Flawless Silence

Chapter 02

"Yes. I, you and beautiful Mumma will play. I will ask papa to sit and see us. By the way, why are there are sooooo many people there? Is someone dead? Or macchi market?" Shubham asked as he peeked outside through the keyhole.

Shubham was all but a normal adult. His pronunciation, walking, motor neuron, and reflex skills were all intact however his mind was still a five-year-old.

Laughing at his description, Shivaay answered him. "Shiv baccha is getting married in a couple of days. So nana, nani, dada, and dadi all are here."

"So?" Shubham gave a stink eye as he wasn't inquisitive in the adult world. He forwarded his palms asking for his phone to play the angry birds game. Shivaay looked at him guiltily and handed over his phone after opening the screen passcode.

Shivaay extremely felt culpable for having the life and freedom to do anything that his only sibling didn't have. Now as he was to be married he wondered how their relationship would have been if he was not mentally ill. Would Shubham still love him even after knowing his envy towards him? He was enjoying his life to the fullest and unknown to his brother was just confined between four walls.

Should he consider himself lucky enough to have this life? He marvelled.

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"Ma, Papa can I speak to you for a minute?" Annika hesitantly walked to the living room, where her parents sat discussing the guest list and budget for the wedding. "Was it wrong with asking his parents for some privacy? Ma please say something?"

Her mother Kusum Tripathi glanced at her and kept on calculating the numbers, ignoring her. "Did you ask me before speaking your mind? Or when you wanted to get married to that cheap guy?"

"Ma, I'm sorry," Annika whispered lowly, as she rubbed her dampening cheeks. "I never thought he you back out. I'm sorry ma."

Her father, Bhanu Pratap Tripathi chipped in the same straight tone. "We had warned you before. There is no use in asking sorry now, you are crying over spilt milk now." His gaze was sharp and Annika flinched under his look.

"Papa,"

"Do you know how hard is it to cover your deeds? We had to shift to this place since there, in the previous place,  everyone started gossiping about your elopement act. They had straightly influenced the girl's family when the rista was somehow stable with your bhaiya. Many of the ristas which came for Amish broke because of your acts." Her mother banged the calculator she was holding on the table and sighed. "Thank the mighty, damad Ji and his family are so nice, even after knowing that, his father was adamant about you. He had looked at you at one of the common friends' wedding. Now don't disappoint us and also them."

"Ma stop cornering her." Amish, Annika's elder brother walked into the arguments that were filled with awkwardness and defeat in the air. Glancing at his sister, who was on the verge of crying out, he whispered. "It's okay. I'm here."

Annika pressed her lips together and nodded slightly.

"Did you look at his pictures which I sent you?" Amish asked as he walked to the side to hug his sister.

Annika let out a small yes even though she hadn't seen it. She again didn't want to be a disappointment to her parents and hinder her brother, who had crossed thirty.

"Are you happy with the alliance? If not you can reject him. Your bhaiya will look for the perfect husband for you."

"I trust ma and papa. I'm okay with this."

"Where were this faith in us when we warned that the guy was irresponsible and a jackass. You got your brains after the mishap." Kusum muttered under her breath.