THE FATE (✔)

Chapter 20 - Cracked

"Priya, I'm home. Just leave the pizza on the table. I'll join you once I'm done doing my things," Archana said in front of Priya's room.

"Okay, Didi," Priya replied.

Archana rushed to her room to freshen up. Twenty minutes later, she was seen walking downstairs with her phone in hand and heading towards the dining table. Priya wasn't there yet and the pizza was still neatly wrapped in a fairly large flat box. She immediately approached Priya's room. When she was about to knock on the door, Priya opened it first and they were both surprised.

"Oh God!" they shouted.

"Didi, you're just shocking me. Should have knocked on the door first," Priya chirped while pouting a little.

Archana's eyes opened wide. "Why are you blaming me? I was just about to knock when suddenly you came out. Luckily it didn't happen, otherwise what I knocked was your forehead, not your door," replied Archana while giving Priya a small smack on the forehead. They laugh.

"Let's go. The pizza must have gone cold," Archana said, putting her arm around Priya's shoulder.

"You just wait here. Let me warm up the pizza for minutes."

"Shall we eat in the living room?"

"What is wrong with it? I'm bored of eating in the dining room." Priya walked away while Archana just chuckled and laid down on the long sofa while turning on the television.

Less than half an hour, Priya returned with a large plate of pizzas covered with smoked beef and sausage and mozzarella cheese.

"Thanks," Archana said.

They chatted while enjoying the pizza Archana bought. Every now and then the two sisters mocked each other. Archana told the Diwali atmosphere at Radha's house at that time. She also told Priya that Aman is Radha's older brother. Priya was surprised. Her cheerful face turned a little gloomy. For some reason, she didn't seem to like Aman that much, even hearing his name made her turned off. However, Archana did not stop her story. She kept on telling stories until about Aman who was alone in his yard. That's all, because Priya cut Archana's words when she was about to continue her story.

"Do you like him?" Priya asked slightly curtly. Archana rolled her eyes, stopped chewing her pizza and swallowed it slowly. Her eyes blinked once as she sighed.

"Priya, I-" before Archana finished speaking, Priya cut her off.

"How can you like the person who separated us from Mum?"

Archana choked. She was angry yet confused. Why could Priya talk like that? Archana was still silent while Priya continued to urge her to answer the questions.

"How can I answer if you don't stop talking?" Archana said in a slightly raised voice. Priya was a little shocked. Archana's voice only became like that when she is angry or disappointed. Priya was silent and thought did she just hurt Archana?

"May I speak now?" asked Archana in a lowered voice which was greeted by a low nod from Priya.

"First, I noticed your demeanor changed after I mentioned Aman's name. Second, you asked me if I liked him in a curt tone. Third, you called him the one who separated us from Mum. What happened to you? You don't like him? Up to you. But you need to remember. No doctor wants to fail in treating a patient. Aman has been trying to save Mum. There's something about him that you don't know, Priya. Something much heavier than what we are going through. I won't tell you, because it's not my right. To answer your question about my attraction to him, honestly, I don't know. However, I do know one thing. I saw myself in his eyes. I'm sure you understand what I mean," explained Archana at length.

Priya contemplated. Her face turned red, either holding back anger or holding back embarrassment or even holding back tears. Archana cast her gaze to every side she could reach from her seat until she stopped her gaze at Parvati's bedroom door and took a deep breath.

"Whatever you think about Aman, it's up to you. I've already explained and don't want to talk about it anymore. Rest well," Archana said as she got up from her seat and stepped up the stairs to her room.

As soon as she had her routine and laid down on hers bed, a message came into her phone. It's from Priya.

"I'm sorry if what I said offended you. But, I won't talk to you until you're no longer close to him. It's enough that I've lost Mom and been away from Dad. I don't want to be away from you either. So please, stay away from him."

Archana took a deep breath. "This kid!" she sighed. She massaged her forehead gently as she rested her eyes. The incident on Diwali night at Radha's house replayed in her memory. Starting from accidentally colliding with Aman who turned out to be Radha's brother, listening to the reason Dev disappeared when she needed him, finding Aman brooding in the back garden, accompanying him to talk until she left Aman alone. Aman's words when he asked her to leave echoed in her ears again. The voice was so strong when he asked her to leave, but the fragility of his soul could clearly be felt by Archana.

"Nothing happens yet, but it already turns like this. What should I do?" she thought.