Forget-Me-Not: Taste of Freedom

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

It was a beautiful morning. It was the kind of morning that demanded the complete and awed attention of a human being. White, cottony clouds were painted over a clear, blue canvas; birds chirped in the trees, singing their morning song. Rays of sunlight penetrated through the living room windows, bathing the whole place in warm light. There was a crisp lightness in the air, a sort of chill-but it wasn't really cold. It was pleasant. It was calm and peaceful and vital. It was decidedly unfair, therefore, that such a serene environment could evoke such negative emotions in a person. Dia scowled at the sunlight, covering her eyes against the soft glow, blocking it with sunglasses. Behind her, Varun followed out with a small handbag, his expression not equally unpleasant, but deeply tensed. Lines bracketed his mouth... he was struggling with the news he'd just received.

As they got into the car, Dia looked back once to their house, and thought about her phone that she'd left inside in her haste. She didn't want to think about it now, since they were leaving, but it still nagged at her. Everything about this morning was odious. She'd never woken up to a worse morning in her life.

First of all, she'd awoken with a thousand hammers beating on her skull. It hadn't been a pleasant feeling. Then she'd remembered the events of last night-her disgraceful behavior in front of her parents, and her completely shameless behavior in their room with Varun. Every time she thought about the kiss, she cringed. It had been a stupid thing to do... but she had done it, anyway. And he'd pulled away... he'd pulled away! That is why mom tells me not to drink, she thought disdainfully to herself. Because I have too much room for stupidity after I lose control.

But all that didn't even compare to the near shock Varun had given her when she came down. She'd been intent upon ignoring him, but one look at his monstrous expression, and she knew that something was wrong.

Now they were heading to New Bombay, where his mother was admitted, and not a single word had been uttered ever since he gave her the news.

"Mom has a brain tumor. They're admitting her to the hospital for further treatment options."

It stunned her, to say the least. Someone with no medical history landing up with brain tumor...but anything could happen to anyone. Dia had been spurred to action seeing his pinched expression, and even though her whole body had protested and her head and pounded, she'd managed to whip up a container of breakfast for the whole Mehta family and a small bag of necessities for both of them... they might have to stay there, they never knew.

Now, there was silence in the car, and dampened spirits. Dia was slumped in her seat, her eyes closed, her body still in a state of physical shock, while her mind flitted between the events of last night and this morning. She didn't know what was worse... being mad at Varun for last night, or comforting him for this morning. She was inclined to do neither... her own mood was in tatters. She felt like she was in hell. She was miserable, and she had no idea why.

Okay, maybe she had some idea why... but still, it didn't make sense. She had no reason to be miserable. Right?

Her thoughts kept her company, until moments later, Dia dozed off. When she woke up, the car had stopped; they were on the side of the Sion-Panvel expressway, and Varun was yelling at someone on the phone. She cringed; not only did he look thunderous, he sounded furious too.

"Well, you could have told me before almost giving me a heart attack," he growled.

Dia sat up in her seat, trying to make out what was going on. A quick look out of her window revealed that they were on a deserted stretch of road with hardly any cars zipping past them. She turned to Varun, and saw him closing his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers.