"Nakshatra? What a surprise!"
"It's Nats and you know that..."
Nats pulled a stool beside this bed and sat down. Normally, she wouldn't have sat but her knees were singing all morning and she couldn't bear to stand on them.
"How are you?" He asked. Dhariya Kapadia had gotten old. Older than she had expected The crow's feet on the corner of his eyes wrinkled as he smiled.
"I'm great." She shrugged. "Life's good. I won't ask how you are because, obviously you are not okay..."
To her utter surprise, he began laughing until he was gasping for breath, "You were always a riot, Nats."
"Thank you. I know."
A moment of silence fell between them, "Why did you mail me, Dhariya?"
"I wanted to see you one last time and apologise for beingban asshole."
She took off her sunglasses and sighed, "Apologise for which time? The time you dragged me back home when he eloped? Or the time you tried to suggest that I be your mistress while you marry my sister? Or for the time I caught you out with your mistress when Dhruv was a baby? Or maybe it's the time my sister's body hadn't even gone cold and you asked me to marry you?"
"You were always morally good. I was always weak."
"That's a bullshit way of saying you were selfish and a bad man all your life."
"I won't deny it. But I'm trying to make amends..."
"Can it even be amended? Your sins? My sister is dead because of you. You judged her so harshly, you were such a hypocrite! You've never loved any of your children fully. Not Dhruv nor Dishu. Not to forget what you did to that poor girl Khushi. Don't put the blame on the supposed love you felt for me, you had the choice, you willingly let me go and the chose to punish everyone else for your choices."
"Nats, I'm sorry..."
"Dhariya, all I'm here to tell you, is that, it's too late. I don't regret loving you. I never have. But you're not the only one I loved, I've live a long and a fulfilling life and will continue to, till I breathe my last. You're my past. So don't send me letters full of pining, I don't want you to."
Nats almost felt bad when his eyes shined with tears, "Also, Dhruv knows about us. The poor child was so hurt. I just... don't want anything to do with you anymore. I don't want to disappoint the children."
He sniffed and wiped away his tears, ever the macho man, Nats thought. "You'll take care of them, won't you? I have no one to leave them in care of."
"Ofcourse, that goes without saying."
"I've heard about Dhruv. I don't know what's going on with him and Khushi..."
"He's planning on getting a divorce from his current wife trying to get full custody of Riyan."
She watched him nod, "I'll talk to my old colleagues... but you'd have to convince him to take their help, too proud that son of mine."
"He is his father's son."
"He's a better man than me. Have you talked to Dishu?"
"Not yet. I heard she's getting married too."
"Apparently the guy is a murderer. Shot his father in cold blood."
"You don't seem alarmed."
"I did disapprove of them initially. I asked him why he did it. He told me the truth. The man deserved to get killed. And trust me, dying by a bullet was an easy death for him."
"Ironic that your heart should fail the moment you decided to grow one." She said and her only love laughed again. She smiled too.
***
Dhruv sat awkwardly in front of Shri. Nats had called her and arranged for them to meet.
"I'm sorry for the way I behaved last time." When she said nothing he continued, "I thought you were coming on to me. I only came to know yesterday that you're my half sister."
She scoffed, "Why would I come onto you? You're not even that handsome..."
Dhruv pressed his lips together to not smile. It was such a sisterly thing to say.
After some coffee and a brief chat of how they were doing in life, Dhruv parted with Shri, promising her that he would talk to Dishu and let them meet too.
***
"Hey, I heard you asked for me." Khushi was pleasantly surprised when she got a call from the reception saying a relative of hers was waiting for her. "Oh Nats!"
Nats turned around with a huge smile on her face and opened her arms for a hug. She hugged Nats and Nats wrapped her around her in return, laughing.
"Oh! I've missed you!" Nats told her after she let go of her.
Khushi had a bitter taste in her mouth after hearing that. "You did? After everything?"
"Ofcourse I did. You're family!"
