The enthusiasm spread across the heavy moods of the family members. Regardless, it was a special day for Priyanka— It was her birthday. Ironically, she was expecting much from the day but not from the people. Maybe a little serenity she considered as her reward after all the affliction her mind went through during the night.

Sleep was never her goal, and futile thinking had never occurred to her before. But lately, all she could think about was the secrets that lured behind her and between her family. Fruitful results have often been plunged out of Priyanka's insomniac state before, but now only doubts would emerge more she thinks about the people around her. Relationships - were complicated for her, and so was understanding the ambiguous minds of others, but she tried anyway as she lived with them. She is one of them.

Years later, Sarangi decided it might again be the last time they could celebrate the day with Priyanka. The day was nothing special, just as Priyanka requested, but the night would end with the family dinner. Sarangi agreed, considering the time family would spend together. Krishant was an exceptional plan for the evening, and an additional member Priyanka invited over, much to the aversion of Sarangi. Priyanka planned Krishant as a distraction for the family to avoid the future altercations that she deemed would occur.

Something flared within Sarangi as soon as Krishant stepped up in her house. She couldn't help the glare at Krishant; much to her dismay, Krishant remained impassive, neither the same friendliness nor the same gloominess surrounding him that she usually witnessed around him whenever he talked about Priyanka or with Priyanka.

"Thanks for coming!" Priyanka greeted Krishant with her usual grateful smile, and to her surprise: Krishant engulfed her in one friendly hug.

"I had to," the sudden glint of happiness appeared again with a warm smile on Krishant's earlier impassive expression.

Sarangi could swear it all seemed pretended and troubled as she watched them both from the window. The cause of her daughter's almost death was right in front of her. She knew nothing about him, and Priyanka remembered nothing about him. His charisma was turning into a one Dandelion maze the more they tried to explore him.

"Hello, Krishant," Krishant surprisingly hugged Sarangi inordinately, again to her dismay. Priyanka's squinted eyes met with her mother's questioning one at Krishant's same gesture towards Sarangi. It was not an unusual act of friendliness but it was certainly unexpected.

The room soon filled with the chauvinist laughter of the August siblings for Krishant's tales of burlesque. Priyanka smiled, knowing only Krishant could light the moods of her dispirited family. Maybe it was a good idea to invite Krishant over for the family dinner. Maybe Krishant was a better part of her life now, even though she still did not know him properly. She could acknowledge Krishant's offering of kindness, his efforts, and the affection she had never come across other than self-loathing and pity from a stranger.

She unknowingly accepted Krishant better than the people she had ever allowed strangers in her life before. Considering this was the first time the family ever acted like a family, maybe Krishant could become the anchor for Priyanka and her family.

Priyanka couldn't protest against Vijay's for still inhaling the poisonous smoke in front of their guest. It would seem inappropriate to discuss family matters in front of a stranger, even when Krishant appeared to know almost everything about the family and seemed sympathetically aware of her family issues. Priyanka must be the reason he's well-informed about every little detail about the unnoticeable habits of their daily routine. She must have told him everything when they were together four months ago. His ingenuous claim to be in a relationship seemed genuine as his mention of the micro details served as the proof, or how else would he know?

But he was still unaware of the new routine that Priyanka adapted: meditation. The high concentration during Priyanka's meditation was misused to get back the stolen memories from the amnesia, resulting in dissatisfaction upon returning blank. It begins every morning: Priyanka concentrates on mental peace, but the flow of thoughts drags her to the unanswered questions and ends with her drained in disappointment by the blankness of her mind. Tired and frustrated, she would concentrate again in the evening, ascend the steps of grief dipped in the dense disappointment and failure. Her twisted fate teased her, but the thought of living like a few blank pages in a book for the rest of her life intensified her querulous nature for reality.

Priyanka abruptly followed behind her brother's quickly fading figure slipping into the unilluminated part of the house. She watched him disappear inside his room and reached the door herself, preparing the longing lecture ahead in her head. She didn't bother knocking, intending to catch the culprit red-handed. He didn't need nicotine to accelerate his death, after all.

Upon barging in, she still finds the lit room vacant. Confused but determined, Priyanka searches the bathroom but still finds it empty. She definitely saw Vijay coming in.

The pleasant summer breeze ruffled the loose curtains. The haphazardly disarranged papers scattered and flew across the room. Priyanka launched after them in an attempt to not lose them amid the flowing wind.

She hissed in annoyance at the careless living ways of her brother. She clung to the crumbled papers as she noticed the importance of the words printed distinctly onto them.

