CHAPTER 10: THE SILENCE OF THOSE I LOVE
Pia's Point of View
When I opened my eyes, it took me a moment to realize I was still at home. The soft morning light filtered through the cream curtains, dancing faintly across the walls. Everything looked the same, yet something inside me felt completely unrecognizable.
I hadn't spoken to Arjun since the office incident. Since... that moment when my entire reality shook. When he had injected me with something and watched me collapse into unconsciousness.
Even now, I couldn't understand why.
I sat up slowly, my head still swimming. There was a faint knock, followed by the creak of the door opening. My heart jumped.
It was Ma.
She stepped inside with a tray and that ever-so-gentle smile on her face. Her eyes carried the calm of a seasoned doctor, but beneath the surface, I could sense something else—a quiet storm.
"Good morning, Pia," she said, placing the tray beside me. "How are you feeling?"
"Like someone who's trapped in a dream that doesn't make sense," I replied honestly.
She paused. Then sat beside me, her hand reaching out to squeeze mine.
"You gave us a scare, sweetheart. Your body is under a lot of stress. You need rest."
"I'm pregnant," I said.
Her eyes softened. "Yes."
"But not by one month... it's more than that, isn't it?"
There it was—the hesitation. That flicker. Her smile faltered just slightly.
"I overheard you and Arjun. You said it's more than a month. Maa... please don't lie to me."
She lowered her gaze. "Pia, sometimes it's better to let things unfold slowly. Especially when emotions are this fragile."
"Fragile? Do you think I can't handle the truth?"
She looked at me then, and her gaze was steady. "No, I know you're strong. But strength doesn't mean you need to carry everything at once."
"Why is everyone treating me like I'm not capable of hearing the truth? I deserve to know. I need to know."
"And you will. But right now, what matters most is your health and your baby's."
I opened my mouth to argue again, but the sound of footsteps drew our attention. The door opened wider—and to my shock, it was my parents.
"Maa? Papa?" I gasped.
My mother rushed to me, wrapping her arms tightly around me. "My baby... we were so worried."
I clutched her back, overwhelmed by the familiarity of her warmth.
"Papa... please... tell me what's going on. Why is everyone silent? Why are you not baffled by him? Arjun... he's hiding something. And I don't know why."
Papa looked at me, his expression carefully neutral. "Pia, things aren't always as they appear."
"That's not comforting. I need answers."
"Sometimes," Maa said gently, "answers aren't ready yet."
I looked between them, feeling the tremble in my chest grow stronger. "Do you even know what's happening?"
"We do," Papa admitted. "But we also believe Arjun deserves the chance to explain things himself."
I blinked. "So you're taking his side too?"
"It's not about sides," Maa said, holding my hands. "We know Arjun. We've seen his love for you. You are safe with him."
"He injected me without my permission," I whispered, my voice cracking. "How is that safe?"
They exchanged a brief look, and again, there was that silence. That choking silence that screamed of things unsaid.
"Beta," Papa said softly, "there are moments in life when we have to wait for the fog to clear. It will. You just need to trust us."
I pulled away, tears stinging the corners of my eyes. "I'm surrounded by people who love me, yet I've never felt so alone."
---
Later that afternoon, when my mind couldn't bear the stillness, the door opened once again.
Rishi.
"Didi," he said, rushing toward me, his concern painted across every inch of his face.
"Rishi," I murmured, almost collapsing into his arms. "Thank God you're here. You'll tell me the truth, won't you?"
He held me tightly, his voice quiet. "I'll always be here for you."
We sat together. I poured out every ounce of confusion, pain, fear. I told him about the pregnancy timeline, about Arjun's injection, the locked room, the silence. Every question that kept me up at night.
He listened. And then... he gave me the same look everyone else had.
"Didi," he began slowly, "Bhaiya is scared. I've never seen him like this. He's not trying to hurt you. I swear. But he's definitely carrying something heavy."
"Everything is clear. Isn't it?" I asked, nearly pleading. "Why all the mystery?"
"I asked him," Rishi admitted. "He said... 'Pia will know everything soon. Just not yet.'"
I stared at him, numb. "You too? You're saying the same thing?"
He leaned in, brushing my hair back like he used to when I got nightmares as a child. "All I know is that you're loved, deeply. And that there's a reason they're all staying silent."
"Do you think I'm imagining things? That I'm crazy?"
"Never," he said firmly. "Please wait calmly. He will clear everything.."
My voice dropped to a whisper. "So I just wait? Endure? Pretend I'm okay while I'm being kept in the dark about my own life?"
He didn't respond.
Because there was no answer to that.
---
That night, I lay in bed, surrounded by the weight of everyone's silence. Each word left unspoken carved another hollow space in my chest.
They all believed Arjun. It was as if he did nothing wrong. They all trusted him.
And I wanted to.
But I couldn't deny the nagging fear in my heart. Not when every comforting word was laced with evasion.
Not when I was the only one who seemed desperate for the truth.
Whatever it was… I would find it. Even if it meant tearing through every layer of mystery myself.
Because love without honesty felt more like a cage than a home.
And I was done pretending I didn't notice the bars.