"I've missed you too. Nats, I'm sorry. I know I've disappointed a lot of people, including you."
"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to, my dear. And what do you kids say now a days? I'm a girls girl."
Khushi laughed at that.
"So tell me why are you so thin?" Nats asked as she settled in the chair in the canteen.
Khushi panicked. No one knew about her cancer and she wanted it to remain that way. "I'm too busy to eat..."
"That won't do at all. I have made these protein laddus, I will drop them at your place for you, you can just pop one laddu in between, it won't even take a minute...."
Khushi looked at the table trying to keep her tears at bay, her eyes were burning. She didn't even remember how long it had been since she was nagged like this. Maybe not since she was a preteen when her mother met with an accident.
"Whatsup me your address and I'll drop it tomorrow itself....Are you living with a room mate or alone?"
"I live alone..."
She lived alone because she was all alone. And she was alone because of her own selfishness and mistakes. That was all it took for Khushi to burst out crying.
In a moment she found herself being embraced by Nats who was warm and soft all over.
"Oh dear.... it's okay honey."
When she calmed down she furiously wiped away her tears, "I'm okay, Nats."
"Oh honey...now tell me what's wrong?" Nats skid the chair near her and held her hands in a maternly way.
"I know that I'm at fault. I know that. But I have only hindsight now and looking back, I can see how wrong I was and how I've hurt people. I also know that I probably deserve this, this loneliness and rejection from everyone. That doesn't make it easier to cope with it...."
"My child, I'm like your mother so let me give you a piece of advice. People make mistakes. But don't let it overshadow your life. If you feel bad about it then start by making amends. Guilt is a coward's armour and you are no coward."
Khushi rubbed her cheeks to wipe away any evidence of tears, "You're wrong. I'm indeed a coward and I know forgiveness is something I'll never get and to have my old life back is just a dream now."
Nats slapped her back and Khushi looked at her shocked. "Don't talk that way. And can you really blame them? Blame Dhruv? It's not my place to say but when he first came to the US. He was so different and so sad. He struggled with alcohol."
Nats sighed and continued, "And he blacked out once, called me from a seedy bar two states away. I had to threaten him to either join AA or I'm calling CPS for Riyan. He went to rehab and when he came back I thought he'd go back to his old self. He never did. If you want forgiveness, you have to work for it."
"How?"
"Start by apologising. And be ready to face his ire. It won't be easy." Nats gave her a small smile. "But eventually, he'll forgive you. He's much like his mother, you see?"
"The old Dhruv was like his mother. But this Dhruv, I don't know who he is..."
"He's still Dhruv. I'm sure he will forgive you because somewhere he does love you still."
Khushi sniffed and snorted, "Now you're bluffing...he hates me. He told me so. He ruined my research funding because he detests me."
"I never said it'll be easy. We can't just get through life with just dishing it out and never taking it. Honestly, it's your turn to be patient."
After a brief cup of tea, Nats had stood up with a groan, readying herself to leave.
"I'd like to meet Shri again. If she's Dhruv's sister like you say..."
"Ofcourse, I'll talk to her. Oh here comes my nephew..."
Khushi turned to see Dhruv walking towards them. He smiled at Nats and said, "Are you ready to leave?"
"Yes!" Nats said. And Khushi felt like the awkward outsider again. God, there had been a time when she was a part of their family and through her own fault, she was an outsider now. Finally, Dhruv did look at her and gave her a civil smile.
She could only bring her to smile. "I'll see you around." She managed to say.
"You too." He said casually and turned towards Nats heralding her towards the exit.
They walked to the exit and Khushi walked with them.
"Oh?! You both are here?!" It was Veer jiju.
"Jiju? What are you doing here?!"
"I came by to drop the money you asked for. And long time no see, Dhruv."
"How are you, Veer? How are Janvi and the kids?" Dhruv said.
"I think I know you. Aren't you the chef who's in that tv show?" Nats said.
"Yes. It's Veer Rane. A pleasure." Veer shook Nats' hand, who honestly looked star struck.
