Hues Of Dusk

Chapter 111. Partner in crime

After checking with the receptionist, we made ourselves comfortable on our table. The retro themed cafe was really cute and posters of yesteryear movies and actors hung all over the place. Ved and I started discussing about the same while waiting for our food to arrive.

"Ved, I have a doubt."

"Yeah?"

"You didn't tell me what happened between Sahil and you. He is alive, right?"

Ved tapped his fingers on the table before snapping his eyes on me. "His family had come to see Dad, but Sahil was acting really awkward around me. I saw Namrata Di trying to indulge him in the conversation, but he kept his distance.

"After analysing his behaviour, I learned that he was indeed afraid of me. So, I confronted him myself, and as Mayank bhaiyya and Nikhil had already briefed me about what had actually happened, I was able to handle my emotions.

"Sahil apologized for his actions and told me how you didn't want to meet him but still did on his sister's request. I was not in the right mind earlier, that's why I misunderstood everything."

I placed my palm over his right hand. "You don't have any doubts, right?"

"None." He smiled and enclosed my hand in his.

"I have the bad habit of keeping stuff to myself, and Surbhi has also scolded me for it, but please don't get mad if I am not able to share something instantly - I am working on it. I promise I won't do it on purpose to hurt you."

"Relax, Sandhya. Why are you getting so serious?"

"Actually... um... I have something I wanted to ask and tell you, and it is really personal. I don't know if it is the right time to do so, but I can't keep it in my stomach."

Ved scrunched his eyebrows, but when he saw me fidgeting in my chair and banging the table with my knee like an earthquake, he squeezed my hand in assurance.

"I love you, stupid," he said. "What is it?"

I took a deep breath and stared at him with full focus. "I know about your mother's death, and I am really sorry that I neglected you when you were going through such a hard time. I didn't do it intentionally; if I had known, I wouldn't have troubled you and made fun of you for coming second in class. Please, forgive me."

I waited in anticipation for his reaction, but he didn't say anything for what seemed like an eternity.

Are you a fucking idiot, Sandhya? Why did you tell him if it was supposed to be a secret?

"Ved... are you angr-"

"Ayush told you, didn't he?" he asked calmly.

I nodded with great difficulty. Ved got up from his chair, and I thought that he was going to leave for final, but he sat beside me and pulled me in a side-hug.

"He told me about it years ago," he said and kissed my temple.

"What? Then... why didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't know what to say. I had lost my mother, and it was not your fault that it was your birthday that day. I know I didn't treat you well that time, but I was already tired of everyone trying to cheer me up and tell me that everything was going to be alright when I knew it wasn't.

"No matter what they said, my mom wasn't going to come back, and I was not so young to just believe otherwise. And you know what? More than me, Dad was suffering; he lost the love of his life, but when he looked at me, he picked himself up and tried to protect me as much as he could."

"I am sorry. I wish I could have helped you that time." I kissed his cheek. "If you don't mind, can you tell me what happened?"

"It was an accident, and... Mom died on the spot. She was overseas to visit her family, and Dad was working in his office when he received the news. As you already know, I was in school and fighting with you for giving extra chocolates to Ayush when I got the information.