Page 136 of The Redemption
“Oh, come on, Ayaan,” Baba says with a weary sigh. “Raghav isn’t stupid. He doesn’t blindly follow whatever I tell him. If he went this far, then there are obviously feelings involved.”
“Feelings?” Ayaan scoffs. “Does he even realise what those feelings are? Because, as far as I can see, he doesn’t seem to have the slightest idea of what he really wants from Siya.”
“Enough.” My voice cuts through them instantly, and the cabin falls silent. I look between them with growing irritation.
“Let me remind you that you are both discussingmypersonal life and passing judgement on it while I’m standing right here.”
Neither of them responds.
“It’smylife,mymarriage, andmydecisions,” I continue. “I married Siya because I wanted to. It’s as simple as that.”
I give no excuses, no explanations, no lies.Just the truth.
Ayaan stares at me. So does Baba.
“There’s nothing more to discuss after this,” I say flatly. “No morewhy. No morehow. The marriage has happened, and Siya is my wife now. So, I expect everyone in this family to just deal with it.”
The anger inside me still hasn’t calmed down. If anything, it feels worse now. I turn and head towards the door, then stop midway and look back at them again.
“And for God’s sake,” I say tiredly, “stop following me everywhere.” My grip tightens around the door handle. “Because I’m not in the mood to explain myself anymore.”
With that, I walk out without waiting for either of them.
SIYA
Raghav’s Villa
It’s been barely two hours since Kailash Uncle, Ayaan, and Meher arrived at RK Estate. Mom and I are inside her bedroom, discussing where to keep the idols and framed photographs of the gods she brought all the way from Vardhaan Mansion. Although she’d arranged them on the bedside table earlier this morning before her prayers, she’s still not convinced it’s the right direction to place the idols. She keeps adjusting the small Krishna idol in her hands, looking confused.
“These idols should never be placed randomly in a house,” Mom murmurs thoughtfully. “According to Vastu, the north-east corner is considered the most auspicious place for these idols.”
I watch her silently. After all that happened, this is the first thing that seems to have brought even a hint of normalcy back into her life. She seems a little more at peace now. All she wantsis a permanent place to keep the idols. She keeps looking around the room, searching for a suitable spot.
“I don’t know where to keep them here,” she murmurs.
For a change, she’s focused on something other than the chaos surrounding us.
A soft knock sounds at the door. Both Mom and I turn to find Kailash Uncle standing there. Ever since arriving here this morning, he looks less like the powerful Shergill patriarch and more like a father who is emotionally exhausted.
“I’m sorry,” he says gently. “I accidentally overheard you both talking about the mandir placement.”
His eyes shift towards the idols in Mom’s hands. “I thought maybe… I could help.”
Mom immediately glances at me, unsure. I know she doesn’t want to disrespect him after everything that has happened, and honestly, neither do I. So I simply nod.
A few minutes later, the three of us walk through the corridor of the villa until Kailash Uncle stops in front of a carved wooden door. He opens it, and we both freeze. Behind the door is a beautiful temple room. The place is simple yet tastefully designed with an earthy warmth. The entire vibe here is calm and serene. Bright golden diyas flicker before intricately carved marble idols, while trails of incense smoke curl slowly through the air. The entire room smells faintly of chandan and jasmine flowers.
For one second, it doesn’t even feel like this mandir belongs inside Raghav’s home. Does he even pray? I doubt it. Then who maintains this place? Mom looks as stunned as I am.
“You have a mandir here?” she asks softly.
Kailash Uncle’s expression softens a little. “When Raghav built this villa, he made sure to include a temple room too. Because his mother…”
He pauses briefly before looking at Mom.
“Rukmini,” he says quietly. “Her name was Rukmini too.”
Mom and I stare at him in surprise. I can’t believe it. Raghav’s mother’s name was also Rukmini? Mom’s fingers tighten around the small brass idol in her hands. Even she looks stunned by that coincidence. Kailash Uncle gives a faint smile, though it never fully reaches his eyes.
