The Rathores in Therapy: A BCHD Epilogue

Chapter 39: Emotions Heard, Emotions Validated

Kabir watched Yuvaan, his mind whirling with thoughts. Yuvaan was right. It wasn't about Tulika or her lies. It was about him, his need to understand, his desire for closure. And as much as he wanted to deny it, he knew he wouldn't find peace until he found the answers he sought.

Yuvaan resumed playing the violin, the melody weaving through the night air, filling the space between them. He didn't press Kabir for a response, allowing him the silence he needed to process his thoughts.

After a moment, Kabir finally broke the silence. "I just...I just want to understand. I want to know why she did it. Why she lied."

"I understand," Yuvaan said. "Sometimes, we just want to know WHY. We want to find a reason—a justification even—for our pain."

"I'm not in pain," Kabir quickly interjected, his tone defensive. His gaze remained stubbornly fixed on the ground, avoiding Yuvaan's knowing eyes.

Yuvaan merely raised an eyebrow, a silent challenge hanging between them. "You can't lie to me, Kabir," he said calmly. There was no accusation in his words, no judgement. Just a simple statement of fact.

Kabir flinched, the truth of Yuvaan's words hitting him harder than he would have liked to admit. He remained silent, his fists clenched at his sides. He wanted to deny it, to insist that he was not in pain. But he couldn't, not without lying to himself. And he couldn't lie to Yuvaan. He had never been able to.

He didn't look up, meet Yuvaan's gaze, or confirm or deny his pain. Admitting it out loud felt like weakness, like giving in. And he couldn't afford to be weak, not when so many people depended on him.

Yuvaan watched Kabir for a moment before finally breaking the silence. "Maybe I can help you understand why she did it," he suggested gently.

Kabir looked up, his confusion evident in his gaze. "How?" he asked sceptically. "Tulika is dead. She can't confirm her motives."

"You're right, Kabir," Yuvaan agreed, "But maybe we don't need a confirmation. Perhaps all we need is an explanation that makes sense to us."

Kabir considered this momentarily, his gaze focused on the ground as he mulled over Yuvaan's words. Finally, he nodded, his agreement barely audible. "Okay," he said, "But how do we come up with an explanation?"

Yuvaan couldn't help but chuckle at this, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he met Kabir's gaze. "Were you sleeping when we watched all those crime shows as kids, Kabir?" he asked, a playful smirk on his face. "We start by reconstructing the crime scene, of course."

Kabir smiled at Yuvaan's playful jibe and asked, "And how exactly do you propose we do that? I wasn't there that day either, remember?"

In response, Yuvaan extended his hand towards Kabir, palm facing upward, a silent invitation hanging between them. "But I was there, Kabir," he said. "I was there when Tulika lied."

Kabir blinked in disbelief, the implication of Yuvaan's words sinking in. Yuvaan was offering to share his memory of that day — the day that had changed everything. He was offering Kabir a chance to see and understand what had happened from his perspective.

Kabir looked at Yuvaan's outstretched hand, his mind racing. He knew how much it would hurt Yuvaan to relive that incident, the kind of pain and turmoil Yuvaan would have to endure just to help him understand, and he couldn't let that happen.

"No," he said firmly, shaking his head. "I can't let you do that, Yuvaan. I won't let you hurt yourself for my sake. Not anymore."

"But I want to do this, Kabir," Yuvaan insisted, his hand still extended towards his alter. "Not just for you, but for me as well."