The love of my life

56. Truce

Daman's fracture had made her parents, postpone their flight, and now the last rites of Harmeet had them delayed for another ten days.

"You okay?" Fateh asked still in his white kurta pyjama with the scent of death over him, sitting next to Daman in her bed as she nodded. She hated that she could barely attend half the event, without feeling sick.

She didn't want to think of Sangram, and how he must hate her right now looking down from heaven.

"Your plaster will come off in one month. I can stay longer, if you'd like." He says as Daman shook her head.

"Go with mom-dad, don't halt your life for me. Your leave of absence will affect your work and now you have a little one that needs saving for college."

"Ekansh." Fateh says, knowing he was under his roof right now as Daman meets his eyes. "He is a nice guy." He says causing her to chuckle.

"I'm having a hard time believing that right now." She says, as Fateh opens his phone and shows a wallpaper she used to have of Klaus Michaelson from a vampire series 'The originals' in her room.

"A hero will sacrifice you for the world but a villain will set the world on fire to save you." Fateh quoted something she had told him once.

"I have a son, who needs the example of a good human being around him." Daman argued.

"I was... unsure at first as well. But, then I observed him. You haven't been talking to him for so many days but he still hasn't changed his schedule that revolves around you. Working for you behind the scenes. I've met him in the kitchen everyday at 5:30 in the morning before I go for a run, while he is personally seeing to your food being made. So, you could have your early morning meds. I have seen him consult three nutritionists all over the globe to find foods that don't upset your stomach due to the chemo, but also help with bone healing for your feet. He is sharp on the clock to, get him dressed and drop off Tejas and then also pick him up from school. Do you think a man with his wealth and resources doesn't have people that can do these things for him?"

"He might have killed someone innocent." Daman said learning some of these things for the first time as Fateh shook his head.

"I don't think he would kill her. A man capable of so much love and care won't do something so drastic. But also was she... innocent? I know about the property dispute. Walking over her dead son's grave to give his birth right to her favorite son and get you out of it."

"She didn't deserve to die." Daman argued.

"Neither did Sangram. But life isn't fair. I... I'm not forcing you to be with him, It's your choice. You can find someone who loves you more, or you can decide to live with your son far far away, but this... It's the best chance at happiness Daman. Finding a man who cares for Tejas so much like his own, it will be hard. The world is a cruel-cruel place."

"I thought he was the love of my life, you know, but with all that's happening choosing him feels so... hard? Choosing love should be easy. NO?" Daman says on the edge of tears.

"Choosing veterinary when you could easily get into human medicine with your rank felt hard as well. You were scared about what would people say. Oh, she left MBBS for veterinary that's not possible, she's lying about her marks, this and that. Remember that turmoil?" he asks as she nods in agreement.

"I was scared to make a wrong decision that could affect my whole life."

"You chose something you loved and never looked back." Fateh said, wiping  a tear off Daman's cheeks.

"So, you'll be leaving me?" Daman asks as Fateh looked at her strong sister going through the period of being reduced to a hairless, fragile body in bed for the second time in her life.