ᴀ ᴛᴡɪsᴛ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴀʟᴇ

8 || Time Well Spent

"Di please, not today!"

Navya entered her room and sat beside her on the bed.

"Niya, what's this huh? You're usually so organized but why are these notes spread around so hap- hazardously?"

"Nothing. I was studying and then I was tired so didn't put them back"

"Nonsense. Papa told me that some classmate of yours was here. Who was it?"

"Aditya. He's in our class and needed some help with the literature assignment"

"A boy! Is he cute?"

"Didi! Why are you always onto these things?"

"What?! I just want you to find someone like Karthik"

"I don't want 'someone like Karthik' in my life!"

"Someone like Aditya then?"

Niyati hit her on the elbow.

"Go away! I need some 'me' time"

"Alright fine! Bye!"

She left her room and Niyati sighed.

Did she really need 'someone like Aditya'? Nope. Wrong thoughts!

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Karthik sat at his study table, trying to concentrate on his assignment but all he could think about was his father being a very bad father to them. He hated himself for thinking of his dad as a bad guy but it wasn't too far from the truth. Sure, he bought them everything but material needs weren't everything, they had emotional needs too. He heard a knock at the door.

"Go away Krish! I don't have time for your lectures!"

"Do you have time for mine?"

He stilled hearing his father's voice. Why was he there? He shook his head and went to open the door. Abhinav entered his son's room and realization hit him that he rarely came to see him there. He couldn't recognize the paintings that hung on the walls, the color of the walls or even the family photo he had on his study table. He sighed.

"Karthik, come here and sit with me"

Karthik followed his orders and sat beside him on the bed.

"I know you're disappointed in me and coming here now, I realized how absent I have been for you and your siblings"

"About time"

"I know. I'm not a perfect father and I have technically no right to expect you to be a perfect son when I myself have been an average dad"

"Cool. Why did you come here though? I know it wasn't to have a heart-to-heart with me"

"What if that's exactly why I came here?"

"Is it?"

"No"

"I knew it. Well, why'd you come here then?"

"I have one question, just one. Answer me honestly and I won't bother you again"

"Fine"

"Have I ever been a good father to you?"

Karthik was shocked. He couldn't speak a word. He looked at his father who was sitting beside him with a hopeful look on his face. Should he lie?

"No. You're not"

Silence hung heavy in the air. For a moment, Karthik wondered if he should've just lied but he shrugged it off. It was better if his father knew that he wasn't a good parent to him and his siblings. Silence hung in the air for a moment too long and Karthik just sat there looking at his father's face which changed emotions so quick that he thought he was imagining it. Abhinav's face went from hopeful to shock to blank and now it was turning sad.

"Is-Is there anything I can do to make it better?"

"Maybe respect our choices and stop forcing your ideology onto us. Oh and please stop comparing us to each other and relative's children, please"

Abhinav sat there, pinching the bridge of his nose. Karthik was getting more and more nervous by each passing second.

"Alright then, I'll try my best"

And with that, he stood up and started walking towards the door.

"I almost forgot, go downstairs and have something to eat before your mother starts flowing the Ganga-Yamuna again"

Karthik rolled his eyes at that. It was going to take time but it had begun. The change was happening and he hoped it would be for the better.