Silent Whispers

Chapter 18: Kiss it Goodbye

Khushi unnecessarily straightened out her perfectly ironed white shirt, while balancing a laden breakfast tray on one hand. The day of the meeting was finally here, and instead of catching a good eight hours of sleep, she had spent the whole night churning over Arnav's words.

Sure he acted strange, asking her questions as if they were best friends and admonishing her when she gave the wrong answers. However, in between all the arguments he had thrown at her, he had one thing right, though he didn't say it explicitly.

And it was that she was avoiding her brother.

The same brother she had vowed to never hurt. She had realized pretty quickly after her mother was admitted in Lilavati Hospital that Shyam was at no fault. In fact, he had said it himself to Dr. Awasti that day – Garima refused treatment. And knowing her mother well, Khushi didn't doubt even one bit that she was also the one who made her brother keep the whole fiasco a secret.

However, the realization brought nothing but more distress. As she had anticipated when she stormed at him, Khushi was filled with guilt, so much so that she couldn't even get herself to face him. It was just too much to see him hurt and know she was responsible for it.  

But that morning after a sleepless night, she felt almost idiotic for avoiding her brother. He didn't deserve that. He didn't deserve to pay for the mistakes she made.

So, deciding to end the feud she recklessly created in her anger, she knocked on Shyam's door.

"What is it Jaya?" he called from the other side.

She pushed open the mahogany door and gingerly stepped inside. "It's me," she said, quietly. "I brought breakfast."

Shyam appeared almost amazed to see her. He dropped the tie he was trying to knot in front of the mirror and hurried to her side. "Meeti?"

Khushi looked at the floor, guilt pooling in the pit of her stomach. She had acted so cruelly and yet, he stood in front of her, not even a frown on his face. Really, what was her brother made of?!

"Is everything okay?" Shyam continued in a concerned voice.

She shook her head. "No," she mumbled, ashamed. "I-I... I wanted to apologize."

Silence followed her declaration. She chanced a peek at Shyam, to see him look at her with puzzlement.

"That day in the hospital," she explained. "I was so rude and mean... I really have no excuse for it Bhaiyya. I'm so sorry!"

Shyam shook his head. "I'm not mad-"

"Then you should be," she interrupted, taking a step closer  to him. "You could commit the biggest crime on this planet and even  then, I don't have the right to yell at you. Not when I know  how much you took care of me, how much you sacrificed for me... I don't  even know how I can make it up to you. I'm the world's worst sister-"

"No, don't say that," he interrupted kindly. "I know it was a bad day  for you  Meeti... seeing Maa like that might have shaken you up,  especially after all that you have-"

He broke off, not being able to complete the sentence.

"I tried really hard to save you Meeti," he said suddenly, looking down at her. "I didn't want you to see Maa trying to... trying to end her life. But you did. And then I hoped that you would forget it, because that's too big of a burden for any one to carry. But I failed then too-"

"I did forget it," she lied quickly. She couldn't and wouldn't let her brother feel bad for her woes. She was strong enough to look after herself. "Whatever I said that day in the hospital was a not true. I'm very very sorry."