Arjun brushed aside the leaves that had gathered on the windowsill. "Look, these leaves keep piling up on the window. With even a strong gust of wind, they find their way inside the room. I can't stand the constant rustling sound they make." He began removing the wooden frame and the wire mesh from the window.
Ranjana stepped forward and gently took the cloth from his hands. "Give it to me. I'll clean it. You shouldn't trouble yourself with these chores right now."
"Maa is calling you downstairs. Her knees are hurting, so she couldn't come up herself. She says you haven't come down even once since morning. Please don't do this. It breaks her heart to see you in this state."
"Alright," Arjun replied. "You go down. I'll be there in a little while."
He felt he was reacting too strongly to things and people slipping away from him. He wondered if depression had begun to engulf him. Lying in bed all day was dulling his mind and judgment, and this realization only irritated him further.The things he had once been most attached to were slowly detaching themselves from him.
He still could not clearly say when, why, or how that love had blossomed—whether it had been true love, mere attachment, an illusion, or simply attraction. Whatever it was, the journey itself had been far more beautiful than any destination.
Some relationships are like wildflowers. They are never meant to adorn the feet of gods, nor are they destined for ornate decorations. Yet these blossoms open at the first touch of dawn's rays and, by evening, embrace the night with the grace of a doe. Such bonds may never be given a formal name, but they remain forever etched on the canvas of the heart.
Arjun descended the stairs quickly. He saw his mother sitting in the drawing room, talking to Ranjana.
The moment she noticed him, she asked, "You don't even come downstairs anymore, Bittoo? Ranjana has her own home now. Who will look after me?
There's no one left but you. If you keep wandering in your own world like this day and night, how will everything ever get back on track?"
"Bittoo, you have always been my responsible son. What has come over you?
I don't know in which cursed moment that girl's shadow fell upon my son and this house. She has ruined everything." His mother's voice cracked with emotion as she wiped the corners of her eyes with the edge of her sari.
Whenever her maternal love overflowed, she would affectionately call him "Bittoo."This nickname "Bittoo" for Arjun and "Bitti" for Ranjana had been given by Rani herself during their childhood. She would call them by these names, and gradually everyone in the family and even at school started using them. The entire neighborhood knew them as Bittoo and Bitti. Sometimes Arjun would pout and complain, "At least call me by my real name at home. All the kids in class tease me by calling me Bittoo." Those memories of childhood and the past came flooding back unbidden.
Ever since morning, Rani had been constantly on his mind—his childhood companion, his closest friend, whose days had once revolved around this very house.
For the first time, Arjun heard his mother openly cursing Shreya in front of him. The words stung. No matter what Shreya had done, he did not like hearing harsh words about her from his mother's mouth. It was against her nature to speak ill of anyone. But the wound was deep, and her suppressed pain kept surfacing. Still, she had never used such language in his presence before. Today, she had forgotten her usual gentle self.
Arjun pretended he had not heard anything and simply ignored her words.
Ranjana intervened softly, "Maa, why are you spoiling your mouth by cursing someone who is no longer in this world?"
Then she turned to Arjun. "Bhaiya Sudhanshu has invited all of us for dinner tomorrow, Sunday night. He especially asked that you make no excuses this time. If you keep avoiding going out, you'll sink deeper into depression. Meet people, socialize. If you stay cooped up at home like this, alone all the time, how will you ever recover?"
Arjun replied, "Let me speak first. I don't do it deliberately. I simply don't feel like stepping out. I get overwhelmed by people's questions and their pitying stares. My mind now dreads conversations and I don't want to become an object of sympathy.
"Ranjana insisted gently, "Don't overthink it. We haven't gone out to a restaurant for a meal in a long time. Let's go tomorrow, Bhaiya. Maa and Papa will also be happy—they've been wanting to meet you for many days."
As she headed toward the door, she added, "I should leave now; it's already quite late. I brought moong dal halwa—your favorite. Make sure you eat it."
Arjun nodded in agreement. "Okay, you go home. I'll have it."
Ranjana's in-laws' house was barely a kilometer away, so she often came over to look after their mother.
Arjun's mother spoke to him with deep affection, her voice laced with both love and sorrow. "Bittu, you are the hope of us all. When calamity first struck our family, it was you who showed such courage and kept reassuring everyone. I know what a fighter you are, my son—you never give up easily.
We are all standing with you, but seeing you in this condition breaks our hearts. Just look at yourself—what a sight you've become: that overgrown beard, disheveled hair, and this dull, defeated face. Whenever I see you like this, something twists inside me, and despite myself, bitter words about that unfortunate girl slip from my lips."
Arjun took his mother's hand in his own and said softly, "Maa, I don't like lying in bed all day either. Believe me, the bed now feels like thorns piercing my body, and my back often stiffens from lying down so much. But my mental state isn't normal yet. Give me some time. I'm fighting many battles within myself right now. I'm trying my best to break free soon."
Arjun replied gently, "Don't speak ill of anyone, Mother. This must be the fruit of my past karma, something I am destined to endure. As far as I can remember in this life, I have never wronged anyone. Just as good times do not last forever, this bad phase will not linger either. One day, light will surely break through. Until then, hold on to your courage a little longer. I know my mother is wise and strong enough to handle this situation gracefully."
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