Chapter 13 #2
Several people had complimented Kaavi on her look.
It was Diwali, after all, so she’d gone all out with her makeup and hair.
She wore her hair in a sleek low bun; her makeup was flawless with tricks she’d mastered during her years as a model.
To finish the look, she chose a delicate choker and matching Indian-style pearl earrings, the perfect pairing for the outfit she’d picked from Bashi’s Creations.
The boarding gate waiting area happened to be right next to a massive billboard for a designer perfume.
Kaavi’s face filled the ad. It was one of her last campaigns before she’d turned her back on the modelling industry.
A group of men across from her had clearly recognised her and kept trying to make eye contact, but she kept her gaze firmly elsewhere.
Instead, she spent most of the time on the group chat, catching up on what was happening in Rally.
Sam and Shona had returned from Durban and were on their way to her grandfather’s house, where Anni and Sam would meet them.
They kept asking if Kaavi wanted a lift or to have her flight rescheduled, but she told them no.
She’d wait, no matter how many hours it took.
All that mattered was getting on a flight to Jo’burg to see Neel.
Neel leaned against the counter in his parents’ kitchen, arms crossed.
His mother stood over the stove frying samosas, while his sister arranged clay lamps on a tray to take outside.
He felt a deep loneliness. Quiet by nature, he was even quieter today, and he knew his parents and sister had noticed.
A steady stream of visitors, neighbours, relatives and friends had filled the house with Diwali wishes and sweetmeats, keeping him occupied for a while.
But no matter the noise or company, Kaavi was still on his mind.
‘Neel, did you hear what I said?’
He blinked. ‘Sorry Dad, my mind was somewhere else. What was it?’
‘I just wanted to know if you’re going to work tomorrow.’
‘No. Sarika’s taken the day off and I told the staff that unless they have something urgent to finish, they can stay home. Everyone’s probably going to be tired tomorrow,’ he said.
His father nodded. Neel was quietly relieved that his grandfather, now fully retired, was off on a world cruise. If the old man had been home, he’d have been relentless about telling Neel to do something about Kaavi.
‘I should have told Kaavi I wanted her back,’ Neel said suddenly.
‘She already knew that,’ his mother replied, not looking up from the stove.
Natara glanced away, her expression soft with sympathy.
His father shook his head. ‘Neel, she knows where you are. Maybe the two of you should have sat down and talked about what was going on. Better communication, that’s what was missing. But now, all you can do is wait for whatever will be. That’s all there is to it.’
Neel lifted his hands to run them through his hair, then stopped, remembering it was styled for the day.
He wore a blue kurta shirt with jeans. A few of his aunts who had stopped by told him he looked very handsome.
But before they could suggest a friend, a friend’s daughter, or a neighbour who might ‘just love to meet him’, he cut them off, making it clear he wasn’t interested.
Kaavi glanced at her watch. It was 9.30 pm and she was in an Uber headed to Neel’s parents’ house. She couldn’t decide if she was more excited or nervous. What was she going to say to him?
She’d had hours at the airport to rehearse something but hadn’t.
Now, as the car turned onto his parents’ street, her palms grew damp and a wave of heat rose through her.
The car slowed, then stopped in front of a double-storey house with a wide, well-kept yard.
Like the other homes in the neighbourhood, it was plush, stylish and inviting.
From outside the gate, the glow of lit clay lamps was visible, lining the pathways and spilling warm light into the night.
She stepped out of the car, pulling her small suitcase behind her.
The gate stood open, probably because everyone was outside with sparklers, caught up in the Diwali celebrations.
She followed the pathway lit up by the lamps, and then she saw him.
His parents and Natara were off to the side, laughing, talking and lighting sparklers.
Neel stood apart, one hand in his pocket, staring into the distance.
‘Neel,’ she called.
He didn’t move.
‘Neel,’ she said again, a little louder this time.
He turned sharply, his eyes locking on hers, shocked.
‘Kaavi? What are you doing here?’
