Chapter 10 — Discovery
The phone rang.
Neel's hands trembled as he answered.
"Hello?"
A pause. Then the voice—soft, cautious, almost unrecognizable:
"Is this… your brother's old phone number?"
Neel froze.
"Yes… who's this?"
A chuckle, low and measured.
"Depends. Do you want to talk to Arin?"
The world tilted.
Neel's chest tightened. His heartbeat thundered in his ears.
"Arin?" he whispered.
"Not here. Not yet," the voice said. "But I'm alive. And I want you to know that before anyone else finds out."
---
Later, his parents sat in silence, faces pale.
"We… he's alive?" his mother whispered, voice barely audible.
His father gripped the armrest of his chair, jaw tight.
"How… why…?"
Neel handed them the phone.
"Listen."
Arin's voice came through—calm, controlled, but unmistakably him:
"Yes. I'm alive. And I know everything. You'll get your chance to make amends… if you're ready."
Tears fell silently from his mother's eyes.
His father swallowed hard.
"Ready… we'll be ready."
But deep down, all three of them knew:
Being ready wouldn't mean he would forgive.
Not yet.
And that thought made the silence in the room feel heavier than any words could.