Chapter 6 #3
‘I can’t stay with you here tonight, Mom. I hope you understand,’ Kaavi said when she found her mother inside the house.
Her mother nodded.
‘Of course I understand. I just don’t know what to do with myself,’ she responded.
‘I know what we could do first,’ Kaavi replied. She took her mother’s hand in hers and led her upstairs.
She pushed open the door to her father’s study. He called it that. It wasn’t.
She spotted the monitor on the desk.
‘Smash it,’ she said.
Kaavi let go of her mother’s hand and ventured further into the room.
She looked around. This is where her father would sit every night to watch what they’d been doing when he wasn’t home.
Her gaze followed the power supply cord. She pulled it out of the socket.
‘I expected that to feel better. I used to fantasise about doing that when I was a child,’ she said.
Kaavi turned to look at her mother. Neel was leaning against the doorway. He looked at her through sympathetic eyes.
‘You’re ready to go?’ she asked him.
‘Only when you are,’ he replied.
Kaavi looked around the room again.
‘Mom, let’s get out of here,’ she said.
Neel stepped out of the doorway and they left the room.
Kaavi unwrapped her sari, then sat on the bed in her underskirt and blouse, waiting for Neel to finish in the shower.
She was mentally exhausted.
The bathroom door opened. Neel stepped out in shorts and a T-shirt. His hair was damp and he already had a five o’clock shadow.
‘Mrs Naran, you are simply beautiful.’
She rolled her eyes and went to the bathroom. She showered quickly; she was so sleepy.
She found Neel sitting in an armchair, busy on his laptop.
He looked up at her and raised his hand.
She nodded. He was obviously busy in a video conference. It was 5 pm on a Monday and the rest of the world was going about their business.
She sat on the bed in a T-shirt dress. Her hair was still a little damp, although she’d briefly used the hairdryer in the bathroom.
She lay down and listened to Neel’s voice. It was soothing. She yawned and slipped into a deep sleep…
Kaavi stretched her arms and yawned. She looked around to see what Neel was up to because she heard some noises.
She sat up and rubbed her eyes. She ran her hand through her hair, got out of bed and followed the sound. Natara was in the kitchen, setting a pot on the table.
She looked round and said, ‘I’m sorry I disturbed. I was trying to be as quiet as possible.’
Kaavi stretched her arms above her head. ‘I needed to get up anyway. What time is it? Where’s Neel?’
‘It’s 8 pm. Your cousin is staying at the hotel around the corner. Neel is there having a drink with him.’
‘8 pm!’
‘Yep. I’ve brought you supper from my mother,’ Natara said.
‘Thank you. I really appreciate it. Give me a minute please. I’m just going to freshen up,’ she said.
A few minutes later, after washing her face and brushing her hair, Kaavi emerged from the bathroom.
‘Do you mind if I sit with you for a while?’
Kaavi shook her head and took the seat opposite Natara.
‘You must hate me,’ she said quietly.
Natara adjusted her glasses, nudging them up the bridge of her nose.
‘I used to. Two years ago.’
‘What changed?’ Kaavi asked.
‘I’ve seen enough to know that my brother and you belong together.’
Kaavi lifted the pot lid and picked up a spoon.
‘Neel said you liked pasta,’ Natara said.
‘I do. It was always my weakness and I couldn’t have it as much as I wanted to. In my old life, pasta was a treat. Can you believe that?’
‘Sacrifices. We all have to make sacrifices to get to where we want to be,’ Natara commented.
Kaavi dished pasta on her plate. She didn’t want to seem ungrateful and offend Natara, but she actually wasn’t hungry.
‘So why do you think your brother and I belong together?’
‘Because I don’t think my brother would ever be able to be with anyone else again after you.
We saw what happened at the funeral. I’m his twin.
I know him better than anyone else, but everyone there could see you are his everything and I can understand why he hit rock bottom when you left,’ Natara said.
‘I didn’t mean to hurt him,’ Kaavi whispered.
‘I know. It’s Neel who needs to hear that from you,’ Natara said as she stood.
‘I’m going to go to bed. It’s been a long day. You should eat and get back to bed. Call us if you need anything please,’ she added and walked towards the door.
After the door shut behind her, Kaavi covered the plate of half-eaten pasta. She got back into bed. She just wanted to sleep to forget everything.
When Neel got back to the room, Kaavi was fast asleep. He had a quick shower and got into bed next to her. She opened her eyes.
‘Hey, sleepyhead.’
She started to say hi, but it ended up being a yawn.
‘Go back to sleep,’ he said, settling next to her.
