Me: Shh… don’t push me. Just do as I say. She: Alright, okay.
With a smile, I left her room and enjoyed my breakfast. Afterward, I moved my bed and pillow in front of her door so I could be there for her if she needed anything urgently. You know what a girl truly seeks from those close to her
I walked away from that place with a smile and enjoyed my breakfast. Afterward, I took my bed and pillow and moved them in front of her room, ready to help her if she needed anything urgently. You know what a girl truly seeks from those close to her? Comfort. When they feel at ease with you, they will shower you with love and joy. Life can be that simple. I’ve noticed that my feelings for my sister-in- law, Anasooya, are evolving into something deeper. To an outsider, it might seem taboo or wrong for a younger brother-in-law to have such feelings for his sister-in-law, who is two years older. But honestly, I don’t care about others’ opinions; what matters to me is finding peace of mind, and she deserves care and happiness.
Again it night during The power cut, a nightly ritual in our little corner of the world, had once fostered a sense of cozy intimacy. Tonight, it felt like a suffocating cloak. We sat on the floor on either sides the room wall, the flickering candle casting long, dancing shadows, and I knew I had to break the silence.
“Anu,” I began, my voice barely above a whisper, “if you don’t mind… can you say what’s been happening between you and my brother?”
Her sigh was a soft, rustling sound in the darkness. “Hm,” she replied, her eyes fixed on the wavering flame.
“If it’s hard to say, then leave it,” I quickly added. “No problem.”
She hesitated, then finally spoke, “It’s a secret till now, but one day everyone will know.” “Okay,” I replied, waiting with a growing sense of dread.
“Okay, I will tell.” She settled back against the wall, and for the next ten minutes, I did nothing but listen. Being a good listener was never an easy thing, especially now that a storm was brewing behind her silence.
“Vishu,” she began, her voice low and strained, “my parents are old and believe in horoscopes very much. According to my horoscope, I should get married before 25, and it’s a special one – it only matches with very peculiar others. I’m not a fan of these beliefs, but I have to obey them, being their only child. My wish was always to quit the job, do a PhD and continue my career in research in some foreign country, taking my parents with me.”
Her gaze drifted into the distance, as if she were reliving a different life. “But things happened against my wish. They emotionally blackmailed me to marry your brother. They said that a horoscope match like this wouldn’t happen again anytime soon. So I gave in, thinking I could do my PhD after the marriage. I also had dreams of marriage, love… but you know, Vishu, your brother didn’t even call me many times during the three months before the wedding.”
A bitter laugh escaped her lips. “I was so confused. When I started calling him, he would hang up in a minute! Your mother said he was just very busy and that everything would be okay after the marriage. But Vishu,” she said, her voice rising with anger, “your brother is a piece of shit!”
I flinched at the intensity in her tone. “He cheated on me. After the marriage, he said he was having an affair with another girl. He couldn’t tell our parents, but she was demanding, and he planned to move abroad and settle there with her. ” She paused, tears welling in her eyes. “Vishu, tell me, what did I do wrong to him? Why didn’t anyone tell me earlier that he wasn’t ready for the marriage?”
I was speechless. The revelation was a blow, a cruel twist of fate unfolding right before me.
“He pleaded with me, saying he’d move abroad soon and file for divorce once he’s settled there. How casually he said it. How casually your family said it. I don’t know. It felt like being hit by a hammer. How can I tell my old parents? It will break them.”
She paused, her voice cracking, “So I kept quiet. We stayed in separate rooms. And then…” her voice became a choked sob, “…one night, your brother, he was drunk and drugged up…he came in and…” She couldn’t finish the sentence.
My heart lurched. I knew what she meant, even without her saying the ugly word.
“He raped me, Vishu.” She said, her voice a broken whisper, tears streaming down her face. “He tore my clothes; he slapped me, he bit me. He forced himself on me. It was so painful.”
Her sobs filled the small room, each one a jagged stab to my conscience. “If anyone says Vinay is good, I feel like stabbing myself. The physical scars healed, but not the mental ones. The next morning when he came back to sense he cried like a dog and kept my legs asked that I should not tell anyone especially your parents.”
She took a shuddering breath and continued, “I packed my luggage, and he begged me to stay calm. I told him to get out. He left and went to stay with his girlfriend. He sent a message saying, ‘Sorry, I’m leaving India today, and I’ll file for divorce soon.’ I made him agree to say he was filing because he married unwillingly and now wanted to live with someone else,” she finished, her voice trembling. “Otherwise, I’d tell everyone what happened that night, the rape.”
The silence was heavy, broken only by her muffled sobs. I felt a molten rage boiling within me, aimed at my own brother. I didn’t know what to say, what to do. Without thinking, I walked over to her, and gathered her into my arms. She was shaking, her tears soaking my shirt, and I hugged her tightly, whispering, “Don’t worry, I’m here for you, all is well,” over and over again.