Aadhya's POV
I reached home.
Quiet.
Too quiet.
"…Rey nahi hai."
I dropped my bag.
"Haan… pakka bhaiyya se daant kha raha hoga."
"Good."
"Mujhe kya."
I walked straight to my room.
Door shut.
Hair tied again—
Proper bun this time.
Not that cream bun disaster from earlier.
"Improvement."
I changed into my pajamas and flopped on the bed.
Then suddenly—
"Avi."
I grabbed my phone and called him.
Ring.
Ring.
He picked up.
"Hey! Why didn't you come to school today?"
Straight attack.
No warning.
"Ohhh… Adi? Is that you?"
His voice.
Same annoying tone.
"Yeah, it's me. Now answer my question."
"No hello… no hi…" he laughed softly.
"Why? Did you miss me?"
I blinked.
"Excuse me??"
"Of course not!"
"Don't flatter yourself."
"Haan haan…" he chuckled.
"Nothing… I just wasn't feeling well."
I sat up.
"Define 'not feeling well.'"
"Are you sick? Fever? Or…"
I narrowed my eyes.
"…did you get into a fight?"
Silence.
For a second.
Then—
"Nothing. Just… my injury burst. That's it."
My brows knitted.
"Injury?"
"Damn it."
"Tum log normal language mein baat nahi kar sakte kya?"
"You jerks!" I snapped.
He laughed.
Actually laughed.
"Seriously, you're crazy."
"When will you come back?" I asked, softer this time.
"Few days," he replied casually.
Few days??
"WHAT—"
Call ended.
"…hello??"
I stared at the screen.
"He cut the call."
"Rude."
But…
"…he definitely got into a fight."
My chest felt uneasy.
"Oh no… I forgot to ask about Mahi."
"Next time."
—
Dinner time.
I went downstairs.
Table set.
Everyone present.
Bhaiyya.
Masi.
…and Reyansh.
Great.
Perfect family gathering.
Silence.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
We all ate quietly.
Like strangers forced to sit together.
My brain started overthinking mid-bite—
And suddenly—
I choked.
"cough—cough—"
"Adi!"
"Maa, water!"
Bhaiyya rubbed my back.
Masi rushed with water.
I coughed harder.
Almost dying.
"Great."
"Not how I planned my death."
Finally calmed down.
Finished dinner.
Everyone went back to their rooms.
—
I sat near the window.
Cool breeze.
Nice view.
"Hmm…"
"I want something cold."
I stood up slowly.
Mission: Fridge.
Stealth mode ON.
No sound.
No detection.
I reached the kitchen.
Opened the fridge—
Jackpot.
Cold coffee can.
"…bhaiyya ka hai."
Pause.
"…it's okay."
"He won't know."
I grabbed it and ran back quietly.
But—
Voices.
From Bhaiyya's room.
Masi was there.
I slowed down.
About to pass—
Then I heard—
My name.
I froze.
My foot slipped—
THUD.
"Shit!"
I quickly got up and hid behind the wall.
Heart racing.
They didn't come out.
They kept talking.
"Maa… we should take her to a psychiatrist," Bhaiyya said.
My breath hitched.
"…what?"
"She has to face her past."
Silence.
Masi's voice came—soft.
"But look at her… she's still not over that incident."
"She's too sensitive now."
"Let's do it later… she's scared. Try to understand, Amar."
I stood there.
Frozen.
Cold.
Then quietly walked back to my room.
Closed the door.
Sat on the bed.
Then fell back.
Staring at the ceiling.
"They want me to remember…"
"But why?"
"I don't want to."
A strange feeling crept in.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
Fear?
"…maybe."
People said things.
About my past.
About my stepdad.
About… abuse.
But—
"I don't remember anything."
Nothing.
Blank.
Like those memories were erased.
Gone.
All I remember is—
Small moments.
Happy ones.
With Reyansh.
When things were… good.
We used to play.
Eat together.
Sleep like siblings.
People even mistook us for real brother and sister.
But now?
Everything's different.
Distant.
Broken.
I closed my eyes tightly.
"No."
"I don't want to remember."
My chest hurt a little.
"…I miss that."
"But it's gone."
I turned to my side.
Pulled the blanket closer.
"It's okay."
"Don't cry."
"You have school tomorrow."
I whispered softly to myself—
"Sleep."