Hello Steemians,
I hope you all are doing good and I am back with a new episode in the series "The Aftermath"
Previously
The Aftermath - The Dinner Table (Short Story by @inuke)
"So, Papa is maintaining a complete radio silence now for almost a week. Huh?". Rahul asked while taking a sip of the coffee and handing out a cup to me as well. He is the only soul outside the four walls of my home knows about my situation. He was the first one to know, almost about 2 weeks for now. He has been a good friend, a stupid good friend, whom I like to keep for a lifetime. I nodded in response to his question.
"What about your Mum?"
"Maa, is still angry" I replied. "I still haven't figured out on how to deal with this whole family drama. I mean how do I tell them that it is difficult for me as well, But I have made a peace with it, Why can't you?"
He was sipping his coffee silently while listening to me, whine about my life.
"Listen, Yaar!!! The coffee is costly here. Please have it before it gets cold". He said.
I was wondering If he has even listened to me at all. He pointed to my coffee and gesture to have a sip. I tasted the overpriced coffee and it wasn't worth it. I was still gloomy.
"So, what you wanna do next?" He asked.
That guy wasn't even listening to me and my problems. Asking for his help and advice was the second worst thing to do. First was coming out."Can you just please drop me home?" I responded.
"Sucks to be you" and he agreed.
The ride back home was quick 20mins. I am not sure what it was, But those 20mins were the best part of the day. I was just watching the world pass by, everyone was busy doing something and nobody was minding me. There wasn't a soul around who was judging or ignoring me. He stopped the bike right in front of my home, At this point, it wasn't home but more of a hostel. "You know this is not good for me. The chances of me getting a girlfriend go drastically down when you are around me"
"Trust me with all this drama going on in my life, I could use a set of XY chromosomes around me" I replied.
"The what?" he looked confused.
"Sucks to be you, Rahul" I smiled and waved bye to him.
Yes, The home is more of a hostel now. But I think even hostel has more interactions between the strangers. It has been a week since I told them about my sexual preferences. Dad even avoids being in the same room as me. Brother seems to be occupied with his life but he does check on me. So far he has been the only one in the house to make small talks with me. But what hurts the most is my mother alienating me. It is painful seeing her just becoming awkward around me. She has been doing the mothers duty but the talks are gone, the fun is gone. I don't know maybe she hates me for who I am. But she is not willing to abandon her duties as a mother. Or maybe she doesn't hate me. My life is now just swimming around the sea of maybes. I am not upset because they are angry, I am just hurt seeing all these joyful persons turned into zombies. At least Dad made it clear that he doesn't want to be around me. And brother's chose to remain in his zone. But Mom, she is yet to make her decision. She talks but doesn't feel like talking to me. The relationship between us became of a jailer and the prisoner. The responsibility of the jailer to make sure the prisoner doesn't die.
As I walked to my room, I saw the person I once knew as a mother in the Kitchen. I had known her my entire life, but never once I saw her this broken. She looked fragile. Her facial muscles hadn't made a smile in the entire week. The wrinkles are all over her face as if she aged by 10years more. I did this to her. I must apologize to her. And so I went in there. She was chopping the beans.
"Maa."
"Huh?" She was surprised for the moment to hear my voice but immediately went back to chopping the Beans.
"I need to talk to you."
"About what?"
"About" clearing my throat which already started to dry and felt choked up. "About, What we are doing here?"
"I am chopping vegetables for dinner, And God only knows what you are up to." She replied. Word hurts, they do. I am not sure whether she was in that bad mood throughout the day or I just made it that way. I immediately regretted the decision for walking in there, Should have left the lady alone with her beans.
"I am sorry." I said.
"About what?"She puts her knife down, leaving the half chopped beans and placed both hands on the chopping board. She wanted to listen.
"I am sorry for everything, That has been happening in the house for past one week. I am the reason that dad is not having dinner with us, I am the reason everyone's life is miserable. I am the reason you stopped smiling. I am the reason everyone hates everyone else." I started saying things that were coming to my mind. I wasn't thinking anymore. I blurt out emotions as the words which doesn't make much sense. "I am sorry, That I am not the person you wanted me to be. I am sorry that I disappointed you." Tears are building up in my eyes. "Maa, I am alone and scared. How am I supposed to explain it to you, when I don't even know who the hell I am?" First tear rolled down the cheek. "You know one amazing fact, These tears are not stopping even though I cry every night to sleep. I cry myself to sleep, Maa."
I ran to my room. And slam shut the door. What have I done? I went to apologize to her but instead, I got her worried. I heard a pressure cooker whistle in Kitchen. She must have gone back to her routine. That is good, She is occupied with something that will keep her distracted from me. I almost drifted to sleep, when I heard the knock. I had been sleeping in odd times lately or more like the time itself has lost its value.
"Beta!!! Come Out, Dinner is ready" I heard my mothers voice. Past six times it was my brother who was doing this duty.
" Coming" I replied as I got off the bed to have the dinner with strangers.
The aftermath - It is not easy
I am 
Well, stick around to find out more about what happened next.
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