Beguiled

Four

Chapter dedicated to theweirdo_scribbles

"I thought you'd left India to go to America." She was at his house. On his bed. The room was different now. The last time she was here, his room wasn't a typical teenagers room like hers and her sister's. His room was always minimalistic but now it looked like an adult man's room.

The floors were of marble and the room was furnished with wood, given it a cabin feel. It was still minimalistic. He had his desk at one side. A huge family portrait of him as a child hung in one wall.

The bed was a few feet away from the large french windows. She looked at him. He stood looking not quite at her face but a few metres away from her.

"Who told you that?"

"Usha did."

Asha rolled her eyes. Ofcourse she did. Her twin was eager to get rid of her.

She had indeed left the house as everyone started bickering. It overwhelmed her.

"Are you happy now?" She turned back to Usha. "You've turned out lives upside down!"

"I don't want to talk to you."

Her breath stuck in her lungs. That's what Beth had said too. Beth hated Asha because it had been her fault that she lost the baby. Beth and Nikhil argued frequently. And they had moved to the states to be closer to Beth's parents.

"That daughter of yours is nothing but bad news! She's a murderer!" Beth used to scream. Asha had heard it when she came home from school. Nikhil had tried to pacify as much as he could.

Asha knew how unlucky she was. She brought chaos wherever she went. It hurt to hear that from her twin sister's mouth.

"Why not? Are you even sorry? Do you think Krish deserves this?"

"What of you? You knew about Jia. And you just hid it from me!"

"I was waiting for you to come here in case your phone was tapped."

By the way her twin stammered, Asha knew that it was an excuse. "Jia is a singer at the Club Rex. She goes by Athena now. She sings a set every Saturday. There. I've told you everything I know about Jia. Can you give me my life back now? You can't."

Asha watched Usha extend her palm. She felt sorry for her twin. The guilt came back with full force.

She watched Usha sigh. "You coming here messed everything up. I suggest you leave. Go back where you came from and leave us in peace."

"But mom..."

"Haven't you put her through enough? Now what? Do you realise how much it will affect her and Krish if everyone comes to know you've been to jail? And that you're here in a disingenuous passport?"

Asha felt guilty weigh down like a stone in her stomach. She had had caused enough problems.

"Here you can have my phone. It'll be better if you leave. I'll tell everyone that you left."

***

Now sitting on the bed, the guilt was stronger. "I should leave." She said trying to get up. He was in front of her in an instant. "You're not leaving." He said through gritted teeth.

"I already have brought your stuff here. Why were you staying in that seedy hotel?"

"Why do you care?" She stood up anyway. They stood close to each other. She pushed past him to the door.

He held her elbow pulling her back, "Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm leaving."

She tried to pull away from his hold but he pulled her closer. Her shoulder was crushed against his chest.