Arjun stormed into the courtyard the moment he heard Meera crying. His heart froze when he saw her standing near the gate, tears on her cheeks, and his father, Raghav, towering over her with rage burning in his eyes.
“What happened?” Arjun demanded.
Meera tried to speak, but Raghav thundered first.
“This girl has no respect! I told her not to go to her mother’s house without asking me. She walked out anyway!”
Meera shook her head. “Papa, I only went to give medicines to my mother—she’s sick—”
“Don’t argue with me!” Raghav roared.
Arjun stepped between them. “Papa, stop shouting at her.”
Raghav’s eyes widened. “You’re taking her side again? In my own house?”
“When you’re wrong, yes,” Arjun said through clenched teeth.
Raghav pointed a trembling finger. “You’ve become blind because of her! You think she’ll stand by you when the world turns against you?”
“She already has,” Arjun said. “More than anyone ever did.”
Raghav slapped Arjun’s shoulder and shouted, “Move aside!”
Arjun slapped his hand away.
That was the spark.
Raghav, furious, grabbed Arjun’s collar. “I raised you! I taught you to walk! And now you raise your voice at me because of this woman?”
Arjun’s blood boiled. He pulled his father’s hand off and pushed him back.
“Don’t touch me like that.”
Raghav staggered but caught his balance. He charged again, throwing a punch.
Arjun blocked it—barely—and the force made him stumble. The courtyard rang with the sound of fists hitting flesh, the two generations clashing like storms.
“Stop! Both of you!” Meera cried, trying to pull them apart.
But they were too far gone.
Raghav threw another punch, landing it on Arjun’s cheek. Pain exploded across his face, but Arjun didn’t back down. He grabbed Raghav’s wrists and shoved him hard.
“Enough, Papa!” Arjun shouted.
Raghav fell to his knees, breath heavy, anger mixing with exhaustion.
Meera rushed to help him, but Raghav pushed her hand away—until he saw the red mark on her wrist from where he had grabbed her earlier.
His anger faded. His eyes softened with shock, then guilt.
Arjun knelt beside him, still panting. “Papa… You hurt her. I can’t let anyone—even you—do that.”
The courtyard was silent except for their breathing.
Raghav closed his eyes, tears gathering. “I never meant to hurt her. I just… didn’t want to lose you.”
“You won’t,” Arjun said quietly. “But I won’t lose her either.”
Raghav looked at his son, then at Meera. He finally nodded.
“No more fights,” he whispered. “I’m sorry.”
Meera knelt beside him, and for the first time, Raghav didn’t push her away.
And in that broken courtyard, among scattered dust and bruised pride, a family began to heal.