Drenched Heart's || COMPLETED✔️||

Bond

Anjali sat quietly on her bed, lost in thought. She held her knees to her chest, staring at the wall but not seeing anything. Her mind was spinning with conflicting emotions, and the weight of her decision pressed heavily on her shoulders.

"I have to try," she whispered to herself, breaking the silence in the room.

"It's not about me anymore... it's about Maa, Papa, and now Aryan." She closed her eyes for a moment, her heart aching at the thought.

As the clock ticked to 12, her bedroom door creaked open. There, her parents stood, wearing birthday caps and holding a cake lit with candles. They had done this for the past three years—sneaking into her room at midnight to surprise her while she was still asleep.

But this time, they were taken aback.

They hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to say. Her mother, holding the cake, spoke softly.

"Beta... we didn't mean to wake you."

"For the past three years, every year on this day, you both come into my room quietly to celebrate my birthday,"

Anjali began, her voice shaky.

"You must have wondered how I knew, right? I wasn't sleeping. I knew... I just pretended to sleep."

Her parents looked at her, their expressions softening with concern.

"You both have done everything for me," she continued, her words growing heavier as tears welled up in her eyes. "And I... I just..."

Her voice broke, and the weight of her emotions came crashing down as she started to cry, unable to hold it back any longer.

The room, which moments before had been filled with a quiet sense of celebration, now felt thick with the unspoken emotions she had held inside for so long.

Her mother quickly moved to her side, wrapping her arms around her tightly.

"Beta, please don't cry," she whispered, trying to soothe her daughter.

"We know it's been hard, but we're here for you."

Her father gently placed a hand on her shoulder, his voice filled with quiet understanding.

"We know you've been going through a lot, and we've seen the struggle... we just didn't want to push you to talk about it."

They knew she had been battling depression for the past few years, though they were unaware of the root cause. They had tried everything they could to support her without pressuring her, giving her space when she needed it and being there in whatever way they could.

Anjali shook her head slightly, trying to wipe away the tears.