Chapter 12: Cracks at Home
Tanoy stood still.
The phone was still in his hand.
But his mind—
Was somewhere else.
The cheque was gone.
He checked his pockets again.
Then again.
Nothing.
"I had it…" he whispered.
"I know I had it."
A strange uneasiness crept into his chest.
This wasn't just confusion anymore.
This was something else.
Something deeper.
Was he losing his memory?
Or—
Was someone controlling everything?
Tanoy shook his head.
"No… that's not possible."
But the doubt remained.
"Tanoy?"
Nipa's voice pulled him back.
He turned around.
She was standing at the doorway, watching him carefully.
"You've been standing here for a long time," she said softly.
"Is everything okay?"
Tanoy forced a small smile.
"Yes. Just… thinking."
"About what?"
He hesitated.
"Nothing important."
Nipa didn't move.
Her eyes stayed fixed on him.
"You're hiding something," she said quietly.
The words hit him harder than expected.
"I'm not," Tanoy replied quickly.
Too quickly.
Nipa sighed.
"You don't have to tell me everything," she said,
"but at least don't lie."
Tanoy looked away.
Because she was right.
And that made it worse.
"I'm just stressed," he said finally.
"Office… family… everything together."
Nipa walked closer.
"We're in this together," she said softly.
"You don't have to carry everything alone."
Tanoy nodded.
But inside—
He felt more alone than ever.
Because how could he share something that didn't even make sense?
A man.
A test.
A disappearing cheque.
It sounded insane.
"Come inside," Nipa said.
"Everyone's waiting."
Tanoy followed her.
The living room was filled with familiar faces.
Relatives.
Voices.
Conversations.
But the moment he stepped in—
Everything felt heavy.
Because he knew what this was about.
His older brother sat in the center.
Calm.
Confident.
Successful.
Everything Tanoy wasn't.
"Ah, Tanoy," his brother said with a smile.
"Come, sit."
Tanoy sat quietly.
No one spoke for a moment.
Then—
His uncle cleared his throat.
"We were discussing something important," he said.
Tanoy nodded.
"I know."
His mother looked at him.
There was hesitation in her eyes.
"Baba…" she began softly.
Tanoy felt his chest tighten.
"We've been thinking…" she continued.
He didn't want to hear it.
But he stayed silent.
"Your brother wants to take us with him," she said.
The words hung in the air.
"To Canada."
There it was.
The moment he had been avoiding.
Tanoy forced himself to stay calm.
"And what do you want?" he asked quietly.
His mother didn't answer immediately.
That silence—
Said everything.
"We… we want what's best," she said finally.
Best.
For whom?
His father spoke this time.
"You've done a lot for us, Tanoy," he said gently.
"We know that."
Tanoy lowered his gaze.
"But life is not just about sacrifice," his father continued.
"We also have to think about the future."
Future.
The word felt distant.
His brother leaned forward.
"You're struggling," he said plainly.
"You don't have to do everything alone."
Tanoy looked up.
"I'm not asking you to," he replied.
"But you are," his brother said calmly.
"By trying to handle everything yourself."
Silence.
Tanoy's hands clenched tightly.
"I can take care of them," he said.
"Can you?" his brother asked.
The question wasn't loud.
But it was sharp.
Like a blade.
Tanoy didn't answer.
Because he didn't know how to.
"We're not saying you can't," his brother continued.
"We're saying—you don't have to suffer to prove it."
Suffer.
Was that what this was?
His mother spoke again.
"We won't go if you don't want us to," she said softly.
Tanoy's heart skipped.
"But…" she added.
There it was.
"But what?" Tanoy asked.
She looked at him.
"We don't want to be a burden."
The word hit him like a storm.
Burden.
Tanoy's chest tightened painfully.
"You're not a burden," he said immediately.
But his voice—
Wasn't strong enough.
Because deep down—
He knew why she said it.
Medical costs.
Daily expenses.
The struggle.
All of it.
And suddenly—
The man's words echoed in his head.
"You're losing control of your life."
Tanoy closed his eyes.
This wasn't just emotional anymore.
This was real.
Painfully real.
"I need some air," he said suddenly.
Without waiting for a response—
He stood up and walked out.
The night air hit his face.
Cold.
Sharp.
He took a deep breath.
Then another.
But it didn't help.
Because the pressure inside him—
Was only growing.
The second test.
Steal the money.
"No one will know…"
Tanoy leaned against the wall.
"Is it really that wrong…?" he whispered.
The question slipped out before he could stop it.
And that scared him.
Because yesterday—
He was sure.
Today—
He wasn't.
His phone buzzed again.
A message.
Unknown number.
Tanoy hesitated.
Then opened it.
A single line.
📩 "Location sent. Tomorrow. 10 AM."
Below it—
An address.
Tanoy stared at the screen.
His heart was beating faster now.
Not just fear.
Something else.
Something dangerous.
Temptation.
He clenched his jaw.
"This is wrong," he said aloud.
But his feet didn't move.
His mind didn't settle.
Because for the first time—
The line between right and wrong…
Was starting to blur.