Next morning...

After breakfast, everyone was ready to leave for work, school, and college.

Anirudh: Ruhi, your PTM is after lunch break, right?

Ruhi nodded.

Anirudh: Okay! I will be there.

Vidyut: I will also come.

Anirudh stared at him.

Vidyut (innocently complaining): Dadi, you said her studies are my responsibility now. So, I must attend her PTM to know about her studies and progress.

Harsha: His point is valid.

Anirudh: Fine!

With this, everyone left except Shalini.

Skips to Afternoon...

After lunch, Anirudh reached Ruhi's school and found Vidyut waiting for him at the entrance.

Anirudh: Do you know about her classroom?

Vidyut nodded, taking the lead. Anirudh follows him.

They reached her classroom and knocked on the door.

Teacher: Whose parents are you?

Anirudh: Ruhi Rajput. We are her guardians, her brothers.

Teacher: She is in the principal's cabin. We are waiting for you only.

She called a peon and asked him to take  Anirudh and Vidyut to the principal's cabin where Ruhi is.

Anirudh and Vidyut stared at each other in confusion then followed the peon.

On reaching the principal's cabin. They found Ruhi and a boy of her age, probably her classmate, standing. The principal and the boy's parents are sitting and discussing something. As the peon introduces them. The principal asked them to settle down.

Anirudh (looking at Ruhi calmly): What's wrong?

Principal: Her behaviour. I can understand, recently she lost her mother, but this was never her behaviour before. She was always a calm, soft-spoken and sweet girl. No Teacher ever complained about her, but today...

Vidyut (looking at the Principal): What happened, Miss?

Principal (sighing): She hit this boy with a pencil. The tip of the pencil broke off. Though he got a minor injury, this behaviour is not acceptable. Today, she lost her cool and hit him. She needs to learn to control her anger.

Anirudh (turning to Ruhi): Ruhi?

Ruhi looked down, fear crawling in her heart. What if Anirudh got angry? What if he hits her? Already, she is not comfortable around him or trusts him like she does with Saurav and Vidyut. Though that memory is dull in her brain, the way her father hit her in his last days, when she was being stubborn about something.

She was looking down in fear.

Vidyut (calmly, softly): Ruhi, batao mujhe kya hua? Kuch bola usne? (Ruhi, tell me? He said something?)

Ruhi nodded as tears rolled down.

Ruhi (with muffled voice): Bhaiya, he said I am a bad girl, that's why Papa never talked with me and Mumma left me. Now, you will also hate me.... (A soft and silent left her lips) I am not a bad girl. I am a good girl, bhaiya.

Vidyut blinked at her, assuring her and gesturing for her to calm down and wipe off her tears.

Anirudh (turning to the boy's parents): Isn't it your responsibility to teach your child, if he gets to know someone's secrets? He should keep it to himself rather than poking into her life or making fun, not knowing the impact and suffering.

Boy's father (rolling his eyes): But he said Correct. Being a business partner of her father. I do know how he got married to her mother. That's what he said, and now she doesn't have her father and has lost her mother as well. I mean, all I can say is she is a burden. Even though she was for her father, that's why he didn't accept her.

His words worked like a knife on the hearts of both brothers. Kids don't understand much. They stayed quiet.

Anirudh (angrily looking at the Principal): Rather than complaining to us about Ruhi, you should complain about this couple to their parents. If Ruhi's this behaviour is not acceptable in School. I am also not accepting someone poking their nose into my sister's personal life. When she is in school, it's your responsibility to take care of her. If anything like this is repeated again. I will make sure you regret being the principal of this school.

Principal: I apologise, I had no idea what happened between the kids.

He turned to the couple.

Anirudh (cutting principal's words): Even though, I am not a part of her so-called father's business. Still, being the first child of the same so-called father. I do hold right on his business and I won't mind kicking you out of it. Or dragging you down into bankruptcy. So, better not drag our personal life into your so-called business deals. I hope I am clear.

