ONE MONTH OF SILENCE

RADHE RADHE READER'S.

ENJOY THE CHAPTER.

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One month later...

The calendar changed.

The days passed.

The house remained the same.

But Abhimanyu...

Wasn't.

No one noticed exactly when it happened.

He simply...

Stopped being part of the family.

---

Every morning...

He woke up before everyone.

Made his own bed.

Ironed his uniform.

Packed his school bag.

Walked downstairs.

Finished breakfast quietly.

"Good morning."

No one noticed he had spoken.

Rahul was already telling everyone about school.

"Dadu! Aaj PT period mein main race jeeta!"

"Wah!" Rajendra smiled proudly.

"Shabash beta!"

Savitri immediately served Rahul another paratha.

"Mera champion aur khayega."

Mira smiled.

"Very good, Rahul."

Even Vikram patted his shoulder.

"Keep it up."

At the corner of the table...

Abhimanyu quietly finished his milk.

"I'm leaving."

"Hmm..."

Someone replied absent-mindedly.

No one looked at him.

Only Anu watched him pick up his bag.

And leave.

Alone.

---

School had changed too.

Rahul now walked with Aarav, Aanya and Vivaan.

Abhimanyu followed behind.

Not because they left him behind...

But because he had stopped trying to catch up.

He had convinced himself...

"Maybe this is where I belong."

---

Evenings became quieter.

Earlier...

The moment he entered home...

The house echoed with his voice.

"Dadiii!"

"Papa!"

"Mumma!"

"Vivaan race?"

"Aanya catch me!"

"Aarav cheating mat kar!"

Now...

He quietly walked to his room.

Finished his homework.

Read a book.

Looked out of the window.

No one noticed the silence.

Because Rahul's laughter now filled the house.

---

One evening...

The family decided to order pizza.

"What toppings?"

Vivaan asked.

"Rahul ko jo pasand ho."

Aanya smiled.

"Haan!"

Rahul laughed.

"Extra cheese!"

"Done!"

The order was placed.

When the pizza arrived...

Everyone gathered around the dining table.

Only after everyone had started eating...

Savitri looked around.

"Abhimanyu kahan hai?"

Mira answered casually,

"Room mein hoga."

"Kha lega."

And the conversation continued.

No one called him downstairs.

No one realized...

He hadn't eaten with the family in almost two weeks.

---

Mumbai...

The Kapoor House.

Jai threw himself dramatically onto the sofa.

"Ishi!"

"Ek mahina ho gaya!"

"Abhi ne mujhse baat hi nahi ki!"

Ishika stared at her phone.

Her wallpaper was still the picture of three smiling children—

Her...

Jai...

And Abhimanyu.

She whispered,

"One month..."

"Not even one proper conversation."

Jai sighed.

"Roz call karta hoon."

"Ya toh cut kar deta hai..."

"Ya uthata hi nahi."

Ishika nodded slowly.

"And whenever we call the Oberoi house..."

"They always say..."

'Maan toh room mein hai.'

'Or school mein hai.'

'Or homework kar raha hai.'

'Or so gaya.'

She frowned.

"Par ek mahine mein..."

"Ek baar bhi phone tak nahi de sakte?"

Jai looked confused.

"Kuch toh gadbad hai."

---

That evening...

The phone rang again.

Butterfly Calling...

Abhimanyu looked at the screen.

His fingers tightened around the bracelet on his wrist.

He smiled through tears.

"...Butterfly."

His thumb moved...

Then stopped.

He pressed Decline.

Almost immediately...

Jai Calling...

Another decline.

Then messages appeared.

Jai:
*"Abhi... naraz hai kya?"*

A few seconds later...

Butterfly:
*"Maan... bas ek baar baat kar lo."*

Abhimanyu read every message.

His eyes blurred.

He typed...

"I'm sorry."

He stared at the words for a long time.

Then...

Deleted them.

Locked the phone.

And placed it beside him.

He whispered into the empty room,

"If I hear your voices..."

"I'll miss home again."

"And I don't think..."

"I belong there anymore."

---

Downstairs...

Rahul sat beside Vikram while everyone discussed Raksha Bandhan.

Mira smiled.

"Ishika, Jai aur Riya parson aa rahe hain."

Rahul's face lit up.

"Really?"

"Haan."

"We'll celebrate together."

Everyone started discussing decorations...

Sweets...

Gifts...

Shopping...

Excited voices filled the living room.

No one noticed...

A little boy had quietly stopped near the staircase.

Abhimanyu heard every word.

For the first time in a month...

A genuine smile appeared on his face.

"Butterfly..."

"Jai..."

"They're coming."

For one tiny moment...

He wanted to run downstairs.

He wanted to smile.

He wanted to tell everyone how excited he was.

Then he looked at Rahul.

Surrounded by everyone.

Laughing.

Loved.

Important.

The smile slowly disappeared.

He quietly turned around.

Walked back to his room.

No one saw him.

No one called him back.

And somewhere in Mumbai...

Ishika folded the rakhis she had bought.

One for Aarav.

One for Vivaan.

And one...

With a tiny black panther charm...

Especially for her Maan.

She smiled softly.

Completely unaware...

That the brother waiting for her...

Was no longer the cheerful little boy she had left behind.

One month of silence...

Had changed him in ways...

No one had noticed.