But I don’t. Maybe it’s the shame. Maybe it’s the fear of seeing disappointment in her eyes when she hears what I’ve done. Or maybe it’s the excuse I keep giving myself that she’s pregnant and doesn’t deserve to carry this weight too. So I whisper the closest thing to the truth I can manage.
“It’s because of me,” I breathe out, my voice barely audible. “What happened… it’s my fault. Prakash wanted to get back at me. And Mom and Dad… they just got caught in the crossfire.”
“Stop it,” Kavya cuts in with a quiet fierceness that leaves no room for argument. She reaches out, her palm warm against mycheek, and wipes away a tear I hadn’t even realised had fallen. “It’s not on you. Don’t you dare blame yourself, Nisha. Don’t you dare carry the weight of what that monster did.”
I look into her eyes, but she doesn’t flinch. Not even for a second.
“We know what he did to Suman,” she says softly, her voice cracking just a little at the name. “And I know… I know you were only trying to bring justice to your friend. You were trying to do the right thing.” She swallows, her eyes glistening. “You arenotresponsible for Mom and Dad’s death. You have nothing to blame yourself for. The blame belongs to him. Only him.”
My lips tremble as I try to speak, but no words come out. It’s just the sound of my own breathing. God, she doesn’t know. She has no idea that Suman wasn’t the only reason he came after me. That whatever existed between Prakash and me… it ran deeper. Twisted in ways I still can’t bring myself to admit.
“You did it for Suman,” she adds, her voice now just a whisper. “You were the only one who had the courage to stand up for her when everyone else stayed silent. And if Mom and Dad were here, they’d be proud of you. So proud.”
And with that, I finally break. She pulls me into her arms again and holds me close.
“We lost them, yes. But I couldn’t lose you too, Nisha. I couldn’t survive that.” Her voice trembles with pain.
I clutch her tightly. “I’m so very sorry you had to go through all this alone.”
“But I have you now, and that’s all that matters,” Kavya says softly, before pulling back.
“You held everything together. You handled the funeral, the police, everything, while I just lay there.” I meet her eyes. “That strength… it’s something I’ve always admired in you.”
She shakes her head slowly. “You think I was strong? Not even close.” Her voice quivers. “I used to sit next to you and crylike a child. I’d talk to you, yell at you for leaving me alone, and then beg you to give me some kind of sign. Just something.”
I bite my trembling lip. “You gave me so much strength. Even when I couldn’t move or speak, I held on because some part of me knew you weren’t letting go.”
She reaches up and gently brushes a strand of hair away from my forehead. “Giving up on you would’ve meant losing everything. And I wasn’t ready for that. Never would be.”
“Thank you,” I say, from the depths of my soul. “For not giving up on me. For holding on when I couldn’t.”
She blinks fast, trying not to cry again. “Don’t thank me. I didn’t do it for you. I did it because you’re the part of me I can’t live without. You’re my happiness, Nisha. And I’d face those nightmares a thousand times over if I had to, but I won’t ever let anyone take you away from me.”
I manage a faint, wobbly smile, my throat too tight for words. But before I can say anything, a knock breaks the moment. The door opens and Sunita Aunty walks in, carrying a bag in one hand. Her ever-comforting smile lights up the entire room.
“So, the inevitable sister bonding is happening,” she says with a fond look in her eyes, glancing between the two of us.
Kavya brushes the tears from her cheeks and smiles back at her, her fingers still wrapped tightly around mine.
“It is,” she agrees.
“I heard the good news,” Sunita Aunty says, placing the bag on the chair. “That you’re being discharged today. So I brought you a change of clothes.”
I smile, my mind still a tangle of emotions. “Thank you, Aunty.”
She waves it off like it’s nothing, then looks at both of us with a knowing smile. “You two can finally catch up properly at home. I bet you both must have loads to share.”
I look at Kavya and smile. “Yes! I still have to get all the stories about Reyansh and how you managed to break things off with that jerk Deepak.”
“Trust me, it’s worth listening. Especially when you hear about how possessive Reyansh is,” Sunita Aunty chuckles. “Honestly, I don’t know how Kavya managed to send that boy home. He’s been glued to her side ever since she was brought to the hospital, refusing to leave her even for a minute.”
Kavya rolls her eyes, though the smile on her lips is impossible to hide. “He knew how much I needed this sister time,” she says, squeezing my hand. “I told him if he didn’t go home and shower, I’d never speak to him again.”
Sunita Aunty lets out a laugh and settles into the chair. “That poor boy looked like a kicked puppy when he left. But I must say, I’ve never seen someone care for someone else’s family the way he does. You’re lucky, Kavya.”
“I know,” she murmurs, glancing down at her lap before looking at me. “But today, more than anything, I’m just grateful to be sitting here with my sister.”
My throat tightens again, but this time, it’s not from sadness but from the warmth of old bonds. And just like that, the heaviness in my chest begins to lift, if only a little.
