Silent Echoes, Hidden Bonds

2'

Adv. Aryamaan Goenka, or AG as he was known, was a well-established lawyer, a rising star in the legal world. At just 26, he had already built his own law firm from the ground up. With a sleek, sophisticated home and a car to match his dashing looks, Aryamaan's life appeared perfect—something others could only dream of. But beneath that flawless exterior, no one saw the pain he carried, the scars left by those he had once loved deeply.

"You embarrassed me in front of the entire board! "
The memory of his father's angry voice echoed in his mind.

"I didn't expect this from you, Aryamaan. "
The disappointment, so thick in the air, weighed him down.

"I'm ashamed to call you my son."
Those words stung the most, digging into him like knives.

"Hiding behind your mother's pallu again, aren't you? That's all you're good for."
His father's cruel taunts still haunted him.

"You're going abroad for further education. That's final. No discussion."
It wasn't a choice, it was a command, like everything in his life.

Aryamaan swung his legs off the bed, sitting up as those words replayed in his mind, just like they did every night. He would never be free of those memories. The resentment he harbored for his father, for the family that never understood him, had grown into something deep and bitter over the years.

He hated his father. He hated his entire family.

Aryamaan had never forgotten the day his life took a sharp turn. At 15, he had gotten into a vicious fight at school—his third major incident that year. The principal was furious, on the verge of recommending Aryamaan's expulsion. Pratham, Aryamaan's father, had been called in the middle of a board meeting, and, as usual, work came first. The phone call had been on speaker, with the entire board listening as the principal expressed his disappointment. Pratham, embarrassed in front of the board members, unleashed his anger on his son. Without so much as asking why Aryamaan had acted out, or how he was coping, Pratham made a swift decision to send him abroad. There was no discussion, no second thought, and worst of all—no one from the family objected. His mother remained silent, as always, and the rest of the family did nothing to stop Pratham. He was shipped off like a burden to be dealt with later. They never called to check on him, never asked how he was doing. He was provided with bodyguards and maids but no affection, no sense of family. He was just 15, left to navigate life alone in a foreign country.

By the time Aryamaan turned 18, he had had enough. He cut ties with his family completely. He was determined to forge his own path, away from the shadows of the Goenka empire. He pursued law, studied hard, took on part-time jobs to support himself, and built his career with no help from the people who should have been his support system.

The real blow came when he learned about his mother's death—not from his family, but through a friend. Devastated, Aryamaan was filled with grief and anger. He had loved his mother deeply, but the pain of her silence, of her failure to stand up for him or herself, still gnawed at him. Despite everything, he still loved her, just as he loved his younger brother Ayushmaan.

Aryamaan often thought about Ayu. The boy was only 2.5 years old when Aryamaan was sent away, but the memories of playing with his baby brother stayed with him. After Aryamaan left, Ayu was placed in boarding school, and by the time Aryamaan severed ties with the family, the bond between the brothers had been lost to time and distance. But the love was still there, buried deep beneath years of hurt and resentment.

Aryamaan was startled by the sudden ringing of his phone. Glancing at his watch, he realized it was the middle of the night, and the number flashing on the screen was unknown. Hesitant, he picked up, but what he heard on the other end made everything inside him go numb. His father was no more.