Sunehri Kahani - Between the Lines

"We need to be clear about expectations," she began, her gaze moving between Viren and Kaka. "Taking in Zaara was the right thing to do, the only thing to do, but it complicates our lives significantly."

Viren nodded, already aware of the financial strain another child would place on the household. Kaka's government job provided a steady but modest income, supplemented by Maasi's part-time work as a seamstress. With his mother's ongoing medical needs and now a toddler to care for, their resources would be stretched thinner than ever.

"There's also the matter of your mother," Maasi continued, her voice softening slightly. "The doctors say her condition is unlikely to improve significantly. She requires constant care, which I provide while also trying to work."

"I can help more," Viren offered immediately. "I can come home directly after school, watch Zaara while you work."

"That's part of what we need to discuss," Maasi said, exchanging a glance with Kaka. "Your mother... she doesn't recognize Zaara. When I tried to introduce them yesterday, she became agitated. The doctor says it might be triggering memories of the trauma."

Viren's heart sank. He had hoped, somehow, that Zaara's presence might reach his mother in a way nothing else had, might spark some recognition or connection to the world she had retreated from.

"What does that mean for Zaara?" he asked, dreading the answer.

Maasi sighed, the weight of the decision evident in her expression. "It means we need to establish some... boundaries. For everyone's well-being."

The "boundaries" Maasi outlined were strict and, to Viren's young mind, heartbreakingly harsh. With a strained voice that betrayed her internal conflict, she laid out the conditions under which Zaara could remain in their home.

"Your mother's room will be completely off-limits to her," Maasi stated, unable to meet Viren's eyes as she spoke. "No exceptions, not even for a moment."

Viren watched his aunt's face, noting the unusual hardness in her typically compassionate eyes. This was Maasi, the woman who had once told him she longed for a daughter of her own, who had wept when doctors confirmed she couldn't conceive, who had always treated neighborhood children with extra sweets and gentle words. Yet here she was, voice firm and unyielding, as she essentially banished a toddler from portions of her own home.

"She can stay with you in your room," Maasi continued, gesturing toward the small bedroom that had been designated for the children. "And she can move freely in the western side of the apartment, the area near the in-house temple and the storeroom. But she must never venture to the eastern side where your mother rests."

"But Maasi," Viren protested, his voice cracking with emotion, "she's just a baby. She won't understand invisible boundaries. She'll wander-"

"Then you must watch her," Maasi cut in, her tone sharper than Viren had ever heard it. "This is non-negotiable, Viren. I've already compromised more than I intended by allowing her to stay at all."

The words hung in the air between them, heavy with implications that made Viren's stomach clench. For the first time, he fully understood the sacrifice his aunt was making and the choice she had made. Between her sister and this child who shared her blood but not her history, Maasi had chosen her sister. The realization was both painful and illuminating.

"I understand," Viren said quietly, though his heart rebelled against the unfairness of it all.

Maasi's expression softened slightly, a glimpse of her usual warmth breaking through the stern facade. "I know this seems cruel, beta. And perhaps it is. But I've watched my sister suffer for years at that man's hands. I've cleaned her wounds, held her through nightmares, begged her to leave him. And now..." Her voice faltered. "Now she's trapped in a prison of her own mind because of what he did. I cannot, will not allow anything to make her condition worse. Even if that 'anything' is an innocent child."