YOU AND ME

Ayush

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I’m sitting on the floor of Grandma’s room, staring at her pictures. Her smile. Her soft, wrinkled hands that used to hold mine when I was a boy. I don’t even know how long I’ve been here—minutes, hours, it all blurs together in the haze of grief. I don’t think I’ve stopped crying since the moment they told me she was gone.

The door creaks open behind me. I don’t even turn to look. I know it’s my mother by the way her presence fills the room, but I can’t face anyone right now. Not even her.

“Ayush,” she says softly, her voice almost shaking. “I don’t want to tell you this, but I can’t hold it any longer.”

I finally look up, my eyes red and tired. “What is it, Mom?”

She hesitates, her eyes darting away from mine like she’s afraid of what she’s about to say. “Grandma’s death... it wasn’t an accident.”

My heart stops. My breath catches in my throat. “What do you mean?”

She steps closer, kneeling in front of me, her hands trembling. “She was killed, Ayush. I wanted to tell you before I tell the family, but you needed to know first.”

I feel like the world is spinning around me. “Killed? By who?”

Her voice drops to a whisper, and she leans in. “Amina.”

I stare at her, disbelief hitting me like a punch in the gut. “What? No. No, that’s impossible.”

“She pushed her down the stairs. She killed your grandmother.”

“No!” I stand up, my legs shaky, my chest heaving with emotion. “Mom, that’s a lie. Amina could never do that! She—she’s my Amina. She would never hurt Grandma.”

My mother’s lips quiver, and she starts to cry. “I knew you would say that, Ayush. I knew. That’s why I have proof. I didn’t want to believe it myself, but... look.” She pulls out her phone and shows me a video.

I watch in horror as the footage plays out. Grandma, at the top of the stairs, and Amina... I see Amina push her. My heart shatters as the video loops. I can't breathe.

“No...” I mutter, shaking my head. “This can’t be real. Amina wouldn’t—”

“She did, my son,” my mother says, her voice breaking. “I overheard her planning it. I didn’t think she would actually go through with it, but after their argument... that’s what made her do it. She killed your grandmother, Ayush.”

I stagger back, feeling dizzy, confused. Pain claws at my chest, my mind spinning in a hundred directions. I love Amina. I love her more than anything. But the evidence... the video... my mother... how can she lie about something so serious?

“I... I need to think,” I whisper, clutching my head. “But Grandma deserves justice.”

Mom wipes her tears, her voice laced with satisfaction. “So what are you going to do?”

“I’ll confront Amina,” I say, my voice cold, foreign even to myself. “But not today. I want Grandma to rest in peace first.”

Mom nods, resting her hand on my shoulder. “Thank you, Ayush. We’ll do the rituals, and after that... we’ll deal with Amina.”

---

The rituals feel like a blur. Rohan, Raj, and I perform the last rites, our hearts heavy as Grandma’s ashes are prepared for the river. My mother, ever composed, watches as we finish the rites, her expression unreadable. We all walk back to the house, weighed down by sorrow.

Inside, as we prepare for the final rituals, my father speaks up. “It’s time to take Grandma’s ashes to the river.”

I hear a voice behind me, soft but determined. “Grandma wanted me to perform her last rites,” Amina says, stepping forward. “She told me she wanted me to say her goodbye.”

Her voice is calm, but it sets me on fire. I can’t contain it anymore. The rage. The betrayal. The grief. It all comes rushing out.

“Enough!” I shout, turning to face her. “Stop pretending!”

Amina’s eyes widen, her hand reaching out toward me. “Ayush, what’s wrong? What are you saying?”

I step forward, my voice trembling with anger. “You know exactly what I’m saying, Amina. Don’t you dare pretend you’re innocent.”

Her face crumples in confusion and hurt. “Ayush, I don’t understand...”

“You won’t be part of any of these rituals!” I snap, pointing a trembling finger at her. “I despise you for what you did!”

“What did I do?” she asks, her voice breaking as she tries to soothe me, reaching for my hand.

I yank my hand away and push her back, the force of my action sending her stumbling. “You killed Grandma, Amina. You pushed her down the stairs!”

Raj and Rohan are frozen in shock, their eyes wide as they watch the scene unfold.

“Ayush, what are you doing?” Raj pleads, trying to calm me down.

But I can’t stop. I can’t breathe. I grab Amina’s wedding necklace and snap it off her neck, throwing it to the ground. “I hate you, Amina. I hate you! Never show your face to me again!”

She gasps, her hand flying to her neck, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Ayush, please no... don’t do this to us. Please, Ayush, I beg you!”

She runs to me, hugging me from behind, her sobs shaking her entire body. “Please don’t leave me... I love you, Ayush, please don’t...”

I pull away, my heart torn between love and rage. I walk toward the stairs, my footsteps heavy as I hear her fall to the ground, weeping.

“Ayush, please!” she screams, banging on the door as my mother and Kavya drag her out of the house, locking the door behind her.

Raj and Rohan try to run after her, but I turn around and shout, “If anyone brings her back into this house, I will cut all ties with them!”

I hear her cries from outside, begging to be let in. But I can’t bear to hear it. The woman I loved... the woman I trusted with my life... killed my grandmother.

And I can never forgive her.

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