Silent Whispers

Chapter 32: Absinthe

She didn't answer. Instead, with her head bowed, she accepted his wrath without an objection.

"So don't try to explain Khushi. You lost the chance to a long time ago."

And with that, he stood up to leave.

Gulping, she murmured, "Can we at least-"

"No," he interrupted sternly. "Goodbye."

Khushi watched him walk away, his shoulders upright and his stride, confident. The time was long gone when she could expect anything from Akash, even if it was as simple as turning back for one last look.

Like he said, it was over.

Their friendship, their trust, their understanding... it was all gone like ashes in the wind. All because she took too long to understand what she wanted. Maybe she was like her father after all, selfish and ungrateful.

And that one thought was enough for Khushi to grab her bag and bolt from the cafe as if her life depended on it. Only, there was nowhere to go. Even in the safety of her car, she couldn't escape the onslaught of detest running through her.

It was all too much.

So, jamming the accelerator, she raced to the only person she wanted to see at that moment. It was a decision she would be utterly grateful for until her very last breath.

"Hello," Garima croaked, not even attempting to sit up.

Khushi pulled up a stool. "How are you feeling?"

Garima smiled feebly. "Fantastic."

If she weren't so frail, Khushi would have laughed at the sarcasm. But her mother's plight was far too grave for Khushi to even reply.

"Forget about me," Garima said, changing the conversation. "Did Shyam reach Pune?"

Khushi nodded. "Yeah, I talked to him last night. Everything is fine – he will be back tomorrow."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing..."

"Are you going to lie to me even now?"

Khushi looked at her mother and was overcome with awe. Even in such a condition, Garima was worried for her. So without thinking much further, she blurted out the truth: "Akash left.... Forever."

A line appeared on Garima's forehead. "What do you mean?"

"I mean he thinks I cheated on him... which I did. So he broke up with me and basically said he never wants to see my face again."

"Oh..."

Khushi looked at her lap forlorn. How she wished she could rewind time and do what she should have done ages ago.

"Are you regretting breaking up with him?" Garima asked.

"I regret not doing it earlier... Lavanya kept telling me to but I never listened."

"Why?"

Khushi gulped. "Because... because I didn't want to loose him. There was nothing wrong with us-"

"But there was nothing right either."

She struggled to reply. "We.... I... I never listened because... because I didn't know what was missing. How are you supposed to know what chocolate tastes like until you've tasted it? How was I supposed know I wasn't in love with him until..."

"Until you fell in love."

"Yeah," she said, her shoulders falling in defeat. "Until I fell in love... but after today, I know for sure I don't deserve it. Because I'm exactly like that man... I use people for my happiness and then throw them away when a shiny new toy comes along."