Shadows Of Darjeeling

Chapter 17

Aarnav woke slowly, the events of the previous night still weighing heavily on his mind. He rubbed his eyes, trying to shake off the remnants of his tears, which seemed to cling to his thoughts even now. He had cried himself to sleep after the argument with his father, but now, in the stillness of the morning, a strange, uncomfortable calm filled the air.

Lily entered, breaking the quiet as she placed a tray of breakfast on the table before him. She took a seat across from him, her eyes never leaving him as she observed the deepening lines of exhaustion on his face.

"You didn't eat last night," she said gently, though there was an edge of concern in her voice. "You need to eat now."

Aarnav didn't answer immediately. He pushed the food around on his plate, not hungry but knowing Lily wouldn't let him get away with not eating. She watched him silently, waiting for him to speak, but Aarnav just couldn't bring himself to engage. He was too tired, too drained from the constant back and forth with his father.

Lily sighed softly, her voice firm as she leaned forward. "Aarnav, listen to me. I know you're angry. But you can't keep fighting your father like this. Every time you argue with him, it makes things worse. You're not going to change him. You'll only push him away more. The more you rebel, the angrier he becomes. It's like an endless cycle."

Aarnav didn't say anything, his gaze fixed on the food in front of him. He understood what Lily was saying-he just hated hearing it. There was always this nagging feeling inside of him that wanted to fight back, to confront his father and make him understand. But in the end, all it ever did was push him further into isolation.

Lily's voice softened, a quiet understanding in her tone. "I know you want things to be different. But sometimes silence is more powerful than anger. You don't have to agree with everything he says, but you have to pick your battles. If you keep fighting him on everything, he'll never hear you."

Aarnav finally looked up at her, his eyes weary. "I get it, Lily. I just don't know what to do anymore."

She gave him a gentle smile. "Sometimes, the best thing you can do is let go. Don't fight every battle. Just focus on what you can control."

Aarnav nodded, though his heart didn't feel any lighter. He finished his breakfast in silence, the weight of his father's coldness lingering in the air. Once he was done, he stood up and walked downstairs, his feet heavy as he made his way to the living room.

His father was seated by the fireplace, absorbed in his newspaper, as usual. The tension between them hung in the air like a thick fog. Aarnav paused for a moment, his eyes fixed on his father's rigid form, before his father's voice broke the silence.

"There's an important business dinner tonight," his father said without looking up. "You need to be there."

Aarnav's stomach sank. He had hoped that maybe, just maybe, his father would let him off the hook for once. But that wasn't going to happen. His father's voice was cold, dismissive as always.

"I know," Aarnav muttered, his voice flat.

His father glanced up for a moment, eyes cold and calculating. "It's important, Aarnav. This dinner is crucial. Don't embarrass me tonight."

Aarnav felt his frustration rise but forced himself to keep his cool. "I understand," he said through clenched teeth.

His father didn't acknowledge him further, turning his attention back to his paper. Aarnav didn't wait for another word. He turned on his heel and left, heading for the sanctuary of his library.

Once in the quiet of the room, Aarnav sat at his desk, trying to focus on his school assignment. But his mind kept wandering back to the dinner, his father's cold dismissal of his feelings, the hollow expectations that always seemed to weigh him down. It was a cycle he couldn't seem to escape.

As he worked, he heard a soft knock on the door. Lily entered with a small smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Naman's here," she said. "He wants to talk to you."

Aarnav didn't respond immediately but nodded for Naman to enter. Naman stepped inside, his usual confident air replaced with visible concern. Aarnav immediately noticed something was off.

"What happened?" Aarnav asked, his voice calm but curious.

Naman hesitated before speaking. "It's Archi," he said, clearly uncomfortable. "He's upset."

Aarnav frowned. "About what?"

Naman shifted nervously. "It's the party Aadi is hosting day after tomorrow. Archi's not invited, and he's pissed about it."

Aarnav rubbed his forehead in frustration. "Of course he is. He thinks he's entitled to everything."

Naman nodded. "Yeah. He's planning to show up anyway. He's going to make a scene if he's not let in."

Aarnav's jaw tightened. He had known something like this would happen. Archi's ego was always a problem, and when he wasn't at the center of attention, he couldn't handle it.

"I don't care about Archi's temper tantrums," Aarnav muttered, leaning back in his chair. "But I'm not dealing with his mess. I just want a peaceful night."

Naman's expression softened with sympathy, but his voice remained serious. "Aarnav, look, I know you don't like him, but Aadi's party is a big deal. If Archi shows up and causes trouble, it's going to affect everyone."

Aarnav stood up, pacing the room in frustration. "Aadi can deal with it. It's his party, not mine. I've got enough to handle with this dinner tonight. I don't need Archi's drama to add to it."

Naman watched him for a moment, clearly torn between supporting Aarnav and trying to warn him. "Just be careful, alright? Archi's unpredictable."

Aarnav paused, his frustration still simmering. "I'll handle it. He won't ruin my night."

Naman gave a final, cautious look before leaving the room. Aarnav pulled out his phone and dialed Aadi's number, needing to get ahead of this before it spiraled out of control.

The phone rang a few times before Aadi picked up, his voice cheerful but with an edge of detachment. "Aarnav, what's up?"

"What's the deal with Archi?" Aarnav asked, not bothering with pleasantries. "Why wasn't he invited?"

Aadi let out a small laugh, his tone laced with amusement. "Because I don't want him there. You know how he is-he's a drama magnet. I don't need that at my party."

Aarnav's temper flared. "You can't just throw him out like that. He's still part of the same circle."

Aadi's voice turned colder, more dismissive. "Don't give me that 'circle' nonsense, Aarnav. I'm the host, and I don't want him there. If he shows up and makes a scene, that's on you. I'm not cleaning it up."

Aarnav's anger surged. "So you're just going to leave me to clean up your mess, as usual? Great. Just great."

Aadi didn't seem phased. "I'm not asking you to do anything, Aarnav. Just stay out of it. But if Archi tries something, you handle it. I don't want to deal with his drama."

Aarnav gritted his teeth. "Fine. But don't come crying to me when it all falls apart."

The call ended, leaving Aarnav with a sense of unease. The dinner tonight, the party in two days-it was all building into something he couldn't control. And with Archi involved, he knew it was bound to get messy.