Chapter 3 #2
Kaavi grabbed Anni and hugged her, saying, ‘You have no idea how happy this makes me. I feel like I have a purpose, even if it’s just for a week.’
‘Kaavi, you’re amazing. You know that, right?’
Kaavi nodded slowly, swallowing hard to hold back the tears. She wished she could have heard those words when she’d needed them most.
‘Now, we need to order those kits. You know best. Check online or locally. Let me know what you decide on and we’ll meet to place the order,’ she said.
‘I’ll get on it. When are the workshops?’
‘In about two weeks. Shona will be back from her honeymoon by then. We three make a great team,’ said Anni.
‘This is so exciting. I can’t wait,’ Kaavi squealed.
‘Me too. These kids have been through the worst. We can make them feel good, even if it’s just for a little while.’
Anni then said she had to get back to work and was gone as quickly as she’d appeared.
Kaavi was beaming from ear to ear. In that moment, she’d forgotten her problems … until he stepped out of the store in front of her.
‘Kaavi.’
‘Neel.’
He was in dark denim jeans and a grey button-down shirt. Long sleeves, Kaavi noted.
He wiped a few beads of sweat off his forehead.
‘Is it always this hot in Rally?’
‘I asked the same question when I got here. You just have to learn to dress for it and always find a place with air conditioning,’ she said.
His eyes travelled down her legs.
‘So you’re saying I should get shorts?’
‘You’re here for business, right? Shorts won’t work in the boardroom, although I doubt there are any boardrooms in this town,’ she said.
Durban was an hour away and that was where everyone did business. Sen’s law firm and Shona’s bridal clothing shop were in the city. Rally was laid back. Kaavi wondered what business Neel was after in Rally.
‘I really need to get out of this,’ Neel said, pulling at the collar of his shirt.
Kaavi shyly looked away. But Neel had caught her expression before she did.
He took a step forward, oozing confidence and sex appeal.
‘You’d like to see me out of this, wouldn’t you?’
Kaavi didn’t respond. But the fire was building in her belly. They were standing on Main Street on a Wednesday afternoon and this was what was happening.
‘Kaavi,’ he whispered.
‘This is silly,’ she whispered back.
‘Not to us. We get it,’ he said.
‘No. It’s never made sense. And it’s already made us make one bad decision,’ she said.
‘I don’t regret marrying you and I didn’t marry you for sex,’ he said.
She believed him. Neel was always sincere, or the Neel she knew was. The Neel who had arrived in Rally three days ago confused her.
‘You didn’t send the divorce papers,’ she said quietly, snapping out of the spell.
‘I didn’t,’ he said coolly.
‘Why?’
‘Just answer one question. Why did you leave me?’
Kaavi looked around. Everyone was going about their business.
Shona’s dad’s tailor shop was busy. The ice-cream parlor was crowded and the beauty salon was buzzing with customers.
But here she was ready to sink to the ground.
A sudden, overwhelming storm was about to tear through her mind and body.
And then her heart started racing uncontrollably, as if it was trying to break free from her chest. She felt starved for air.
Just breathe, she told herself. She couldn’t believe this was happening here, in front of Neel.
‘Kaavi? Kaavi, are you okay?’
She gripped his arm to anchor herself and gasped for air.
He pulled her into her arms and held onto her. She heard him call someone for help.
‘Don’t,’ she whispered.
‘Kaavi, just hold onto me. I got you. I got you, baby.’
Tears streamed down her face. She couldn’t control them.
‘She’ll be okay. She just needs to keep breathing. Right, Kaavi?’ When she heard the accent, she knew who it was without looking up.
Sven Kristiansen lived in the apartment next door to Shona’s and now he was Kaavi’s friend and doctor.
‘Breathe in and out. In and out. That’s it. Everything is going to be okay. You’re safe. This will pass,’ Sven said.
Kaavi listened to his reassuring words and then became aware of Neel’s heartbeat. With her head on his chest, he could hear his heart racing too.
She didn’t know if she was dreaming, but she thought she heard him whisper ‘I love you’.
‘No one will hurt you, Kaavi. You’re safe with us. I’m here,’ Sven said.
Kaavi took a deep breath and gradually started to feel calmer. Her heart began to slow down and her breathing was becoming normal.
‘There, beautiful girl. You’re going to be alright,’ Sven said again. Kaavi remembered the time that Sen had assumed Sven was dating Shona, when actually Sven was married to a man from his home country Norway!
She blinked away the moisture in her eyes and let go of Neel. She didn’t want to look at him. She was ashamed.
‘Kaavi, you’re good?’ Sven patted her shoulder.
She nodded.
Sven turned to Neel. ‘We haven’t met. I’m Sven,’ he said, extending his hand.
Neel shook his hand. ‘Neel,’ he said. Kaavi knew he was still shocked or even horrified by what had just happened.
‘You’re staying in town?’
‘Yeah,’ Neel replied.
‘Sven, thank you – and you as well, Neel,’ Kaavi said. She still didn’t look Neel in the eye.
‘Kaavi, you know I have a reputation for helping pretty girls on Main Street,’ Sven said jokingly.
Kaavi laughed as she remembered Sven always getting Shona or Anni out of a jam on Main Street.
‘I’m going to head back to the practice. I’ll see you around Kaavi, and nice to meet you Neel,’ Sven said, waving goodbye.
‘I’d better go,’ Kaavi said.
‘What just happened?’ Neel asked quietly.
For the first time since her panic attack had ended, Kaavi looked up at Neel.
His face broke her. He looked genuinely terrified, like the ground shook under him.
‘I had a panic attack,’ she said softly.
He ran his hand through his hair. ‘I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pressured you. God, I can’t do this. I can’t do this to you,’ he said.
‘It’s okay. It happens,’ Kaavi said.
‘I’ll walk you back to your apartment. You need to rest,’ he said.
Kaavi nodded. They walked in silence. Neel looked like hell. He looked conflicted. He was always so put together and in control, yet now he looked like he’d been to hell and back.
When they reached the entrance to the apartment block, he said, ‘I’ll leave you here if that’s okay.’
Kaavi nodded again because she was lost for words, and left him standing on the sidewalk.
The divorce papers arrived two hours later.