Chapter Twenty Seven
Twenty-Seven
The clip of Sienna and Ethan’s kiss skyrocketed to the top of trending topics.
As they made appearances for the new movie, their vagueness—neither confirming nor denying the rumors—kept everyone guessing.
Was their connection genuine or a promotional tactic?
Their silence only added to the intrigue, drumming up enthusiasm for the movie.
As for Priya, her brief moment in the spotlight faded just as quickly as it had arrived. The flood of messages, calls, and social media alerts slowed to a trickle. The reporters camped outside Moksha moved on, on the hunt for the next big scoop.
“How are you holding up?” Deepa asked one day over their video chat. She was the only one in the family who knew the truth about Ethan.
“I’m fine,” Priya replied. It was easier than trying to explain how empty she felt.
Deep down, she wondered if she would ever be okay again.
Being with Ethan had lifted her to an exhilarating high.
But now that feeling was gone. In its place was a deep, gnawing ache.
Each moment blurred into the next—tasteless, colorless, formless.
“How’s your app going?” Deepa asked.
“It’s stalled. Mumma doesn’t get the whole work-from-home thing.
She thinks being at home means I’m available all the time.
And Puppa’s having a hard time arranging Lady Whiskerbottom’s funeral.
Brooke’s asking for live streaming and other things we’ve never done before, so I’m handling all the tech-related stuff. ”
“Live streaming? At Moksha? For a cat?” Deepa made a face.
“Lady Whiskerbottom had a massive fan base,” Priya replied, smiling. “We’re planning the biggest funeral Moksha’s ever seen, Dee. It’s turning out to be quite a financial win.”
“No wonder Puppa agreed!”
Just then, Mumma stormed into Priya’s room.
“Hey, Mumma,” Deepa greeted. “Bye, Mumma! Bye, Pri!” She hastily ended the call.
“What do you want to eat today?” Mumma asked.
“I’m good with anything. Whatever’s easiest,” Priya replied.
“There must be something you want,” Mumma insisted. “Sev tameta nu shaak?”
“That’s perfect.”
“But that has onions. You know I don’t eat onions on Thursdays.”
“Khichdi-kadhi?” Priya suggested.
“We just had that last week.”
“Potato curry with rotli, then?”
“I don’t have time to make rotli, Priya. It’s not like I’m running a restaurant here,” Mumma huffed. “We’re having green beans curry with bajra no rotlo. Eat it or go hungry.”
Priya pinched the bridge of her nose as Mumma exited the room.
Every day, she asked Priya for suggestions only to reject them because she already had the menu planned.
Living with her parents felt like being stuck in a sitcom full of absurd routines and quirky challenges.
But that didn’t make it any less frustrating.
She tried to focus on her work again, only to be interrupted by a phone call from her ex.
“Finally!” Manoj said when she answered. “You’ve been dodging my calls.”
“Things have been a bit crazy around here. What’s up?”
“Well…” Manoj paused for effect. “I’ve finally got the funds to buy you out…”
“Why do I feel like there’s a but?” Priya leaned back in her chair and waited for her ex-husband to respond.
“See, you still get me,” Manoj replied with a small, nervous laugh.
“Go on. I’m listening.”
“It’s just that…I miss you, Priya. I know I screwed up.
Big time. And I’ve regretted it every day since you left.
Those photos of you with Ethan Knight really hit me hard.
When I heard there was nothing between you, it felt like I’d been given a second chance.
” He took a deep breath before barreling on.
“I’m wondering if you’d like to meet up—”
“Let’s not, Manoj,” Priya cut in. “Whatever was between us, it’s done now.” What she didn’t say was that even if she could ever trust Manoj again, there was no returning to a life that felt comfortably dull. Ethan had changed everything for her.
“I’m not asking you to make any decisions right now,” Manoj insisted. “Let’s meet up and talk it over.”
“Priya!” Mumma called from the doorway. “Puppa needs your help.”
Priya sighed. “Sorry, Manoj. I have to go. Just transfer the funds like we agreed.”
As she hung up and hit Save on her work, an invisible weight settled on Priya’s chest. The endless interruptions—her parents, the phone calls, Lady Whiskerbottom’s funeral—were derailing her ability to meet deadlines and build her business.
She couldn’t keep helping her parents while managing her own projects.
Priya headed downstairs to Moksha, where Puppa greeted her with a sigh of relief. “The technicians are here to set up the live streaming equipment, but they have a ton of questions,” he said. “Microphones, camera angles, internet stuff. Could you take care of it?”
