‘Neel said you liked pasta,’ Natara said.
‘I do. It was always my weakness and I couldn’t have it as much as I wanted to. In my old life, pasta was a treat. Can you believe that?’
‘Sacrifices. We all have to make sacrifices to get to where we want to be,’ Natara commented.
Kaavi dished pasta on her plate. She didn’t want to seem ungrateful and offend Natara, but she actually wasn’t hungry.
‘So why do you think your brother and I belong together?’
‘Because I don’t think my brother would ever be able to be with anyone else again after you. We saw what happened at the funeral. I’m his twin. I know him better than anyone else, but everyone there could see you are his everything and I can understand why he hit rock bottom when you left,’ Natara said.
‘I didn’t mean to hurt him,’ Kaavi whispered.
‘I know. It’s Neel who needs to hear that from you,’ Natara said as she stood.
‘I’m going to go to bed. It’s been a long day. You should eat and get back to bed. Call us if you need anything please,’ she added and walked towards the door.
After the door shut behind her, Kaavi covered the plate of half-eaten pasta. She got back into bed. She just wanted to sleep to forget everything.
When Neel got back to the room, Kaavi was fast asleep. He had a quick shower and got into bed next to her. She opened her eyes.
‘Hey, sleepyhead.’
She started to say hi, but it ended up being a yawn.
‘Go back to sleep,’ he said, settling next to her.
There was silence for a few minutes. He was trying to ignore the fact that his wife – estranged wife – was sleeping next to him.
He needed to focus on something else or he was going to reach for her. And now was not the time for that. He couldn’t pressurise her when she was vulnerable. It wasn’t his style.
She cleared her throat.
‘You’re not sleeping,’ he said.
‘I’m not,’ she replied.
‘Feel like talking?’
‘Sure,’ she replied.
But he didn’t speak.
‘Neel?’
‘Yeah.’
‘You asked if I felt like talking, but you’re not talking,’ she said.
‘You know what? I think I’m going to go for a walk,’ he said as he sat up.
Kaavi sat up too.
‘You just got to bed. A walk?’
He was now off the bed and making a move for his jeans.
Kaavi jumped out of bed and pulled his arm so he could turn around to face her.
