“Money Went Missing in My Own Room and Now Everyone’s Blaming My Friends”

I live in a joint family with around 12-13 people, though I do have my own room. On my birthday (8th May), I got around ₹2000. I kept ₹1800 in my desk drawer and some separate money my father gave me somewhere else.

The next day, my chachi asked for ₹200 back from some grocery money she had given me earlier, so I opened the drawer in front of her and gave her ₹200. That left ₹1600 in the drawer. I’m 100% sure I didn’t touch the rest after that because I was exhausted the whole day.

A couple hours later, my friends came over. After they left, I checked the drawer again before going out, and the ₹1600 was gone.

I asked everyone. Nobody admitted taking it. My chachi immediately started blaming my friends and keeps bringing it up constantly — “tumne kharch kar diya hoga”, “hum log itni mehnat se paise kamate hain”, etc. The thing is, I genuinely trust my friends and don’t think they took it.

What’s bothering me is that a long time ago, I once saw this same chachi taking money from my father’s jeans pocket. She noticed that I saw her and acted weird the whole day after that. I never told anyone because I didn’t want family drama.

Now I lowkey suspect her, but I also don’t want to accuse anyone without proof. At the same time, it’s irritating hearing constant lectures over money that wasn’t even hers in the first place, like stfuuu bitchhh.

I know I should’ve kept the money more carefully, so yeah, that part is on me. Just needed to vent because this whole thing is pissing me off.