Eclipse of Heart

3 | Identity Crisis

"Thanks, Adi. You're officially my favourite brother," I teased, accepting the bag. He stared at me blankly in response saying, "I am your only brother." To which I grinned at him cheekily.

"Find any gripping tales in there?" he asked, raising an eyebrow when he found me scrolling through my books.

I shrugged slightly, "Was aiming for a thrilling read, but it turns out, my reality is beating any story on this Kindle."

Adi looked bewildered at my words. I scolded myself silently for making such a comment but quickly attempted to shift the mood.

"You know, for the next 5 months, I'm going to be a guest lecturer." That caught his attention and he immediately sat beside me. "What are you saying? You barely completed 2 months there after your transfer. Why would they do that to you?" I shrugged in response attempting to downplay the situation because the last I needed was him worrying about me when he as such a good life.

Nithya joined us with a tray loaded with more food than one person could devour.

"I know I eat a lot compared to you both. That doesn't mean I'm going to be able to finish all this," I quipped. Nithya replied, rolling her eyes, "It's not just for you."

"Oh, thank god," I said in mock relief.

"We'll eat with you and then leave," Nithya said opening the lids of takeovers. "You don't have to do that, Anni (Sister-in-law). I can manage," I protested.

"It's not that. I don't want to eat with your brother alone at home. He's boring," Nithya replied, causing me to chuckle. Adi looked at his wife incredulously. "I'm boring?" he asked in disbelief, to which Nithya nodded and distributed the food to each of us. I chuckled watching my brother who was staring at his wife in disbelief.

We completed eating with Adithya's and Nithya's bickering. I looked at them with adoration.

They both met at a college fest in Chennai during our stay there. He spilt his drink on her dress from behind while they were dancing for the college DJ party and she lost her temper at that as it was her favourite dress. Cliche, but my brother fell in love at first sight. She went on screwing him with Tamil curse words and he stood there blankly staring at her in awe as if he saw an angel from heaven. She is an angel tho. I love her so much. Anyway, my brother has been a total goner since that day. She found her somehow. Fast forward here they are married and happy I guess. Maybe I should say married and bickering.

Adi and Nithya left after giving me a set of instructions. I listened, half-heartedly, feeling the exhaustion settle in. In the middle of their directives, I couldn't resist the urge to doze off so I faked to doze so that they spare me the instructions, but my brother's swift hit on my head brought me back to attention. "Okay, okay," I groaned, exhausted, and they left me to rest.

I slowly opened my father's room and went inside, settling into the couch designated for patient attendants near the wall. Selecting a thriller novel on the Kindle, I relaxed and started reading, occasionally glancing at my father and the monitors beside him. As time passed, my neck started to feel sore, but I couldn't manage even a wink of sleep.

And smiled sadly at me. I really went from heavy sleeper to not being able to catch a wink of sleep.

Deciding to take a walk, I checked the empty water bottle I had finished while reading. Making sure everything was fine with my father, I headed out to get some fresh air. Walking around the empty front lawn of the hospital with the now-empty water bottle in hand, I scrolled through my phone while listening to songs.

Someone approached me from behind, and though my attention shifted, I continued scrolling. The person placed a hand on my shoulder, and I instinctively twisted the hand behind their back, locking it. "Woah, woah, calm down, I'm no danger," the person said, amused. As I noticed the police uniform, I released the hold with a jerky surprise.