ukiyo

elayne

elayne.

french. (n.)

meaning:- a ray of light

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recommended songs for this chapter:-

i. willow - taylor swift
ii.  oru paadhu kadhavu - thaandavam

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"Advik! Yaaro doorbell adikaranga yaarunu paaru!"

The doorbell rang again. Sivaangi clicked her tounge annoyed, trudging down the stairs muttering,

"Oru vela sonna panrana paren..Apadi enn than da-"

She stopped speaking mid-sentence as she opened the door to find Aditi standing there. Sivaangi stared at her, the last person she expected to be on her doorstep. Aditi pursed her lips and clutched her beige colour designer bag.

Aditi looked under her lashes and said, "Can I come in?"

Sivaangi gaped at her for a moment before slowly nodding and moving out of the way. Aditi entered, her head high and curls bouncing off of it. She turned to Sivaangi as they stood awkwardly in the living room. After an eternity of deafening silence, Aditi said,

"I want to talk to you about the will."

Sivaangi leaned against the wall, "What's there to talk about?"

Aditi inhaled, "You know that he's left most of his fortune to Advik. None for me or you."

Sivaangi nodded, "I know."

Aditi said, "You should know that he has no ill intentions. He wants to do right by Advik."

Sivaangi snorted, "That's funny, he hasn't done anything right by him ever since he was born then why suddenly?"

Aditi looked over at her sharply. Her eyes were steel but Sivaangi could see her hands trembling, "Do you think people cannot change?"

Sivaangi indignitatly said, "People fan change. What people can't do is be somebody's father in the span of five minutes by leaving behind money. That's now how love works."

Aditi looked at her, "He doesn't know any other way, he has no other choice other than Advik."

Sivaangi tilted her head, "Why doesn't he have another choice?"

Aditi inhaled deeply, her eyes harder than steel now, "Because I'm infertile."

Sivaangi stood rooted to her spot, her mind racing. There was silence again and she said,

"I'm sor-"

Aditi raised a hand, "No. I don't want your pity. Vikrant is trying to do something for his only child. I think you should let him."

Sivaangi didn't know what to say and Aditi continued, "We've tried doctors. Vikrant's previous alcoholism has impaired his ability to have children too. I can't have children with anybody else, neither can he. We can't even try IVF. So no, he doesn't have any other choice."

Aditi looked at her, "He's a good man."

Deafening silence. But this time, there were the haggled breaths of Aditi. Sivaangi swallowed thickly, "I'm sorry to hear that. Really. But you need to understand that for me and my child he was anything but a good man. All Advik can remember of him was screaming, thrashing, alcohol and me crying. I'm sorry but it'll take more than this for us to trust him."