Page 59 of Driven By Desire
Rainbows. He’d said she reminded him of rainbows once. As if from a distance, she watched the cold, furious stranger in front of her continue to shout. Chirag moved forward to reason with him to no avail. Shaking off Chirag’s restraining arm, Krish swore viciously. “Get out, Max.”
Jerking back like he’d slapped her, Max took a faltering step away from the three of them. Turning dismissively away from her, Krish told Chirag, “See that she reaches home safely.”
“That’s not necessary.” Pride stiffened her spine and had her finding her voice.
Not deigning to respond to her comment, he turned away and walked into the emergency without a backward glance. The door shut behind him with a finality that resounded in Max’s heart.
CHAPTER 22
“Iwant Max.”
That was the battle-cry his family seemed to be rallying around. Fatigue had him dragging his feet as he entered his home. Dropping his laptop bag to the ground, he stared at the supposed patient. Folding her arms mutinously across her chest, Pooja glared back at him. “I want Max.”
So, do I. The pain that stabbed through him at the thought wasn’t new but it hurt like a bitch every single time.
“Chanting that a hundred times a day isn’t going to make her magically appear.” Miserable, exhausted and heartbroken, all Krish wanted was a break from the unrelenting waves of pain.
“Will it make you disappear?” Temper and grief glittered in her eyes as she glowered at the brother she held responsible for all her current pains, physical and otherwise.
“Pooja, don’t.” Sitting down on the edge of her bed, he buried his head in his hands. “Just don’t. Please.”
Remorse stabbed through her at the defeated set of his shoulders. Unwilling to completely forgive him for making her favourite person go away, she muttered, “I miss her.”
“So do I.” The almost inaudible whisper had her creeping closer.
“You do?” Hope welled in her as she waited for him to say something but he didn’t. Looking up, she saw her other two brothers framed in the doorway and watching them. “Then why did you send her away?”
The confused question had Krish exhaling raggedly. “I thought it was the right thing to do.”
“Was it my fault?” The small voice had Krish wordlessly reaching to drag her into his lap. He’d never forget the horror of that night. The bone deep terror that he’d lost his sister the way he’d lost his parents.
In a moment of carelessness. A moment of negligence. A moment of selfishness.
He hadn’t taken the extra moment to check on her that night. Just like he hadn’t taken the extra moment to fill the fuel tank he’d emptied before his parents left that night. They’d been driving out of the petrol pump when the truck hit them. A moment, a thought. That’s all it took and they were gone forever. His arms closed convulsively around Pooja and for once she hugged him back just as tightly.
“It’s okay. I’m here.” Her childish voice penetrated the suffocating weight of guilt and brought him back to the present.
“We all are.” Chirag’s voice joined hers. Gripping Krish’s shoulder, he squeezed. Adi laid his hand on Chirag’s a second later in a silent show of support.
“We’re here because of you. You’re the linchpin this family turns on. The choices you’ve picked, the battles you’ve fought, the sacrifices you’ve made and continue to make. That’s what has allowed us to stay a family. You’re the reason we are who we are, Bhai.” Chirag’s even words had Krish fighting to maintain his famed self-control.
Dropping down next to him, Adi said, “Which is why we think it’s time you lived a little.” When his eldest brother turned to look at him, he added, “For yourself. Be selfish. This time do what’s right for you.”
“What’s right for me is to make sure nothing happens to this family. That all of you are safe and happy.”
“Who died and made you God?” Chirag’s incredulous question startled a laugh out of him. Before he knew it, the three of them were laughing like a bunch of lunatics. If their laughter had more than a tinge of hysteria to it, they decided to ignore it. After a confused moment, Pooja asked, “What’s so funny?”
Nobody could catch their breath long enough to answer. Furious at being left out of the joke, Pooja sniffed and muttered, “Men.” Which only set them off again.
Still chuckling, Krish mused, “Would be nice to be God for a day like in that movie with Jim Carrey. Krish Almighty. Has a nice ring to it.”
“Please.” Adi snorted. “Even if God was considering it, Mom would be axing that plan. I can just see her shaking her head and going ‘No, no. He needs to learn some humility. No more power. Enough.’”
Grinning as that sounded exactly like their mother, Krish chuffed Adi gently on the head before ruffling Pooja’s hair andsetting her to one side. Standing, he scrubbed a hand through his hair. “I have to head out to the office. Chirag, what time do you head into work?”
“One.”
“Adi, will you manage till I get home?”
