Chapter 5
fter Anni left, Kaavi had just settled down in front of the TV when her phone rang. Her mother never ever called her on a Saturday. She always called when he was at work.
She answered. ‘Mom?’
‘Your father’s in hospital,’ her mother said calmly.
Kaavi didn’t respond.
‘Kaavi?’
‘Yes.’
‘I said your father is in the hospital,’ her mother repeated.
‘Okay.’
‘Don’t you want to know why he’s there?’
When she didn’t answer, her mother took it as a cue to tell her anyway.
‘He had a massive heart attack. It’s not looking good.’
Still, she didn’t say anything.
‘Kaavi, your father is dying,’ her mother said.
‘Okay,’ she replied again.
Her mother sighed and hung up.
Kaavi sat in silence. Surprisingly, she was calm.
A memory flashed through her mind …
She was eight years old. She had a school project and they didn’t have enough paper glue at home.
Her father was at work. Her mother reassured her that she would find a solution.
Her mother wasn’t allowed to drive, so she proposed that they walk to the corner shop to buy glue.
They were gone for less than 15 minutes.
That night when her father got home, he checked the cameras like he did every night.
Their every move was monitored. He saw that they’d gone to the shop.
He locked her mother in her bedroom for two straight days.
He went to work, leaving her locked in the room.
Her mother never called for help. Her mother didn’t even try to break down the door.
She just accepted her punishment like she always did.
If the tea was too hot or she didn’t come when he called the first time, she would be punished.
Locked outdoors all night. Not allowed to eat for days. And she just took it.
Kaavi’s cellphone rang again. It was Sen’s mother.
‘Kaavi, babygirl, are you okay?’
‘Yes, Aunty Marls.’
‘We’re booking a flight to your mom. We’ll book a ticket for you too?’
‘No. But thanks for thinking of me,’ Kaavi said.
‘Babygirl, it’s okay. We understand. I just wish Senthil was here. We can’t leave you alone in Rally,’ she said.
‘Aunty Marls, I’ll be fine. Is Granddad going too?’
‘To be there for your mother. For no other reason,’ her aunt replied.
‘I promise I’m fine,’ Kaavi said. They spoke for a few more minutes before ending the call.
Sen’s parents and her grandfather tried everything to get her mother to leave her father. But her mother wouldn’t cooperate. It was almost as if she enjoyed being a prisoner!
Kaavi should be having a panic attack. She should be crying. But she was completely calm.
She looked at her cellphone in her hand. She scrolled and found the number. She pressed connect. He answered on the second ring.
‘Kaavi? Are you okay?’
‘You’re the third person to ask me that in the last ten minutes. Hello Neel. I’m okay,’ she said.
‘What happened in the last ten minutes?’
She twisted a thread hanging off her pyjama pants.
‘My father is dying.’
There was silence.
‘I’m coming over.’
‘No, Neel. You don’t have to. I just … I don’t know why I called you.’
‘Maybe you needed a friend?’
‘But are you my friend?’ she asked.
‘Nope.’
Kaavi laughed.
‘I thought as much.’
‘A friend wouldn’t have the thoughts I have about you,’ he admitted.
Kaavi didn’t know what to say.
‘Kaavi, I don’t know a single thing about your family and I’m your husband. Does that sound right to you?’
‘No.’
‘You can understand why I couldn’t keep us a secret any longer?’ He sounded like he was running.
‘Yes.’
She could hear his even breathing and maybe his feet hit the ground. He was definitely running. He didn’t disconnect the call, but he wasn’t saying anything. She didn’t speak either. She just held on for what seemed like eternity, but it was probably under two minutes.
‘Now open the door,’ he suddenly said.
‘What?’
‘I said open the door, please.’
Kaavi jumped up, phone still to her ear and ran to the door. True as day, Neel stood on the other side of it.
He disconnected the call and smiled. She looked at her phone.
‘How?’
‘Sven invited me for drinks at Riya’s, but he got called away on an emergency. This town is so small and your shortcut from Riya’s is really short. I ran. Can you believe that!’
‘You’re best friends with Sven now?’
Neel followed her to the couch.
‘Funny story. He arrived at the hotel yesterday and asked for me. Small town. He heard I was staying there. He wanted to check up on me because apparently I looked like hell a couple of days ago,’ he replied as he sat down.
Kaavi sat down too.
‘You did look like hell,’ she said, remembering his reaction to her panic attack.
‘How do I look now?’
He was in dark jeans again and a red T-shirt. And he smelled so damn good.
She shook her head.
‘Now let’s talk. What’s going on?’
‘Nothing much,’ Kaavi replied.
‘On the phone, you said your father is dying,’ he said.
‘I did. He is,’ she said calmly.
