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𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙤𝙨.

𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙖𝙣 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙛𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙥,

𝙖 𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙚,

𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖 𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙙𝙧𝙖𝙢𝙖 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙖𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙨 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜.

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The evenings in her house never arrived quietly.

They came with noise, footsteps, and the familiar chorus of everyone talking over each other.

The kitchen smelled like warm dal.

The TV was too loud.

The neighbour's kids were screaming outside.

And right in the middle of it all stood 𝘕𝘪𝘺𝘢, wondering how one house could hold so much chaos.

♡

𝙉𝙞𝙮𝙖'𝙨 𝙋𝙊𝙑:

It's around 7:30 in the evening, and the house is filled with its familiar chorus. My father '𝘈𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘬 𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘪' is sitting on the sofa in the living room, watching TV. My mother '𝘚𝘶𝘩𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘪 𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘪' and I are preparing dinner, while my sister '𝘕𝘺𝘳𝘢' still hasn't come home from work. She usually arrives before 6 o'clock, but today I don't know why she's late. My father keeps glancing at the doorway every five minutes, and I'm getting scared because I don't know what will happen when Nyra finally walks in.

After what felt like an eternity, Nyra finally walked in. My father's eyes immediately found her. She placed her work bag on the table, walked into the kitchen, and drank a sip of water as if trying to shake off the day.

"How was your day, beta?" my mother asked gently.

"It was... heavy, Mom. I'm really tired," Nyra replied, her shoulders slumping slightly.

I looked at her and subtly gestured toward my father with my eyes, silently warning, "Papa will scold you."

She glanced at him, a small, knowing smile on her lips, and signaled back, "I'll manage."

I smiled quietly and turned back to help Mom with the preparations, while Nyra slipped into her room, the faint sound of her footsteps blending with the evening's quiet tension.

---

Thirty minutes later, dinner was ready. The whole family gathered at the dining table precisely at 9 o'clock. My father, Nyra, and I took our seats, while my mother carefully served the food.

It was the same routine as always. My mother waited for my father to begin eating before taking her first bite. Sometimes, she joined us, but only rarely.

I didn't like it. I had tried suggesting she eat with us, but she never did.

It was one of those traditions society enforced quietly unspoken, yet rigid. You could try to change it, but no one could force it.

Still, I held on to hope that one day, our generation would break free from these invisible chains.

---

We ate in relative silence, the clinking of plates and the aroma of food filling the air. But soon, my father's voice broke through.

"Nyra, why are you late today?"

Nyra and I exchanged a quick glance, a mixture of concern and understanding passing between us.

"Papa... there was so much work at the office today. I had to finish everything, that's why I got home late," she said softly.

But my father didn't seem entirely convinced.

"Don't be late again," he said, his tone firm yet calm, then returned to his dinner.

Nyra exhaled in relief and began eating. And as I watched her quietly take her first bite, I understood.

Now I knew exactly why she had come home so late today.

After dinner, everyone retired to their rooms. I went to mine, my mind buzzing with thoughts as I sank onto my bed and scrolled through my phone. Suddenly, a notification popped up an email from the company I had interviewed with. My heart skipped a beat.

I opened it, and as I read the words, a smile immediately spread across my face, lifting my lips in pure happiness:

"I'm selected!"

I couldn't contain myself. I leapt from the bed and danced a little, twirling in joy, my laughter echoing softly through the room.

Then, on an impulse, I tiptoed to Nyra's room. I didn't knock after all, sisters had a certain unspoken permission to barge in. She was sitting on her bed, texting, completely absorbed in her world.

"Boom!" I suddenly jumped beside her, and she startled, her phone nearly slipping from her hand. I laughed, delighting in the little scare I had caused.

"Niyaaa...! You'll kill me one day doing this," she exclaimed, her eyes narrowing in mock annoyance.

I peeked at her phone teasingly, a grin spreading across my face. "Oh? And why exactly did you come home so late today, Nyra?" I mimicked our father's tone, letting it linger like a playful shadow.

Her face flushed instantly, a soft pink blooming across her cheeks.

