The house echoed with the angry voice, "Ramu Kaka! Ramu Kaka!" Silence filled the air as everyone avoided the room, knowing better than to step in when tempers flared.
An old man entered hurriedly, wiping his hands on his apron. "Kaka, where have you been? I've been calling you for ages! I'm running late, and I can't find my file—the one I've been working on for days! Go and find it. Fast!"
Ramu Kaka nodded silently and left to search for the missing file. The man, Sanskar Maheshwari, glanced at his reflection in the mirror, adjusting his tie, and sighed before heading downstairs.
As Sanskar entered the dining hall, he found his mother, Annapurna, waiting for him. Her face was a mixture of relief and frustration.
"Sanskar Maheshwari, do you think you can just walk in here like that?" Annapurna's voice cracked with emotion. "Do you have any idea how worried I was? No word from you, not a single call. You don't have the right to scare me like that."
Sanskar froze, taken aback by his mother's outburst. It was rare for her to scold him, and he knew he deserved it after staying out late, first for a meeting and then for drinks at the bar. He stepped forward, wrapping his arms around her. "Mom, I'm so sorry," he whispered.
Annapurna, still tense, let out a shaky breath before hugging him back. "I was so afraid, Sanskar. I can't lose you again." Tears welled in her eyes, and Sanskar held her tighter.
"You'll never lose me, Mom," he reassured her, his voice soft. "Don't even think about that."
At that moment, Ragini, his younger sister, entered the room, pretending to pout. "Wow, all the love for Bhaiya! And here I am, the ignored one," she said with a dramatic sigh.
Both Sanskar and Annapurna laughed, the tension easing a bit. "Come here, Ragu," Sanskar said, motioning for her to join them in a group hug.
Just then, Ramu Kaka returned with the missing file and handed it to Sanskar, who, without another word, grabbed the file and rushed out of the house, leaving Ragini and his mother standing there.
"Mom, I'm worried about him," Ragini said quietly, her voice laced with concern.
Annapurna wiped away her tears. "I know, Ragini. He's hiding behind his work, burying himself in it to avoid his pain."
"But Mom," Ragini began, her own eyes misting up, "you said he'd be okay if we gave him time. It's been two years, and he's still not himself. He's...he's broken."
Annapurna sighed deeply. "I know. I keep praying that someone will come into his life, someone who will bring back the old Sanskar. Someone who will make him laugh again, make him feel alive. We can only hope that person comes soon." She patted Ragini's hand gently before leaving the room.
Ragini wiped her tears, her eyes drifting to a portrait on the wall. It was of a young woman with a radiant smile. "Pari di," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I barely remember you. I was only twelve when you left us. But I know one thing—you would've helped Bhai move on. You would've brought the joy back into his life. I wish you were here to fix everything."
Unbeknownst to her, Sanskar had been standing nearby, overhearing her words. He stared at the portrait of his older sister, his heart heavy with guilt and grief. "Pari di," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. "I wish you were here too. You were the glue that held us together. I'm lost without you. The family's falling apart, and I...I don't know how to fix it. I miss you so much."
Unable to bear the weight of his feelings any longer, Sanskar pulled out his phone and dialed Laksh, his best friend.
"Hello, Sanskar," Laksh answered cheerfully. But hearing the tension in Sanskar's silence, his tone shifted. "Are you okay? You sound off."
"I need you to meet me on MG Road," Sanskar said, his voice distant. "Take the file and attend the meeting for me. I'm...I'm not feeling up to it today."
Laksh, sensing something was wrong, pressed further. "Sanskar, what's going on? You don't sound right. Is everything okay?"
"I'm fine, Laksh. Just...just meet me there," Sanskar replied, his voice hollow.
"Alright," Laksh agreed, though doubt lingered in his tone. "I'll see you at ten."
Sanskar stared at his phone long after the call had ended, his reflection flickering on the dark screen. "Everything is fine," he whispered to himself, trying to believe the lie.
But miles away, Laksh frowned as he ended the call. "Everything is not fine," he muttered to himself, his own concern growing for his friend.