Seconds felt like hours. The said printed words, along with the stamps, provoked Paris to doubt her own eyes. They were wide, with a sudden sense of rushing emotion overwhelming her. She hurried out, ready to burst by the sudden push of betrayal.

"Where is Vij?" She slipped his name like a curse. Sarangi immediately returns from the kitchen with a confused face.

"What happened?" Krishant and Sara were not present at the scene either. Dinner was already over, eventually.

"Where is Vijay, Mother?" Paris asked with a warning. She waved the papers aggressively in her face, but the impassive expression covered Sarangi's face instead.

"What happened?" Vijay appears in the doorway. His chest heaved up and down, and worry plastered every inch of his face. He witnesses his sister's burning fury radiating from her.

"This," Priyanka shoved the papers at his face.

Soon the realization hit him as he visibly gulped while holding the crumbled papers. Beads of sweat appear on his face as he steels little glances at his fuming sister.

These were not how he planned on revealing such a matter to Priyanka. The lump built in his scratchy throat as guilt washed over him. His hands trembled but still, he couldn't look at his sister.

"You sold my house," Priyanka yelled.

"Priyanka, I can explain," The harsh slap echoed through the house, silencing every being in the surrounding. The shock, along with the hurt, ran through Vijay's veins, shaking him vigorously.

"Why?" Only anger surpassed Priyanka. She snakes her fingers around the collars of her younger brother's white shirt while shaking some sense into him.

"Stop," Sarangi interrupted, snatching and shielding her son away from the raging beast she saw in Priyanka. "Let him explain."

"Stop supporting him." Priyanka could recall the moments from her past when her mother used to shield her brother from all the stupid and immature deeds he committed that almost cost their relationship. Once again, Sarangi was repeating history by defending the immoral son over the rightfully righteous daughter. But Sarangi was trying to protect Priyanka from her own rage.

"Priyanka, please. I'll pay back your every penny." It was not the money that angered Priyanka. It was about the truth that they hid from her and waited for her to find herself unintentionally. The betrayal wounded Paris.

"I am asking why you did this?"

"I was helpless," the younger brother came forward, "I wanted to tell you, but I was worried."

Priyanka glared at him to continue, "Priyanka, I was worried about our relationship. I know what I did is wrong, and I thought you'd misunderstand me and then hate me. I am sorry."Somehow, Priyanka calms down. The fact that Vijay was sorry convinced her, and begged her racing heart to accept his heartwarming apology. But the prejudice upon which Priyanka acted so mercilessly against her brother in the first place came back rushing to her as she asked something so disturbing that none of the people in the room could answer her. "You're so stupid, but you managed to deceive me. When were you going to tell me about this? At the end of the world?"

"I am so sorry," Vijay gently moved Sarangi out of the way, "I was in debt, I acted stupid, but trust me, I"ll repay you every penny."

"Tell me something," She quietly began, "Did you not ask me before taking such a huge step because I was in the coma or because you thought I'd never make it?" The words tasted sour on her tongue.

Vijay's eyes snapped down to meet his sister's moist ones. He did not expect such a brutal and degrading question to insult their relationship. They were far for years, but their bond was unbreakable. Paris was his role model; he had always looked up to her and counted on her.

He had loved her unconditionally without expecting anything in return. He knows his sister was never proud of him; he never did anything to make her proud.

All his petty businesses failed; he was a failure. But all he wanted to become was the man for the house after their father neglected to become one. He never shared his worries or fears; he struggled alone and stood up alone, just to be considered a failure.

Swallowing the attack on his dignity, as he does every time, he refuses to look in the disappointed eyes of Priyanka. "No, Priya. I never thought of you like that."

"Why are you always in need of money, Vij?" Priyanka asked, "What petty criminal are you?"

"Priyanka, please. Think before you speak." Sarangi interrupted, "Your brother did nothing illegal. He's been deceived too. It's not his fault."

"Your defending had led him to this." Priyanka's finger stood up against her mother. "Your pampering got him here. You always have to hide all of his mistakes. You're to blame for his mistakes."

"You don't know anything. It's better if you thi-"

The front door screeches open, causing Sarangi to stop mid-sentence. The grunts of struggle fill the devastating room.

The three new troublesome people fill in with their problems.

"Stop, you're hurting me." Sara shrieked as the stronghold of Krishant's hand encircled around her comparatively smaller wrist as he dragged her into the house with a newcomer.

Krishant holds Sara by her wrist, while his other hand holding a guy by his collar, dragging them in front of the jury of the house, Priyanka.

Priyanka swallowed the lump of tears as she saw the spark of determination in Krishant's dark eyes and shifts between him and Sara, and later rested on the other unexpected familiar face.

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