There was silence for a few minutes. He was trying to ignore the fact that his wife – estranged wife – was sleeping next to him.
He needed to focus on something else or he was going to reach for her. And now was not the time for that. He couldn’t pressurise her when she was vulnerable. It wasn’t his style.
She cleared her throat.
‘You’re not sleeping,’ he said.
‘I’m not,’ she replied.
‘Feel like talking?’
‘Sure,’ she replied.
But he didn’t speak.
‘Neel?’
‘Yeah.’
‘You asked if I felt like talking, but you’re not talking,’ she said.
‘You know what? I think I’m going to go for a walk,’ he said as he sat up.
Kaavi sat up too.
‘You just got to bed. A walk?’
He was now off the bed and making a move for his jeans.
Kaavi jumped out of bed and pulled his arm so he could turn around to face her.
‘What’s going on?’
‘Nothing.’
‘Neel, just tell me …’ she urged.
‘I could show you,’ he replied.
She searched his face and then her eyes widened. She finally caught on.
She didn’t say anything. Instead, she reached to the hem of her sleepshirt and pulled it over her head. She threw it on the floor.
‘Show me,’ she said.
Neel was not expecting that.
‘Are you sure?’
She nodded.
‘I need you to say it, Kaavi.’
‘I want you to make love to me, Neel Naran,’ she said.
Kaavi stepped out of her panties.
That was all he needed. He pulled her close, holding her tightly. No rush. No kiss. Just the quiet thud of his heart against hers. Then, finally, he kissed her.
She pulled at his clothes, but he gently pushed her hands away. He removed his clothes, eyes never leaving hers.
Slowly, he guided her to the bed, eyes still locked on hers, full of want.
He gently spread her legs, his mouth trailing kisses along her thighs until he reached her centre.
She moaned softly as his mouth teased her.
Each slow, deliberate stroke of his tongue drew a sharp breath from her, her body arching towards him.
Her hands gripped the sheets. Her breathing grew shallow. And then she shattered completely.
When he finally entered her, it was quiet. No words. Just breathing and the weight of everything they’d been holding back. His hand reached for hers, fingers locking and they found their rhythm.
She whispered his name once, barely audible and he paused for a moment.
He pressed his forehead against her shoulder and then kept going.
When it was over, he stayed inside her for a while before rolling onto the bed beside her and pulling her against him.
She rested her head on his chest and they said nothing.
‘You don’t have to drive me there,’ she said.
‘We’ll meet Sen there. I’m taking you,’ he insisted.
She rolled her eyes and slipped on her sandals. She wore a blue dress with a beaded belt. Her hair was up in a casual twist and she wore almost no makeup.
‘Stop looking at me like that,’ she said.
He took two steps towards her.
‘I’ll always look at you like that. I can’t help it,’ he said. He pulled her closer.
As their eyes met, the world seemed to dissolve around them.
He cupped her face gently, his touch warm and tender.
Slowly, their lips brushed together. The kiss deepened, filled with an aching tenderness.
Time seemed to stand still as they melted into each other, the connection between them electrifying.
Kaavi was the one to pull away first.
‘We’re going to be late,’ she said.
He went over to the nightstand and picked up the car keys.
Ten minutes later, they were on their way to her father’s lawyer’s office.
Kaavi was aloof. Any other man would have assumed that it had something to do with the passionate night they’d shared, but he knew her better.
She was wearing a mask. Too many people had witnessed her vulnerability at the funeral.
She had to reclaim the image she’d put on when she arrived a couple of days ago – the cold supermodel.
‘I don’t even know why we’re going,’ she suddenly said.
‘Your presence was requested,’ he replied.
‘At my father’s will reading! Does that make any sense to you, Neel?’
‘Let’s just get it over and done with,’ he said.
She didn’t reply and looked out the window. Neel also couldn’t understand why she’d been invited. From what he’d gathered yesterday, her father was a monster. Who monitored their family’s every move? Who sold their daughter’s horse because she’d cut her hair?
He parked the car and got out to open her door, but she was already out. He wore well-fitted jeans with a grey striped button-down shirt. He removed his sunglasses and held them out to her.
She looked at them and laughed.
‘Force of habit,’ he shrugged.
But Kaavi still took them and deposited them in her bag.
‘So for the last two years you’ve had to keep your own sunglasses, wallet and car keys whenever you went out?’
‘Why do you think I wanted you back? I needed you and your handbag,’ he teased.
She chuckled.
He held out his hand. She took it.
‘Let’s do this,’ he said as they walked towards the office.