"Why are you blushing, Nyra? Tell me! Where were you?" I teased again, voice low and playful, echoing our father's question.

"Niya... please... don't tease me," she murmured, her embarrassment mixed with a small, shy smile.

I chuckled softly. "Okay... fine. But tell me where did you go with Jiju?"

She smiled, shrugging. "We just met at a café and talked a little."

"Hmmm... just talked?" I teased, narrowing my eyes like a mischievous little sister.

"Niyaaa!!" she yelled, flailing a pillow at me. I jumped back just in time. "Okay, okay! Calm down, I won't tease you anymore," I said, laughing as she huffed and settled back on her bed.

I leaned a little closer, my excitement bubbling over. "By the way... you know what?"

"What?" she asked, curiosity brightening her features.

"I got selected!" I chirped, my voice full of glee.

Her eyes widened, shining with excitement and pride. "Really!!??"

"Yes, Didi! I got selected!" I said, my grin unstoppable.

She threw her arms around me, hugging me tightly. "Congratulations, Niya! I'm so happy for you!"

"Thank you, Nyra," I whispered back, feeling the warmth of her support wrap around me like a cozy blanket.

After a few moments of sisterly chatter, I got up to leave, my heart still fluttering. But I couldn't resist one last tease.

"Nyra... Jiju will laugh if he ever sees you blushing like this!" I called, smirking.

"Niyaaaa!!!" she screamed, throwing her pillow in my direction as I backed out of the room. I closed the door behind me, laughter bubbling from my chest as I leaned against it, letting the joy of the evening wash over me.

The night was deep now, and the house had finally fallen into a rare, peaceful quiet. I lay on my bed, the soft moonlight spilling across the floor, the shadows stretching like silent witnesses to my thoughts. I drip back to past....

Nyra's voice, gentle and hesitant, broke the stillness. "Niya... can I tell you something?"

I turned toward her, curious, and she hesitated for a moment, her hands twisting the edge of her bedsheet. "It's... about Sahish," she whispered, barely above a breath.

My heart skipped. 𝘚𝘈𝘏𝘐𝘚𝘏 𝘙𝘈𝘞𝘈𝘛 her first love, the one I'd heard about but never truly seen in action. I sat up straighter, my mind racing with caution.

"It's been two years," she continued, her voice steadying. "We started dating back in our final year... he's a gentleman, Niya. He's honest, kind, everything I could have ever asked for."

I frowned slightly, my protective instincts flaring. "Didi... you know Papa. He's strict about this. About... relationships. Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Her eyes met mine, shining with quiet conviction. "I wouldn't tell you if I wasn't sure. Niya, he loved me from the start. He proposed when I was in my second year, but I didn't accept him back then. I was scared... of so many things. But he never gave up on me. Not once."

I felt a pang of emotion. I had seen her vulnerable, yet determined, but this... this was different. "And you? You started feeling the same way after some months?" I asked softly.

Nyra smiled, a little shyly. "Yes... eventually I realized he's everything I want. And Niya... the first person I told was you. I trusted you."

For a moment, I was silent, torn between fear and love. I thought of our father his strict rules, his careful control over our lives. I thought of the risk, the secrecy, the storm that could come if he ever found out. But then I looked at her my sister, my confidante and I realized: protecting her happiness was more important than fear.

"I... you know about Papa, about how strict he is. I was scared for you. I still am. But..." I paused, taking a deep breath. "I believe you. I trust you. And if he truly is the gentleman you say he is... I'll support you, Didi. No one will know from Papa, and I'll be with you in this."

Nyra's eyes glistened, and she reached out, squeezing my hand. "Thank you, Niya. You're the only one I can trust with this. I couldn't have started this without you."

A soft silence filled the room, filled with the weight of secrets, trust, and love. I could already imagine meeting Sahish, seeing him in person, judging him with my own eyes. And when that day came... I knew my fears would vanish.

Because love, I realized, wasn't just about hearts it was also about loyalty, trust, and family. And in this quiet night, I silently promised myself: I would protect this secret. I would protect her happiness. No matter what.

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