The house was never this quieter before. Not like the comforting type of silence that comes with peaceful evenings, but the kind of silence that's heavy and settles in every corner of the home and refuses to leave.
Aarohi stood near the doorway of her mother's room, watching the afternoon sunlight gently falling on her mother's face. She came closer and sat on the edge of the bed, gently adjusting the blanket around her mother.
The whole room was filled with the smell of medicines and antiseptic.
Just a year ago, her mother was the most energetic in the house. Always moving, always talking and worrying about everyone else. Silence had taken that place.
And now even lifting one hand seems difficult.
Aarohi held her mother's hand gently, afraid that even the smallest pressure might hurt her.
For a moment, Aarohi just kept watching her.
It scared her sometimes — how someone so strong could suddenly look so… small.
"Did you eat something?" she asked in a faint voice.
Aarohi smiled softly, even though her chest felt tight.
"Yes Maa, I did."
The lie she got used to saying.
Across the room, her father was quietly sitting and gazing at his phone as if he was into something important, but Aarohi knew he was only trying to hide the tears gathering in his eyes.
These days he has started waking up early. Earlier than usual. Earlier than necessary. As if staying busy could somehow keep his thoughts from catching up to him.
Words had become fewer in the house. Not because there was nothing to say but because everything felt too heavy to be spoken out loud.
The doctors had already said the two words no one in the world wants to listen to.
LAST STAGE.
Two words that changed Aarohi and her father's life forever.
The doctors had explained the treatment.
Medicines that would help. Procedures that might work. Hope, carefully measured in percentages.
But no one had explained how to watch someone you love slowly lose their strength…
and still smile like everything was okay.
Aarohi was just twenty-four. At an age people dream of career, jobs, future life and independence. But her life was limited to Hospital visits, medicines and sleepless nights.
And the constant fear of losing someone who was the heart of the home.
Her father was a very strong man. At least that's what Aarohi has seen all her life. He was one who solved every problem without troubling anyone else in the house.
But something has changed over the last few months.
His laughter has disappeared which usually used to fill the house with happiness. He spoke less and looked weak. He seemed like he would break any moment.
He used to sit in silence for hours.
One evening he walked into the room and looked at his wife sleeping peacefully. Slowly turned off the lights, adjusted her blankets and again went to the other room to sit in silence.
Both of them pretended to show that things are not as serious as the doctors have said. But deep down both of them knew the truth.
And in the middle of all, Aarohi had quietly become stronger than she had ever imagined.
There was a time when Aarohi's life looked very different.
Just a year ago, she was filled with dreams and plans.
A future she can proudly create for herself and her parents.
But when life goes into survival mode, dreams quietly step back. That's normal.
At first she thought it would get over soon. Maybe a few weeks of treatment and life would return back to normality.
But weeks turned into months and months into years.
Her friends stopped calling often. The world beyond her gate was moving forward.
But she never complained. Because every time she looked at her mother sleeping peacefully after a long day of pain, she reminded herself that some things in life were more important than dreams.
That night was usual.
Aarohi cleaned the kitchen and slowly walked back to her room. She saw her father was already asleep in the other room after a long tiring day.
She checked on her mother before turning off the lights of the room.
Those days she used to sleep beside her mother so she could keep a check on her over the night.
For the first time she allowed herself to breathe.
Her body was tired, but her mind refused to rest. The kind of tiredness that sleep couldn't fix.
Continuous thoughts were running through her mind.
She picked her phone from the bedside table and started scrolling through her social media just to escape her thoughts.
After a while of scrolling, she sighed and locked her phone back.
That's when her screen lit up, a small notification appeared at the top.
"You have a new friend request."
She didn't recognize the name and considered ignoring it.
But the notification stayed on her screen as if it was waiting for her to notice it.
Aarohi kept her phone aside and quietly started staring at her mother beside her, unaware of the fact that this small friend request would soon become the beginning of a story that would change her life in ways she could never imagine.