𝙇𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜

37

RAHUL'S P.O.V

After my shower, I sat down next to her and gently placed her feet on my lap, carefully examining her injury. "It needs more time to heal," I muttered, starting to massage her ankle. She stirred and opened her eyes, whining.

But everything came to a halt as soon as her eyes landed on me.

"I'm going to complain about you when I see dad. You've become mean since dad passed away. I'll summon his spirit on a full moon night and complain about you. Leave me alone, go away. Keep ignoring me. I'm nobody," Simi shouted, kicking her feet. However, I held them firmly, not wanting her to hurt herself further.

"But what if dad is already in this world in the form of a baby? How will you call his spirit then?" I asked, keeping a serious expression on my face.

She frowned and then buried her face in a pillow.

"I did that because I didn't want to get punished in front of my future bhabhi (sister-in-law) . You're ruining my good girl image in front of her. You could have waited for her to leave. It's all your fault. And then you started ignoring me. I'm not talking to you, go away."

Ah, so this little girl has so many reasons to be upset.

"Okay, come here," I said, opening my arms. She looked at me for a moment and then slowly moved towards me.

"You don't understand me. Not even a little bit," she said, resting her head on my shoulder.

"Really?" I asked, and she nodded.

"I'll be eighteen next year. Get me married, I don't want to live with you. You'll keep embarrassing me in front of others. You don't love me anymore," she said, starting to sob again.

"Shh, first stop crying. Mom said she'll hit me with her slipper if I make you cry," I said, rubbing her back.

She cried even louder, and I knew why she did it. Mom immediately rushed into the room and started cupping Simi's cheeks.

"What happened? Don't cry," Mom said.

Simi rested her head on Mom's chest and then glared at me.

"I want to get married."

"Tell me, what will you do after getting married? And will you be able to live without Mom?" I asked, but Mom smacked my shoulder.

"I'll take Mom with me. Mom, I want to get married."

"Simi, guess what? I made your favorite chilli pasta! Come out of your room, you've been cooped up there all day," Mom said before leaving.

Simi gave me a glare, then got up from my lap and plopped back down on the bed, lying on her stomach.

"I'm not hungry. I just want to get married so I don't have to live with someone who ignores me. I never ignored you, not even when you made me do sit-ups with my future bhabhi, but you ignored me. I want to get married," she shouted.

" Kanak isn't just some random person, Simi. She's going to be my wife. Don't you like her?" I asked, a bit more serious this time.

"I NEVER SAID THAT!" she shouted, punching my shoulder.

"I said you were embarrassing me in front of her. Why can't I maintain a good image in front of her?"

"Simi, Kanak will never judge you. No one is perfect. Is she perfect? Am I perfect? No one is perfect. We're all the same. So stop treating Kanak like she's different and stop being embarrassed in front of her. Have you ever seen her get embarrassed? Come on, she was even complaining about me when I..." I stopped myself, realizing that Kanak wasn't complaining to Simi. She was complaining to Mom.