A dreadful silence had spread through Raghav and Tanvi’s room. The soft breeze from outside entered the house's courtyard, but there was something eerie in that stillness. Tanvi was staring out the window toward the mansion, and the same questions kept returning to her mind.
“Why does that mansion feel so terrifying?” There was a strange fear in Tanvi’s voice, as if something was definitely wrong in that place.
Raghav closed his eyes and covered his face with his hand, as though trying to push away those disturbing thoughts.
“There’s nothing like that, love. You’re just overthinking. There’s really nothing…”
“Then what is the truth, Raghav?” she asked in a cold tone, but there was a strange, hesitant courage in her eyes. She didn’t believe in ghosts, yet something about that mansion made her feel like there was more to it.
“What do I know? How would I know what happened in that house when I wasn’t even here? The owner died of a heart attack. The house was just abandoned. You always want to know everything,” Raghav said, clearly tense.
Tanvi didn’t respond to his words. She just kept looking in the direction of the mansion with sharp, piercing eyes. She was deeply intrigued, but a small fear lingered within her.
“I don’t believe in ghosts anymore, but when something like that suddenly happens, I do get scared. And even though you know everything, you still talk like this to me?” Tanvi snapped and turned her face away.
Raghav ignored her words, chuckled softly, and pulled her close.
“Yes, my queen. Come on, let’s sleep now. Don’t overthink it. That’s all I wanted to say,” he whispered, holding her in his arms, and soon both of them fell asleep peacefully.
---
Early morning, as usual, Raghav’s mother, Sunanda, was in the kitchen, making ghavane (rice pancakes) for everyone. Her son had loved them since childhood. Madhavi also came in to help. Just then, her eyes fell on something, and she cried out, “Oh my God! Look at this!”
Sunanda rushed over and saw that the lemons they had brought just yesterday had turned completely black. Vaidehi (Madhavi’s mother) was also surprised.
“How can this happen so suddenly? We just brought them yesterday!” she said in shock.
“I’m getting a bad feeling… This has never happened before. And now, why suddenly?” Sunanda muttered.
Just then, Tanvi walked in and said, “Come on, it’s nothing. It’s just a lemon. What’s black or white got to do with it?”
Tanvi tried her best to explain to her mother-in-law that there was no such thing as ghosts or spirits. She firmly believed that everything had a logical explanation and that fear only fed the imagination. “Aai, please, don’t let these old superstitions affect you,” she said gently, trying to calm Sunanda's anxious mind.
“Maybe bhabhi is right,” Madhavi replied simply.
Sunanda frowned and thought to herself, "Why waste time talking nonsense when there's work to do?" But Sunanda Rane was not someone who easily accepted modern reasoning. Just as she never truly accepted Tanvi, neither did Tanvi really get along with her. Sunanda didn’t like Tanvi because she wasn’t the kind of daughter-in-law she had hoped for—especially because Tanvi didn’t believe in God, which was a big deal for Sunanda. But since it was her son’s choice. She didn’t quite like Tanvi—not in a harsh or cruel way, but there was always a slight distance between them, like many typical mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationships. Tanvi’s independent thoughts, her city upbringing, and her refusal to blindly accept traditions made Sunanda feel uneasy.
Raghav, who had once been spiritual and respectful of old beliefs, had slowly changed over the years. After marrying Tanvi and being influenced by her practical approach, he too began distancing himself from his past faith in God, rituals, and the idea of fate. “We make our own destiny,” he would often say now—a phrase Tanvi repeated often.
Sunanda saw this shift and quietly blamed Tanvi for it. She believed that since Tanvi entered their lives, the old warmth of faith had disappeared, and with it, the peace in their home. Though she never said it out loud, her eyes often carried that silent complaint. Tanvi, on the other hand, noticed this discomfort but chose not to confront it directly. Instead, she tried to win her over with kindness and patience.
“Mom, is breakfast ready?” Tanvi asked.
“Yes, I’m serving it. Sit and eat,” Sunanda replied, muttering her last words so no one could hear, but Madhavi caught them and chuckled.
“Let it go, aunty. She deserves a little rest too,” Madhavi said, picking up a plate. She placed some ghavane and chutney on it.
“If she gets used to being pampered every day, I’ll be the one who has to serve her. I’m not going to keep doing that,” Sunanda said.
“Okay, aunty,” Madhavi replied softly.
