Entangled Lives

Chapter XLI

DETACHED

Prachi woke up wrapped cozily in her blanket. She gingerly opened her eyes only to squint them back when the bright sunlight pierced her eyes. She huffed, chastising herself for leaving the curtains drawn last night. Sitting up, she waited for the pins and needle sensation to leave her hand, looking around her room when last night's occurrence rushed into her memory.

She felt different emotions grip her heart. One after another in a fleeting second that she wasn't even sure if it truly crossed her or not. But one thing she was sure she didn't feel and that was uneasiness. She wasn't feeling insecure, much to her own surprise. She knew Ranbir would never judge her.

But she had recognized one feeling in those brief seconds, that was guilt. She was feeling guilty for burdening him with her over-stimulated emotions. She knew that these past months had been equally terrible for his mind like hers, if not more. And she feels guilty for adding on to his despairs.

She would have to do something. Soon.

Just as she pulled back the covers, her room door opened and her mother and father peeped in before slowly walking into the room. She passed a small smile back at them. She knew they were not at fault, but she could not help feeling a bit indifferent.

Detached.

She had been feeling like this for months. At first, she thought that it was just because of her broken heart that she was not feeling anything for anyone. But when time passed and their dispassion towards her continued, she thought that maybe they are trying to concentrate on Rhea cause she was about to get married and leave.

'She was about to leave too', Her mind would jab at her, but she disregarded it, thinking that 'they don't know that I'll leave.'

She would try to convince her heart that her parents did value her. But more the time passed, more her mind conjured that she wasn't convincing herself, but lying to herself.

She still refused to let go of those lies. Holding on to them for her dear life. Pulling out the last shreds of emotions she had stored in some undamaged part of her heart and giving it to them in hopes that maybe they could buy some of her parents' time and affection for herself.

"Good morning sweetheart," Abhi greeted turning around her dressing chair to sit on while Pragya took a seat beside her on the bed.

"Good morning maa, good morning papa." Prachi smiled.

"How are you now?" Pragya asked, "I was about to come last night but..." She trailed off while Prachi's eyes widened.

"But what?" Abhi asked, feeling out of information, "But, then I thought to make some soup for Shahana. Ranbir fed you the soup I sent for you right?" Pragya asked and Prachi nodded lightly, a soft color coming to her face.

"Oh, but answer the main question, how are you feeling now?" Abhi repeated the question his wife asked moments ago.

"I'm feeling well now, just a bit tired out physically." and emotionally, she added mentally.

"Just take some rest and you'll be healthy as a horse again," Pragya assured, gently running a hand over Prachi's head. A gesture she had done a million times. But not once in the last half-year.

Prachi's eyes closed involuntary as the small motion sent a small warmth in her body. A sweet, genuine smile tugged at her lips this time.

Pragya, easily differentiating this smile from the previous one and overcome by the emotions as she found her daughter's face relaxed after such a long time, caught her train of thoughts. Her eyes welled up as she herself felt providing the small gesture after so much time.