Dearest

different

It was 8:05 p.m. Ayan stood in front of the door, slightly drenched from the rain outside. His heart pounded in fear. His uncle's rule was that he had to be home before 8:00 p.m., and if he was even a minute late, he'd be beaten with a broomstick. Mustering up the courage, he pressed the doorbell.

His uncle himself opened the door. Seeing him, Ayan swallowed hard, his eyes filled with fear.

-"Uncle, actually..."

Before Ayan could finish speaking, his uncle grabbed him by the neck and pushed him inside. He fell in front of Aditya, injuring the same knee he had hurt before, but this time more painfully. Unable to bear it, Ayan let out a scream.

-"Shut up! Didn't I tell you to be home before 8:00? Why are you 5 minutes late? Always looking for excuses to avoid work, aren't you? You eat here for free but don't want to do any chores. You worthless pig! Now go and wash the dishes, sweep the floors... Go!"

-"Slap him twice on the face! Shameless boy, out all day and now he comes home."

At that moment, Ayan's aunt entered the living room. She too showed her cruelty towards him, fueling her husband's anger even more. Hearing that Ayan had just come home, his uncle became even more furious.

-"What did your aunt just say? You've been out all day?"

-"I told him not to, but he disobeyed me and went to Itu's house. Do you know how many clothes I had to soak?"

-"What!? Even after she told you not to?"

-"What else do you expect?"

-"Listen, you'll wash all the clothes your aunt soaked, clean the dishes, and sweep the house. You'll do everything. And from today, you're banned from going to Itu's house. Why did you disobey your aunt? If you go again, don't bother coming back here. And if you don't do the chores properly, I'll stop you from going to university and make you work around the house. Come to the room, Labannya."

Ayan stood there, silently enduring the insults from his uncle and aunt. There was nothing he could do. Ayan had always been a bright and brilliant student since childhood, and he still was. After his father's death, his mother, Khushboo Begum, had requested Ayan's uncle and aunt to take responsibility for his education so that his studies wouldn't be interrupted. Since Ayan's uncle and aunt were financially well-off, they agreed. But they couldn't let him enjoy the benefits of living with them for free, so in exchange, they made him work like a house servant. At first, they had asked him nicely, but gradually it turned into strict commands. The uncle-nephew relationship slowly transformed into that of a master and servant.

Ayan had complained to his mother several times, but she always silenced him with the same words: "You're a fatherless child. You need to study well and stand on your own feet. You're the eldest son of the family, and you have to take responsibility for everyone." She also instructed him not to disobey his uncle and aunt, never to argue with them. Thus, even when his uncle and aunt scolded or beat him, Ayan had no choice but to endure it in silence. Khushboo Begum too had to accept her brother and sister-in-law's mistreatment of her son to ensure his studies would continue. This relentless pressure was crushing Ayan,
leaving him with no outlet except for a
few silent tears to ease his pain. With a
long sigh, he wiped the tears from the
corners of his eyes and got up to
complete the orders given to him.

The lively atmosphere of the gathering had disappeared, and now everything was silent. Ratri paced back and forth in frustration, waiting for Aditya. The others had no choice but to watch her pace around.

-"He must have gone to some nightclub. To get drunk and mingle with girls."

-"But Ratri-di, how could he go to a nightclub? It's not that easy to go to a nightclub here and get intoxicated. You need a license for that. Where would he get a license?" (Arnab)