Species Of Life

51.🌙 Whispers Under the Moonlight(Updated)

In Sid and Avni's room, the atmosphere was quiet but laced with silent tension. Sid sat on the bed, half-lost in his office work, while Avni focused on her night care routine at the dressing table. Yet something wasn't right—he could sense it. Raising his eyes, he caught her gaze through the mirror. Her expression said it all—sharp, annoyed, and unrelenting. The moment their eyes met, she quickly looked away. Sid sighed.

He stood up and walked toward her. Avni, still holding the cream she was about to apply, didn't look at him. Without asking, Sid took the cream from her and gently reached for her hand. But before he could touch it, she stood up abruptly and moved toward the bed. Sid followed her. She tried to walk away again, but he caught her hand, holding her still.

"Wait," he said softly.

She gave him a blank, unimpressed stare.

He didn't let go. Slowly, he applied the cream on her hand with care. As soon as he finished, she snatched her hand free and turned to leave again.

"Avni, wait yaar."

"What?" she snapped.

"Why are you behaving like this?"

"As if you don't know," she shot back, eyes burning with unspoken anger.

Sid looked nervous. "Avni, leave the topic na..."

"Fine," she said, brushing him off. "Good night."

She moved toward her side of the bed, but before she could sit, Sid grabbed her hand and gently pulled her toward him. She stumbled and collided with his chest. For a few moments, they were still.

"You wanted to know, right, who went with me to prom night?" he asked.

Avni nodded silently.

"Okay then listen... that night, the girl who came with me was... was..."

She glared. "Bandar!"

"Okay okay, don't get hyper. The truth is... no one went with me. In fact, I didn't go at all."

Avni looked at him, confused. "Tell me clearly."

He smiled faintly. "My right leg got fractured two days before prom night. I was on bed rest for two weeks."

"What!"

"Don't worry," he said quickly, cupping her face. "It was just a minor accident while playing cricket. Nothing serious."

Her features softened with concern. "You're sure?"

He nodded. "Not much to worry about."

She looked at him and gave a small nod. Sid grinned and pinched her nose.

"You know what? You look really cute when you get jealous."

"Shut up," she muttered.

They both chuckled, the earlier tension easing away, and melted into a warm, lingering hug that held more comfort than words could offer.

Later, they stood on the balcony together, gazing up at the moon. The world felt quiet, still.

"Look at the moon," Sid said softly. "How beautiful it is, na?"

Avni didn't respond immediately. Her mind was somewhere else, tangled in thoughts. When she finally spoke, her words surprised him.

"It looks beautiful from here," she said. "But up close, it's just a grey sphere. There's no real shine. The shine is only because of the sun. The moon has nothing of its own."

Sid looked at her and smiled. "That's exactly what makes it more beautiful."

"How?"

"It represents love," he explained. "When two people fall in love, they might be complete in themselves, but love makes them more beautiful—more confident, more real. Just like the grey moon shines because of the sun, people shine in love because they see themselves through the eyes of the person who loves them."

She leaned in and gently kissed him. "You're my sunshine," she whispered, "the one who makes me shine."

The next morning, Sid and Abhi were in the study room, discussing something quietly, when a knock came at the door. Jan entered with a tray of coffee. She handed it to both brothers, but lingered even after that.

"Want something?" Abhi asked.

"No, dada," she said hesitantly, "Actually, I wanted to ask something from Ashu."

Sid didn't respond. That silence hit her harder than expected. She looked at Abhi, who gently nudged Sid.

"What is it?" Sid finally asked.

Jan looked at Abhi for strength. "Yesterday... why did you lie to Shekhar?" Her voice trembled. "You said we'd never drifted apart. That we were just acting."

Abhi turned, shocked. "That was a lie? I thought it was the truth."

Jan shook her head. "No."

Abhi looked at Sid, stunned. "Ashu?"

Sid's voice was calm but firm. "I lied because I didn't want Shekhar—or anyone—to know what's really going on in our family. I didn't want anyone to take advantage of the cracks between us. Not when there's already so much we've been through."

Jan's throat tightened. His words pierced through her, leaving her unable to speak. Her guilt deepened.

For those who felt confused—here was the truth.

Years ago, Jan hadn't trusted Sid. She left for London, breaking off from everyone, believing that the family had taken Sid's side over hers. But the truth was far from that. No one had truly taken sides. In fact, most of them didn't even know what had happened. Both Sid and Jan had drifted apart for real, not just in act. And yet, Sid chose to lie—just to protect their dignity, just to keep someone like Shekhar from thinking that their family was weak, broken, divided.

That lie wasn't just about hiding pain. It was Sid's way of preserving what little unity they had left—even if it meant carrying the burden alone.

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