Dadi’s trembling hand placed the photo into Kiara’s grasp, and for a moment, time seemed to stand still. The sepia-tinted picture of a woman with an infectious smile—so eerily similar to Kiara’s—shone like a beacon of memoryand loss.
“She looked exactly like you,” Dadi said softly, her voice trembling. “And her smile… was just as cheerful, just as full of life.”
Kiara’s hands trembled as she held the picture close to her chest, her voice breaking into pieces. “Dadi…” The single word was a plea, a cry, a wound laid bare.
Dadi’s eyes grew distant, as if she were reliving that heartbreaking moment. “When she was being taken to the hospital, the doctors told us only one of you could survive. Your mother…” Dadi’s voice faltered, her hand clutching the armrest tightly. “She chose you, Kiara. Her exact words were, ‘My daughter should live each day of her life.’”
Kiara’s tears spilled freely, unchecked and relentless, painting wet streaks down her cheeks. Her breaths came in hiccups as she wiped at her face, unable to stop the torrent of grief and love crashing over her.
Dadi’s voice cracked, but she pressed on. “She made me promise, Kiara. She held my hand and said, ‘Mom, you will never let her feel like she is without a mother.’ And since that day, I’ve tried, beta. I’ve tried my best to beherfor you, to fulfill her last wish.”
Her words broke against Kiara’s sobs, and the weight in the room was suffocating. I wanted to be her strength. But all I’ve done is break every piece she had left.
Dadi leaned back in her chair. Her voice was now steeped in regret. “But I failed you, beta. I failed as a mother, as a grandmother… I failed her promise. Your grandpa would be so disappointed in me.” Her eyes closed briefly as if to block out the pain.
“No, Dadi!” Kiara’s voice wavered as she gripped Dadi’s hands tightly. “You were perfect. You are perfect. I…” Her voice broke again, tears pooling in her eyes as she struggled to reassure her.
But Dadi shook her head, her lips pressing into a thin line. “No, Kiara. You had to lie to me just to escape a wedding. I couldn’t create the safe space you deserved.”
Kiara turned to me then, her teary eyes pleading for something—anything—but my gaze remained glued to the floor. I couldn’t look at her. Not now. Not after everything I had been a part of.
Dadi’s soft, trembling voice filled the room with a quiet devastation, her eyes still closed. “You could have told me, sweetie,” she murmured, her tone a mixture of hurt and love. “I made a promise to your mom. I promised I’d find a suitable match for you. And now… I failed her, too.”
Kiara’s lips quivered as she tried to speak, but no words came out. Her fingers tightened around Dadi’s hand, desperate to reassure her, but Dadi gently withdrew her hand, raising it in a soft plea. “I need to be alone for some time.”
“Dadi, please,” Kiara protested, tears glistening in her eyes, but Dadi shook her head lightly, her expression resolute yet weary.
“Beta, just give me a little while. I’ll be okay,” she insisted, with a broken voice.
Kiara hesitated, her emotions swirling in her teary gaze as she searched Dadi’s face for any sign of reassurance. But Dadi kept her eyes closed, leaning back against the chair.
Reluctantly, Kiara let go of Dadi’s hand and stood, her movements slow and hesitant. I followed, my steps heavy as I trailed behind her out of the room, my own heart sinking under the weight of everything that had transpired.
The door clicked shut behind us, and Kiara leaned against the wall, her face buried in her hands. I wanted to comfort her, to say something—anything—but the lump in my throat wouldn’t let me.
I felt like a failure. An absolute failure.
“Kiara…” My voice trembled, barely audible as I tried to bridge the gap between us.
She shook her head slowly, her eyes brimming with tears that cut through me like shards of glass. “I think you should leave, Mr. Oberoi. Thank you for your patience and… service.”
Her words hit me like a sledgehammer, and my heart stopped beating. “Kiara… let me explain.”
She looked away, her lips pressed into a thin line as she held back a sob. “I should have known better…”
“Please, just listen to me,” I pleaded, my voice shaking. I took a step forward, desperate to close the distance between us, but she immediately stepped back.
“Don’t… Please don’t touch me.” Her voice broke, and it shattered something inside me.
“Don’t break my heart, baby…” I whispered, the words escaping before I could stop them.
Her laughter was bitter, laced with pain. “Oh no, Mr. Oberoi,” she said, wiping her tears harshly. “You don’t have a heart to get broken.”
I swallowed hard, my chest tightening as I tried to reach out again, but her gaze was ice, stopping me in my tracks. “Please leave,” she said firmly, her tone final.
I stood frozen for a moment, my emotions tangled in a storm of regret, guilt, and love. Every instinct screamed at me to stay, to fight for her, to tell her that she was my entire world. But I couldn’t. The flood of my tears was threatening to betray me, and I knew if I stayed any longer, I might crumble completely.
Without another word, I turned and left, my heart feeling like it had been ripped out of my chest. And for the first time in years, I let myself break.
