The Broken Vow

7

Author's note: Can we please get 80-85 votes on this chapter? It would really mean a lot to me! :)

Adarsh Khanna 

The sight of familiar streets greeted me as my brother Abhay's car slowed to a stop in our house's parking lot.

I glanced over at Abhay behind the wheel. He had been uncharacteristically quiet since picking me up from the airport, a stark contrast to his usual chatty self. Something was off, and a niggling sense of unease started to creep up my spine.

Breaking the silence that had settled over us like a thick fog, I asked, "You're awfully quiet today."

He laughed, but it was not his usual carefree chuckle. It was nervous, almost forced. His hands tighten on the steering wheel. "Uh, just... don't freak out, okay?"

I narrowed my eyes, a suspicious smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. The jet lag fog started to clear as my mind raced with possibilities. "What's going on?"

Without a word, he got out of the vehicle. Frowning, I followed him to the trunk. "Abhay, what are you hiding?" I asked, wrestling the handle of my bag from his hand and pulling it out of the trunk. "Did you crash my car while I was gone and now you're trying to soften the blow."

He sighed, nervously biting his lip. "Okay look... I wasn't supposed to say anything to you, but I wanted to give you a heads up."

"You're freaking me out. Even Amira didn't come to pick me up at the airport," I said, annoyance and curiosity, battling for dominance in my tone. "What's going on?"

"I..." He trailed off as the gates opened behind us and Vedika Bhabhi rushed outside, grinning like she'd just won the lottery.

"Adarsh, you are home," she exclaimed, practically vibrating with excitement. If she were any more enthusiastic, she might spontaneously combust. "Let's go inside."

"Just a second," I said to her before turning to my brother. "Abhay, you were giving me a heads up?" I prompted.

"Was he now?" Vedika asked, her hands on her hips, eyebrows raised.

"No, no," Abhay immediately said, shaking his head. "His ears are probably ringing because he was on a flight." With that, my brother grabbed my bag and dragged it inside the gate, moving faster than I'd ever seen him move.

"What's up with him?" I murmured, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Nothing," Bhabhi said, far too quickly and excitedly. She brushed my hair and the invisible creases on the shoulder of my t-shirt "Why do you have dark circles? Did you not get proper sleep last night?"

Memories of what I was doing last night when I was not sleeping flooded my mind, and I felt my face heat up. Thankfully, she didn't wait for my reply as she practically dragged me inside with surprising force. "You guys are acting very strange."

Laughter from inside the house surprised me. My heart rate kicked up a notch as Bhabhi pulled me through the front door. Something was definitely up, and I had a sinking feeling I was not going to like it. The entryway was spotless, I noticed absently. Clearly, mom had gone on a cleaning spree again

As we rounded the corner into the living room, my eyes immediately landed on my parents. But it was not just them. There was an older couple sitting in the room, and suddenly, it clicked. This wasn't just a welcome home gathering. My stomach did a slow roll as the realization hit me like a freight train.

Mom spotted me first, her face lighting up with way too much enthusiasm. "Adarsh, you are back. How was your flight?"

I forced a smile as I looked around the room, feeling and probably looking like a deer caught in very bright, very confusing headlights. "Good."