HUMDARD- A Journey From Chaos To Calm

Chapter 3

Sidharth was on the verge of sleep, his body sinking deeper into the plush cushions of the sofa, when the sound of the front door opening pulled him back to consciousness. He rubbed his eyes and sat up, squinting as the hallway light spilled into the living room. His brother, Sushant, and sister-in-law, Janhavi, walked in, their faces lit with concern.

“Sidharth, are you awake?”,

Sushant’s voice was soft, yet carried an undertone of urgency.

“Barely,”

Sidharth muttered, running a hand through his disheveled hair.

“What’s up?”

Sushant and Janhavi exchanged a glance before stepping further into the room.

Janhavi, always the more nurturing of the two, sat beside Sidharth on the sofa, her eyes filled with empathy. Sushant remained standing, his arms crossed, a serious expression on his face.

“We need to talk, Sid,”

Sushant said, his tone gentle yet firm.Sidharth sighed, the weight of the evening’s events still pressing heavily on him.

“Can’t it wait until morning?”

Janhavi shook her head, placing a hand on Sidharth’s arm.

“We saw you at the party tonight, Sid. We saw how seeing Neha affected you.”

Sidharth stiffened, his gaze dropping to the floor.

“I’m fine. It’s just… been a long day.”

Sushant stepped forward, his voice softening.

“Sid, we know it’s been hard since the breakup. And seeing her married, moving on, it’s not easy. But you deserve happiness too.”

Sidharth looked up, his eyes reflecting the pain he felt inside.

“It’s not that simple, Sushant. You can’t just move on from something like that.”

Janhavi squeezed his arm gently.

“We’re not saying it’s easy. But holding on to the past is only hurting you more. You need to open yourself up to new possibilities, to new relationships.”

Sidharth shook his head, a bitter laugh escaping his lips.

“You think I haven’t tried? You think I don’t want to be happy?”

Sushant sat down on the coffee table in front of him, his eyes earnest.

“We know you want to be happy, Sid. That’s why we’re here. We want to help you find that happiness. Maybe it’s time to consider marriage again, to give yourself another chance at love.”

Sidharth stared at his brother, the words sinking in slowly.

“Marriage? After everything that happened? I don’t know if I’m ready for that.”

Janhavi leaned in, her voice soothing.

“You don’t have to rush into anything. But just think about it. There are so many wonderful people out there, and one of them could be the right person for you. You won’t know unless you give yourself the chance.”

Sushant nodded in agreement.

“You have so much love to give, Sid. Don’t let the past hold you back from a future that could be even better.”

Sidharth looked between the two of them, his heart aching but a small spark of hope flickering in his chest.

“I… I’ll think about it. But no promises.”