The Boxes We Are Put In

Chapter 7

The noise of a drill waking you up is not a nice way to wake up. At first, I thought it was coming from the road or some other house, but it was so freaking loud. It was coming from my own house indeed. I rubbed my eyes and walked out of my room.

Francis Chettan, our usual handyman, was in. And he and Achan were in front of Arjun's room. I realised that they were putting a lock outside the door. I blinked at that... "Why are you putting a lock outside?" I asked. (Chettan - Elder brother, bhaiyya)

Achan looked at me; Francis Chettan also. "Arya, go inside?"

"No, why are you putting a lock?"

"Because your mother keeps going in there," Achan said. "It's better this way."

"So? What? You are like going to keep it permanently locked?" I moved to him and stood, folding my hand. "No."

"Arya, go to your room," Achan repeated. His voice was stricter this time.

"Stop the work," I addressed Francis Chettan. But he was looking at me like I am some kind of oddity. I realised I was still in my pyjama and my hair was a mess. I was not supposed to be like this in front of a 30-something Francis Chettan. But I did not care.

"You can't do this." I looked at my father, almost pleading with him. Because whatever he was, he was still my father.

"It's for the better." He said.

"No. I won't allow it."

"Nobody needs to go in there."

"No. I need to go in there. Amma needs to go in there."I stood my ground. "Francis Chetta, leave...just..." He just blinked at me. He will take my father's orders against mine. "Where is Amma... AMMA..." I called out and went to the kitchen to find her. She was sitting down with her head held down. "Are you letting him do this?" I asked her. She silently wiped her tears.

"Amma....?" I called her again.

"Well..."

"He cleared out all his stuff. Now he is sealing the room as well?? It's just a room." I said.

Obviously, nobody listened to me. I walked back to the room. They were already drilling for the latch. "Go freshen up," Achan said. "this is not a state for a girl to be in public." I ignored him and walked out. I did not want to see them seal that room away. I sat outside the house. I could still hear the drill...

I looked at the front yard. Arjun and I used to play here a lot as kids. I wished I can turn the time back to those days.

A while later, Francis Chettan came out of the house and was about to leave. He paused near me. "Don't take it to your heart, Mole. Maybe this is the best way to heal." He told me. I looked up at him angrily. He looked unsettled and then walked away. I wanted to set fire to the whole world and say 'fuck you', and watch and laugh as everyone burns to death suffering. That was the kind of mental state I was in.

But I can't. So I just got up and went back inside the house. Amma was standing looking at the locked door. Achan seemed proud of his work. "You can't just make things like he never existed, you know," I said, to Achan. He looked at me. "He did exist. And he would always be your son and my twin brother." They had no reply.

I ended up being late for college. I was in a bad mood. And hungry. In my anger, I skipped breakfast. And now that I was 20 minutes late, it was better not to attend the first hour.