CHAPTER 6: THE ECHOES OF SILENCE
CHAPTER 6: THE ECHOES OF SILENCE
Pia's Point of View
It was strange how the world outside looked exactly the same, even when something as big as this was happening inside me.
Pregnant.
The word still echoed strangely in my mind, like a song I didn't know the lyrics to yet. It had only been a day since Ma had broken the news to me, but time suddenly felt slower, thicker—like honey dripping through my thoughts.
Arjun had been sweet—gentle smiles, warm hugs, words of reassurance—but there was something unspoken behind his eyes. A trace of thought that didn't quite make it into words. And Maa… she was kind as always, her motherly warmth comforting—but there was something new about her too.
She looked at me longer than usual. She measured her words. She smiled—but it didn't always reach her eyes.
Something wasn't being said.
---
It was early, the sun still stretching across the sky, when I woke to the sound of muffled voices. Arjun's voice. And Ma's.
I stayed in bed for a moment, trying to ignore it. But curiosity tugged harder than comfort. The tension in their voices wasn't loud, but it was there. I slipped out of bed, padded across the floor barefoot, and stood quietly by the hallway wall near the kitchen.
Their backs were to me. Arjun leaned forward on the counter, arms crossed. Ma stood across from him, holding a cup of tea, her brows slightly furrowed.
"I ran the numbers again, Arjun," she said softly, "and it's... definitely further along than we assumed."
That hitched something in my chest.
That didn't make sense.
We had only been married for four weeks. I was sure of my dates. I knew my body—I had tracked everything.
So how could I be further along?
"I don't want to alarm her just yet," Rhea continued. "She's adjusting emotionally. We don't want to complicate things until we have full clarity of her condition."
"Could it just be a cycle shift?" Arjun asked quietly. "Like, maybe she ovulated earlier than she thought?"
"Maybe," Ma said, but she didn't sound convinced. "But even if it was early ovulation, these levels… this progression… it points to a term that doesn't align."
Arjun ran a hand through his hair, sighing. "And there's no mistake in the reports?"
"I reviewed them twice, Arjun. I even requested a second evaluation from the lab. Everything is consistent."
A long silence followed.
Then Arjun said, "We cannot tell her anything because she would get inquisitive about every single thing."
"Yes. We can't. Let's keep things calm for now. Stress isn't good for her right now."
"What if she notices on her own?"
Ma paused. "She might. But if she brings it up, we'll explain gently. Until then… let's not plant worry unnecessarily."
I had heard enough.
My heart was racing.
I tiptoed back to the bedroom, slipped under the blanket, and shut my eyes tight, pretending I hadn't just heard a conversation that made the ground under me feel slightly unstable.
---
Later, when Arjun came into the room, his presence was warm as always. He sat on the bed beside me, brushing his fingers along my forehead.
"Morning," he said gently. "How are you feeling?"
"Better," I replied, keeping my voice steady. "Just a little tired."
He smiled, though it was tinged with a softness that almost felt like guilt. "That's normal. Your body's going through a lot."
I reached for his hand and intertwined our fingers. "You're being very sweet about all this."
He leaned down and kissed my cheek. "I want to make this easy for you. As easy as I can."
"You're not… worried?" I asked cautiously, testing the waters.
He hesitated, just for a second. "Only in the normal way. Like… making sure everything goes well. That you're healthy. That the baby's healthy."
"Is something not okay?" I looked up at him, meeting his eyes.
His smile came quickly. "Everything's fine, Pia. I promise."
But now I knew that wasn't the full truth.
---
The rest of the morning passed in a haze.
Maa offered to make me my favorite paratha with curd, and I joined her in the kitchen. She was calm, as always, checking on me in the most natural ways—"Are you feeling light-headed?" "Do you want to lie down again?" "Drink some water, sweetheart."
But I couldn't un-hear what I'd heard.
I watched her closely as she moved around the kitchen. There was something careful in her movements, like she was walking a line—watching for cracks without showing she was watching.
I wanted to ask her, straight out. How far along do you really think I am? But I didn't.
Not yet.
Instead, I smiled. I thanked her. I let her believe I didn't know. Because I needed time to figure out what they were trying to figure out.
Was it a medical mix-up? An innocent confusion?
Or was there something more?
---
That evening, Arjun took me for a walk on the terrace. The sky was painted with soft amber, and the breeze was gentle. He wrapped an arm around me, pulling me close as we walked in slow circles.
"You're thinking a lot," he said.
"I always think a lot," I smiled faintly.
He chuckled. "True."
"I was just wondering about the scan," I said casually. "When will we go?"
"Soon," he replied. "Ma said we'll schedule it in the next few days. Just to be sure everything's on track."
"Do you think it's not?"
"No," he said quickly. "Just routine. It'll make you feel better too, right? Seeing everything clearly?"
I nodded, though my stomach twisted slightly. There was reassurance in his voice, yes—but also… precision. Like he was saying what he'd rehearsed.
I let my head rest on his shoulder as we stood under the fading light. I didn't ask any more questions. Not yet.
But the doubts had begun to form a quiet fog inside me. And somewhere deep in my gut, I knew:
Something wasn't being told to me.
And when the time came, I would ask.
Even if they weren't ready to answer.
---