Guilty Pleasures

7

"She's everything even when she is treated like nothing..."

She had always taunted him, saying that trouble had a way of always finding him. And yet here she was amid trouble yet again.

He shook his head slightly, as he stood outside a small distance from the Deshmukh family, his arms crossed waiting for doctors too update him on her and the situation he had brought in prior to his clash with the Deshmukh's.

Farhad stood dutifully at his side, the two conversing lightly, but it was obvious that Raghav's mind was elsewhere.

Of course it would be, he may act like he didn't care, like he hated her very existence and for a time he honestly did. But she had this capability of spreading love and warmth wherever she went even to her enemies, every darkness he omitted was countered with her omission of light and he had no qualms admitting to himself that he cared for her.

Maybe it's because he had access to her in ways one could only desire, maybe it was because he could still feel her light scratches on his back, or the small kisses she pressed on his body, but either way he had grown to care for his so called enemy.

And that was the why he stood puzzled trying and failing to deduce the dire situation she seemed to have fallen into.

It wasn't rocket science, anyone with eyes could practically make out the cold war that seemed to manifest between the family; and he somehow knew that Pallavi was once again caught in the crossfire.

A door opened, more precisely the door to the room where she was laying probably exhausted, a doctor coming out followed by a nurse. He angled himself, taking a few minute steps forward to hear the diagnosis, stunned by the way her family had stood passively; as if they didn't even care.

The action awakened a simmering anger within him yet again. He had seen the way she had sacrificed herself time and time again for her so called family and here they stood clearly not caring about her well being. It reassured him however, when the youngest Deshmukh, her brother, he recognised, glared at his family before walking over to the doctor himself.

It made him smile, the love of a brother, the same love that was mirrored in his eyes for his sister at ever trouble she found herself in. A sense of respect for the youngest Deshmukh stirred in the depths of his chest, his perceptive eyes transfixed on the scene.

"Doctor how is my Di? She's okay right? It's nothing to be concerned about right?"

Raghav watched at the doctor smiled.

"You love your sister a lot don't you?"

Nikhil looked back at his family.

"Someone should, after everything she does for this family when she doesn't have too."

The doctor offered a smile.

"She's fine, it's nothing serious as of yet, she's over exhausted and she has got a fever blossoming. She also mentioned that she didn't get time to eat today."

Raghav tensed slightly.

"So she was being a drama Queen then."

Before Raghav could even go over and give that Bada Bindi wali Aunty a piece of his mind, a ticking time bomb seemed to explode in the youngest Deshmukh.

"Enough! That's enough Kaku. She has fainted yet again because she is overworking herself to provide for this family. She goes above and beyond so that you and your useless daughters can sit back and relax and she does it all with no complaints and here you all stand once again against her, pointing fingers at her, whilst demanding she proves her innocence. I am sure whatever this drama is, it has stemmed from you and you only, and I swear to god, you say one more thing about my sister you'll see just how destructive a brothers wrath can truly be."