Right Here [Regular Updates]

Chapter 5

Next morning as Shreya got ready to get to her office, she heard a commotion start.

"You asked me to buy so I bought them. But these have side effects that can kill! Augmentin! That's the same antibiotic both of my parents were given." Her father's tone was unfriendly and her brother looked unsure at the tablet strips.

Shreekant's cold seemed to wage a war in his body. He thought it was just a flu and it would go away soon. But early in the morning, he told his dad how serious it was. With his condition, he was scared of missing classes. A week in the 12th grade spent at home instead of college is equivalent to a whole month of self study. Ironically enough, he missed the classes pertaining to the cold!

"If you want to use them, you can, lest your mother turns around and says I don't care about you."

Shreekant lowered his eyes. He wanted to get over the cold. He did not believe he was going to die from a short usage of the medicine. He wanted to reach out of the strip.

"Later on don't turn around and blame me like your mother."

Shreekant stopped. He saw his mother standing aside. Although he could not see her face, the silence now was more tense than normal.

"It's fine, dad. I think it'll go away soon." He blew his nose. Then he turned away to try to revise his previous classes. On the way, he avoided his sister.

She looked like she could cry any moment.

He wondered why she was still so sensitive. These stopped bothering him a long time ago. He was extremely capable of turning a blind eye to his mother's feelings too.

As he walked past her, his eyes glanced over hers. He felt uncomfortable, but not guilty really. He had long grown unfeeling. All that mattered to him was a little peace.

When Shreekant left the hallway, it was Shreya's turn.

"Yesterday, someone asked me if we decided on your marriage yet." He looked over, inspecting her, as he took away the medicine with dread. He was going to return the damning thing!

Shreya held his eyes for a moment before looking down. She did not know if she should say something. She did not know what she should say, if she should.

"I could only smile at them in embarrassment."

Shreya held his eyes until he spoke again this time.

"Everyone knows what you do and how much education I provided you! How can I tell them you are going to marry someone who studied less than you?" His voice was aggrieved, as if he was wronged by her.

Here he goes again, Shreya thought. For the sake of all the guilt trips he put her through until now, this time, she was not going to give him that chance.

"What do you want me to say?" Was she getting ballsy? She was, indeed. She got straight to the point.

"Is that how you speak to your father?"

Shreya sighed silently. "This one time, let me choose myself."

"What? Did you just say that I never gave you any choice?"

Shreya tried to keep her cool. "You know you did not."

Then as her father began to keep up his righteousness, Shreya took inaudible deep breaths. It was going to end at some point, so for as long as it lasted, she tried to not hear. But this was not the case of out of sight out of mind. She could not put her palms to her ears brazenly before her father, even if he had a clearly booming voice.

In the end, after around half an hour, he shook his head at her and let her off.

Shreya kept her countenance unchanged as she left the house, in the car, and as she got down.