Is Love Enough ??

Chapter 14

Kirti was back.

It was surprising. In actuality it was no less than a shocker in Vansh's opinion. He was sure his older brother shared his sentiments on this issue if not on any other. He knew his family. Very well. There had been a time when he used to think his family to be different but that was a long time ago. A lot of people called him jaded. But he didn't think he was. He was just a realist. Just because he didn't think his family was paragon or could never do anything wrong did not make him a cynic. He still loved them, only he saw their faults too and acknowledged them. How could any human be perfect?

So when his mother had called him up specially to let him know of Kirti's arrival and some of the other developments he had felt the need to sit down. Not that he had. He had been shocked, then puzzled and then felt irritated at the instructions he had got from his mother. When he met Kirti and the others nothing should reflect that he was surprised or didn't have a clue that she was supposed to attend Anika's wedding. He was supposed to greet her, treat her with respect. Not exactly. Not really. He was to pretend that respect. He was supposed to pretend that all was well in their world, and that Kirti was being accepted back. She wasn't in reality. But they were to show a joint front on that account. What was that even supposed to mean? He hadn't really understood the ask. He had driven home in a hurry. It wasn't as if he hated Kirti. He never had. Something that had irked the whole pack of Singhs. The one who had complained the most had been Veer. His older brother.

'She has disgraced us all,' Veer had said angrily, 'she is my sister...my sister,' he had asserted, 'and she left us for that ****,' he had yelled.

'She made a choice,' Vansh had protested, of course in vain, but he had thought he should, 'or how should I say, we forced her to make a choice,' he had argued.

'How can you side with that...ungrateful brat,' Veer had asked furiously.

'I am not siding with anybody,' Vansh had tried to stay calm and reason it out with his brother, 'we twisted her arm into making a choice I am sure, she didn't want to make,' he had explained, 'all she wanted was for us to understand why she wants to spend her life with Aryaman,' he had said even as every pair of eyes that had been staring at him were asking him to shut up, 'why she chose him over all the other potentially amazing guys with equally amazing backgrounds,' he had said, 'I don't understand why we couldn't allow her to say her side of the story. We just asked her to shut up, shut all she felt for Aryaman inside her somewhere and go with our dictates,' he had argued, 'she is an adult, technically she has every right to choose her partner,' he had said.

'And has she chosen a partner?' Veer had sneered at him, 'Is Aryaman Khanna, a partner in the real sense of the word?' he had asked.

'Yes, a partner is a partner bhai,' Vansh had responded, 'there are multiple ways we can define a partner, but the simplest would be a partner is a person who one shares things with, emotions, feelings, thoughts, life,' he had said wishing his family would put aside their prejudices and consider what made the daughter of the house happy, 'not to mention, till about a few days ago the same Aryaman Khanna had been your best friend,' he had said and raised an eyebrow in question, 'he is the same person who had been welcomed in this house with open arms,' he had said looking at the taut, disapproving faces of his family, 'just before he showed interest in Kirti. Suddenly, he is not welcome anymore, suddenly, he is bhai's best enemy,' he had said mockingly, 'wow. How convenient,' he had said caustically, 'I fail to understand what is it about him that you find unsuitable?' he had said puzzled.

Not that any of what he had said had rung a bell with anyone. They had collectively asked him to shut up and refrain from talking about her or to her. Strangest part was, he had. He had conceded with the family dictate. But not without guilt. It had been eating at him. For two years. Kirti was just a year older to him. They had been more friends than brother and sister. And he had always prided himself to be more liberal and modern than any of the others, including Kirti. And yet, when the time had come, to stand with his sister, his friend, he had shied away. For all the argument he had posed he hadn't really done anything about it. A phrase often came to his mind, 'All talk and no show'. Yup, it stood true where he was concerned.