Sometimes Love Is Not Enough

Epilogue

Payal

"I'm sorry, Maa Ji!" I sniffed through my nose as I bit my trembling lips and looked at her with tear-filled eyes while Akash sat next to me while holding my left hand.

"Hello-hi-bye-bye," Her face was turned into a look of pure shock as she shared a glance with Akash before looking at me again. "Why are you sorry?"

"You cooked for me, but I vomited," My lips and chin trembled. "Now, you had to sit with me at 2 a.m. because I don't know why I'm crying!"

She stared at me for a second before smiling, then gently brushed away the tears from my face and said, "I am willing to cook for you again whenever you want. And I'm willing to sit with you every day, no matter the time, if you want me to, okay?"

Another tear fell from my eyes, and she again brushed it off before I nodded my head.

"Come on now, let's get you tugged up, then I'll sit next to you as long as you want." She helped me lay down while Akash covered me with a blanket.

"Alo!" I said this as I looked at Maa Ji from Akash.

"Huh?" She knelt down beside me.

"I want to eat Alo tomorrow!" I answered as she brushed some of my hair away from my forehead and face.

"Okay. And?"

"Chole!" Akash answered from behind her.

"Go and tell Hariprakash to make it for you!" Maa Ji snapped as she slightly looked over her shoulders at Akash, then turned to me, and her face was again soft and smiling. "What else? Puri? Paratha? Roti..."

"Khichdi!" I interrupted as the thought of eating khichdi filled my mind and watered my mouth.

She smiled while nodding, then kissed my forehead and wished me goodnight before standing up. And while walking past Akash, she gave him a look, then hit him on the back and left.

Akash gave me a bright smile as he sat down next to me with his back against the headboard and said, "You should sleep!" And he started gently running his finger through my hair, and I felt my eyelids growing heavy with sleep.

What did I do to get this lucky?