After The Rain

Chapter Four - Withering Winds

There are silences inside you
that you have yet to explore.
There are things inside you
that are still fighting a war.

Some days will be unkind
Some days you will want to forget
But stay for those days
that are worth more than all the rest.

Be easy on your soul
it needs softness
it needs time
it needs patience.

-Nikita Gill (Wars Inside You)

~

Of all the things that Payal Gupta was intimidated by, confrontation was on top of the list.

The thought of standing ground in front of someone and saying things that you know would meet with resistance, even scorn or anger, was something that chilled her to the bone ever since she was a child. She preferred to simply agree and not argue and that often led to her dealing with unlikable situations. Any discomfort was worth not having to be in the spotlight, holding the fort whilst defending an argument. That's why when she got a whiff of the fact that her first alliance came at the cost of her fathers shop, she had sent Khushi to investigate instead of outright asking the truth for herself. And when her sister stood taking the heat for her actions, she had remained silent—her heart breaking for the poor little thing but never having the courage to come forward and admit that it was all her plan.

Unwittingly, she was about to do the same thing today when her relationship was threatened yet another time. She was going to stay within the safety of her home, allowing her sister to man the front lines and break the news of Shyam Manohar Jha's infidelity to her future in-laws who worshipped him. She had only realized how much Khushi was burdened with when she got off the call with her this morning.

Her sister, her outspoken and bold sister was broken. Payal could tell from her voice that she had no courage left in her, nothing to hold her together. Nothing that could aid her in disclosing the news to the Raizadas and brace their reactions, which were sure to be devastating. And so, for the first time, Payal realised just how much she was taking advantage of her sisters bravery.

She had dumped everything on Khushi and had left her alone to deal with the consequences, even though Khushi bore no responsibility for this mess. Surely, she had been the fiancé of Anjali-Ji's husband, but she had never wanted that status. She had never wanted that relationship, she had never wanted Shyam. Shyam had been forced on her by her family. Payal knew that this alliance distressed Khushi to no end—she was awake when Khushi had been standing by the window, silently wiping her tears the night she had gotten engaged. But Payal had said nothing to save her sister. She cowered from confronting her Buaji and Amma and instead tried to make her sister feel better by reassuring her that Shyam-ji would make a good husband. If there was any fault of theirs in what Shyam did, then it was on everyone's head, excepting Khushi. Khushi had been a victim.

And so, with these thoughts, Payal Gupta had formed a resolution. She couldn't let her sister take the heat for this affair, at least not alone. Khushi had assumed the responsibility of not only exposing Shyam but also of saving her Jiji's marriage, but this was not her bullet to take. This was Payal's relationship and so, it was on Payal to try to save it.

That's why she was currently in a restaurant, listening to the downpour outside and with her tea running cold, as she waited for her soon-to-be fiancé to absorb and digest whatever she just said.

She had taken from him a promise to not interrupt her, fearing that it would break the strength she had so painstakingly gathered and had resolved to stare anywhere but at him as she finished her story. It had been quite a few minutes since she was done and a rather ominous silence had prevailed, for Akash-ji was perfectly unresponsive.