‘That’s the high school I went to,’ she said, pointing to the left.
He nodded.
She told him to turn right at the next intersection and then park near a two-storey house on the left. Neel came around to open her door. She stepped out reluctantly and looked up to the house. It was storybook perfect. Nothing had changed. The garden was expertly landscaped. The perfect house for the perfect family. Very few knew what life had been like behind those walls.
eel didn’t say anything. They’d been standing at the gate for at least three minutes and Kaavi was immobile, rooted to the spot. Eventually, she took a tentative step forward and immediately retreated. It was clear she had huge resistance to crossing the threshold of this house.
‘He told me the only time I would put my foot into this house would be over his dead body.’
‘We can leave if you want to,’ Neel said gently. He’d realised earlier that day that whatever Kaavi was dealing with was deeper than he could imagine. When his parents came over, they advised him to stand beside her, support her and listen without judgement. Not everyone’s family was the same. Kaavi said she’d been through the worst. He didn’t know what could have been so bad for her to feel this way, but he believed her and would be there for her.
She didn’t respond. They stood there for another minute or so. Then Neel heard footsteps approaching.
‘We should just bulldoze it,’ a man said, coming up behind them.
Kaavi spun round and ran into his arms.
‘Sen, you’re here. You cut your honeymoon short. Why did you do that, you silly man,’ she said as he squeezed her tight.
‘It was boring,’ the woman next to him said.
‘Hey!’ Sen grinned at his wife as Kaavi let go of him.
‘I’m kidding,’ his wife replied and winked.
She opened her arms to Kaavi.
‘Come here, babygirl.’ she said, gathering her into a warm hug and smoothing her hair.
‘It’s going to be okay,’ she whispered.
Kaavi nodded and then turned to Neel. She smiled awkwardly.
‘Neel, this is my cousin Senthil and his wife Shona. Guys, this is my husband, Neel Naran,’ she said casually.
Sen shook his hand and Shona smiled.
‘So you’re back together again?’
Kaavi and Neel answered at the same time: ‘It’s complicated.’
Sen didn’t probe. Instead, he looked over Kaavi’s head at the house.
‘Shall we go in?’
‘You two carry on. We’ll be in in a moment,’ Kaavi said.
‘Just remember, I’m your cousin, but I’m also your lawyer if anyone hassles you here.’ He then said to Neel: ‘But I’m not a divorce lawyer souncomplicateit.’
Before Neel could respond, Shona pulled her husband towards the house.
Why did Kaavi need a lawyer? Here? In her family home.
They watched the couple enter the house and Neel shoved his hands into his pockets.
‘Let’s get back into the car,’ he said.
‘I will go in. I promise,’ she replied.
