Chapter Ninety-Seven: The Secret She Carries
The morning after Jay and Keifer's perfect beach day, the mansion was quiet.
Too quiet.
Shreya hadn't come out of her room since returning. Mithun hadn't moved from the garden. Akshi paced the hallway, helpless. Chethan followed her, ready to catch her when she fell apart.
Jay came downstairs slowly, Keifer behind her.
"Any change?" she asked.
Akshi shook her head. "She won't answer. Won't come out. Won't—" Her voice broke. "I don't know what to do."
"We give her time."
"She's been back for two days and she won't even LOOK at Mithun. Something's really wrong."
Jay squeezed her hand. "I know. But we can't force her."
---
Hours passed.
Noon came and went.
Then, finally—a door opened.
Shreya walked out.
---
She looked terrible.
Pale. Dark circles under her eyes. Thinner than she'd been a week ago.
But she was moving.
Toward the kitchen.
Toward water.
---
Akshi saw her first. "SHREYA!"
She ran. Shreya held up a hand.
"Please. I just need water."
"Shreya—"
"Water first. Then talk."
Akshi stopped. Nodded. Followed her to the kitchen.
---
Shreya filled a glass. Drank slowly.
Everyone gathered in the doorway.
Watching.
Waiting.
Mithun appeared at the back of the crowd.
He didn't push forward. Just watched.
---
Shreya finished her water. Set the glass down.
Turned.
Saw him.
Her face crumpled for just a second—then smoothed.
She looked away.
Walked past everyone.
Toward the hallway.
Toward her room.
---
Mithun moved.
He caught up to her in the hallway.
"Shreya. Please."
She didn't stop.
"SHREYA."
He grabbed her arm.
Gently. But firmly.
She froze.
---
"Look at me." His voice was desperate. "Please. Just look at me."
She wouldn't.
"Shreya, I don't know what I did. I don't know why you left. I don't know why you came back and won't talk to me. But I need you to tell me. Whatever it is. We can fix it."
She shook her head.
"Please."
He stepped closer. Pinned her gently against the wall.
Not aggressively. Just... there.
Blocking her escape.
"Talk to me."
---
She looked up.
Her eyes were wet.
But she didn't speak.
"Shreya—"
She pushed.
Hard.
He stumbled back, surprised.
She ran.
Into her room.
Door slamming.
Lock clicking.
---
Mithun stood there.
Hands hanging at his sides.
Defeated.
Chethan appeared. Put a hand on his shoulder.
"Bro—"
"She won't even talk to me."
"I know."
"I don't know what I did."
"Maybe it's not about you."
"Then what is it?"
No one had an answer.
---
Then they heard it.
From behind her door.
Crying.
Not quiet tears.
Loud, wracking, heartbroken sobs.
The kind of crying that came from somewhere deep.
Somewhere broken.
---
Akshi's face went white. "Shreya?"
No answer. Just crying.
"SHREYA!"
She ran to the door. Pounded on it.
"Let me in! Please! Let me in!"
The crying continued.
Akshi turned to Jay. "We have to get in there!"
Jay grabbed her hand. "Give me a minute."
She knocked gently.
"Shreya. It's Jay. Please. Let me in. Just me."
Silence.
Then—the lock clicked.
---
Jay slipped inside.
Closed the door behind her.
Akshi waited outside, trembling.
Chethan held her.
Mithun stood frozen.
---
Inside, Shreya was on the floor.
Back against the bed. Knees pulled up. Face destroyed.
Jay sat beside her. Didn't speak. Just waited.
Minutes passed.
Finally, Shreya's voice came.
Hoarse. Broken. Barely a whisper.
"I have cancer."
---
Jay's world stopped.
"What?"
"Heart cancer. Angiosarcoma. They found it three months ago."
"Shreya—"
"I didn't want to tell anyone. I didn't want—I couldn't—" She sobbed. "I went back to India for treatment. Thought maybe—hoped—"
"And?"
Shreya looked at her.
Eyes empty.
"It's not working."
---
Jay couldn't breathe.
"Shreya, no."
"It's spreading. They gave me months. Maybe less."
"No. No, we'll find another doctor. Another treatment. We'll—"
"There is no other treatment, Jay. It's rare. Aggressive. There's nothing."
Jay grabbed her hands. "We'll fight it. Together. All of us."
Shreya pulled away. "That's why I can't tell them."
"What?"
"Mithun. Akshi. Chethan. All of them. If they know—" Her voice broke. "I can't watch them fall apart. I can't watch him—" She stopped. "He'll spend every moment trying to save me. And when I go—" She couldn't finish.
"Shreya—"
"I won't do that to him. I won't let him watch me die."
"So you'll push him away instead?"
"It's kinder."
"It's NOT kinder! It's—"
"It's what I have to do."
---
Jay cried.
Shreya cried.
They held each other.
Minutes. Hours. Time meant nothing.
---
Finally, Shreya pulled back.
"You can't tell them. Any of them. Promise me."
"Shreya—"
"PROMISE ME."
Jay looked at her sister.
At the woman who had become family.
At the secret she now carried.
"I promise."
---
Akshi was let in next.
She took one look at Shreya's face and collapsed.
"What? What is it? What's wrong?"
Shreya held her.
Told her.
Akshi screamed.
Then sobbed.
Then held her tighter.
"We'll fight it," Akshi whispered. "Together."
"No. You can't tell anyone."
"What?"
"Especially Chethan. Especially Mithun. I won't let them—" She stopped. "Promise me."
"Akshi—"
"PROMISE."
Akshi looked at Jay.
Jay nodded slowly.
Akshi broke.
But she promised.
---
They stayed in that room for hours.
The three sisters.
Holding each other.
Crying together.
Making plans they didn't want to make.
---
Outside, Mithun waited.
And waited.
And waited.
Shreya didn't come out.
Didn't call for him.
Didn't want him.
He didn't know why.
But he felt it.
Something was very, very wrong.
---
End of Chapter Ninety-Seven