The Sun & the Stars Aligned

19: Falling apart

TARA

I woke up with a pounding headache, courtesy of the wild night of drinks I had indulged in. As I reached for the glass of water on my bedside table, my eyes fell upon a note and a pill.

"Take this medicine, Jaan. It'll ease your headache. By the way, you'll need some courage to face what you did last night. But I hope you remember, and if you don't, we'll be sure to remind you," the note read, teasingly penned by none other than Mr. Chauhan himself.

How on earth did he find out about our last night? And what on earth did I do? Oh god, please let it not be anything too embarrassing. I racked my brain trying to piece together the events of the previous evening.

And then it hit me like a ton of bricks. No way. I couldn't have... I buried my face in my hands, feeling the embarrassment wash over me. This is a nightmare, it has to be. I swear, I'm never touching alcohol again, even if it's offered on a silver platter. How on earth am I going to face him now?

Dancing on a pole? Seriously? If I wanted to dance, I could've picked any other spot, but no, I had to go for the pole. 

And pulling his cheeks? Oh god, I'm in for it now. Today might just be my last day on earth as I know it.

As I cursed myself for my drunken antics, I heard footsteps approaching the room. 

Oh no, I'm done for. 

If I don't make a swift exit, I'll have to face him. I frantically looked around for a hiding spot, and my eyes landed on the window. Without a second thought, I dashed towards it, flung it open, and leaped out into the garden below.

Thank goodness it wasn't too high. 

As I tiptoed through the back gate, I prayed to avoid facing him. 

What was this strange room? I'd seen it yesterday, but in all the excitement, I hadn't given it much thought. 

The door creaked open easily, revealing a space that felt like someone used to live here, but it had been left untouched for years. Dust covered everything, making it hard to breathe. I rushed to open the windows, longing for some fresh air. Looking outside, I saw a beautiful view of the backyard with its colorful flowers and trees. I leaned out, hoping the breeze would clear my head.

Sunlight poured into the room, highlighting the neglected corners. It was clear this area hadn't been touched in a long time, with dust particles dancing in the sunlight. The room was bigger than any other in the farmhouse.

"This must be Uncle and Aunty's room," I thought to myself, noticing a dusty photo of his parents on the wall. Walking closer, I saw the thick layer of dust covering it. I opened a drawer, hoping to find something to clean it with, but I found something unexpected instead.

Inside was a folder filled with documents and photos. My heart raced as I looked through them. They were pictures of my mom on the day of her accident, when she was hit by a car. But why were they here, in Mr. Chauhan's house? I set them down on the bed, feeling anxious.

Among the papers, I found a copy of the FIR filed on the day of my mom's accident. My hands trembled as I held it. Why was this copy here? I'd never seen it before, and tears welled up in my eyes.

Flipping through the pages, I saw a photo of the car involved in the accident, registered under Mr. Vivek Singh Chauhan's name. It's his dad's name. 

It felt like the ground had been pulled out from under me. Tears streamed down my face as I tried to make sense of it all.

"No, it can't be true," I whispered, shaking my head in disbelief. "This can't be happening. Maybe I'm misunderstanding. His dad couldn't have... couldn't have..." My words trailed off as I broke down into sobs, the weight of the truth crashing down on me. The papers slipped from my hands to the floor, and I curled up on the bed, overwhelmed by grief and confusion.