When the first rays of the morning sun pierced through the heavy window curtains, they brought less light and more of a suffocating tension into Arya's room. Arya hadn't even emerged from the debris of that nightmarish vision when the door swung open with a bang. His wife, Priya, walked in clutching her phone and several bank statements. Her face bore that deep exhaustion and sharpness that only comes after years of unspoken grievances. There was a different kind of bitterness in her eyes today, as if she were in the mood for a final showdown.
"Arya, I can't wait anymore. I need a clear answer today." Priya's voice had a strange edge to it, like glass about to shatter. Arya rubbed his swollen eyes with his hands and, without looking at her, muttered, "Priya, please... not now. My head is splitting."
"Your head has been splitting for months!" Priya stepped closer and slammed the documents onto the table. "Look at this. Reminder after reminder from the bank for the home loan EMI. The children's school fees have been pending for two months. And most importantly, where did all the cash from our savings account go? I checked the cupboard yesterday—you even took the money we kept for emergencies. Where is all this money going? Give me an account of the finances, Arya. Are you in some kind of trouble? Or is there something else you're hiding from me? You don't sleep at night, and during the day, you behave like a criminal. If you don't tell me the truth today, I'm taking the kids and leaving. I cannot stay in this atmosphere of lies and dread for another second."
Priya's throat choked up, but her anger did not subside. She grabbed Arya's shoulders and shook him. "Speak up, Arya! Are you gambling? Or is someone blackmailing you? It's a question of our children's future. The school called yesterday saying they'll strike their names off if the fees aren't paid. Do you have no shame left? Are you the same man I loved, or have you become someone else?"
"Enough, Priya! Stop screaming!" Arya suddenly erupted, his voice thick with desperation. "Do you think I don't care? I am burning in this fire day and night. And you? All you know is how to demand accounts. Have you ever asked what I am going through?"
"Asked?" Priya laughed sarcastically, tears streaming down her face. "I've asked a thousand times! But your tongue is always locked. You run away from every question like a coward. Where are the grand promises you made when we got married? You will end up putting us on the streets, Arya, because of your irresponsibility and failures. You are going to ruin us because of your hidden vices or your mistakes! Curse you and this silence of yours!"
"Vices?" Arya hissed through gritted teeth. "You think I'm having fun? I was trying to save this house, but this constant nagging and your suspicious nature have driven me mad. Staying with a woman like you was my biggest mistake. You only love money, not me!"
Priya pushed him back with a jerk. "Love money? If I loved money, I wouldn't be in this hell with you today. I am searching for the man who is already dead. You are a liar, Arya; you wear a mask. What game are you playing while keeping us in the dark? I suspect you are involved in something hideous. Your eyes... I see terror in them, as if you've committed a murder!"
Arya had no answer left. His throat was bone dry, and words seemed to have died within him. He just stared into the void as if his soul had perished. Priya's screams now pierced his ears like white noise. The walls of the room felt like they were closing in on him. He felt that if he stayed another moment, he might end his own life.
Without a word, he grabbed his jacket, snatched the car keys, and stormed out despite Priya's continued shouting. He slammed the flat's main door so hard that the echo rang through the entire corridor. He reached the parking lot, got into his car, and sped away. Priya's words hammered against his brain. In a fit of rage and frustration, Arya floored the accelerator. The car raced recklessly through the wide city roads. The morning hustle had begun, and people were rushing to their offices, but Arya saw nothing. His mind was completely numb.
He drove like a madman, having no idea where he was going; he just wanted to escape that house and those questions. He remembered the night when everything had changed. The money he had earned through hard work had slipped through his fingers like sand in an instant. He was exhausted by the calls from creditors and the threats from certain people.
Driving aimlessly, he suddenly came to a halt at a crossroads. His body was drenched in sweat. Just then, his eyes fell on a young man standing by the roadside. Arya's heart skipped a beat. It was Lucky. Seeing Lucky there, Arya's hands turned to stone on the steering wheel. He stared at him as if he were looking at death itself. Shock and horror flashed across Arya's face simultaneously. He couldn't believe Lucky was standing right there in front of him. Without thinking, he jerked the car to a stop in the middle of the road.
Arya lowered the car window with trembling hands. As soon as his bloodshot, terrified eyes locked onto Lucky, the color drained from Lucky's face. When Lucky saw Arya, a terror took hold of him that was beyond words. Seeing Arya's pale face and that haunting gaze, Lucky's legs began to shake. He stood frozen for a split second, and then suddenly turned and began to run like a maniac. He was in such a state of panic that he didn't look back even once. Arya stood there in silence, watching Lucky disappear from sight from inside his car. He realized now that there was no way left to run.