Legacy Unveiled: The Hidden Heir

Chapter 31: Bitter

Madhav's anger simmered as he finally broke the silence, his voice laced with bitterness. "You know, Kiran, a couple of years back, you were nothing but a plastic bitch too. Changing yourself for a measly dating session. How cliché."

Kiran remained silent, her face blank as she rubbed her temples. The weariness in her eyes was palpable, yet her anger was barely contained beneath the surface. She didn't respond, and the car was thick with tension. Madhav kept his gaze fixed on her, his frown deepening with each passing moment.

"Do you guys want to eat?" Kiran asked abruptly, her voice void of any emotion.

The boys exchanged confused glances, taken aback by the sudden shift. "Weren't you mad just a moment ago?" Arnav muttered under his breath.

Before anyone could respond, Madhav interjected, "Yes, we want to eat."

Kiran pulled out her phone and called Mohini, her tone surprisingly formal. "Pull over at the next cafe," she instructed. Mohini responded cheerfully, completely oblivious to the underlying tension. Kiran rolled her eyes and ended the call, focusing on the road ahead.

They pulled over at a cozy roadside cafe. "Get out," Kiran said, her voice flat. The boys hesitated, but eventually filed out of the car and headed inside. Kiran stayed behind, leaning back in her seat and rubbing her temples more vigorously. Her exhaustion was evident, and Madhav couldn't help but glance back at her with frustration. "Great, now she won't eat because she's stubborn," he muttered.

Inside the cafe, the girls were already seated, eating and chatting animatedly. The boys joined them, casting occasional glances back at Kiran, who remained in the car, still rubbing her temples and looking thoroughly miserable.

"What's going on with her?" Shivansh asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

Madhav sighed deeply. "She has migraines. They can get pretty bad."

The table fell silent, the girls looking a bit ashamed and the boys appearing shocked. They finished their meal in relative quiet, all the while stealing glances at the car. Mohini, noticing the situation, excused herself and returned a few minutes later with some medication from the pharmacy next door.

After they finished eating, Madhav bought a sandwich for Kiran and they all headed back to the car. Kiran was dozing off, her hands still trembling slightly. As they approached, Madhav firmly knocked on the window, startling her awake. She looked around, her expression stoic but clearly pained.

"Pull over," Madhav ordered as they resumed their journey.

"I'm fine," Kiran protested weakly.

"I said pull over," Madhav's voice was louder, leaving no room for argument.

Kiran reluctantly pulled the car to the side of the road. She switched to the passenger seat without a word, her face drawn with fatigue. Madhav handed her the sandwich and the medicine, his demeanor stern and almost brotherly. "Eat," he commanded.

Kiran looked like she wanted to argue, but one glance at Madhav's stern expression made her reconsider. She took the sandwich and medicine, eating and taking the pills in silence. The boys watched the interaction with a mix of surprise and curiosity.

As they drove on, Kiran fell asleep, her head leaning against the window. Madhav kept glancing at her, his expression softening slightly. Finally, Arnav broke the silence. "I didn't know she had migraines. She's really been through a lot, hasn't she?"

"Yeah," Madhav replied quietly. "She puts up a tough front, but she's still human."

Shivansh nodded thoughtfully. "Maybe we should cut her some slack. She's clearly dealing with more than we realized."

The boys fell silent, reflecting on Madhav's words. They continued their journey, the tension from earlier slowly dissipating as they focused on the road ahead.

***

Madhav glanced at Kiran's sleeping figure in the passenger seat, a mix of concern and guilt etched on his face. "You know," he began quietly, "when we were coming to the palace from school, Kiran drove the entire seven-hour journey without a break. She didn't eat dinner either, so I kind of expected this."

Arnav turned to look at Kiran, her face pale and peaceful in sleep. "Why didn't she just let someone else drive?" he asked.

Madhav sighed. "She's stubborn like that. Always wants to handle things on her own."

The rest of the drive passed in reflective silence until they finally arrived at the campsite. The boys began setting up their tents while the girls unpacked their things. Kiran woke up a bit later, looking weary but determined. She climbed out of the car and started setting up her tent, her movements slow but precise.

The others watched her incredulously. "Didn't she just have a migraine?" Geeta whispered, astonished.

Kiran ignored their stares, finishing her tent and then sitting on a log, scrolling through her phone. Her expression changed from indifferent to frustrated as she read something on her screen. "Madhav," she called out, her voice edged with annoyance. "Why did you tell Rudra?"

Madhav's face hardened as he walked over to her, though his eyes betrayed his concern. "Because you need to take care of yourself, Kiran," he said, his voice a careful mix of gentleness and coldness.

Before Kiran could respond, her phone rang. She glanced at the screen and sighed, answering the call. "Hey, Rudra."

The sound of her older brother's voice was audible even to those standing nearby, and it was clear he was scolding her. "It took Madhav to tell me you're having migraines again? What were you thinking, Kiran?"

Kiran rolled her eyes and tried to cut him off. "I'm fine, Rudra. Just a few headaches-"

But Rudra wasn't having it. "A few headaches? Madhav told me you didn't eat dinner last night and drove seven hours straight! Are you trying to kill yourself?"

Kiran's jaw tightened, and she abruptly ended the call. Without a word, she retreated to her tent and zipped it shut. The others watched in worried silence, unsure of what to do next.

Arnav broke the tension, turning to Madhav and Mohini. "Why is she so bitter towards you two?" he asked, genuinely curious.

Madhav and Mohini exchanged a glance, a mixture of regret and amusement in their eyes. "It's a long story," Madhav began, chuckling mirthlessly. "When I started dating Mohini, I almost forgot about Kiran. She was annoyed with us constantly coming home late from parties, usually too drunk to function properly. One time, we even puked on her. That was the breaking point for her."

Mohini sighed, shaking her head. "What Kiran doesn't know is that we used to take care of her during the night when she had nightmares or migraines. But she hated us so much, we decided it was easier to keep up the facade."

The boys and girls listened intently, absorbing the unexpected layers to their strained relationship. Kiran's cold demeanor now made more sense, and a sense of sympathy washed over them.

Later, as the sun began to set, Kiran emerged from her tent, looking slightly more rested but still visibly weary. She moved with a quiet determination, grabbing a small flashlight and sitting back on the log, scrolling through her phone again.

The group watched her, still processing everything Madhav had shared. Finally, Shivansh broke the silence. "We should try to make things easier for her, you know? She's been dealing with a lot."

Madhav nodded, his expression softening as he glanced at his sister. "Yeah, we should. She deserves that much."

As the night settled in, the group resolved to create a more supportive environment for Kiran, hoping to bridge the gap that had grown between them over the years. Despite the challenges ahead, there was a renewed sense of determination to mend their fractured relationships and move forward together.