Christine came back downstairs, her footsteps heavy against the silence.
"She's not in the kitchen either," Christine said, her voice flat.
Bonita's eyes narrowed, suspicion clouding her mind as the pieces of yesterday's events clicked into place.
"Mom's serious about her plots. She knows Star doesn't have a way to get to the hospital, so she took the car instead," Bonita muttered, her tone low.
Star glanced at her, unfazed. "Why are you all so worried? There are taxis. Maybe she had some last-minute errands to run, right, Mendu?"
Mandume hesitated. "Right," he replied, but his voice lacked conviction.
Just as Bonita was about to speak again, Maria appeared in the doorway, a soft smile on her lips.
"We're running late, Mom. Can we use the car now?" Mandume asked, hoping to get moving.
Maria's smile widened, but her eyes held a glint of something darker.
"No," she said, her voice too cheerful. "The car's tires are worn. I took it for a replacement at the garage."
Mandume's eyebrows shot up. "Mom, what? The tires were replaced last month. They're practically new."
Maria's expression remained unchanged. "Last month? That's ages ago, especially after the car's been on gravel roads like Goreangab. I had to get them replaced," she said with a shrug, as if the matter was trivial.
Mandume's gut twisted. "But why today, of all days? Star needs to get to the hospital, and you know that."
Christine, looking at Maria with narrowed eyes, added, "That car was fine yesterday. Why the sudden change?"
Maria didn't flinch. "I just decided today was the day. Star, if you don't have taxi fare, I suppose you'll just have to stay behind. No need to rush to the hospital if it's not urgent, right?" Her grin was sharp, almost mocking.
Mandume blinked, clearly thrown by his mother's tone. "Mom, this doesn't make sense."
"No?" Maria says unserious
Maria turned and walked away without a word, her steps light and carefree, leaving a sense of unease in the air.
"Mendu, I need to know what's going on with this mutism," Star said, her voice soft but firm. "Or at least call your doctor to help me figure it out."
Reluctantly, Mandume nodded. "Fine. Let's go," he said, his voice tight with worry.
Inside, Bonita confronted her mother in the quiet of their room.
"Seriously, Mom? You kept Star from going to the hospital because of a flat tire?" Her voice trembled with anger and confusion.
Maria took a long sip from her wine glass, unbothered. "Oh, Boni... you still don't understand your mother, do you?" She smiled as if she'd won some unspoken victory.
"I mean, did you really think I'd let Star climb in and out of my car at will? I tried to send her off, but no—Mom gets involved, like I'm some helpless child." Maria's voice grew sharp. "And you... You just don't get it, do you?"
Bonita's eyes welled up. "What happened to you, Mom? I miss the way you used to care about everyone's happiness. You were always the one who made things right." She broke down, her voice catching.
Maria set the glass down slowly, her expression shifting to one of feigned regret. "Your mother is right here, Boni. Don't cry. I'm so sorry you see me differently now."
"No, I want my real mom back," Bonita said, her words breaking apart in her throat. "And if you don't bring her back, I swear I won't recognize you anymore." She spun on her heel and fled the room, her sobs echoing down the hallway.
Maria leaned back in her chair, a sly smile tugging at her lips. "Oh, poor daughter. 'I swear.' I've heard it all before. Losers, all of them." She muttered under her breath as she picked up her wine again.
Outside, Star and Mandume climbed into the cab, the tension between them palpable.
Mandume's eyes kept flicking back to the house, his worry barely hidden.
"What's wrong, Mendu? You don't want to go with me?" Star asked, her voice laced with concern.
Mandume sighed, the weight of the situation pressing on him. "I just don't understand. Mom—she's acting so strange. The car was fine, and the tires were replaced last month. So why would she suddenly replace them now, especially today?"
Star reached out, squeezing his hand. "I'm fine, Mendu. Don't stress, okay? I'm just... I'm fine."
They reached the hospital, and after a brief introduction, they headed straight for Mandume's doctor.
Once inside, the doctor ran a series of tests, and the results came in.
"Star, you're very lucky," the doctor said, his tone oddly detached.
Star's brow furrowed. "Lucky? How is this lucky?"
The doctor adjusted his glasses. "It's a very rare form of mutism. It's linked to extreme fear, and it typically lasts for hours, though some patients have been unconscious for days."
Star and Mandume both exhaled in relief.
"So, I'm fine, right?" Star asked, a small smile tugging at her lips.
"For now. There's a small chance it could return, but it's temporary. It's like a shot—sudden and unpredictable, but it heals just as unexpectedly." The doctor said, his voice cold.
Mandume's worry deepened. "She was scared to the extreme... yesterday. What happened at the clinic? If I ask her, will she go mute again? I need to figure this out, but I don't want to push her too hard." His voice was barely audible, tinged with fear.
Star caught his gaze, reading his concern. "Anything else, Doctor?" she asked, trying to steer the conversation away from their growing unease.
The doctor handed her a small bottle of medication. "Just these. You're all set."
As they left the hospital, Mandume's frown deepened. "What's wrong, Mendu?" Star asked again, this time in Hindi.
Mandume blinked. "What did you just say?"
Star smirked. "It's 'Kya hua?'—like, what's up? Why do you look like you've just seen a ghost?"
Mandume hesitated, his expression troubled. "Nothing. Just my mood today, I guess."
Star eyed him curiously. "I've never seen you like this before," she teased, trying to lighten the mood.
"Mandume will really be hurt if he finds out the whole truth about his mother," Star thought, her voice barely a whisper. "Just look at what simple words are doing to him. What will happen when the truth comes crashing down?"
The cab swerved onto a familiar street as Mandume turned the conversation back to safer grounds. "So why did you ask for Rudra's number last night?"
Star shrugged, a mysterious glint in her eyes. "I just needed to save it, that's all."
"This is not our exit" Star says
"Yeah, we're going to Rudra's" Mandume says
Star's suspicion still lingered. "And why are you going to his place?"
"I told him I'd visit today," he said nonchalantly. "I want to reopen my dad's case with him. If things go south, at least we'll have a backup."
Star's face darkened. "You still trust the police?"
"No," Mandume replied quietly. "Not like that. This time, I'll take matters into my own hands."