Bound by Law

Bound by Law || 19- Complicated Relationships

It was always going to be there, no matter what I did.

I took advantage of the loud noise of running water from the shower head and allowed myself to fully let go like I always did.

The bathroom was a place of hell for me but it was also my heaven.

It was the place where I could freely do what I wanted and cry as much as I wanted. After calming down, I was out and dressed in my clean and casual blue kurti pyjamas.

Walking out of the bathroom, I opened the door and walked out, swiping at my face and rubbing my eyes in case they were red and filled with tears. With nothing interesting to do, I sat around, browsing the web, watching television and then making up some new dishes because I was bored.

My eyes involuntarily glanced at the clock as I did each thing, wondering where Jai was. As if on cue, just when I had given up on needlessly worrying and decided to take a nap, the front door opened and a wave voices flooded in from the other side.

I stared at the door, holding my breath. But it soon left me in relief as I saw a beautiful woman dressed in a pink sari. There was an older woman and a young girl around the age of five beside her, talking to Jai as he walked in with them.

Though his face was pale, he hugged them with a huge smile on his face; a smile I'd never seen framing his face before.

My eyes widened upon seeing that rare smile of his, sending shock waves through me. It caused me to freeze halfway down the stairs.

No one noticed me until the cute young girl with the two pig-tails pointed at me with a dimpled smile.

"Look Joi, a lady is staring at us!" Everyone turned to look at me, and I didn't fail to notice the way Jai's smile vanished from his face as his eyes settled on mine. But, I was too focused on the little girl to worry.

His face suddenly looked as blotchy and furious as it had when he had left, and it looked as if he was about to be sick any moment. Without even looking at me, he excused himself from them and walked upstairs.

Leaving me alone with them. I smiled awkwardly but the way the little girl had said his name made me giggle and I waved at her adoringly, her reply an energetic wave back. I didn't realise everyone had their eyes on me until I walked towards them.

Bowing my head, I smiled at the older woman and the young woman, who both had fond expressions on their faces.

"It's nice to meet you," I said, awkwardly, my voice croaky from the crying earlier.

I cleared my throat and I glanced around but no one seemed to notice.

"It's nice to meet you, too," Sanaya said with a smile. "Though we saw you at the wedding, it was too chaotic to try and get a conversation in."

I laughed softly at that and nodded, just as Jai came back down, now clad in sweatpants and a plain t-shirt.

The young girl jumped up to him and he lifted her up in his arms, smiling at her sweetly. I could tell that it looked a bit forced but I didn't want to say anything.

It was a good family moment and I didn't want to be the one to ruin it.

The sight of him with a child made me blink in awe and I couldn't help but stare at them both. Someone placed a hand on my shoulder, bringing me back to reality.

My eyes met with the young woman whose warm dark brown eyes stared back at me.

"I don't know if Jai told you or if you even remember but I'm Sanaya, his cousin and this," she pointed to the older woman who rushed up to me, enveloping my hands with hers, "is my mother."