Page 167 of Since You Stole My Heart

01 February, 2007

19 Years Ago

‘Kashu, calm down,’ Arohi urged, trying to fasten the seatbelt around her.

Kashvi kicked at the seat ahead, shoving the belt away. ‘I don’t want to go, Maa. I don’t want to go anywhere.’

Arohi held her in place with a firm hand on her shoulder as she reached for the buckle.

Kashvi struggled harder, her shiny shoes flying off as she pushed her mother’s hand away.

‘Kashu, that’s enough. We’re leaving right now,’ Arohi instructed as she locked the seatbelt into place. She quickly shut the back door, cutting off her daughter’s protests.

With one lingering glance at the house, Arohi slid into the driver’s seat and started the engine. Gravel crunched beneath the tyres as they pulled out of the curved driveway.

Kashvi twisted around just in time to watch the massive Kashyap townhouse disappear into the distance. She yankedagainst the seatbelt, the fabric biting painfully into her shoulder until it pressed against her throat. ‘Take me back.’

‘No,’ Arohi said with a sniffle.

Kashvi caught sight of the dark bruise beneath her mother’s eye in the rearview mirror. ‘What happened to your eye, Maa?’

‘It’s nothing,’ Arohi assured her, though she flinched when her fingers brushed the swollen skin. ‘My makeup got ruined.’

Kashvi shook her head, picking at the end of her braid. ‘I saw you crying earlier. Why were you crying, Maa?’

Arohi swiped angrily at her cheek. ‘Don’t worry about it. He won’t hurt us anymore.’

Kashvi’s gaze darted towards the seat ahead where Siya slept soundly with headphones snug over her ears. Kashvi grabbed the back of her top and tugged hard. ‘Di, wake up. Tell Maa we don’t want to leave. Tell her we want to stay.’

Siya stirred lightly in her seat but didn’t wake.

‘Kashu, don’t do that,’ Arohi scolded gently, pulling Siya’s top free from her grip. ‘Don’t wake her. She has a terrible migraine and took medicine.’

‘I don’t care,’ Kashvi shot back. ‘She’ll say the same thing. We don’t want to go.’

Arohi drove onto the main road, her voice cracking under the strain. ‘That’s enough fighting. We’ll be there in ten minutes. All you have to do is sit quietly.’

‘Di, wake up! We have to go back!’ Kashvi screamed. She braced her hands against the window, trying to shove the door open.

Arohi winced. ‘Kashu, stop that right now. She can’t hear you through those headphones. You’re only making my headache worse.’

‘She has to help me. We have to go back!’

‘Why do you want to go back?’

Because Papa told me to keep you home.

‘I have homework. I have to go back and finish it.’

Arohi’s forehead creased with confusion. ‘I’ll write you a note. It’s fine.’

‘No. I want to go home, Maa. Please,’ she mumbled, tears running down her cheeks.

Exhaustion seeped into Arohi’s voice as she pleaded, ‘Aren’t you my sweet doll? You always listen to me,hai na? And you always say Nanu’s house is your favourite place, so why are you behaving like this?’

‘But you said we’re going to your friend’s house first.’

Arohi glanced at the traffic light as she brought the car to a stop. Then she turned slightly to check if Kashvi’s seatbelt was secure and met her daughter’s eyes. ‘Neena is more like my sister. I need help, and she’s the only person I can count on. So yes, we’re going there first. But I promise you, we’ll go home soon.’