When You LOVED Me...

4.

*Unedited*

"Mia, come sit," Uncle Nathan calmly said gesturing to the empty couches near him. Aunt Mandira and my Mom was seated on the large sofa of the room an Rathores was seated on their right. She swallowed and moved to the couch across them.

She didn't felt comfortable with all those gazes on her, but breaking the silence didn't feel right either. So she sat there back straight waiting for someone to say something.

Then suddenly Aunt Mandira started crying and my mother tried to console her. Uncle Nathan eyes held furry and Uncle Rajesh was rigid standing on the window facing outside. Mr. Keshav had a bored expression on his face, while Meera Aunt was slightly tensed.

What the hell? Has anyone died?

When no one said anything, she took a deep breath and asked her Uncle,
"Uncle ji, What happened? Why Aunt is crying?" She swallowed the last part why she was here? She hadn't done anything wrong, had she?

A silent communication passed through elders and now she was the one agitated. Even Kaya had left, and her nerves was getting the best out of her. She didn't want to think about how uncomfortable she was, just yet.

"Mia had you noticed something unusual when you were with Sophia last night?" She noticed that her Uncle had a hard undertone when he uttered Sophia's name.

She shook her head slightly then added,"She was just nervous I think, I thought that was usual at wedding".

"Do you know where she was,right now?" Aunt Mandira yelled at her and she backed away a little in shock and fear. But she hurriedly replied, "No, I don't know Aunt, I hadn't met her since morning, what's going on?" She asked shakily. Everything was completely normal till last night. What had happened?

"Mandira, don't yell at the girl, she hadn't had done anything. Don't let out your frustration on her." Uncle Rajesh had spoken for the first time. He was the person she liked the most in the family. He was more considerate and more real. That was a rare quality.

Aunt Mandira expression hadn't changed but she started sobbing again. Now she was officially done with this thing. She was happy being ignorant rather than being a part of this mess.

"Mia, I want you to listen to me and listen to me carefully okay?" Uncle Nathan said in no nonsense tone. She can't help but just nod.

"Your sister Sophia had runaway from her marriage." Her jaw dropped to the ground listening to this. But she noticed he emphasized on the word sister, which was absurd.

"Uncle Nathan, she must had gone somewhere without realising, we had to find her. How can you just say that she runaway, she can't do that." She tried to back Sophia. She can't imagine she had runaway. Why would she do such shameful act?

"I am aware what I am saying Mia. The girl hadn't thought of the disgrace she would cause us by taking this step. That girl was now nothing but a blot on Khurana family". Her uncle spat through clenched teeth. She took time to process the information but it was extremely hard for her to accept this. For her the biggest sin was to disgrace her parents. She could't believe Sophia did this, no matter what her reasons was.

"Maybe if we try enough we can find her," she spoke numbly. She didn't had any better response. How one should react in a situation like this, where she had no control.

Now, Aunt Mandira's tears and her frustration made sense. And also the jumpiness of Sophia last night, she thought it was the nervousness of wedding. Is this why she was here because she was unaware of Sophia's plans and didn't tried to stop her? But how come they expect her to know she was just there to help not to pry.