"And, Dhruv. We need to talk. Now." Veer grinned at Dhruv but Khushi felt shivers down her spine. Her brother-in-law could be menacing when he wanted to. Dhruv stared at him and Khushi wanted to walked away from the intense situation. But eventually Dhruv gave a nod of acknowledgement..
"Nats, I'll call you an ûber. We'll talk after I see to her."
***
"You guys are together again?" Veer jiju asked her as soon as they were alone.
"No!"
"Well, here's the cheque." He said fishing out an envelope from his pocket but not quite handing it to her.
"Thank you, jiju."
"No worries. How are you kiddo?"
"I'm good. What about dee?"
"She's well. The twins miss you."
"Is she still mad at me?"
"Kind of."
After Dhruv and left, her and her sister had had an explosive fight regarding Dhruv, in which Khushi had made the mistake of accusing her sister of still having feelings for Dhruv.
The result was her sister throwing her out of the house and they still didn't talk with each other.
"Does dee know you're giving me this money?"
"No.." Veer scratched the back of his head. "I don't want to start a fight so yeah...you have to return it within a month before she notices."
"Fine jiju." She only hoped her research would get published and she would be duly compensated.
"What are you going to talk to Dhruv about?"
"Just catching up. Don't worry, I won't grill him too much. Anyways, he's back...so why don't you go inside the hospital? I'll call when we're done."
She didn't need to be told twice.
***
Khushi had walked inside the hospital again until Dhruv had reached them. He was curious about why she had been crying. Dhruv hadn't missed her flushed face and swollen eyes. He felt a strange sensation in his chest, anger at her tears and it mad him more angry that he was ashamed that a drop or two from her eyes had affected him so.
"Dhruv. You look like you're bloody rich."
"I was always that. I just dress the part now."
"You've changed..."
"I'm not sure if that's a bad thing. Anyways, why are you?" Dhruv eyed the envelope in his hands.
"I should be asking you that. You abandoned us all and now you're back?" Veer said jovially.
Dhruv flinched, "I needed time alone."
"Why are you here, Dhruv?"
"I came back to India for my sister."
"I was asking why you're here at the hospital?"
"My dad is admitted here. Geez, do you want to interrogate me more?" Dhruv snapped.
"Maybe I wouldn't have to if circumstances were different. You ran away like a dog with it's tail between your legs. It makes one wonder what you have done to run away like that?!"
"Excuse me?" Dhruv hissed. "Are you saying the cancer was my fault?!"
"What cancer?" Veer looked genuinely confused.
Dhruv cursed and paced in front of Veer. She had hidden it from them like she had from him. Flames of anger lapped up his insides.
"She didn't tell you."
"You have cancer?!"
"Not me! Khushi!"
"Khushi has cancer?!"
"She had it. She has had surgery. She's fine now." He rolled his eyes.
"She had cancer. Oh God."
Dhruv gave him a moment to come to terms with it. He also anticipated the anger that would follow.
"And you knew? So you left. She had cancer. God dammit."
Dhruv didn't anticipate the punch. He didn't anticipate that all the rage would be directed at him.
"She had cancer?! And you just abandoned her?!" Veer yelled as he lunged again.
Dhruv felt his anger rose and he caught Veer's coat lapels and shoved him away. "Don't you fucking think that I abandoned her. I didn't. She abandoned me first!" He shouted.
There was already a crowd forming around them, that he didn't care about at all.
"You've fucking changed! You're vile honestly." Veer spat and stormed away before he could say anything.
An apology was on the tip of tongue but he refused to materialize it out in the open. He had promised himself that he'd never be weak again.
He tried to walk away and something crunched between his legs. It was the envelope that Veer had and by the looks of it, he had dropped it in the altercation. He picked it up and showed it in his coat pocket and walked inside the building towards the reason and the victim of all his ire. And he had already made up his mind to not give her the chair until he got some answers.
***
A/N: hey hey! Surprise update!
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