The Rathore's Family

Deaf: Chapter 11

Drishti Pov

Drishti sat in silence after Advait left, lost in her thoughts. Why don't we talk more? she wondered. Yet, whenever he's around, I feel secure. Maybe someday we'll find the chance to open up and share our feelings.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. It was Vihaan and Amaira.

"What are you doing up here? Come sit!" she called, gesturing for them to join her. Amaira plopped down beside her, while Vihaan settled in the corner of the bed.

"Why didn't you come down?" Amaira asked.

"I was doing some work," Drishti replied, but Amaira interrupted her.

"Waise bhi, koi matlab nahi hai wahan jaane ka. They're having some ucchh level ki baatein that would put anyone to sleep without a lullaby," Vihaan said, pulling a funny face. His comment made them all laugh.

"Bhabhi, let's play a game. I'm so bored!" Amaira suggested.

"Game? Really, Vihaan Bhaiya?" she replied, raising her eyebrows.

"Do you think I'm afraid of you? Chiii!"

"Arey, baad mein lad lena! First, tell me what happened," Drishti urged.

"Bhabhi, in the hall, he was insisting I play with him. Then our bad luck, Advait bhaiya showed up, and he told him I was saying that! Batao, ye bhi koi baat hoti hai?" Amaira finished, looking at Drishti with wide eyes.

Drishti burst into laughter at the way Amaira recounted the story. "Bhabhi, sorry, sorry!" she giggled.

"Abhi aapko bahut hasi aa rahi hai, na? Jab aap fasoge tab main hasungi!" Amaira teased, a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

Drishti fell silent again, lost in thought. Vihaan noticed and gently nudged her. "Bhabhi?"

"Hmmm?"

"I know what you're thinking about, but you don't have to worry."

"But I have to. Didn't you hear what Dadi said?"

"Arey, Bhabhi, why are you being sad? Aapka devar hai na!" he said, thumping his chest proudly.

"Han, han devar, jo aapko chhod ke bhag jayega. Aapko pata bhi nahi chalega kahan gayab ho gaya," Drishti shot back.

"Point hai!" they chuckled.

"Bhabhi, aap bhi iske saath ho, to mera dil toot ke bikhar gaya," Vihaan joked.

"Han, han, jao! Utha lo apni girlfriends ko de do!" Drishti teased.

"Girlfriends? Ya girlfriend?" Amaira chimed in with a playful smile.

"Nahi, Bhabhi, it's a crowd of girls!" Vihaan clarified, rolling his eyes.

"Really, Vihaan Bhaiya?" Drishti questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"No, Bhabhi, isko, oh han, isko mental problem hai, to kuch bhi bolti hai!" he retorted.

"Hehehe, what a joke!" Amaira said, forcing a laugh.

"Okay, okay, leave her!" Vihaan grinned. They chatted about random things for a while.

Vihaan finally stood up from the bed. "Let's go."

"Where?" Drishti asked, confused.

"Dinner! I'm so hungry."

"You both go. I'll come later."

"No, you are coming now," he insisted.

"No, I'm not going. I don't have an appetite."

"Kya aap bhi jhoot bol rahe ho?" Vihaan pressed.

"Nahi, sacchi," she replied.

"Jhooti! You didn't have lunch, and you're saying you don't have an appetite? If you're not going out because of what happened in the morning, then please forget it!"

"No, Bhaiya, you know what Dadi said. I don't want to add fuel to her anger."

"That's mean aap unke samne nahi jaoge?" Amaira asked, surprised.

"Hmmm, I'll try."

"Koi jarurat nahi hai, ye sab karne ki!" Amaira insisted. "Aise to hamari ghar mein koi izzat nahi hai, to kya hum ghar se hi chale jaaye?"

"But these are different things, Amira bacche," Drishti explained.

"That means you will not listen to us, right?" Amaira replied, shaking her head. "Okay, then I'm going to tell Bhaiya." She turned to leave, and Vihaan followed her, reassuring Drishti.

Drishti sank back onto the sofa, murmuring to herself, "It's like he doesn't care about any of this. Unko to matlab hi nahi hai mujhse, chahe main khaao ya na khaao. Even if I leave, he won't notice that his wife is gone." A mix of sadness washed over her.

In the dining area:

The gathering convened around the dining table, the aroma of food filling the air as everyone chatted and laughed together. However, someone's eyes kept wandering, searching for someone else.

Amaira had already informed Riddhima and Anjali that Drishti wouldn't be having dinner due to Dadi, but her absence felt unusual.

"Where is your wife?" Dada ji asked Advait, narrowing his eyes.

He was lost in thought. "Huh?"

"Did you forget that you have a wife?" Dada ji pressed.

Amaira opened her mouth to speak, but Vihaan pinched her, silencing her.

"She must have gone to college and is tired, that's why she didn't come," Riddhima said hesitantly.

Dadi, Vihaan, Amaira, and Anjali looked at her in confusion. Riddhima leaned closer to Anjali and whispered, "I know I'm lying, but if you all look at me like this, we'll definitely get caught."

"If she's tired, she won't eat. What the heck is this?" Advait murmured under his breath, frustration evident in his tone.

After dinner, they returned to their rooms.

In the room:

While browsing some videos on her phone, Drishti burst out laughing, only to have someone snatch her phone away.

"What the hell..." she exclaimed, turning to see Advait standing there.

"What happened?" he asked in an authoritative voice.

Clueless, she looked around, "Kahan? Yahan to sab theek-thak hai."

"Are you kidding with me?"

She murmured under her breath, just loud enough for Advait to hear, "Mai kyun mazak karne lagi diwaalon se bhala."

"Sunai de raha hai," he replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Maine kab kaha, ki mere shadi behre insaan se hui hai," she shot back quietly.

"Tell me what happened," he demanded, his authoritative tone making her hesitate.

"So, you're not going to tell me, right? Fine, go eat something. I'll figure it out myself," he said, sighing, clearly frustrated by her reluctance.

He placed her phone down and turned to her. "I'm sure you didn't marry a deaf person, but I'm married to a deaf woman, right?"

Drishti snatched her phone back and stormed out.

As she left, he couldn't help but smirk slightly.

"Come back in fifteen minutes!" he yelled after her.