‘It may ease your pain,’ he replied.
‘Can you forgive me for leaving?’
He didn’t answer.
‘You see. It’s not so easy to forgive someone who has hurt you,’ she said.
They drank their coffee in silence and made their way back to the hospital.
Kaavi’s aunt was reading a book on her Kindle, Kaavi’s mother was staring into space, and Kaavi was working on a list on her phone.
Four more hours to go. Neel wasn’t restless, he was anxious. Everything he’d witnessed tonight was troubling. His family was completely different. He feared Kaavi was going to have anotherpanic attack. She was so emotionless, it scared him.
‘What are you doing?’
‘I’m listing the offers I got in the last three months.’
‘Offers?’
‘Job offers. Assignments. Gigs,’ she said.
‘You’re going back to modelling?’
It wasn’t his place to tell her what to do because they were not together and he didn’t even know what she’d really been up to since she’d left him, but the thought of her going back into that scene left a bitter taste in his mouth.
‘I thought you loved Rally,’ he ventured.
‘I do, but it’s time to move on,’ she said matter of factly.
He sat back and stretched his legs.
‘I get it. You’re running,’ he said.
‘Excuse me?’
‘You’re running. When you’re scared, angry or confused, you run,’ he explained.
She didn’t reply.
Kaavi’s uncle was back and his wife had fallen asleep with her head on his shoulder. Kaavi needed to stretch her legs so she went for a walk.
‘I’m glad she didn’t tell us about you,’ her mother said.
Neel looked at his mother-in-law.
‘He would have ruined it,’ she added.
‘Mrs Archary, I’m sorry you’re going through this,’ he replied. What else was there to say? He knew nothing to form an opinion about.
‘Kaavi used to ride horses. Did she tell you that?’
‘Yes. She said she had a horse named Ginger.’
‘He sold it because she cut her hair without his permission,’ her mother said dryly.
Neel’s jaw clenched. He would keep his cool. The last thing this woman needed to see was another angry man. But he reallywanted to punch Kaavi’s father.
‘I know you love her. I can see it.’
