Chapter One Hundred Thirteen: The Anger, The Wall, and The Memory
The morning after their return from India, the mansion was buzzing with the usual chaos.
Percy had arrived early, as always, dragging Honey behind him. "BREAKFAST! I NEED BREAKFAST! AND UPDATES! ANYONE HAVE UPDATES?"
Honey sighed. "Babe, it's 8 AM."
"PRIME UPDATE TIME!"
Akshi and Chethan were in the kitchen, Akshi attempting to cook something that was definitely burning. Chethan was "helping" by making it worse.
C.N. and Rakii sat at the table, C.N. with his laptop, Rakii reviewing photos from the trip.
Felix and Bridget were curled on the couch, reading.
David and Freya were playing some game that David was losing.
Mica and Calix were arguing about something silly.
Aries and Ella sat together, Ella's hand on her belly, both glowing.
Keiran was running in circles with Rex and Ganesha.
Keigan was on his phone, pretending to be too cool for everything.
Jay and Keifer sat at the table, coffee in hand, watching the chaos.
And Shreya and Mithun—
Shreya and Mithun were sitting apart.
Something was wrong.
---
Jay noticed it first.
Shreya was quiet. Too quiet. Her jaw was tight. Her eyes wouldn't meet anyone's.
Mithun, for his part, seemed... different. Calm. Too calm. Like he was waiting for something.
"What's going on?" Jay whispered to Keifer.
"I don't know. But Mithun has that look."
"What look?"
"The 'I have a plan' look."
---
Breakfast was served.
Akshi's cooking was, as always, an adventure.
Burnt dosas. Perfect chutney (Mithun had fixed it). Coffee that was somehow both too strong and too weak.
Everyone ate. Talked. Laughed.
Except Shreya.
She pushed food around her plate. Didn't eat.
Mithun watched her.
Then he spoke.
"You know, Shreya, you used to love dosas. Before. You'd eat three of them and complain about burning your mouth but keep going anyway."
She looked up. "I don't remember."
"That's the problem, isn't it? You don't remember anything."
---
The table went quiet.
Akshi's eyes widened. "Mithun—"
"I'm just stating facts. She doesn't remember. She's been here for weeks and she still doesn't remember."
Shreya's jaw tightened. "I'm trying."
"Are you? Because it doesn't feel like you're trying. It feels like you're just... existing. Waiting for something to happen without putting in any effort."
"That's not fair."
"None of this is fair. But at least the rest of us are dealing with it. You're just—"
"Just what?"
"Just floating. Like none of this matters to you."
---
Shreya stood abruptly.
"That's not true."
"Then what IS true? Because from where I'm sitting, you haven't done anything to try to remember. You haven't looked at photos. Haven't asked questions. Haven't—"
"I ASK QUESTIONS!"
"You ask the same questions over and over. And then you forget the answers."
"Because I CAN'T REMEMBER!"
"Then TRY HARDER!"
---
The room was frozen.
No one moved.
No one breathed.
Shreya's eyes were blazing. "You don't get to tell me to try harder. You don't know what it's like to wake up and not know who you are. To have people look at you like you're someone you don't remember being. To feel like a stranger in your own life."
Mithun stood. "I know what it's like to watch the woman I love forget me. To hold her hand and have her not know who I am. To hear her say she doesn't love me because she doesn't REMEMBER loving me."
"That's not what I said."
"It's what you meant."
---
Shreya's face crumpled.
"I can't do this."
She turned.
Walked toward the stairs.
Toward her room.
Away from him.
---
Mithun moved.
Fast.
He caught her at the bottom of the stairs.
Grabbed her arm.
Spun her around.
Pinned her against the wall.
---
Not gently.
Firmly.
His body blocking her escape.
His face inches from hers.
---
"Let me go."
"No."
"I said LET ME GO."
"No."
Tears streamed down her face. "Why are you doing this?"
"Because I'm tired of you running."
"I'm NOT running!"
"Yes you are. Every time things get hard, every time you feel something, you run. You ran to India. You ran from me when I first said I loved you. You're running now."
"I'm not—"
"You ARE. And I'm done letting you."
---
She stared at him.
Breathing hard.
Eyes wet.
"Let me go."
"I love you."
The words hit her like a physical blow.
"I love you, Shreya. I've loved you for years. I loved you when you remembered. I loved you when you forgot. I love you now. And I'm not letting you run again."
"I don't—"
"I don't care if you don't love me back. I don't care if you never remember. I'm here. I'm staying. And you can push me away all you want, but I'm not going anywhere."
---
She pushed.
Hard.
He stumbled back.
She ran.
Up the stairs.
Two steps.
Three.
Four.
---
Her hand gripped the railing.
The world tilted.
"Mithun—"
She collapsed.
---
He caught her before she hit the stairs.
"SHREYA!"
