I stood halfway down the stairs, blinking away sleep, the cold of the floor seeping into my feet. Down in the kitchen, Amma’s voice was sharp, rushed — she was giving Appa instructions while shuffling plates and cups onto the table. They didn’t even notice me at first. It felt unusual… like something big was about to happen.
And then Appa glanced up, caught me watching, and said quietly, almost warningly,
“He’s coming today.”
My chest tightened. He? That could only mean one person.
Arjun.
The name I hadn’t heard aloud in so long seemed to echo in my head. Two years away. Two years of silence, except for the occasional updates I overheard. And now — today — he was coming back.
I gripped the railing, suddenly wide awake. A car horn sounded outside. My stomach flipped.
I didn’t know what to do. My heart was pounding so fast it almost hurt, and yet, buried under the fear, there was this warmth too — because it was him. I loved him, but I was afraid of him just the same.
So, without thinking too much, I followed Amma and Appa outside. The morning air hit me — sharp, fresh, and heavy with the smell of dust and sun-warmed earth. A car had just pulled up at the gate.
Appa walked a little ahead, shoulders stiff, while Amma fussed nervously at her sari, smoothing it down though it was already perfect. I stayed a step behind them, almost hiding, not sure if I wanted to be seen first or last.
The car door opened.
And then… he stepped out.
Arjun.
Even from a distance, the air around him felt heavier, stricter, as though he carried rules with him in every stride. The same dark eyes, sharper now, the same ankle-high shoes he always wore, polished as if they were new.
For two years, he had been gone. And now, he was here.
He came in. The door shut behind him with a weight that made the whole house feel smaller. I stood there frozen, unsure of what he would do after all these years. Two years… and suddenly, he was right here, in front of us.
He greeted Amma first, his voice deep and steady, softer than I remembered but still carrying that authority. Then he turned to Appa — a few words, short and respectful. My heart pounded harder as I realized I was next.
And then his eyes fell on me.
In that split second, I remembered — the top I was wearing. Short. Careless. I felt my stomach twist. Of course, he would notice. Of course, he wouldn’t like it.
He didn’t waste a second.
“Is this how you welcome me back?” His voice was calm, but the sharpness in it cut deeper than shouting ever could. “Two years gone, and this is how you’ve learned to carry yourself?”
My face burned hot. The joy of seeing him mixed with shame, embarrassment, fear. I wanted to hide, but his gaze pinned me where I stood.
“I-I didn’t know you were coming today,” I stammered, my voice smaller than I meant. “If I had known, I would’ve… I would’ve dressed properly.”
His silence after that was heavier than his words. He just kept looking, and I could feel every flaw, every weakness of mine under that stare.
He didn’t answer right away. That made it worse. His silence pressed against my chest, like he was weighing every word I had said and finding it too light.
“You didn’t know I was coming,” he repeated slowly, almost like he was tasting the excuse. His eyes narrowed, not angry in fire, but cold in disappointment. “So you only behave when someone is watching you?”
I swallowed hard. My fingers twisted the hem of my top, but I couldn’t look away.
He stepped closer, not rushing, but each step making the air heavier. “Discipline isn’t about who is here or who isn’t. It’s about you. What you choose when no one is there to scold you.”
The words stung more than if he had shouted. My throat tightened, and I didn’t know if I wanted to cry or to run.
But at the same time… I wanted to prove myself. To not let him think I was careless, shallow, weak.
So I whispered, “I’ll do better.”
For the first time, the corner of his mouth shifted— not into a smile, but something like a restrained approval. “We’ll see,” he said, turning away.
Hey guys so I return it sometimes a girl and right now I am really and I am crunching myself so guys please for that should I continue this or delete this please
