Olive Chaudhuri

~EPILOGUE 1~ A/N: I've used fairly extra Gujarati in this particular chapter because in my head, this is how they were talking. I've been careful to use them in such a way that even for those of you who don't know the language, you easily get a fair idea of what's happening because of the context. Either ways, I am leaving the translations at the end of the chapter, because I know I would be irritated to see a different language in a book that I'm reading. ****************** The tension in the room was stark. Rishi eyed his Uncle and Aunt on his left, Kanan and his Mother to his right, and Meera at the centre. No one said anything for quite a while. Meera hadn't looked this low to him in years. He knew her too well to know that she was going to give it her all to ensure she didn't cry in front of everybody, but her whole body was seconds short of trembling. Whether it was a tremble of rage or hurt was something beyond him. "What do you mean you can'...

 ~FORTY FIVE~ "I love you Vedant. And it is  because  I love you, that I can't be selfish with you. Not anymore." He hadn't regretted drinking in the past as much as he did that instant. It was like his ears were doing just fine, listening to her words, and his brain was doing its job, comprehending the meaning behind those words, but the rest of his faculties, which made him respond and react seemed to have stopped functioning. Meera gazed at him un-movingly for one quiet second after another, until he found himself say, "Hold that thought." He raised his arms in mock surrender, and scurried past her to the washroom. After studying his disheveled features in the mirror, he splashed some cold water and slapped his face mercilessly a couple of times to pull himself out of his trance. "What are you doing?" he heard Meera call from the door to the washroom, and let out a sigh, "Trying to get a grip on myself." She looked away...