‘Kaavi, may I please speak to you? If you could excuse us for a few minutes,’ he said politely to her family. He led Kaavi away.
‘What the hell is going on with you? This disrespect. I didn’t come here to watch you behave like this,’ he said.
‘You won’t understand. You never will,’ she replied.
‘Make me understand.’
‘Is that an order? Are you going to punish me if I don’t do as you say?’
Neel stepped back.
‘Kaavi, you’re worrying me. When have I ever ordered you around? Punished you?’
He saw the sadness in her eyes. He didn’t wait for her response. He pulled her into a tight hug.
‘I …’ he was about to say he loved her but caught himself.
He let go of her.
‘Shall we go back to the waiting room?’
She nodded.
Her family was now sitting in a corner.
Kaavi took the seat next to her grandfather, so Neel sat on the other side of her.
‘Why aren’t you two living together?’ her aunt asked Neel. ‘Kaavi has been living alone in Rally.’
‘It’s complicated,’ he replied. What else could he say?
‘Is your family Naran Shipping and Logistics?’ her uncle asked.
‘Yes. My grandfather is the founder,’ he replied.
‘And you?’
‘I’m the CEO,’ he said.
‘And you treat her right?’ her mother asked.
Kaavi jerked her head to look at her mother.
‘Of course I do,’ he said. Her mother nodded and looked away.
‘Is your family okay with this arrangement?’ her uncle asked.
‘If you mean Kaavi and I being apart, then no. No, they are not okay with it,’ said Neel.
‘And no wedding? That’s something you’re both okay with? No family. No wedding?’ her aunt asked.
Neel looked at Kaavi. This was exactly what had torn them apart. The secrecy.
Before he could answer, a nurse approached and said, ‘Mrs Archary, your husband is going into surgery. You can have a few minutes with him before we take him to surgery.’
Her mother stood and looked at Kaavi.
Kaavi stood and looked at him.
