Love in the Quiet Corners

Chapter 14: A Silent Grief

It had been a week since Veer and his parents left for the city, and the house had felt emptier than ever. Ishani had busied herself with household chores, keeping to herself, trying to avoid the conversations that always seemed to leave her feeling small and insignificant. But deep down, there was an unbearable weight pressing on her chest, one that nothing seemed to lift.

Her mind kept returning to the phone call she had received a few days ago, just before Veer had left. The call that had changed everything. Ishani had learned, in the worst way possible, that her parents had been involved in a terrible road accident. The details were hazy at first, but the news was clear—her parents were no more. The two people she had always relied on, the only family she had, were gone.

Ishani had been in shock. She hadn't been able to comprehend the magnitude of the loss. Her world had crashed around her, and the grief had set in so deeply that she couldn't bring herself to cry. She had locked herself away in her own silence, hiding her pain from everyone.

But she couldn't even mourn properly. Bua had made it clear from the moment she arrived that it was her duty to stay at home and care for the house while her husband was away, that as a daughter-in-law, her role was to manage the home, not to run to her own family in such troubling times.

Bua's words echoed in her mind as she moved like a ghost around the house, silent and distant. Veer's absence had left a void in her heart, and now the death of her parents had closed off every avenue of connection. She felt isolated, alone in a way she never had before. The pain of losing her parents was unbearable, but the added weight of the way her in-laws had treated her made it worse. 

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One evening, after Veer and his parents returned from the city, the atmosphere in the house shifted. Veer was quieter than usual, but there was a tenderness in his eyes that Ishani hadn't seen in days. His anger from the earlier days had faded, replaced by concern. He tried to engage her in conversation, his usual affectionate gestures, but Ishani barely responded.

He kissed her forehead, brushing away her hair as he whispered softly, "Are you alright, Ishani? You're so quiet today. I've missed your laughter."

But Ishani didn't react. She merely stared out the window, her eyes blank, as though lost in her thoughts. She didn't smile, didn't even acknowledge the intimacy in his touch.

Veer's heart sank. He had noticed the change in her. The lively, cheerful woman he had married was now a shadow of herself. He didn't know what had happened, but he knew it wasn't just the incident with the food or his harsh words. There was something more.

Later that afternoon, the doorbell rang. Ishani was in the kitchen when she heard a knock. She opened the door to find two policemen standing on the porch, holding a small parcel.

"Excuse me, Mrs. Veer Singh," one of the officers said, his tone formal but kind. "We have some belongings of your parents that we need to return to you, along with their death certificates. It's a matter of procedure."

Ishani's breath caught in her throat as she looked at the officers, her heart hammering in her chest. The contents of the parcel felt like the weight of the world—her parents' belongings. She took the package from them in a daze, her hands shaking.

Inside were a few clothes, photographs, and some old keepsakes—everything that remained of her parents. But what caught her attention was a photograph of her mother and father, the image that would forever be etched in her memory.

The officers handed her the death certificates, and as she looked at the documents, reality hit her all over again. Her world crashed as she looked at her parents' names, now permanently written in ink, forever gone.

Ishani's knees buckled beneath her as the room spun. The grief she had been holding inside exploded. Tears blurred her vision, and the weight of everything hit her all at once. She gasped for air, but the sorrow was too much.

Before she knew it, she collapsed, her body trembling uncontrollably. The police officers rushed to catch her, but it was Veer who arrived first, having heard the commotion. He scooped her into his arms just as she fainted, his heart breaking at the sight of her pain.

"Isha...!" he whispered desperately, lifting her carefully into his arms and rushing her inside.Savitri, who had been sitting in the living room, quickly came to her side as well, her face full of concern. But even she couldn't deny the sorrow in her eyes as she watched her daughter-in-law, broken and silent.

Veer sat by her side, holding her tightly, his voice full of urgency. "Ishani, wake up, please. What's happening? What's going on?"

When Ishani regained consciousness, her eyes fluttered open, but the light that used to shine in them was gone. She looked at him, but it was as if she didn't even recognize him. Her lips trembled, and she whispered barely above a breath, "I lost them, Veer... my parents... they're gone..."

Veer felt his heart shatter as she cried, her sobs breaking his heart into pieces. He pulled her close, pressing her head against his chest as he whispered softly, "I'm so sorry, Ishani. I had no idea. I should've been there for you."

She remained quiet, the tears flowing freely, but she didn't respond to his comforting words. Her silence spoke volumes—she was lost in her grief, and she wasn't ready to face anyone, even him.The next few days passed in a haze. Veer tried to comfort her, but nothing seemed to reach her.

He had seen her sad before, but never like this. Never so broken, so distant. He knew something had happened, but she wouldn't talk about it. It was as if she had sealed herself off from the world, from him. The silence between them grew, and Veer couldn't help but feel the distance between them widening with each passing moment.

And amidst it all, Ishani continued to remain silent, not only to her husband but to the world, as she navigated the devastating loss of her parents, all alone.

-VS <3

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