“Sure, Puppa.” Priya went into the setup room and was greeted by a mess of cables and cameras. She stepped in, coordinating the arrangement of equipment and suggesting placements. Just as things started to fall into place, her father approached.
“Can you handle the reception desk for a while?” he asked. “Franzi is sick, and there’s a service starting, so I’m stepping in until Meera gets here.”
Priya glanced toward the setup crew that was waiting for her. She swallowed the frustration rising in her chest and forced a smile. “Sure, Puppa.”
“Thanks, beta.” He started walking away, then paused and turned around. “Oh, and can you help me book that violinist tonight?”
“Brooke is coming over tonight so we can work on Lady Whiskerbottom’s slideshow. Can we do it in the morning?”
Puppa gave a wave of agreement before disappearing down the hallway. Priya took his place at the reception, her mind too full of all the things she had to do. Just as she settled in, her phone rang again. She debated ignoring it until she saw it was her sister Meghna calling from India.
“Megs!” she said, her voice softening with warmth. “It’s so good to hear from you.”
“I’ve missed you too!” Meghna replied. “If I get cut off, I’ll call you back. The signal is still spotty at my end.”
Before Priya could reply, a crew member tapped her shoulder. “Miss, where do you want us to set up the projector?”
“I’ll be there in a sec,” Priya answered, suppressing a sigh.
“Everything okay?” Meghna asked.
“It’s a bit of a madhouse here at the moment.”
“I bet. Moksha is back in business, and you’re right in the thick of it. I’m sure Mumma and Puppa are glad to have you around, but how are you doing?”
Priya opened her mouth to say, “I’m fine” again, but the words caught in her throat.
She wasn’t fine. Far from it. She was exhausted and overwhelmed from pretending to be fine.
And now, as her sister’s voice echoed through the phone, the dam of her emotions broke, and with it came a torrent of tears—not the silent ones that spilled onto her pillow at night, but deep, racking sobs that she could no longer contain.
“Hey, hey…” Meghna’s voice sharpened with concern. “What’s going on, Pri?”
Priya took a shaky breath, her sobs slowing to a tremble.
“I don’t know how to explain it,” she said.
“It’s like Moksha is taking over my life, Megs.
You know how Mumma and Puppa say it’s our destiny, right?
Well, I feel like I’m slowly sliding into its belly, being swallowed alive.
I’m trying so hard to get back on track, but there’s no escape.
I’m trapped, Megs, and I don’t know how to get out. ”
“Oh Pri.” Meghna sighed. “You’ve never backed down from anything, especially not with Mumma and Puppa. But you sound…done. I’ve never heard you like this, not even after things ended with Manoj. What’s really going on?”
Priya stayed silent, unable to find the words.
“You sounded happy when we spoke last month,” Meghna said slowly.
“Mumma and Puppa were away, and you were holding things down at Moksha with—” She gasped in realization.
“It’s Ethan Knight, isn’t it? Ever since he came to Moksha, you haven’t been the same…
Oh my god, Pri. You’re heartbroken. I can hear it in your voice.
” She lowered her voice. “Did something happen between you two?”
“Yes, we had a thing. And I foolishly let myself believe we stood a chance,” Priya said, her voice cracking. “But I can’t escape Moksha, Megs. No matter what I do or how far I run, it’s always going to pull me back in.”
Meghna was quiet for a moment. “I know it feels like you’ve hit rock bottom, but this isn’t some fate you must accept.
Losing Ethan might’ve been the tipping point, but that doesn’t mean Moksha is your only option.
Everything that’s happened—all the setbacks, the challenges, the heartache—that’s just life, Pri.
Sometimes it leads and you follow. Sometimes you lead and it follows.
And right now, you need to take charge. If you don’t find your footing, you’ll keep spinning to everyone else’s tunes.
” Meghna paused, letting her words sink in.
“The only power anything or anyone has over you is what you allow. You’re the only one who can break free, and that’s not going to happen if you give up. ”
Priya nodded but felt as if she were standing at the bottom of an insurmountable mountain. “I don’t even know where to begin, Megs. I don’t know what to do.”
“You don’t have to figure it all out in one go,” Meghna said. “Just trust that you’re not stuck. You’ve been knocked down, but you can rise again. One step at a time, Pri. You’ve got this.”
Priya wiped her cheeks, blinking through the tears as guests passed by.
It was embarrassing to be caught with her guard down, but they barely noticed.
Her tears fit right in, just another ripple in the endless tide of grief that flowed through Moksha.
Meghna was right. If Priya didn’t pull herself together soon, she would end up disappearing into the shadows of the funeral home like a forgotten statue collecting dust.