Homonym | a MG short story | note page 47 & blog link - Page 24

Originally posted by: Kalam.

Homonym is on hold for now, I'm having creative difficulties. Please bear with me and I'll start updating as soon as I can surpass my writer's block. Thank you.

Came ol today & saw your note . Take your time ❤️ will wait 😊

She stirred the basil leaves in the pan, her body movements almost robotic. She heard the soft footsteps behind her, the gentle clearing of a throat, but she ignored the sounds; silently willing that they would disappear.

A soft hand reached for her own and squeezed it tight. She dropped the spoon into the pan and hid her face in the shoulder of her comforter as she sobbed, her body shaking with an immense outpour of devastation and grief.

"It'll be okay," Geet cooed, stroking the back of Rosa's hair gently. "I promise, everything will be okay."

***

The engine came to a dull stop. Pari looked out ahead of her to see nothing but a barley field, the leaves swaying in the wind. Beyond the golden field stood a house, alone.

She unbuckled her seatbelt and took a hard look at Dev. "Will you accompany me?" she bit out sarcastically.

He shook his head. "I've been enough of a culprit, don't you think?"

"I can't even digest any more crazy explanations. All I want is the truth from my sister, and that's it."

Dev looked at Pari curiously. "Meaning?"

"Meaning I'm booking a flight back to India."

"You're being too rash."

"She has lied to me for so many years! I thought I knew her like the back of my hand, but the skin was a mask to cover up the lies and deceit."

"Geet made a difficult decision, a decision which has changed the entire course of her life. Do you think it's easy for a mother to give away a part of herself?"

"Why are you defending her? And Maan, your beloved brother - he's as bad as her, if not worse. I would have left as soon as Geet decided to elope without even informing me, but I'm not spending a life under false illusions anymore."

She climbed out of the car, slamming the door shut. Dev watched as she made her way up the path to the house. His hands tightened around the steering wheel, his eyes cloudy and misty. He sighed, closing his eyes and resting his head against the headrest.

***

Dinner was a sombre affair. Rosa sat at the head of the table, the girl next to her. Maan sat at the opposite end and Geet wasn't present; she had decided to retreat to her room, unaware to the people around the table that she was packing her belongings, preparing to leave that very night.

A knock on the door interrupted them. Maan took the cue to answer it and a few minutes later, Pari stormed in.

"Where's Geet?"

"Excuse me, who are you?" Rosa stood up. Maan followed in, grabbing Pari's wrist gently.

"Pari, can we do this somewhere else? Let's step outside."

"Get your hands off me and don't tell me what to do. Where is Geet?"

"Mama!" The girl clutched to Rosa tightly, her eyes full of fear.

Pari fell silent as her eyes fell on the little girl.

Geet stepped out of her room upon hearing her sister's voice and found her paralysed by the sight of her daughter. She glanced at Rosa, who in turn was looking to Maan for an explanation.

"Pari is my sister," Geet explained, and then she smiled at the girl. "Don't be afraid. She just gets a little annoyed easily, that's all."

The girl peeked a look at Pari, whose eyes seemed to be fixated on her. When she finally looked at Geet, tears shone through and the emotion there took Geet by surprise.

The situation took everyone by surprise, and the overwhelming emotions had them overwhelmed. So overwhelmed, that they failed to realise Dev's presence by the door, the pained expression on his face as he looked over Pari's shoulder at his daughter and the tears that fell silently from his eyes.