chapter 76

Author's POV "What happened Aadhi?"Agathiyan asked as he watched his brother closely, sensing the nervous energy in the way Aadhithya sat beside him. He knows his brothers well—knows exactly how each of them reacts when faced with uncertainty.Aadhavan falls into silence or disappears for a while, isolating himself until his thoughts settle. Amudhan loses himself completely, locking himself in the kitchen, burying his worries in flour and sugar, baking until exhaustion takes over. Aadhi, unlike the others, turns to the elders for comfort, mostly their father. And when their father isn’t around, he seeks out Agathiyan, leaning against him like a child looking for reassurance.Agni copes in his own way—he eats, filling the table with plates of food, each dish mirroring the chaos in his mind. It’s his way of processing, of grounding himself when his thoughts spiral. Shiva, on the other hand, simply sleeps. He shuts out the world, burying the problem beneath layers of rest. But unlike other brothers, Shiva rarely takes anything too seriously. By the time he wakes up, whatever had troubled him before is already forgotten, as if it never existed in the first place.Each of them has their own way of coping. And Agathiyan understands them all.His own way? Half the time, he chooses solitude, letting silence work through the emotions he refuses to voice. The other half, he goes to her. His Thulir. And when the weight of his thoughts feels unbearable, he simply hugs her tightly, as if that single embrace could ease everything inside him.Aadhi looked at Agathiyan and spoke softly."Sorry, Anna."The unexpected apology made Agathiyan frown in confusion."Aadhi."His voice carried weight as he stressed his brother’s name, waiting for an explanation. Aadhi took a deep breath before speaking again."I’m sorry, Anna. All these years, I’ve struggled with the way you kept your distance from Appa and Amma. I saw how much it hurt them, and honestly, it made me angry at times. That frustration would come out, and I’d argue on their behalf, trying to make you see things from their side. But you never snapped back, never explained yourself—you just let me ramble and moved on, like what I said didn’t matter. That frustrated me even more."Aadhi sighed, his voice growing heavier. "And when I told Appa and Amma how I felt, they scolded me instead—for questioning you. That made me even angrier. I kept thinking from their perspective, convinced that your silence, your distance, was hurting you too. And eventually, that guilt crept in, making me wonder if it was because of me that you pulled away from them.""Aadhi, that’s not true.""I know, Anna." Aadhi nodded, his gaze steady. "Even Amma told me not to be angry with you—that they were the ones at fault. they actually love you more than they love me."Agathiyan furrowed his brows at that, but Aadhi simply chuckled."It’s true, Anna." He paused for a moment, then continued. "You know what Appa always says? He can be this free, this easygoing with me only because you exist. You took on the role of the strict brother—the one who taught us values, who scolded us when we went too far. That was supposed to be our parents’ job, but you carried it instead. And not just for me—for all five of us."Aadhi’s voice softened. “Amma told me that, too. She regrets not being there for her eldest son when he needed her most. She knows it, Anna. She knows what she missed, and even now, she’s trying to make up for it. You won’t let her do anything openly, so she does it in secret.Till this day, she’s the one who picks out your birthday clothes. You might think Anni buys them, but it’s Amma. She only cooks when you’re here, and I know you’ve noticed—whenever you visit, the menu is filled with your favorite dishes. That privilege is reserved for her eldest son. If I want her to make something for me, I have to pester her for a week.And your Royal Enfield? Every time you take it for a ride, have you noticed how clean and polished it is? Every weekend, Appa washes it himself, and Maaran joins him—he loves doing that. The day before you arrived, the two of them cleaned it together. Maaran loves your RE too… in fact, he learned to ride a bike on it.”Aadhi chuckled. Agathiyan, however, knocked his head.“What? He’s seventeen, doesn’t have a license, and you let him ride my bike? And now you’re casually telling me?”Agathiyan’s voice carried his disbelief, but Aadhi only rolled his eyes.