The evening air in the living room felt heavy — thick enough to swallow every sound. The old ceiling fan hummed softly, doing little against the stillness that hung in the space.
The family sat together on the sofa, plates of half-eaten dinner resting on the table.
"Crime keeps rising every day," Ramesh, karan's father said, exhaling through a long sigh. His voice carried the weight of helpless frustration. "And now… even these demons are appearing. Who knows when all this will end."
Priya, seated beside him, picked at her food nervously. "Yes, Father. I feel scared even going to work now. Who knows when a criminal or… one of those demons might show up."
Across from them, Karan sat quietly — his gaze fixed somewhere far beyond the walls. His eyes followed his father and sister, but his thoughts were elsewhere. He could hear them, but words stuck in his throat like stones.
Should I tell them now? he wondered. Should I tell Father that I got accepted into UOH?
Priya tore off a piece of bread, dipped it into the curry, and suddenly shoved it into Karan's mouth. "Eat," she ordered, grinning.
"Si–Sis! Are you mad?!" Karan coughed, pounding his chest.
"Pfft… haha!" Priya burst into laughter and hurriedly brought him a glass of water. "Here, drink. Stop choking!"
Karan took a sip and glared at her, his face red.
Ramesh shot him a stern look. "Where are you lost, Karan? You're sitting with your family. At least act like it."
"Huh… sorry, Father. I was just… thinking."
He lowered his head, forcing a smile. His fingers fidgeted with the edge of his plate. His eyes darted across the room — from his mother quietly eating, to his father's tired face, to Priya still smiling like nothing could ever go wrong. But his heartbeat pounded too loudly to focus.
Now… or never.
"Fa… Father," he began, voice trembling. "I… I have something to tell you."
The sound of utensils clinking against plates stopped. Everyone turned toward him.
"Yes, speak," Ramesh said, eyes narrowing.
Karan's fingers dug into his palms. He bit his lower lip hard enough to sting. Priya noticed — she reached out and placed her hand over his, giving him a soft look that said, You can do it, Karan. This is your moment.
"Umm… Father, Mother," Karan said at last, his voice barely above a whisper. "I got admission into UOH. They sent me the official letter. I have to leave in a few days."
Clang!
The spoon slipped from Ramesh's hand and hit the floor.
The room froze. Moments ago filled with laughter and warmth, now felt colder than stone. Everyone stared at Karan — silent, stunned.
Ramesh's jaw tightened. His words came low, but sharp. "So… you refused them, right? You know what happens to people without powers."
Karan clenched his fists under the table. Slowly, he stood up. "Father… I'm not asking for permission. I'm telling you — I'm going to UOH."
Ramesh slammed his fist on the table. The plates rattled. Seema, Karan's mother flinched, eyes wide with fear.
"You think this is bravery?" Ramesh's voice roared through the room. "Without powers, you won't last two days!"
"Father, please," Arush, Karan's brother-in-law, said, stepping forward. He gently placed a hand on Ramesh's shoulder. "Shouting won't help."
But Ramesh brushed his hand aside. "No, Arush! You don't understand. Why does he want to be a hero? Why can't he just live an ordinary life like us?!"
Karan's eyes shimmered, tears gathering at the edges. He forced them back, his throat trembling. The pain on his face wasn't just sadness — it was the weight of something deeper, something unspoken.
"I have to keep my promise," he whispered.
The words silenced the room again. Even the fan seemed to stop spinning for a moment.
Seema stood up slowly, walking toward him. She placed her hand gently on his head. "Promise? Karan… what promise?"
Karan looked down, voice shaking. "I promised Ayra… that I'd become a hero. We both made that promise to each other."
The name alone cracked Seema's heart. Her eyes filled instantly. Tears rolled down her cheeks, dripping onto the edge of her sari. She covered her mouth, trembling.
Ramesh's face darkened. "What?" he muttered — anger and pain twisting in his tone. "A promise? To die, is that it? To follow her where she went?"
"Father—"
"Answer me, Karan!" Ramesh shouted, voice breaking.
Karan's fists trembled. "I… I don't know! I just— I just want to be a hero! I want to see Ayra smile again!" His voice cracked into a sob. "When I see her, she still smiles at me… but when she turns away, it's like her smile disappears."
He pressed a hand to his chest, choking on his own words. "If I fulfill that promise… if I become the hero she believed in… she'll finally be happy. She'll praise me like she used to."
He looked up, eyes glistening. "I just want to make my big sister smile again."
Everyone stared — frozen, uncertain whether to believe his words or fear them.
Priya's breath hitched. Then, suddenly, she collapsed to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably. "Karan…"
Ramesh's rage snapped. In a blur, he stepped forward and slapped Karan across the face. The sound cracked through the silence like thunder.
Karan staggered, his cheek burning.
"You… you weren't even her real brother!" Ramesh's voice trembled, breaking apart. "She picked you up from the street!"
Seema gasped, tears flooding anew. She covered Ramesh's mouth with trembling hands. "Please… don't say that!" she cried.
Karan stood still, head bowed. His body trembled — and then, a strange, broken laugh escaped him.
"Huh… haha… sniff… haha…" He laughed louder, tears streaming down his face.
"Father," he said through the laughter, his voice hollow, cracked. "I know I'm not your real son. But I'll still become a hero. Even if it costs me my life, I'll keep that promise."
He turned toward the door.
"Karan!" Seema called out.
But he didn't stop. He walked out — steps heavy, but filled with something resolute, something burning from within.
The moment the door slammed shut, the living room filled with chaos. Priya cried harder, Arush bent to help her stand, and Seema collapsed into tears. The sound of her sobs mixed with Priya's trembling whimpers.
Ramesh stood still, staring at the door — the same door his son had just walked through. His eyes were blank, his hands shaking. The weight of his anger was gone, replaced by something quieter, heavier.
He exhaled a long, trembling breath. "Ayra… why?" he whispered.
The fan creaked again, resuming its lazy spin. The clatter of a spoon rolling on the floor echoed faintly.
And in that suffocating stillness, the family sat broken — the laughter that once filled the room now just a fading memory swallowed by grief.