I secretly swapped the packet of medicine in my husband’s bag. Unexpectedly, in the middle of the night, my sister-in-law screamed and ran out of the room, while my husband went berserk… My mother-in-law clutched her chest and knelt on the ground.
My name is Shivani, I’m 28 years old, and I’ve been married for two years. My husband is Samar, 32, an electrical engineer, kind-hearted but prone to outbursts when pressured. My mother-in-law, Mausi Madhavi, is famous in the mohalla for her nosy nature and sharp tongue. My sister-in-law is Manya, 24, who married Samar’s younger brother, Arjun, three months ago. She looks gentle, but her eyes always gleam with unease.

Recently, Samar has been suffering from insomnia and looks gaunt. When I asked him about it, he just gave a weak smile: “Probably due to the pressure from the new temple project.”

One evening, Samar came home late and, upon entering the haveli, became irritable because the daal and roti for dinner had gone cold. This was strange. While he was showering, I accidentally found a small, unlabeled packet of pills in his kurta, containing opaque white tablets that looked like strong sleeping pills.

I shuddered. No one in my family ever used anything like that.

I took the packet out and asked about it. Samar snatched it away, his eyes bloodshot: “Don’t touch my things!”

His reaction sent chills down my spine. Late at night, after Samar had fallen asleep, I secretly retrieved the packet. I didn’t dare throw it away, so I swapped it with my multivitamin packet and hid the real pills in my mehendi box.

I reassured myself: He must have been tricked into using something bad. I have to stop him.

But I didn’t expect that, in the middle of the night, Manya’s terrified screams would suddenly erupt from the next room.

“BACHO! MUJHE CHHODO!”

I jumped up and rushed out to see Manya, her hair disheveled, rushing out of the room, her face pale, her salwar kameez askew. Immediately afterwards, Samar also ran out of my room, his eyes wide and wild.

He went mad, slamming his fist against the marble haveli wall, shouting, “KAUN HAI JO MERI JEB CHHU RAHA HAI?!”

Mausi Madhavi ran out, not understanding what was happening before Samar started yelling. She was shocked, clutching her chest, staggering, and then collapsing in the middle of the long hallway.

I stood frozen, my hands trembling.

It all… started with the packet of medicine I had secretly swapped. I rushed to help my mother-in-law. Manya was still cowering in the corner of the kitchen, her hands clutching her neck, gasping for breath. Arjun ran out of the room, his face ashen.

Samar stood motionless like a statue, but his eyes were fierce. I shouted, “Samar! Ambulance ko bulao!”

But he didn’t hear. He stared straight at me, his voice hoarse: “Tumne… mere kurta ki jeb mein kya kiya?”

Arjun quickly called for an ambulance. We helped Mausi Madhavi onto the divan in the living room. Thankfully, she was still breathing. I tremblingly applied Ayurvedic oil to her chest.

Manya suddenly burst into sobbing: “Shivani didi… mujhe bachaiye…”

“Manya! Tumhe kya hua?”

She cried and shook her head, then looked at Samar as if she had seen a demon. She gripped my hand tightly: “Samar bhaiya… wo… wo sab jaante hain! Wo jaante hain ki main kuch chhipa rahi hoon!”

I froze. Samar stepped forward, his eyes icy cold: “Bolo. Tum kya chhipa rahi thi?”

Arjun angrily stood in front of his wife: “Samar bhaiya! Aap kya kar rahe hain?

The whole house was in chaos. The ambulance siren blared outside the gate.

Medical staff checked, and luckily Mausi Madhavi only suffered a sudden drop in blood pressure due to shock. Arjun took her to the medical center for monitoring.

When only three people remained, Manya sat down on the cold floor, tears streaming down her face: “Didi… didi jaanti hain main kyun dar gayi? Kyunki mainne woh davai dekhi hai…

“Tumne kya dekha?

“Jab mainne bhaiya ka kurta saf kiya, mainne use dekha… main sochi yeh neend ki davai hai. Lekin maine Mausi Madhavi ko phone pe kisi se kehte suna… ‘Usey lagataar pilao, phir woh sunega.’ ”

I was speechless. Everything fit together: insomnia, Samar’s irritability… and the unlabeled packet of medicine.

I suddenly remembered I’d swapped it for vitamins. So today… what did Samar take?

I turned to look at him. He was leaning against the door, his face pale. His voice was hoarse: “Shivani… tumne badal diya, na?”

I nodded, my lips trembling: “Main… main bas chahti thi ki aap usey lena band karein…”

Samar gave a weak, painful smile: “Tum jaanti ho… agar main sahi davai nahi leta… toh main aise pagal ho jaata hoon?”

“Samar… aap kya keh rahe hain?”

Samar said: “There is something inside me… that no one understands. And the one who gives me medicine… is my mother!

When I was 18 years old, I was struck by an electric shock. Since then, I feel strange, I cannot sleep. The doctor gave me medicine. But mother… she did not believe the doctor.

“After Papa left, Mom took care of everything. She used to bring the medicine herself. She said it was a ‘mental medicine’. But lately… I’m starting to feel a sense of control over myself.

“So that medicine… what is it, after all?”
“I don’t know. I just know that everything calms down after taking it. But today… you replaced it with vitamins. My body tensed, my mind started spinning. I couldn’t control myself.

Manya Tho: “I told you earlier… there’s something strange about Aunt Madhavi.

About an hour later, Arjun called and told me he had settled. Just then, Samar’s phone rang. The screen displays: “Mother”.

Young Aunt Madhavi came to the table: “Shivani! What did you do last night, you ruined the house? Call Samar!”
Samar came out and said in a dry voice: “Main bol raha hoon.

“Son, did you take the medicine? You should take it on time. If you skip it, he’ll get angry and ruin the house.”

“Mom… what are you giving me?”

“Medicine… the doctor’s medicine. What stupid question are you asking?”

“Mom, don’t lie. Main sab jaanta hoon

Aunt Madhavi started crying, “I am doing all this for you! Who will take care of me if I am attacked? I have already lost my husband, I cannot lose you! (I have done all this because of you! If I have attacked you then am I responsible? I have lost my husband, I cannot lose you!)”

Samar off my. Anh ngồi xuống, ôm đầu. Tôi nắm lấy tay anh: “Tomorrow we will get that medicine checked. And you will have to see the doctor again. I will come with you.

Manya said: “I will tell Arjun. This won’t work.

Samar took a deep breath and looked at me: “Shivani… thank you for changing the medicine. Otherwise… I remained here for a long time.”
There, I sat beside Samar and the light came. Outside the haveli, the sky is cloudy in Udaipur.

And I understand that my family doesn’t have to face me, I just have a job. I am one True heartache: Sometimes, the deepest hurt caused by a person is the name of the person you love.