Modern Slaves

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Caught off guard, I reached out to hold her hand, pressing it gently against my temple. "I know," I murmured, my voice steady despite the emotions threatening to spill over. She wiped her tears with the edge of her saree and left the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I locked the door and undressed, stepping into the bathroom. I took longer than usual, the familiar loathing for the village replaced by a strange sense of belonging. Emerging from the bathroom, I dressed and was greeted by a knock on the door. It was Jithin again. We shook hands, an unspoken agreement between us to never hug. Despite my affection for people, I realized I had never been one for physical displays of affection.

""Hey, Akhil," Jithin greeted him, his voice tinged with concern. "How are you holding up?"Akhil shrugged, unable to find the words to express the tumultuous mix of emotions that churned within him.

"Where were you?" Jithin inquired, his brow furrowed with curiosity.

"I... I worked as a Graphic Designer for a couple of years," Akhil replied, his voice trailing off as he struggled to articulate his thoughts.

"And now?" Jithin pressed, his gaze steady and unwavering.

Akhil hesitated, unsure of how to answer. "Now... I don't know," he admitted, the weight of uncertainty heavy upon his shoulders.

Jithin nodded in understanding, though there was a hint of sadness in his eyes. "I was the one who called you," he confessed, his voice softening with empathy.

Akhil's brow furrowed in confusion. "Oh, it was you," he murmured, realization dawning upon him.

"Yeah, I mean, I had a hard time getting your number," Jithin explained. "I had to ask around quite a bit."

"How did you find it then?" Akhil inquired, his curiosity piqued.

"From your friend, Bharath," Jithin replied, his tone somber.

Akhil's mind raced as he processed the information, his thoughts consumed by a sense of disbelief and dread. Bharath was one of the few friends he had managed to keep in touch with over the years, a reminder of the life he had left behind.

"Does he know?" Akhil asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"No, we didn't inform a lot of people yet, only family, relatives, and his friends," Jithin explained, his words heavy with the weight of sorrow.

Akhil felt a knot form in his stomach as he absorbed the gravity of the situation. His brother's death had cast a shadow over everything, leaving him grappling with feelings of guilt and regret that threatened to consume him whole.

"And, Akhil," Jithin continued, his voice faltering slightly. "I want you to sit down and listen to me calmly."

Akhil complied, sinking onto the bed with a heavy heart. He braced himself for what was to come, knowing that whatever Jithin had to say would only add to the burden he already carried. "He killed himself," Jithin revealed, his words like a dagger to Akhil's heart.

Akhil felt the world spin around him as the full weight of the revelation hit him. His brother, the embodiment of strength and resilience, had succumbed to the darkness that lurked within him. It was a truth too painful to bear, a wound that cut deeper than any he had ever known.

"Also, he had this addiction recently with gambling," Jithin continued, his voice tinged with bitterness. "He borrowed money from my dad too."

Akhil's mind reeled as he tried to make sense of the revelation. His brother's struggles had been hidden from him, concealed beneath a facade of strength and stoicism. It was a truth he had never been prepared to face, a reality that shattered the illusions of his childhood.

As Jithin's words echoed in his mind, Akhil felt a wave of grief wash over him, overwhelming him with a sense of loss and longing. His brother was gone, lost to him forever, and there was nothing he could do to bring him back.

With a heavy heart, Akhil rose from the bed, his mind consumed by thoughts of what could have been. His brother's death had shattered the fragile illusion of normalcy that he had clung to for so long, leaving him adrift in a sea of regret and remorse.

As he stepped out into the hallway, Akhil was greeted by the somber faces of his relatives, their expressions a mirror of his own grief. It was a scene he had witnessed countless times before, yet somehow it felt different now, as if the world had shifted beneath his feet and left him standing alone in the wreckage.With each passing moment, Akhil felt the weight of his brother's absence grow heavier, pressing down upon him like a suffocating blanket. It was a burden he would carry with him for the rest of his days, a reminder of the bond they had shared and the memories they had created together.