‘I actually got an email from his team the other day. They want me to model for his first show in Miami,’ Kaavi said casually, like it was no big deal.
‘Wow, that’s amazing. You’re so lucky,’ Natara said.
‘Did you reply?’ Shona asked.
‘Not yet. I’ll probably reply today,’ Kaavi said.
Neel’s grip on the steering wheel tightened.
So that was it. Kaavi was going to Miami. Back to modelling. Back to everything she’d stepped away from. And in two days, he’d be flying back to Jo’burg, alone.
He didn’t say a word, but as they took the off-ramp entering Durban, it hit him: Kaavi wasn’t coming back with him. She was going back to her old life.
Kaavi noticed Neel had slipped deeper into his usual quiet self. He was always the observer, the people-watcher, but this was different.
Since they’d walked into the mall nearly an hour ago, he hadn’t said much at all. She figured it was probably boring for him, trailing behind as they darted from shop to shop, holding up traditional outfits. Still, there was something else in his silence today. Something heavier.
She slowed her pace, letting the others drift ahead.
Falling in beside him, she asked softly, ‘You okay?’
Neel gave a quick nod.
‘You sure?’
Another nod, this time slower. Kaavi didn’t push.
She followed the others into another shop and Neel trailed behind her.
‘You have to try this on, Kaavi. This is so your colour,’ Anni said, picking up an outfit. It was a teal lehenga, the skirt flowy and with a matching blouse.
‘I don’t know if it’s me,’ Kaavi said uncomfortably.
Shona picked up on her tone and her discomfort, and quickly said, ‘Anni, why don’t you take Natara over there? Wasn’t Natara looking for something blue? It looks like there’s a whole range of blue outfits there.’
Anni nodded and she and Natara walked to the far corner of the shop.
Shona moved closer to Kaavi. ‘What’s going on? Are you okay?’
‘I don’t know, Sho. I really don’t. I mean, I’m buying an outfit for Diwali. I don’t even know where I’ll be for Diwali. My mother says we should celebrate because it’s Diwali. But what would people think? My father just died.’
Shona sighed. ‘Okay, listen Kaavi. I know the relationship you had with your father and I know you’ve never had a single happy Diwali with him. At least, that’s what Sen told me. Maybe you owe it to yourself to celebrate. As for not knowing where you’ll be, only you can answer that. We can’t tell you what to do – as much as I want to.’
‘Tell me what to do,’ Kaavi pleaded under her breath.
Shona giggled, whispering, ‘I can’t tell you what to do, Kaavi.’
‘Please, okay, hypothetically, if you were in my situation, what would you do?’
Shona leaned in closer, her hand on Kaavi’s shoulder. ‘I’d go to Neel. I’d go back to Johannesburg with him. We’ll always be here. Rally will always be here. But if I were you, I’d go back to my husband – because Kaavi, you love him.’
Kaavi bit back tears. ‘I know, but all of this is happening, and I really …’
‘I know.’
‘Hey, I found one!’ Natara called.
Kaavi and Shona looked up.
