ADHURI KAHANI: A tale of an amnesic bond

29. BURDEN?

INAAYA'S POV

I woke up at noon, barely remembering when I fell asleep after sending the PDF to Sir around five in the morning. It's unusual for me to sleep this late, but I guess it's understandable since I stayed up so late.

It's not unusual for you to wake up late, my inner voice mocked.

It hasn't been since I joined Epoch Insights—I've been waking up early every day, I countered silently.

We had a family dinner today, a rare occasion since we all live separately due to work. Ishani and I share an apartment, while Idhant Bhaiya and Bhabi live close to the hospital where they work. Though we're apart, we make it a point to meet whenever we can, and I'm grateful for tonight. I need a distraction from the decision I made earlier. I sent in my resignation email after waking up, and I can't seem to stop thinking about it.

Should I tell Maa and Papa that I quit my job? We're gathering today to celebrate me getting the job, so it would be completely inappropriate to announce that I've already quit. There's no way—I can't disappoint them like that.

I watched as Maa and Papa busied themselves with grilling meat in our backyard, preparing for our meal later. Ishani and I were sitting on the bench, sipping on Coke and observing them. Well, I was observing them—she was more focused on her phone.

Maa and Papa were in the middle of one of their adorable little arguments, this time over who should be standing in the heat grilling. Both of them kept insisting the other should step away. Maa argued that Papa had been grilling from the start, so now it was her turn. Papa, on the other hand, maintained that he had already started, so he might as well finish. They're just too cute together.

I didn't want to spoil the mood by telling them I had quit my job.

Idhant bhaiya and bhabi were here too, but they had gone inside the house to grab something. I couldn't help but wonder what was taking them so long.

"Inaaya beta jana tel leke aana aur dekho bhaiya bhabi ab tak capsicum leke aaye kyu nahi", papa said.

(Inaaya beta go and bring the oil and see why you brother and sister-in-law haven't bought the capsicum yet)

I stood up from the bench and asked Ishani, who was engrossed in her phone, to hold my coke.

"Okay papa"

"Okay papa" he imitated me while smiling

I couldn't help but smile at his gesture.

I headed towards the house and entered through the back door. Now, what was I supposed to bring? Oh, right—oil.

"Bhaiya" I call him

I walked into the kitchen and saw Bhaiya and Bhabi searching through the fridge, probably for some vegetables. It looked like they were struggling to find the capsicums.

"Need help?" I asked, walking towards them.

"I found it!" Bhabi exclaimed.

"I'll give it to Papa and Maa," she said, and went out of the kitchen.

I turned towards the cabinet where I thought the oil might be stored. As I opened one of the cabinet doors and reached up, I realized it was too high for me to reach comfortably. Just then, I noticed Idhant Bhaiya about to leave, trailing behind Bhabi.

"Bhaiya" i call for him.

He turned towards me, and upon seeing my struggle, quickly moved to my side. With a swift gesture, he asked me to step aside and reached up to retrieve the oil himself

"What do you need?"

"Oil. Mustard oil."

"You could have just told me to get it for you."

"I did, right now," I smiled.

I smiled as I took the oil from his outstretched hand. His chuckle made the moment feel lighter, and I tried to keep my smile genuine. I didn't want to fake anything, especially not in front of my family. Idhant bhaiya and bhabi are dealing with their own challenges, and I don't want to add to their burden.

I feel conflicted about how to approach my resignation. They seem so pleased with my job, and I don't want to bring down the mood. But at the same time, I need to figure out how to navigate this situation and address my own issues without causing unnecessary concern.

"Inaaya? Let's go"

Bhaiya's voice pulled me out of my spiral of overthinking before it could overwhelm me.

"Yes," I said, and we started walking toward the backyard.

"Inaaya, what are you thinking about so hard?" he asked.

I looked towards him shocked. What? I thought I was hiding it well

"I've noticed you zoning out since you got here. It's something on your mind, I know. You can share it with me."

We exited the house.

"No, bhaiya. Just work-related things," I smiled, hoping it looked genuine.

"You can quit if it's taking a toll on you. I'm here to take care of all of you," bhaiya smiled.

"I know, bhaiya," I laughed.

I know he will understand, but I can't shake the feeling of being a burden sometimes. Maa, Papa, IshanI, and Idhant bhaiya have never made me feel this way, yet here I am, struggling with the thought that I might be a burden.

I handed the bottle to Maa and went back to finish my Coke. Ishaani had moved from the swing and was now helping bhabi with cutting vegetables. Seizing the opportunity, I sat down on the swing beside the bench. Papa had installed it like this because Maa enjoyed swinging, but it made him dizzy, so he placed a bench next to it for comfort. I relaxed on the swing, savoring the cold drink.

A question nagged at me: Had he seen the email? I was doing my best to stay occupied and avoid dwelling on it, but the thought kept resurfacing. I hadn't received any notification of a reply, which could mean he either accepted my resignation or hasn't had a chance to read it yet. Given how overworked he's been lately, especially with the upcoming weekend work, he might not have seen my email yet.

"Inaaya"

A soft voice called my name. It was bhaiya. I snapped out of my thoughts and looked up to see him standing beside me. Following his gaze, I noticed he was looking at bhabi.

"When you came to us, I was 11 years old, with no knowledge of the world whatsoever. At that time, I had no idea what had happened to your parents. One day, while having lunch, my father told Ishaani and me that you would be living with us forever. I always wanted another sister, so we left our lunch halfway and started decorating your room."

He chuckled, shaking his head. I wanted to look towards him but didn't have the courage, so I just listened.

"We were so excited to have you in our family. You are family, Inaaya. You are my sister. There aren't many things I wouldn't do for my family, and that includes you. So, whenever you face any problem, tell us. We are a family, and we will solve it together. Don't think it's a burden to us. If we share it, it won't be much of a burden, I promise."

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Here is the 29th chapter. I hope you guys liked it.

This chapter was to show Inaaya's relationship with Idhant. It was probably boring right?? Then you guys what to expect from the next chapter

Show some love by voting and commenting. It motivates me a lot.

Chapter 30 will come out soon <3

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