Chapter 24: it's the same thing..

"You must have lots of things to ask, so just ask whatever you want. I'll tell you all the things that you need to know. Don't worry too much about it."

She looked at him up and down while getting serious.

It was an intense moment for both of them, so they were both nervous about it.

"Hmm... What happened to my father, uncles and brothers?"

It was a difficult topic, but he had to poke it no matter what.

She sighed and got sad about it.

"You may have seen or guessed that our family is a little different from the other families that you saw outside our place. Isn't it?"

She wanted to make sure that he understood the situation first.

"Yeah... I know a little."

He nodded while agreeing about it and perked up his ears.

"That's good... We are not completely different from other people, but there are some vast differences which were unreasonable for those people, which was like tradition. It is not followed because it is a tradition but our genetics as you read in some science books. Just keep that in your mind first, ok?"

She looked serious to make him believe it.

"Ahh... ok."

He didn't get that part but nodded his head for her.

"Ok... Due to such conditions or traditions, you also had to go to another city, just like your previous generation, which was a preferred choice because of various reasons. Except there are other traditions that a man had to follow which were preferred but not mandatory. One of them was to go to a secret place every twenty years later, which is decided by a divine sound coming from inside every member. It is not mandatory, but it is preferred to go to the place. Keep it in your mind, ok?" 

She stressed the word "preferred but not mandatory" while trying to make it clear.

"Ohh... alright."

He didn't know what she was talking about, but he nodded, keeping every word on his mind.

"Hmm... the same thing happened and all the members of our family that they heard the sound went to the place without any delay. This time, it was very near, too. Just near our jungle which had a cave in it, but disaster struck us this time. Our family members suddenly died one by one without any cause except your big sister and one aunt."

She teared up as she mentioned the mysterious event and wept on his shoulder.

He could not believe what he was hearing and got dumbfounded when he didn't know what to say.

It was like a mystery inside another mystery and there was no explanation either.

His eyes also teared up as he let her weep on his shoulder.

They hugged each other and wept together for several minutes.

"After that, your aunt and sister informed us about the incident, and we went to the place. When we went there and checked, all the members were dead without any wounds or struggle. We checked everything and got nothing suspicious. We did everything that we could and waited for their dead bodies for five days before we bid farewell to them."

She added and completed the story in tears, which was unbelievable.

Before coming to his home, he imagined many enemies that had harmed his family and he was planning to get revenge on them no matter what, but mystery became his number one enemy.

They kept crying their eyes out and finally got a little better after hours.

That unfortunate thing happened to them, but people need to move on, so they calm down at last.

"Sweetie, now you are the last male member of our family, so your responsibility increased a lot, all of a sudden. I'm sorry about that."

She became apologetic while caressing his hair with love.

"Don't worry about that, Mom. I'll try my best to do everything for the family."

He looked up on her face and resolved himself.

"Thank you for understanding. I knew you would not disappoint me... It's good that you want to take responsibility, but let's do it one by one, ok?"

She patted him while still keeping him on top of her boobs.

"Ok... I agree with your decision."

He got off her boobs and waited for her instruction.

"Ok... Firstly, as of now, according to our tradition, you have two wives automatically and one is your sister-in-law. Do you understand?"

She dropped the bomb on him and waited for his reaction.

"What?... wives?... What the hell are you talking about?... When did I get married to my sister-in-law?"

He was very confused, and his eyes became wide.

"According to our custom, after a brother passes away, his wife automatically becomes the wife of the brother, and it's the brother's responsibility to make them pregnant within nine months."

She revealed such jaw-dropping tradition which made him dumbfounded.

"Ahh... I couldn't believe it... What if they don't like each other?"

He walked to and fro in the room and asked the most important question.

"We don't have marriage ceremony as well as divorce, so the brother can't do anything and accept it, but the sister-in-law, can live in a separate house if she gives birth or gets pregnant first if she does not like the brother-in-law."

She was helpless about it and calmly explained the rule.

"Ugh... it's the same thing... Isn't it unfair for my sisters-in-law?"

He was a little stressed and worried about them.

"How can you say that? There are more traditions which are a lot harsher than that... Besides, I already discussed it with them, and they had no problem with it. And don't call them sister-in-law, or it would be considered rude. Call them wife or something like that."

She was not having it and nearly scolded him harshly.

"What?... There are more?... what are the other traditions, please tell me."

He was getting more curious and anxious.