Soft giggles and chuckles reached Malti's ears and she immediately looked at her six year old daughter Ashi, who was giggling loudly while watching some cartoon on TV. An unknown smile crept on Malti's face on seeing her daughter so happy. Her attention then diverted on her eleven year old son Ashu who was sitting in one corner of the room busy in drawing some thing in his drawing book.
A sudden warmth spread in her heart on seeing both of her children , the sole reason of her happiness .
The loud hissing noise produced by the whistle of pressure cooker echoed in the whole house bringing Malti out of her daze.
" Oh I forgot to turn the stove off ," Malti suddenly realised and then hurriedly marched downstairs towards the kitchen to turn the stove off.
" If I would have been late for even a second more then I am sure rice would have burned " , she sighed in relief as she properly checked the rice inside the cooker.
All of a sudden a loud thud noise followed by someone's painful scream reached Malti's ears making her jump in fear for a second.
Overcoming the initial shock, she immediately rushed out from the kitchen and a loud gasp escaped her mouth when she saw her daughter lying few metres away from the stairs screaming loudly in pain.
" What happened Ashi ? What happened my child ?"
In jerk Malti rushed to her daughter's side and immediately scooped her in her arms meanwhile searching for any kind of injury on her body. Malti flinched when she saw a deep cut on Ashi's knee and both elbows.
" What is this noise of crying ? What happened ?" Rajwardhan, Malti 's father in law shouted loudly from inside his room as he came outside.
He stilled for a second when he saw Malti sitting on the floor while holding a crying Ashi in her arms.
" What happened Malti ? What happened to Ashi ?" He asked in shock as he came by their side in the next moment." I don't know papa , just a few minutes ago she was in upstairs room watching television and I don't know what happened but I heard her scream and saw her lying on the floor ," Malti blurted out in panic , loud sobs escaping her throat.
" She fell down from the stairs " , a soft faint voice reached Malti's ears and she immediately looked at her son Ashu who was standing a few distance away from them in one lone corner of the verandah with his head lowered.
" What !" , Malti shreiked in shock ,
"But How ?"
" When you were going to the kitchen she tried to follow you and tripped on the stairs", Ashu murmured softly, his head still lowered .
" Huhhh " , Malti's heart clenched on knowing that her daughter fell down from the stairs .....sudden fury awakened within her for her son, " What were you doing Ashu when she fell down . You were upstairs too , you didn't stop her ?"
Ashu remained quiet , not meeting her eyes.
" Malti this is not the time to inquire about anything. Take Ashi to the Doctor first, don't delay any later ," Rajwardhan stated strictly making Malti aware of her daughter's critical situation.
" I am taking her to the doctor papa", Malti said as she looked at Rajwardhan and then immediately rushed out from the house in hurry meanwhile carrying her sobbing daughter in her arms.
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" I pushed her down from the stairs", Ashu murmured softly as he looked at the sketch he was drawing few minutes ago in his drawing book.
" You didn't do anything wrong Ashu, she deserves to die ," Rajwardhan whispered as he softly caressed his grandson's hairs.
A wicked smile spread on his face when his attention diverted on the sketch his grandson has drawn . It was the sketch of his family with a red cross on his sister's sketch.
" Will Maa hate me now ?" , Ashu mumbled in a soft tone as he looked at his grandfather innocently.
" Nooo infact when your sister will be gone she will love you more . Didn't you see how angry she got on you few moments earlier ? When your sister will be gone she will never get angry with you," Rajwardhan replied to his innocent grandson flashing a sweet smile .
" Okay , grandpa needs to go now , you play with your toys but yes remember one thing grandson, never tell about our secret talks to anyone," Rajwardhan exclaimed as he softly patted his grandson's head.
" Yes Grandpaa ", Ashu replied with a cheerful voice and grinned in delight.
Rajwardhan left his grandson's room with his chest filled with pride. What he couldn't complete, his grandson will complete.....
He chuckled bitterly when Ashi's face came into his mind,the only girl in his family full of boys . No girl child should be born in his family .She was a stain on his pride.
Oh how he wanted to kill her when she was born but some way or another she gets saved somehow but not anymore , now that he has manipulated his grandson and made him join his side , he is sure he is going to be successful in killing her.
A devilish grin spread on his face as he stepped inside his room.
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