Neel looked at her as if she were crazy. She probably was. She felt no emotion whatsoever.
‘And why aren’t we at his bedside?’
‘We don’t have to be there. Senthil’s parents and my grandfather are flying to Johannesburg to be with my mother,’ she said.
‘Your mother is still alive? And you’re not going to be with her? Your parents live in Jo’burg!’
‘Senthil’s parents are there. Didn’t you hear what I said?’
‘Who is this Senthil and Shona that I hear so much about?’
‘Senthil … Sen is my cousin. His dad and my mother are siblings. He’s on honeymoon with his wife, Shona. I’m living in his apartment. He called the other night when you were here,’ she explained.
‘Senthil is your cousin. You’re living in your cousin’s apartment?’
‘How many drinks did you have before Sven was called away?’
‘One. So you’re sure Senthil or Sen is your cousin?’
‘Neel! Senthil is my cousin!’
‘And you’re not in love with him?’
‘Neel! I’m going to kick you out. Of course I’m not in love with my cousin!’
‘But you let me believe you were living with your lover in this apartment?’
She twirled a lock of her hair around her finger.
‘About that … Technically, I never said that. You just assumed.’
His eyes narrowed. ‘You didn’t correct me either. So you’re single?’
‘Nope. Married – for now,’ she replied.
‘You know what I mean,’ Neel said.
‘I do. There’s been no one since you,’ she said and looked away. She didn’t want to imagine who he’d been with after she left him.
But his next words surprised her. ‘For me too. No one after you.’
They sat in silence until Neel sat up straighter.
‘Kaavi, your father is dying and you’re here.’
‘I am. Do you want popcorn?’
He didn’t answer. He just stared at her in disbelief. She got up and walked to the kitchen. He could see her from where he sat.
She popped a bag of popcorn into the microwave.
Two minutes later, she emptied the bag into a bowl and was back on the couch.
She held out the bowl to Neel. He didn’t take any.
‘Kaavi, you know whatever is happening you can’t avoid, right?’
She nodded.
‘I’ll book us a flight to Jo’burg?’
‘No, you won’t.’
He didn’t argue. She munched on popcorn and he continued to stare at her in disbelief.
And then she got it. She knew what she had to do. She’d give the bastard one last act of defiance. It would be perfect. In your face ‘Dad’.
‘Book the tickets, please.’
‘What changed your mind?’
‘What are the chances of you having my wedding ring on you?’ she chuckled.
He looked away.
‘You have my wedding ring with you?’
He pulled out his wallet, reached in and the ring sat on his palm.
‘Great.’ She reached for it and slipped it on her ring finger. Neel was speechless.
‘Can you book the flights while I quickly pack?’
‘Kaavi, what exactly is going on?’
‘I’m ready to introduce you to my family.’
He shook his head.
‘No can do. You left me, remember?’ he said firmly.
‘But we’re married, right? You’re my husband,’ she replied.
‘I’ll say it again: You left me. We’re getting divorced.’
‘I know that. They don’t need to. Don’t you see? It’ll be perfect revenge,’ she said excitedly.
‘Kaavi, sit down. Listen to me. Have you lost your mind?’
She looked him straight in the eyes.
‘If you knew what I had to go through, you’d wonder how I haven’t lost my mind. How I was able to have a successful career; how I was able to survive on my own; how I was able to even get married. And I was a damn good wife too.’
‘You didn’t cook … and you left me,’ he replied in a flat tone.
She sighed. ‘Neel, I know you’re not a pawn. I know I hurt you, but please do this for me.’
He sat back.
‘Fine, but we’re not done yet.’
‘What does that mean?’
‘You’ll have to wait and see,’ he said.
Kaavi didn’t know what she was getting into, but she was willing to take the risk.
The only thing Neel had ever done on the spur of the moment was marry Kaavi.
Yet now he was driving her to the hospital where her father was being treated.
He hadn’t checked out of The Grand Meyer because he’d booked the suite for a month, so he grabbed his bag while she packed at Sen’s apartment.
He still couldn’t believe that she’d let him believe she was living with a man.
She avoided questions about her family during the flight.
When they landed, he booked an Uber and asked her where she wanted to go.
She said a hotel. He put his foot down; when the car arrived, he gave his home address.
She reluctantly agreed to stay with him.
The fact that she was willing to do this instead of be at her parents’ house said a lot about that relationship. He couldn’t help but feel for her.
On their way to the hospital, she put up a wall and that bitchy supermodel expression was back. He parked the car in the hospital parking lot and reached for her jersey on the back seat. Then he got out and went round to the passenger side, but she didn’t wait for him to open the door.
She was already out, looking around. He held her jersey out to her.
‘It’s a bit cold tonight,’ he said.