Chapter 21

As Aish tried hard to look for anything around him while falling, he saw a light at the bottom and soon was pulled into it.

When he opened his eyes again, he saw himself standing in front of his house.

The sound of crying and wailing of several women could be heard from the inside.

As Aish steeled himself to go in, he saw the air was heavy with grief as the family and whole neighborhood gathered to pay their last respects. The body of a young girl lay on a simple pyre, surrounded by flowers and incense.

He saw his mother weeping inconsolably, her sobs echoing throughout the village. Her heart was shattered, her soul torn apart. She could not believe that her beloved daughter was gone, taken from her in the prime of her life. She was surrounded by other family members trying to console her, but nothing eased her pain.

His father was sitting on the floor, his head buried in his hands, his red eyes crying out for his daughter. His little brother was weeping uncontrollably, his face twisted in anguish. He saw his big brother, holding his own sadness, trying his best to console himself and keep himself together for his family, but still, sometimes, his eyes would get moist, and he would clean them.

Everyone who went there was crying; everyone was grieving, everyone except for him.

Aish stood in the corner, watching as his family wept and wailed for his little sister, who had passed away. He felt numb, as if a part of him had died along with her.

He wanted to cry, to join in the chorus of sorrow that filled the air, but the tears would not come. He felt as if he had been drained of all emotion, as if his heart had turned to stone.

He felt like an outsider, a heartless monster who could not even shed a tear for his own sister. He could hear the whispers and the mutters of his relatives, calling him heartless and cold. They did not understand the pain that he was going through, the guilt that was eating him up inside.

As the rituals continued, he was asked to perform certain tasks, such as placing flowers on his sister's body and lighting incense sticks. He did everything so mechanically, as if in a trance, his mind consumed by his sorrow.

As the final rites were performed, Aish watched as the flames consumed Ria's body, reducing it to ashes. He felt a pang of regret, wishing that he had spent more time with her and that he had told her how much he loved her. I was hoping that if he had been there, it would not have happened.

Family members took turns offering their condolences, embracing his father, mother, and brother, and expressing sympathy for their loss. And yet he could barely bring himself to respond, his grief too overwhelming for him to bear.

After everything, Aish realized that his sister was truly gone, that he would never be able to see her smile again, hear her voice, or hold her hand.

His family continued to weep and wail, their voices blending into a chorus of cries. Aish looked around the room, at the faces of his family members, all of them united in their grief. Despite his pain, he felt a sense of solidarity, knowing that he was not alone in his suffering.

_

But that was another joke of fate, as after this soon started a game of blame.

There is this line that says, "The only emotion that can overcome pain is anger."

Aish had seen the pain of his family; now it was time to face their anger.

_

Aish found himself standing alone in the middle of his family's house, his head bowed in shame and grief. He could feel the weight of everyone's accusations bearing down on him, crushing him with guilt and anger.

Aish stood frozen as his father's hand connected to his cheek, the sting reverberating throughout his entire body. His mother's wails pierced the air, filling the room with an overwhelming sense of grief and pain. His brother, though visibly upset, stood silently by their mother's side, trying to console her as best he could.

As Aish looked around at his family, the weight of his guilt and sorrow bore down on him even more heavily. He had never felt so alone, so helpless, and so responsible for the tragedy that had befallen them all.

_

"Shame on you!" his mother spat at him. "How could you be so heartless? You should have been looking out for your sister, not running around with your friends."

Aish's anger flared at his mother's words. He loved Ria more than anyone else in the world, and the thought of her death made his heart ache with sorrow. He knew that he was partly responsible for what had happened, but he also knew that he had never intended for anything bad to happen to her.

"I loved her more than anything," he said, his voice choking with tears. "I would never have let anything happen to her if I had known."

"Love isn't enough," his father said bitterly. "You should have been responsible; you should have been watching out for her. And now she's gone because of your carelessness."

Aish's fists clenched at his side. He wanted to lash out at his parents, scream, shout and tell them they were wrong. But he knew that they were hurting just as much as he was and that they were looking for someone to blame.

Aish turned to leave the house, unable to bear the accusations and the pain any longer. But as he stepped outside, he was greeted by the sight of his neighbors, all of them looking at him with anger and contempt.

"Murderer!" One of them shouted and came forward to slap him. "How could you let this happen?"

Aish's heart sinks. He knew he would never escape the guilt and shame he felt. Ria was gone, and he would always feel responsible for her death.

As the days turned into weeks, Aish retreated into himself, consumed by his grief and his guilt. He knew that he would never be able to make things right, that his sister's death had shattered his family and his everything.

And so, he stood alone, his heart heavy with sorrow and his mind consumed by regret. He knew that he had made a terrible mistake and that he would have to live with the consequences for the rest of his life.

Aish walked down the street, feeling like a stranger in his own neighborhood. People he had known for years were looking at him with cold eyes, muttering under their breath as he passed by. He could feel their hatred and disgust, their judgmental gazes weighing down on him like a ton of bricks. He wanted to scream at them, to tell them that he was not responsible for Ria's death, that it was an accident, and that he would give anything to bring her back.

But he could not find the words. He felt numb, hollowed out by grief and guilt. His parents had blamed him, his brother had blamed him, and now it seemed like the entire world was blaming him. He had been thrown out of his own house, left to wander the streets with nothing but his thoughts and his pain.

_

But this was only the start of the pain and hell that was further awaiting him.

that his life would come crumbling down in pieces, just like a house of cards.