Vidyut was smirking, looking at the principal and the couple. As if warning them, "don't mess with the man of our family".

Ruhi and that boy didn't understand anything but the way Anirudh seemed angry towards the principal and the couple. Ruhi understood, her brother stood by her side. She was still scared, but not as much as before.

Anirudh stood up and walked towards the kids. He first went towards the boy and kneeled down in front of him.

Anirudh (ruffling boy's hair): Don't trouble Ruhi, okay? She is a good girl. We all love her a lot.

The boy stood there with a pout. Anirudh pecked her forehead as if trying to make him understand, what his parents couldn't.

Looking at Anirudh and the boy. How calmly he is talking to him, he pecked his forehead as well. Fear was replaced by Jealousy in Ruhi's heart. How can Anirudh love him even when he said bad things about Ruhi? She angrily glared at the boy.

Anirudh: Ruhi...

He stood up.

Ruhi (angrily, cuts him): Vidyut bhaiya, mera bag classroom me hai. (My bag is in the classroom)

With this, she ran from there to grab her bag. Vidyut followed her and went to speak with her teacher, about her recent grades.

After speaking with the principal. Anirudh came out.

They met at the exit.

Anirudh: Come let's go home.

Ruhi (holding Vidyut's hand): I will come with Vidyut bhaiya.

A small smile crept on Vidyut's lips, looking at jealous Ruhi.

Vidyut: Let's go.

Ruhi nodded. Vidyut took her on his bike, and Anirudh left in the car.

After some minutes, they reached home.

Upon reaching home. They found Saurav and Shalini. Harsha is still in the hospital.

Ruhi saw Saurav and walked up to him. She stood in front of Saurav. Saurav understood, she came for a cuddle. He took her on his lap and hugged her.

Just then Harsha and Khushi came. Anirudh took Khushi in his arms and as she hugged him.

Shalini: What happened?

She sensed, Anirudh seems angry.

Anirudh (sighing): She fought with a boy as he was bullying her. The principal complained to me.

Shalini (shaking her head in disbelief): This is common between kids. We need to make them understand how wrong it is.

Anirudh sat on the sofa, taking Khushi on his lap.

Anirudh: Ruhi come here.

Ruhi broke the hug and looked at Anirudh then Saurav.

Khushi giggled and asked Ruhi to come, gesturing with her hands, by opening fists and closing them.

Saurav (mumble): Go...

Ruhi jumped out of Saurav's lap and stood in front of Anirudh.

Anirudh: Hitting someone is wrong, Ruhi.

Ruhi (Stubbornly): No! He said I am a bad girl.

Anirudh: You could have complained to your teacher.

Ruhi (shaking her head): The Teacher was not in class. So, I hit him. This is sef... sef-depeen...

Sef-depeen... she pronounced the word wrong. Not one understood.

Anirudh (confused): Ummm... what?

Ruhi turns to Vidyut.

Ruhi (pouting innocently): Bhaiya, strong jo apne liye fight karti hai. Kya bolu? (Brother, strong girls who fight for themselves. What should I say?)

Vidyut: Self-Defence.

Ruhi (nodding): Yes... sef-Deepen.

Anirudh: We don't need to hit someone. You should have complained to your teacher.

Ruhi gave him an offended look, as if he were asking her not to be a strong girl.

Ruhi (angrily, pout): Aapne a us chuhe ko kyun kissy di? (Why do you kiss that Rat?)

Khushi (surprised): Maauuuuu??? (Mouse)

Ruhi (nodding): Yes Khushi. Anirudh bhaiya kissed that mouse.

Khushi was staring at Anirudh, then narrowed her eyes and scrunched up her nose.

Khushi: Chi papa chi chi...

She climbed down his lap and went towards Vidyut.

Khushi (making faces): Papa chi chi cha... kissy kissy mauuu...

Everyone chuckled at the drama of both girls.

To be continued...