Anika sat on the edge of her bed, her hands curled tightly in her lap. The wind outside carried the familiar scent of damp earth and turmeric, the smell of her village—of everything she had tried to bury deep within her. Her eyes were hollow, skin pale from grief, and her voice had grown softer these past few months, as though she feared even her breath would shatter the silence she'd built around herself.
When Adhithya entered the small house, she didn't lift her gaze. Her twin brother stood awkwardly at the threshold, holding a paper bag, unsure whether to smile or remain solemn.
"You've been through a lot," he murmured gently, watching her, his voice a whisper in the still air.
Anika's jaw clenched. She finally raised her head, her eyes gleaming with hurt. "Are you here to make fun of me?"
His shoulders tensed. "No," he said, stepping further into the room. "I'm here to take you with me."
Anika's brows furrowed. "Take me where?"
"To the capital," Adhithya said, trying to control the emotion surging in his chest. "I'm going abroad to study. But before I go, I want you to come with me. Stay in the capital. Start again."
Anika looked away. Her fingers gripped the edge of the bed frame, her voice barely audible. "I've already had enough. Just leave me alone."
He kneeled in front of her, catching her eyes. "Ani, your college hasn't started yet. It's still on strike. They'll reopen only after six months. You still have a chance to study. Please… trust me this time."
She laughed bitterly, a dry, aching sound. "I'm tired, Aadhi. Tired of being a burden to everyone. Only Rajan saw me as something… as everything. But now he's gone. Who do I even have left to rely on?"
"You don't have to rely on anyone," Adhithya said, his voice firm. "You got a full scholarship."
Her eyes widened slightly. "It should've been canceled by now."
"No," he shook his head. "Not yet. I checked. I even called your department. It's still active. You just need to be there when the college reopens."
Her lips trembled. "Even so… six months? What am I supposed to do until then? Where can I stay? Do you expect me to wander the streets or rent a room alone?"
"You don't have to worry. I've made arrangements."
She narrowed her eyes. "What kind of arrangements?"
"You remember Monika, right? Moni?" he asked.
Anika nodded hesitantly. "Our childhood friend?"
Adhithya gave a small smile. "Yes. Her brother, Vikram, lives in the capital. I talked to him already. He agreed to let you stay at his place."
There was a long silence.
Then Anika stood up, her voice rising with disbelief. "Are you crazy? You want me to stay in a man's house? I'm a married woman, Aadhi. Do you even understand what that means?"
"I do," he said, still calm, though her reaction pained him. "But Ani… you're still a child."
That stopped her. Her gaze narrowed as she stepped back. "A child? Do you know what that means? Naive, fragile, someone who cries when she scrapes her knee. But what about me, Aadhi?" Her voice cracked. "I was a bride. I buried my husband. I've been leered at, whispered about, treated like filth. And now you tell me I'm a child?"
Adhithya's face twisted with guilt. "I didn't mean it that way. I meant… you deserve a chance to live like one. To breathe. To feel safe."
"Safe?" she scoffed. "In a man's house?"
He stepped closer. "Ani, the capital isn't like our village. No one knows about your marriage. No one knows that you're a widow. Not even Vikram. There are no gossips whispering at every corner. No one will leer at you. If I didn't trust him, I would never even suggest this. He's decent. He's respectful. He'll protect you, just like I would. Take him as another brother."
Her hands clenched. "You expect me to pretend I was never married? Like Rajan never existed?"
"No," Adhithya whispered. "I expect you to live. That's what Rajan would've wanted. He loved you more than anything. Do you think he'd want you wasting away here in a house full of silence and ghosts?"
Anika's throat burned. She didn't respond.
"Ani," he continued softly. "You don't have to become anyone new. You just have to survive. I'll be leaving soon. I can't be here to protect you anymore. But Vikram can. And you'll be in the capital when your college reopens. It's the best I can give you right now."
Anika turned toward the window, watching the golden hue of the setting sun bathe the trees. The breeze stirred the curtains, fluttering like wings ready to take flight. Her eyes closed as a tear rolled down her cheek.
"I'm scared," she confessed.
"I know," he whispered, his voice full of emotion. "But I'll be with you for as long as I can. And after that, you'll have Vikram. And then college. And maybe, just maybe… a future."
She stood there quietly for a long moment, and then, finally, nodded. "Okay."
It was not a yes of excitement or hope. It was the yes of a woman too tired to fight her fate anymore, but brave enough to take one more step forward.
And sometimes, that's all it takes to change a life.
That night, Anika packed what little she had. Her clothes, a few books, and Rajan's photo — the only proof she had that love had once existed in her life.
As she folded her shawl, she glanced at the photo.
"I'll try," she whispered. "For you."