“Nothing,” Vedika whimpered, turning her flushed face into the pillow. “Just leave me alone to die in peace.”
Tani laid a cool hand on Vedika’s brow before pouring cold water from a jug into a glass and holding it out to her. Vedika pushed herself into a sitting position and took a small sip, allowing the water to trickle down her sore throat.
“Thanks for letting me stay last night,” she whispered.
“Don’t be silly, Vedu. This is as much your home as it is ours.” Tani grinned suddenly. “Which is to say it’s neither of ours. It’s Mamu and Maasi’s.”
Vedika laughed, a choked sound. She took another sip of water. “Do my parents know I’m here?”
“Of course.” Tani smoothed some of Vedika’s spiky hair down. “We value our lives.”
Vedika groaned. “My father is going to kill me.”
“Uh huh,” Tani replied, settling down against the headboard beside her.
“And my mother will gloat about her genes finally coming through.”
“Hmm,” Tani hummed in agreement.
“I’m bald,” Vedika whispered next, mortification suffusing her as she hid her face in Tani’s shoulder. Tani, the perfect elder sister that she was, didn’t immediately jump to contradict her.
“It’s hair,” Tani said finally. “It will grow.”
“What the hell happened yesterday?” Vedika whimpered, burrowing deeper into Tani’s warmth.
Tani stilled. “You don’t remember?”
“I remember doing Jägermeister shots with Kimi and the rest…it’s a blur.” She peeked up at Tani’s grim profile. “Is Kimi in trouble? It’s not her fault. I insisted I wanted to not be myself. I wanted to be ‘Not Vedika’?”
“Kimi is always in trouble. Don’t worry about her. She can handle herself.” Tani shifted so she was looking down at Vedika. “Vedu, why-“
A startled oof escaped Tani a second later. “God this kid is definitely taking after Kabir. He also kicks like this in his sleep.”
“The baby is kicking?” Vedika forgot her problems for a moment as awe suffused her. “Can I feel?”
“Of course.” Tani took her hand and guided it on her stomach to the right spot. A second later, a tiny jab against her palm had Vedika laughing with joy.
“This is all I wanted,” she whispered. “Love, family, children.”
“You’ll still have it, Vedu,” Tani said gently. “All of it.”
Vedika shook her head. “No Tani. I’m not…loveable.”
For a moment there was silence and then Tani exploded, “What in the world do you mean by that absolute rubbish? You have a million people who love you already and-“
“Not that kind of love. The kind you build a marriage on…The kind…” she groaned as she fell back on the bed, her stomach feeling oddly hollow. “The kind where you feel excited by and safe with the same person. The kind of love that helps you feel seen, every last, dusty, crooked corner of you. I’m too different, too weird, for love.”
“That’s not true.”
“It is,” Vedika cut off her passionate defence.
“Daksh didn’t seem to think so last night.”
That silenced her. “Daksh?” she asked, confused. “Last night?”
“You really don’t remember anything?” Tani reached for her but Vedika jerked back before her fingers could make contact.
“What do you-“ But something was tugging at her mind, an incessant whisper that wouldn’t shut up. And then it all came flooding back. Throwing herself into Daksh’s arms, wrapping herself around him like a barnacle. LICKING HIM…and last but definitely not the least, kissing him…
