CHAPTER 1
Aymon's pov:-
Love is like sand in the desert. The moment you step into it, it starts pulling you in slowly and quietly until the ground beneath your feet gives way. And the more you struggle, the deeper you sink until there is nothing left of you to save.
Love is what made her take that decision.
To leave us.
To walk away like we don't matter.
"Don't touch me, Yuvan!" the pale woman screams sharply after hours of endless arguments.
"I don't love you anymore. I love him now. Stop trying to make me stay when the only thing I feel towards this family is disgust. I'm sick, sick of you....and this...damn..child!"
She glares at me with something twisted in her eyes. Before I can even react, she grabs a vase and throws it straight at me. He sees it before I do. In a second, he steps in front of me. The vase crashes against his shoulder with a loud crack, and he falls to the floor.
Pieces of it scatter near my feet, making me flinch as I stumble back, pressing myself against the wall, trying to hide. My breath gets stuck in my throat.
The crazy woman standing there, she's what people call mother. My stepmother. But I have never seen anything mother like in her.
He grips his shoulder, where the blood has already started to seep through his shirt. The wound looks deep but his face doesn't show any pain.
His jaw tightens and he bites his lower lip. No...it's more like he's forcing himself not to react.
She keeps panting heavily, But he doesn't look at her. Instead, he turns to me.
Like I am the only thing that exists.
In the next second, he pulls me into a tight hug. His arms wrap around me like a shield as he checks me quickly, his hands moving over my shoulders, my arms, my face despite the blood dripping down his own arm.
Then he cups my cheeks gently, "Are you okay?" he asks, his words rushing out. "Mon...are you hurt? Tell me. Mon?"
His voice shakes just a little.
"You only care about this b*stard child, Yuvan!" she yells from behind, her voice breaking into a mix of anger and pain. "I'm in pain too! Why do you make me the villain when I'm the victim?!" Her words echo in the room.
"Get out Marion" He says coldly, "And never come back."
With trembling hands, she pulls off the ring from her finger and throws it at him. She doesn't delay, she immediately turns and walks out.
The man standing infront of me...he's supposed to be my stepfather. But he doesn't feel like a father either.
He just...someone I feel sad for. Because he has always carried everything on his own. Every burden, every problem and he never shares it with anyone and somehow, it hurts me more to see him in pain than when I am.
"Does it sting?" I ask softly, holding the tweezer carefully as I press the medicine soaked cotton against his wound.
He shakes his head once.
The whole time I clean his injuries, he doesn't say a single word. When I'm done, I step back and place the first aid kit back on the shelf, closing it gently.
For a moment, there's silence again. Then he finally looks at me and speaks with a low voice, "Mon...daddy can raise you alone."
I pause for a second before turning around and nod slowly.
"I know."
He swallows, his fingers tightening slightly on his lap before he continues,
"And even though I can't cook...I'll learn. I'll try my best to not make you feel your mom's absence. I-I..."
"I know," I gave him a soft smile and repeat softly. "Will you be fine?"
He doesn't answer and I know why. He loved her. There wasn't a single day when he didn't think about her, didn't worry about her, didn't care even when she was busy betraying him.
And if she's the reason he's in pain like this then I hope, one day, he forgets her completely.
"Mon, don't be afraid of the height," he says, raising his arms higher in the air as he looks up at me. "Daddy will catch you. Come down!"
"No, no... it's too high," I exclaim, my eyes filling with tears as I grip the monkey bar tightly. There's no way I'm jumping from here unless I have a death wish.
"Just jump!" he repeats, laughing like this is the funniest thing ever.
Of course he would find this funny.
"Fine!" I blurt out with a slightly trembling voice. "If I die, I'm haunting you forever!"
He chuckles softly. "I'll be waiting."
I hesitate for a second, my hands tightening around the bar as my heart races. Then, after a quick fight with my own thoughts, I squeeze my eyes shut and let go, already planning what flowers would look nice on my grave.
"I told ya," he says. The next thing I know, I'm in his arms. "You'll be fine."
I slowly open my eyes and realize we're both already on the ground, him lying under me, still holding me securely. He starts laughing again in a careless manner, like nothing else in the world matters.
I look away, trying to hide the small smile on my lips. "Cleaning that white shirt is going to be troublesome," I mutter.
He doesn't answer. Instead, he reaches up and ruffles my hair messily as his laughter slowly fades into a soft smile.
For a moment I just stay there. Because I realize something. He hasn't laughed like this in months.
Narrator's pov:-
"Yuvan, Mon, I'm here!" Croton calls out as he pushes the door open with his shoulder, stepping into the dimly lit house. In his hands are packets of fried chicken and a few bottles of beer. The smell fills the room instantly.
It's not surprising. For them, New Year always means greasy food and alcohol. In his other hand, he holds a box with a vanilla frosting cake inside.
New Year also means Aymon's birthday. Another year added to his life.
"You're late. As usual," Yuvan complains, walking over and taking the food from his hands. He places everything on the dining table with a small shake of his head.
Aymon sits quietly near the coffee table in the living room, watching them with curious eyes. His hands rest on his knees while he's waiting patiently for his fourteenth birthday to begin.
"Happy birthday, Mon," Croton says with a grin, placing the cake in front of him.
Aymon's eyes light up slightly.
"You didn't get him a gift?" Yuvan asks walking to them, raising a brow as he looks at Croton.
Croton pauses, then bites his tongue lightly in realization. "I didn't forget," he says quickly. "The traffic was crazy. I didn't have time to buy anything."
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a red envelope filled with money, handing it to Aymon. "Here" Croton adds with a small smile. "Your gift, Mon. From your uncle."
Aymon looks at the envelope for a second before taking it. His eyes sparkle softly, but his voice stays quiet.
"It's Aymon," he corrects gently. "Thank you, Uncle."
Soon, the room fills with soft laughter and the off key sound of them singing Happy Birthday. The candles flicker before Aymon leans forward and blows them out in one breath.
They cut the cake, share the food, drink beer and juice and for a while, the ambience feels normal and joyful.
Aymon smiles quietly, but deep inside, he made a small wish while he was blowing off the candles. That every birthday, he gets to spend it like this with Yuvan.
That's all he needs.
Croton is Yuvan's close friend. They studied together in the same university, along with Marion. That's where Yuvan first met her. Marion and Yuvan fell in love, and not long after, they got married.
But the marriage only lasted two years.
Things got worse after they adopted Aymon...because Yuvan couldn't give her a child of their own.
"That kid...He's growing up so fast," Yuvan murmurs later that night, standing by the sink as he washes the plates. "I just hope...we always have food on our plates like this."
"Yeah...food...and beer" Croton mumbles, his words slurring as he lies half sprawled across the dining table, clearly drunk from all the beer he's had. He lets out a small hiccup.
Yuvan glances at him and sighs softly. There's no point trying to talk to him right now. He's too drunk to understand anything. Yuvan exhales quietly and turns back to washing the dishes.
After he finishes his chores and cleaning, he heads upstairs to check on Mon, just in case. Mon gets bad nightmares often, and it has become a habit for Yuvan to check on him from time to time.
He gently pushes the door open, careful not to make a sound, and peeks inside. His eyes fall on Aymon who's sleeping peacefully on the bed.
Yuvan watches him for a moment before he exhales quietly. "Happy birthday, Mon," he murmurs under his breath, "One day, You're going to grow up into a great man for sure."
He pauses, eyes lingering for a second longer, as if memorizing the moment.
"Good night."
With quiet ease, he pulls the door back and closes it gently, making sure it doesn't make a sound.
