Bound by Hearts

22. Red Tulips

It just does not.

I am no one to blame her.
I am no one to question whether she values someone's life or not.
I am no one to care whether she loves Aman or played with his feelings. Especially without any proof.

Aman had given me his point of view and I had accepted it even though I told him that Amara is who I trusted. I had believed him. And that showed the shallowness of my love for Amara.

I had stayed four whole days in solitude contemplating whether I should send Amara a text or not. I had written long apologies. However I lacked the courage to send them to her.

Accusing her had been so very easy.

It took a second.
Just a second.

But even the thought of wanting forgiveness sent shivers down every spine in my body.

Instead I had texted Evara di like the coward I am. Asking whether her trip with her boyfriend and his friends was going on well.

I had stalked every single picture on Instagram that Atharva's gang had posted. Searching for ones with Amara.

She was there but her eyes didn't twinkle.
She was there but her smile was forced.
She was there but her soul was not.

I had tarnished her soul.
I had misused her kindness and dedication and asked for it's validity.

I was wrong.

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"Bhai!" I hear a chirpy voice.

"Aesha di, me first!" Another voice spoke hastily.

I sighed closing my eyes tightly pulling together the best facade I can and ponder the best course of actions to entertain my younger cousin sisters.

"What do you two want now?" I asked in a fake irritated voice as I lean against my door frame looking down at my sisters fighting about whose assignment I should do first.

"Katya! My turn. You always make bhai paint. Let him help me write this poem first!" Aesha pushed Katya with a hand on her forehead.

"Aesha! You are a bookworm. I need bhai to draw. Cause if I draw a circle the teacher will see a rectangle and she will give me a zero in my art assignment!" Katya tried to reason.

"Why don't you both do that yourself?" I asked pinching the bridge of my nose.

"Abhi bhai! I will make you fabulous Black coffee and clean your bike for a week if you write my poem!" Aesha bribed me with her doe eyes going wider.

"Abhi bhai! I will eat the sweet from your plate for a month that you dislike so much!" Katya said.

And I pinched her cheek.

"Is that to help me or is it because of your love for sweets?" I asked, my eyes narrowing at her and she pleading, muttering sorry repeatedly.

"Abhimanyu! Beta can you come down stairs for a moment I need a favor." Chandini Maa's voice resonated through the mansion.

I see my mother roll her eyes and walk past me as if I didn't even exist.

My heart clenches missing the moments I spent with my mother as a toddler. They were the only memory I had of her smiling at me now.

"Abhi Bhai?!" Aesha and Katya pull me out of my reverie.

"I will help you both just give me a minute. Let me listen to what Chandini maa wants."

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"Abhi and Jiji thank you for coming downstairs to talk to me immediately." Chandini maa takes another sip from her glass of water. Things had always been tensed with her and my mother. One usually would forget that they are siblings.