The Rathore's Family

Betrayal or misunderstanding

Drishti took a bite of the hot, golden-brown aloo paratha and sighed with delight. "Wow, Aunty, I really missed your cooking," she said, savoring the flavor. "No one makes parathas like you do!"

Nirmita, her friend’s mother, smiled warmly and placed another paratha on Drishti's plate. “That’s why it took you so long to visit,” she teased gently.

“Yeah!” agreed her friend, feigning a look of disappointment. “Mom and I kept calling you, but she never came.”

Inwardly, Drishti thought,Yanha main apne Sage pati k marji k bina aa gayi aur in logo ki shikayat khatam nhi ho rahi.".

"Why haven’t you been coming over, Drishti? Did anyone in your in-laws' family tell you not to?”

Drishti, her mouth half-full, quickly shook her head, not wanting them to suspect anything wrong. She swallowed, then replied with a smile, “No, no, Aunty, nothing like that. They would never stop me from visiting you. Actually, they’re the ones who encouraged me to come! And my mother-in-law is so understanding—sometimes, I don’t even need to say anything; she just knows what I need." Drishti trailed off for a moment, then added with a little more enthusiasm, “They’re more than I ever dreamed of. A family like this... I never imagined it for myself.”

Nirmita’s expression softened as she watched Drishti, clearly touched. She was happy to see that she had found a family that cherished her so deeply.

Her friend nudged Drishti playfully. “See, Mom? She won’t hear a single bad word about her family!”

Drishti laughed, then took a sip of water to wash down her food. “Ahh, Aunty, this was just what I needed!”

Nirmita chuckled, pleased to see Drishti so happy. " But where’s Uncle?” Drishti asked, glancing around the house.

“Oh, you know how he loves to travel,” Nirmita said with a fond smile. “He’s off exploring somewhere new again.”

Drishti’s eyes lit up. “Ah, if only I hadn’t taken so long to come, I could have joined him this time.”

Nirmita laughed softly. “Well, I’ll be sure to tell him to take you along on his next adventure!”

The three of them settled comfortably, their conversation drifting between memories of old times and updates on each other’s lives. Drishti felt a rare warmth and ease settle over her here—a sense of lightness she hadn’t felt in a while.

But even as she laughed along with Nimrita Aunty and her friend, her thoughts kept drifting back to him. I came without telling him; she reminded herself, guilt edging into her mind. Advait had hesitated when she first mentioned visiting, subtly hinting that he didn’t feel it was the best idea. What if he’s upset with me for coming anyway?

She glanced at her phone, still silent, wondering why he hadn’t checked on her. Not even a message to ask if I got here safely, she thought, her heart sinking a little. She could picture him there, immersed in work or maybe in the silence he often wore like armor. Did he even realize she’d left? Did it even matter to him?

Trying to shake off the nagging doubt, she focused on Nimrita Aunty’s warm laughter, but her mind kept circling back to the unanswered questions. Why does he hold back so much? she wondered. What is it that he’s not saying? The more she thought about it, the harder it became to ignore the feeling—a sense of distance creeping into the warmth of this moment, a reminder of something she couldn't quite hold in her hands...

…….

It had been five days since Drishti came here, and not once had she or Advait reached out to each other. She’d spoken with her family, but even then, she hadn’t brought him up. It was only Anjali, in passing conversation, who mentioned that Advait had been coming home less frequently.