‘I came to see you,’ she said, stepping closer. She dropped her suitcase by the path.
Neel’s parents and Natara had clearly noticed her because there was suddenly silence from their side.
Neel stood frozen, dumbfounded.
‘I need to speak to you,’ she said, her voice steady but urgent.
He still didn’t say anything. Instead, he looked her over, eyes moving up and down.
Then he swallowed hard.
‘Can we talk here?’ Kaavi asked, standing right in front of him.
He looked so handsome. That was something that had always drawn her to Neel; there was just an aura about him.
‘We can,’ he said, clearly confused.
‘Neel, I don’t even know where to start. But I’ll start with this: I shouldn’t have left you.’
‘Then why did you?’ Neel shot back.
‘Because you revealed my secret. I thought I couldn’t trust you.’
‘Now you can trust me? Or is it just because your father is gone?’
‘No, Neel. It’s not like that. Over the last month, I’ve realised there should never have been a secret. I should have trusted you enough to tell you about my background. I should have told you everything. And honestly, it was me. It was all me. I was the problem, not you.’
He shook his head. ‘No, Kaavi. We were the problem. Our relationship should have been built on trust, mutual trust. We should have been able to be open with each other. It shouldn’t have been based on …’ He lowered his voice. ‘… what attracted us to each other. That’s where we went wrong.’
‘I love you, Neel. I love you,’ she said, her voice steady.
His eyes widened. ‘You do?’
‘Obviously,’ she replied. ‘I’ve loved you all this time.’
She was so nervous, but she had to tell him everything.
‘I didn’t leave because I didn’t love you.
Do you think I walked away and never looked back?
I thought about you every single day. I wondered where you were, what it would be like to be with you again.
I pictured that moment, the day I’d see you again.
I never imagined it would be with divorce papers.
But you were right to bring them. What did I expect? That you’d wait for me?’
She stopped, glanced around, then shook her head.
‘Neel, all I’m saying is I could talk about this forever and I don’t know where it’s going to go. But you need to know this: I love you. I want to be with you. Whether it’s in Jo’burg, Rally, or anywhere else, I want to be your wife.’
‘What if things don’t go your way? Or if we have an argument, are you going to leave again?’ he asked.
‘No, Neel. I’ve learned something in the last month: whatever comes my way, I need to have you by my side.
Because that’s the only way I can get through it.
Being in Rally, having you there during my darkest moments …
that showed me what marriage really means.
Standing by each other, being there, confiding in each other. ’
She paused, her voice softening. ‘I don’t know if it’ll always be easy. I don’t even know if you’ll like me in ten years. But I’ll love you forever. And I don’t think that’s ever going to stop … No, no, Neel,’ she added, shaking her head. ‘I know it won’t.’
She searched his eyes. Was she getting through to him? What more could she say?
‘So what I’m saying, Neel, is I want you. I want to be your wife. I want to spend the rest of my days with you, and I’m not going anywhere.’
He took a step forward, his face serious.
Kaavi couldn’t read him. Was he going to tell her to leave? To get off the property? Say, ‘No, Kaavi, I want a divorce’?
Then he spoke softly. ‘I love you too, Kaavi. And I’m sorry I didn’t ask you to come back with me to Jo’burg. I needed you to decide that on your own.’
Kaavi caught Neel glancing over her shoulder at his parents and sister, clearly watching. Without a word, he grabbed her hand and pulled her round the corner of the house, out of their sight.
He gently pressed her against the wall.
‘I love you, Mrs Naran. Welcome back.’
His lips met hers, deep, urgent. She kissed him back just as fiercely.
He pulled away and smiled.
‘Now what?’
‘We celebrate,’ his mother said behind him.
Neel spun around. His parents and sister were there.
Before Neel or Kaavi could respond, his mother grabbed Kaavi and pulled her into a hug.
‘Welcome back, Mrs Naran,’ she said, while Neel’s father patted his back and Natara held back tears.