in watching TV on the sofa.

Hearing his furious voice, Yamini Ji and Vishakha quickly look up at him.

Yamini Ji, masking her fear, asks, “What happened, Adri? Why are you shouting so much? Did Sarika do something? If she did, tell me, I’ll make sure to teach her a lesson.”

Hearing this, Adrijay, fuming, says, “Maa, the mistake is not Sarika’s—it’s yours and Vishakha’s. So, it would be better if you teach Vishakha a lesson instead of Sarika!”

Vishakha, enraged, retorts, “Bhaiya, think before you speak! Do you even realize whom you’re talking about?”

Seeing them argue, Sarika, feeling nervous, softly says to Adrijay, “Look, I apologize. Please calm down and come to the room.”

Adrijay glares at her, making her lower her head and fall silent.

Just then, Yamini Ji, trying to reason with Adrijay, says, “Beta, whatever it is, let’s talk about it calmly. There’s no need for this shouting. We are educated and civilized people; yelling like this doesn’t suit us. Come, sit down and tell me what happened. I’ll listen patiently and then make a decision.”

Hearing her words, Adrijay smirks bitterly and says, “I wish, Maa, you managed this house with the same grace.”

His words sting Yamini Ji, and she responds with slight anger, “So, have you been running this house all these years, Adrijay? Even when your father was here, I managed this home well, and that’s why you and your brother have successful careers today. And even after he passed away, I continued to take care of this house—”

Before she can finish, Adrijay cuts her off, “No, Maa. After Papa passed away, it wasn’t you—it was Sarika who held this house together. I won’t say you did nothing, but managing a home isn’t just about controlling people. There’s much more to it, and Sarika did all of that. When Papa was gone, you were lost in his memories. But during Dev’s exams, it was Sarika who stayed up all night with him to keep him from falling asleep. When Dev came home from school, he spent more time with Sarika than with you. In fact, for years, he spent more time with Sarika than with you. He even started seeing a mother’s figure in her. But after Vishakha came, even he changed.

Sarika not only took care of Dev, but she also ensured that you were respected in society and among all our relatives. If it had been someone else in her place, they would have left within a few months of marriage. But she always prioritized this family. And what did she get in return? She quietly does all the housework, but that doesn’t mean she is everyone's personal maid, doing whatever work is assigned to her at anyone’s whim!”

Sarika's eyes well up with tears as she gazes at Adrijay emotionally.

Meanwhile, Yamini Ji and Vishakha burn with anger.

Adrijay continues, “Now that Dev is married, it’s only fair that Vishakha takes care of all his needs. And if she can’t, then why did she marry Dev in the first place? If she had no intention of doing his work, why did she agree to the marriage? She knew what this house was like before the wedding, right? Then she should have made an informed decision. Otherwise, we could have found someone like Sarika for Dev—someone who believes in keeping a family together, not tearing it apart.”

Hearing this, Vishakha’s eyes well up with tears, but she holds them back and looks Adrijay straight in the eye.

“Oh, so you had this much courage, huh?” she says. “My husband is so madly in love with me that you can’t do anything about it, even if you want to! And you wanted Dev to marry a girl like her—someone who is mute and meek, right? Someone who doesn’t even know how to stand up for herself? Am I right?”

Adrijay, infuriated, snaps, “My wife knows how to speak up, but she knows when to speak and when not to! She isn’t rude like you! And as for my brother, he never goes against what I say. Anyway, I don’t want to stretch this any further, but from now on, you will do all of Dev’s work—whether it’s lunch, dinner, breakfast, or morning and evening tea. You’ll make everything yourself. And you’ll also prepare your own diet breakfast and coffee!”

Vishakha glares at him and retorts, “I won’t do any of this! I’m not this house’s servant!”

Adrijay turns to Yamini Ji and sternly says, “Fine, Maa. If Vishakha won’t do anything, then I won’t let Sarika do any work either! If work can’t be divided equally, then let’s see how you all manage without food. Because from now on, Sarika will not do a single chore in this house. Let’s go, Sarika.”

Saying this, he grabs Sarika’s hand and walks toward the stairs.

Yamini Ji and Vishakha exchange worried glances.

Then, suddenly, Yamini Ji, frustrated, exclaims, “Why did you have to talk so much in front of Adrijay?! Now look what happened! Sarika won’t do any work! Who will cook now? Who will wash the clothes? Who will clean the dishes? Who will sweep and mop? हे भगवान! (Oh, Lord) I don’t know how everything will get done. And on top of that, I’m fasting! I have a nine-day fast—I can’t do anything!”

She then angrily grabs Vishakha’s arm and scolds, “If you had just kept quiet, would anything have happened to you?! Look at the mess you’ve created!”

Vishakha, enraged, yanks her arm away and snaps, “Didn’t you hear how he spoke about me? Even my own brother has never yelled at me the way he did today! Now, I won’t do any work in this house—no matter what!”

Saying this, she storms off to her room.

Yamini Ji, holding her head, slumps onto the sofa.

Meanwhile, Adrijay takes Sarika into their room, shuts the door, and tries to calm his anger.

Sarika, on the other hand, remains silent. She doesn’t know how to react. On one hand, she is happy that Adrijay stood up for her, but on the other, she can’t bear to see the household torn apart by these conflicts.

Lost in thought, she suddenly hears Adrijay mutter in frustration, “That Vishakha always gets her way! I don’t know how Dev even fell for her. Anyway, from now on, you won’t do a single chore in this house—not until Vishakha accepts my decision.”

Sarika, lowering her head, says, “I’ll have to follow whatever you say, right? After all, you won’t listen to me anyway… so I have no choice but to listen to you.”

Her words sting Adrijay. He steps closer, lifts her chin, and gazes into her eyes.

“Didn't you like me standing up for you?” he asks.

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Sorry for the short update. But I am really stuck with my studies and also feeling disappointed. BTW how was the chapter? Tell me in the comment section.

Next chapter target:- 500 votes and 100 comments.