Reading Between the Lines

Chapter 34: Internalizing

"It's so cold. Why didn't we bring a jacket again?" my dad complains as my mom shakes her head at him.

"I don't think a jacket is necessary when our daughter was doing something dangerous in our world," she snaps, immediately making him turn his face down in embarrassment.

"Daughter?" Naishal asks surprisedly, looking between me and my parents.

He looks at me, silently asking if what he's seeing is true. I nod my head back with a perplexed face.

"Um... Amma? Appa?"

***

"Sarvani, what are you doing? You put me on mute and didn't even tell me what you were doing! And why are you soaking wet?" I walk directly up to my mom, leaving no room for anything else.

"Okay, I'm sorry for scaring you, but now I need answers," I tell her harshly, to which she goes quiet.

"What- is this about New York?"

"We're past New York."

"What are you talking about now?"

She had to know at some point, right?

"Who are you, Akanksha Biradar?"

From the corner of my eye, I notice my dad's squinting eyes studying me. And then, he comes closer to me too.

"Your eyes. Kars- Anshu, look." My mom comes nose to nose with me, and her matching blue eyes widen in shock. There's that nickname again!

"Kuttu, you're-"

"Yup, I am. I'm going full out creature mode in two weeks. So I would really, REALLY, appreciate some answers now."

"Wait- yavaga (when)? How did this happen?" my dad keeps asking me questions. I try looking around for the others, but I notice that they're gone. A little crunch in the snow makes me look behind me. I realize that they're sneaking away.

But then, Prashanth turns around. And not just that, he comes back towards us. Towards my PARENTS.

Ah, beautiful. Already meeting the parents.

This will go two ways. I make up a random excuse, and they will catch me within the next 2 seconds. Or, I tell them how it could've happened and they freak out about the possibility that I got marked and didn't tell them.

The second one sounds better.

"I had my heat cycle, ok?"

They look at each other before boring their eyes into me with so much intensity that I'll probably melt before the snow does.

"WHAT?! Did you-" My dad tries to stop, but he pauses and raises his eyebrows to finish the question. My lips purse and I give him a signature "are you serious" stare. 

"No, Appa. I didn't even kiss him."

"Ok, good. You just met each other. You should take your time. You know, your mother and I, we only-" he cuts himself off. "I'm going off topic. Okay, when did this happen?"

Before I can open my mouth...

"Our cycle happened on her birthday," Prashanth comes to my side and finishes the sentence for me. He gives me a reassuring pat on the back, indirectly telling me that I'll be okay.