During my lunch break, I quickly returned home to cook for my sick wife. As soon as I entered the house, I was stunned and my face turned pale at what I saw in the bathroom.

Anushka’s lips trembled as she tried to speak, her eyes wide with shock, while Raju stepped back awkwardly, raising both hands as if surrendering to a situation none of us had expected.

For several seconds none of us moved, the only sound filling the bathroom being the steady rush of water from the shower and my own heart pounding violently in my chest.

My mind was racing wildly, yet my body felt frozen, and I stared at them both, unable to decide whether I should shout, cry, or simply walk away.

“Bhaiya, please listen first,” Raju said nervously, his voice shaking as he looked at me with a mixture of fear and desperation, clearly aware of what the scene must look like.

But my eyes remained fixed on Anushka, who still leaned against the wall, her face pale and exhausted, her breathing heavy as though even standing upright required tremendous effort.

“What is this?” I finally managed to say, my voice low and cold, the words forcing themselves out slowly as confusion and anger battled inside me.

Anushka closed her eyes for a moment before speaking, as though gathering the little strength she had left while the water continued running beside us like an indifferent witness.

“I… I slipped in the bathroom,” she whispered weakly, pressing her hand to her forehead as if the simple act of explaining felt almost impossible for her tired body.

Raju nodded quickly, stepping forward but stopping halfway when he noticed my tense posture and the suspicion still burning clearly in my eyes.

“I heard a loud crash from the corridor,” he said hurriedly, “and when I knocked, bhabhi didn’t answer, so I pushed the door open and saw her lying on the floor.”

For a moment I said nothing, the image of betrayal that had filled my mind just seconds earlier refusing to disappear so easily.

The situation still looked strange, yet the fear in Raju’s voice and the weakness in Anushka’s body began slowly breaking through the wall of anger around me.

Anushka tried to take a step toward me, but her legs trembled immediately and she nearly slipped again, forcing Raju to quickly grab her arm to keep her steady.

“See?” he said softly, almost pleading, “she can barely stand, bhaiya, I was helping her wash the blood from her arm because she cut it when she fell.”