Chapter 229 - Lets just stop hurting each other... (1/2)

|Eshan|

Mom turned around, and left the room while wiping her tears. I had never seen her cry. Growing up, I had never seen my mother losing control of her emotions. Handling the business with dad, she had always maintained her image of a tough, firm, and decisive businesswoman.

It was only after Priyu was born that she chose to stay at home for us. Even then, she had always been a strong woman in my memory. Looking at her being emotional for Innaya, I did not know what to feel anymore. In the end, things started with her. Had she chosen a different way of dealing with the situation, we would not have been in this predicament.

”Is this how you have looked after her?” Dad asked angrily.

Withdrawing my gaze from the door, I lowered my head in guilt. It was the first time he was at my place, and he witnessed Innaya in such a condition. He was bound to get mad.

”Help her lie down…” Dad said in a relatively calm tone when I failed to answer. Judging from his anger-filled eyes, it was unexpected from him to lower down his voice. ”And get out of the room... Both of you.”

His abrupt order bewildered me. At first, I assumed he was being considerate of Innaya's emotions, so he wanted to give me some time to take care of Innaya. However, his later words proved otherwise.

I opened my mouth to disagree, but his one glare effectively cut down all my objections.

Innaya whimpered in my chest. I tightened my arms around her. She was still struggling to breathe. She seemed to be still stuck in a haze, for she did not notice my presence. She still mumbled that it was her fault. With Arjun and dad present in the room, I could not continue holding her for longer. I turned around, shielding Innaya from their eyes as I rubbed her back, instructing her to breathe.

After a couple of tries, Innaya regained her breathing. She still heaved, but the foreshadowing clouds of the panic attack were dispelled. I could take a sigh of relief. With sleeves of my shirt, I wiped down her forehead where beads of sweat were glistening.

Innaya's eyes were closed, but a couple of tears still leaked from her closed eyelids. After wiping her forehead, I tenderly cleaned the tears from her face. Innaya did not struggle but stayed quiet as if still reeling in the aftereffect.

Bending down a little, I picked her up.

So light. How much weight she had lost?

Again, the wave of guilt hit me. We both suffered because of our own insecurities, and the deep-drawn plot of enemies. Things certainly would not have turned out this way, had my mother trusted me.

I blinked as Innaya unconsciously gripped the collar of my shirt in her small fist.

”Dad, she needs to freshen up. Please, wait outside for a while,” I said with my back turned to them. Avoiding the broken pieces of glass, I had missed sweeping to the side in my haste, I entered the bathroom.

I knew Innaya would not prefer others seeing her in such a condition. She had taken time to open up, and share about her past with me. If she realized that my parents saw her this way, she would not know how to face them. It was best to take her away for the time being.

***

|Innaya|

Well, it happened again.