She was limp in his arms.
Pale. Still. Not moving.
"SHREYA!"
---
Akshi heard the scream.
She ran.
Everyone ran.
They found Mithun on the stairs, Shreya unconscious in his arms.
"What happened?" Akshi's voice was high, panicked.
"I pushed her—I made her angry—she ran—and then she just—" His voice broke. "She just collapsed."
Jay knelt beside them. "Her pulse is there. Strong. She's breathing."
"Why won't she wake up?"
"Stress. Emotion. Her body's been through so much." Jay looked at him. "We need to get her to the couch. Gently."
---
Mithun carried her.
Laid her on the couch.
Kneeled beside her.
Held her hand.
"Please wake up," he whispered. "Please. I'm sorry I pushed you. I'm sorry I made you angry. I just—I couldn't watch you run again. Please wake up."
---
Minutes passed.
Five.
Ten.
Fifteen.
Twenty.
Everyone watched.
No one moved.
No one breathed.
---
Then—
Her fingers twitched.
Mithun leaned closer. "Shreya?"
Her eyes opened slowly.
Confusion first. Then—
Recognition.
Wide. Clear. Real.
She looked at him.
"Mithun."
"I'm here."
She reached up. Touched his face.
"You caught me. At the bottom of the stairs."
He nodded, tears falling. "I did."
"You said you loved me."
"I did."
"You said you weren't going anywhere."
"I'm not."
---
She sat up slowly.
Looked around.
At Akshi. Chethan. Jay. Keifer. Percy. Honey. C.N. Rakii. Felix. Bridget. David. Freya. Mica. Calix. Aries. Ella. Yuri. Keiran with Rex and Ganesha.
All watching.
All hoping.
"I remember," she said.
Akshi gasped. "What?"
"I remember everything. The day we met. The fights. The laughter. The trip to India. Jog Falls. The hallway. The—" She looked at Mithun. "The proposal."
---
Akshi screamed. "SHREYA!"
She ran. Threw herself at her sister.
They hugged, both crying.
Chethan joined. Then Jay.
The sisters, together, remembering.
---
Percy was sobbing. "SHE REMEMBERS! EVERYTHING! SHE REMEMBERS EVERYTHING!"
Honey held him. "I know, babe. I know."
C.N. wiped his eyes. "Memory recovery: Complete. Emotional significance: Maximum."
Rakii was crying but still photographing. "For the album. 'The Day She Came Back.'"
Felix hugged Bridget. David held Freya. Mica clung to Calix.
Aries kissed Ella's forehead. "She's back."
Ella nodded, tears falling. "She's back."
Keiran ran to Shreya. "AUNTIE SHREYA! YOU REMEMBER?"
She scooped him up. "I remember everything, baby. Everything."
"REX IS HAPPY!"
Rex nodded.
Ganesha nodded.
---
Mithun hadn't moved.
Still kneeling.
Still watching.
She set Keiran down.
Crossed to him.
Kneeled in front of him.
Took his face in her hands.
"I remember," she whispered. "I remember loving you. I remember being scared. I remember running. And I remember—" She kissed him. Soft. Sweet. "—coming back."
He kissed her back.
Held her.
Didn't let go.
---
When they finally broke apart, she was laughing through tears.
"I love you."
"I love you too."
"I'm sorry I forgot."
"You didn't forget. You just took a detour."
"A long detour."
"But you're back now."
"I'm back now."
"And you're not running anymore?"
"Never again."
---
Percy couldn't contain himself. "THIS IS THE BEST DAY! THE ABSOLUTE BEST DAY!"
Honey laughed. "It really is."
Akshi grabbed Chethan. "She remembers! She actually remembers!"
Chethan held her. "I know. I know."
Jay leaned against Keifer. "She's back."
"She's back."
"Our family is whole again."
"The whole-est."
---
That night, they celebrated.
Food. Laughter. Chaos.
Percy gave seventeen speeches. Honey only confiscated the mic twice.
C.N. presented his "Memory Recovery Probability" chart. It showed 100%.
Rakii created a slideshow of the entire journey—from the first trip to India to this moment.
Everyone cried. Again.
Keiran ran around with Rex and Ganesha, declaring it "the best day ever."
---
Shreya and Mithun sat together.
Hand in hand.
She leaned against him.
"You made me so angry," she whispered.
"I know."
"Pushing me against the wall. Saying all those things."
"I know."
"It worked."
"I know."
She looked at him. "You're terrible."
"Your terrible."
"I love you."
"I love you too."
"Forever?"
"Forever."
---
Jay and Keifer watched them from across the room.
"Another one," Jay said.
"Another one."
"Our family."
"The best family."
He kissed her forehead.
She smiled.
The chaos continued around them.
But for one moment—
Everything was perfect.
---
End of Chapter One Hundred Thirteen