“Anna, I said he learned, not that he’s riding it on the main road or using it regularly. He knows the rules of this house—he’s never taken it outside Revathi Ilam. But next year, when he turns eighteen and gets his license… well, I can’t say the same then. And you should be warned—he’s planning to ask you for that bike as his birthday gift.”“What? No. I’ll buy him a new one if he wants, but I’m not giving him mine.”“But isn’t it our grandfather’s vintage bike? You demanded he give it to you when you were just six.”“So what? It’s my grandfather’s.”“Our grandfather’s, Anna. I have equal rights to it.”“Yeah, sure, let’s say all six of us have rights to it.”“Actually, yes.”Aadhi grinned just before receiving a hard smack on his back.“Vandila kaivacha kondruvein.” (Touch my bike, and I’ll kill you.)Aadhi only rolled his eyes.“I’m taking my bike with me this time,” Agathiyan muttered.“Anna, that’s too much… Maaran is so excited to get it from you. He’ll feel terrible if you turn him down. I already offered to buy him a brand-new one, but he refused. He’s the eldest in his generation, just like you. Please, give it to him.”“Oh, so that’s what this emotional talk is about, huh?”Agathiyan raised a brow.“It’s one of the reasons, Anna. But mostly… I just don’t want to see him sad. He rarely asks for anything. You know that.”“Yeah, yeah, he rarely asks… and yet, he asked you to become his father as a birthday gift, and you agreed right away. Now, my bike? I don’t even want to know what other rare request he’s going to make next.”Agathiyan shook his head, while Aadhi chuckled.“He never wished for anything grand, Anna. He only knows how to love, even if he suffers. I wasn’t there when that bastard was abusing him, yet he didn’t turn into a hardened child—he endured it all and still kept spreading love. He deserves everything, and I’ll do my best to make sure he gets it.”Agathiyan looked at his younger brother, who, suddenly, seemed different—like he had stepped fully into adulthood, carrying both the weight and warmth of a loving father.After a brief pause, Aadhi asked hesitantly, “Will he accept, Anna?”Agathiyan frowned. “Accept what?”“Another sibling,” Aadhi said, watching his brother’s expression shift to surprise. He nodded, as if affirming the unspoken. “Anu is pregnant… we confirmed it today.”“Dei, Aadhi—congratulations, daa!” Agathiyan’s voice carried genuine happiness, his eyes bright with excitement.Aadhi muttered a soft thank you, his smile small but real. But Agathiyan quickly noticed the furrow in his brother’s brow.“What’s wrong, Aadhi? Aren’t you happy about the baby?”“Aiyo, Anna, no… I am happy. Overwhelmed, even. I don’t know how to put this feeling into words.”“Then what’s bothering you?”“How Maaran will react, Anna… What if he distances himself from me? I can’t even imagine that.”Before he could spiral further, Agathiyan placed a firm hand on his shoulder.“He wouldn’t do that, Aadhi. He’s not me, and the situation isn’t the same. He’s grown up now—he’ll understand. And the way he loves his cousins? I can tell he’ll welcome his little brother or sister with open arms.Don’t overthink this. It’s a late pregnancy for Anu, and she needs your support, not your worries. Go to your room, get some rest. You and Anu should tell Maaran first thing tomorrow. Once you see his reaction, you’ll know everything will be okay.”Aadhi exhaled slowly, nodding as Agathiyan squeezed his shoulder. He stood, and his brother reached out a hand to him. Aadhi took a deep breath, clasped it, and stood beside him.Just then, they heard the hum of a car pulling into the driveway. Their father, Aadhiran, parked in the garage and stepped out, carrying a parcel.Aadhi and Agathiyan exchanged glances.“That’s from Amma’s favorite restaurant. She didn't have her dinner yet—he must have picked it up on his way home,” Aadhi murmured.“But that restaurant is on a different route.”“In love, the effort matters, Anna. Do I really need to tell you this?” Aadhi shrugged, a knowing smile tugging at his lips.Agathiyan rolled his eyes and started forward, but Aadhi quickly stepped in front of him, blocking his path.“I think you’d rather not witness our parents' romance, Anna.”Agathiyan sighed, and with silent agreement, the brothers turned back, slipping through the back door to reach their respective rooms—choosing not to disturb their parents and let them have their moment.