Umeed

smoking

Next day

Aryan sat in the quiet of the house, the silence wrapping around him like a blanket. Sakshi and Madhav were off at university, leaving him alone for the day. He had taken a leave since there were no lectures for him, and boredom started creeping in. To escape the stillness, he decided to head out to the garden.

As he stepped outside, the fresh air felt good against his skin. He leaned against the old oak tree, pulling out a cigarette. It was his way of finding a moment of peace, a little rebellion against the monotony of his day. Just as he took a drag, lost in his thoughts, he heard footsteps approaching.

Turning around, Aryan's heart sank. There stood karan . Karan's expression shifted from surprise to disappointment as he caught sight of Aryan with the cigarette in hand. “Aryan, what are you doing?” he asked, concern evident in his voice. Aryan felt a wave of panic wash over him. He knew he would have to face the consequences of his actions now.

Aryan felt his heart race as Karan's stern gaze locked onto him. Karan was known for being really strict, and Aryan knew he wouldn’t let this slide easily.

“Bhaiya, I—” Aryan started, but Karan cut him off.

“Do you think this is a good idea? Smoking? You know it’s bad for you,” Karan said firmly, his voice steady but laced with disappointment. Aryan could see the concern in his brother’s eyes, but he also felt the weight of Karan's strictness pressing down on him.

“I just wanted to relax,” Aryan mumbled, feeling small under Karan's watchful stare.

“Relaxing doesn’t mean you have to harm yourself,” Karan replied, crossing his arms. “You’re smarter than this, Aryan. You have your future to think about. You can’t throw it all away for a moment of escape.”

Aryan looked down, realizing that Karan was right. He never wanted to disappoint his brother, but in that moment, he felt trapped between wanting to rebel and knowing what was best for him.

“Just put it out and come inside,” Karan said, his tone softening a bit. “We need to talk.”

With a reluctant nod, Aryan extinguished the cigarette, feeling the weight of the moment settle in as he followed Karan back into the house.

As Aryan walked back inside with Karan, he couldn't shake off the feeling of disappointment. He thought about Madhav, his younger brother, who looked up to both him and Karan. Madhav was still in university, eager to learn and absorb everything around him. Aryan knew that if he continued down this path, Madhav might think it was okay to make the same mistakes.

Being a professor, was always teaching his students about responsibility and making good choices. Aryan realized that if he didn't set a good example, Madhav might learn the wrong lessons from him. Karan had always emphasized the importance of education and making smart decisions, and Aryan didn’t want to undermine that by engaging in risky behavior.

“Bhaiya, I get it,” Aryan said quietly. “I don’t want Madhav to think this is okay. I’ll do better.”

Karan nodded, appreciating Aryan's willingness to understand. “Good. We all make mistakes, but it’s about how we learn from them. Let’s work together to set a better example for Madhav.”

In that moment, Aryan felt a sense of responsibility not just for himself, but for his brothers as well. He knew he had to make better choices, not just for his own future, but to guide Madhav in the right direction.

As Aryan stood there, Karan crossed his arms, a serious expression on his face. “You think you can just walk away from this?” he asked, his tone firm. “I’m going to tell aunty about this, and you know how she’ll react.”