Loving the Nightmare ✅

Chapter : 16

"Nobody has ever measured, not even poets, how much the heart can hold."         -                                 -Zelda Fitzgerald

Misha's POV:

"How was I supposed to go downstairs with a face that made me look as if I had been unwell for days?

Makeup became my shield, concealing dark spots from sleepless nights and smudged eyeliner from moments of crying. I aimed to present myself well when meeting Tanvi's parents, so I applied makeup. Admittedly, I should have gone down the minute Janvi came to call me, but I was in tears. Letting her in at that moment would have led to a chaotic conversation filled with unanswerable questions.

Was it truly necessary for Varun to unleash such hateful words? Can he not comprehend my emotions?

"Hi," Tanvi's mom greeted as she entered the room. Quickly wiping my tears, I approached her.

"Hi, Ma'am. Please sit," I said, guiding her to the couch.

"Ma'am? Oh, please don't call me that. I'm like your mother."

Like my mother? A surge of longing for my mom hit me. Even though I would return home after the day of pooja, two days from now, I wished to be there right now. A hug from my mom would undoubtedly ease all my pains.

"I'm sorry. What would you like me to call you?" I inquired, and she graciously responded that anything is fine, except for ma'am! So, we settled on 'Aunty.'

She proceeded to share stories about Tanvi, expressing the depth of her longing. She opened up about her relationship with everyone in this house, painting a picture of happiness. It was as if she entrusted me with her emotions, revealing her daughter's memories in ways she hadn't with anyone else.

"I miss her so much," she said, wiping her tears. Wanting to console her, I hesitated as I'm prone to crying when I witness someone else's tears. But this time, I pushed myself to be strong.

"Aunty, please don't cry," I said, taking a seat in front of her. Desperate to divert her attention, I ventured into a different topic.

"May I ask you something?" I queried, and she nodded.

"Janvi mentioned that you're here to meet me. Is that true?"

Frankly, I was confused about their purpose. They barely knew me, so why meet me? What could be their motivation?

"Yes."

"Why?" I questioned immediately after her reply.

"I'm sorry. Not that I have an issue with it. I'm happy you came," I said, subtly concealing my confusion.

"It's alright. Now that Tanvi is not in this world, you will be the one taking care of Isha, Varun, and this family. So, I thought of meeting you once, to give you my best wishes."

"I'm sure you will be a good mother and daughter-in-law. Regarding the wife, I assume you both are not on good terms yet, but don't worry; everything will be fine," she comforted.

"If at any time you need someone to talk, I'm here."

"Thank you so much, aunty," I expressed, hugging her tightly.

We descended downstairs to meet uncle. He appeared stern but turned out to be friendly and understanding. Even Varun seemed disinterested in his well-wishes. What puzzled me was that Varun chose to sit a little farther away from them.

"This is for you," aunty said, handing me a gift. I love gifts, and it's always challenging for me to decline them, but here, I was uncertain.

I typically seek my mom's approval when someone offers me a gift, but with her absent, my gaze turned to Varun, the person I consider close in this house. As always, he avoided looking at me. Frustrating.