Key To Their Hearts

19- 'Looking For A Bride'

Started Typing On – 08/06/2019

Chapter 19- 'Looking For A Bride'

Siya's Pov:

She had a small two bedroom cosy house. An apartment to be precise. Not overly clotted with expensive vases, paintings or couches to show their financial states. Simple was the word I'd use to explain the view of Mary's house.

Her voice drifted into the background once my gaze fell—stared at the family photo of hers. There she stood, smiling at the camera with that joyful look covering her face. Her fathers—I suppose that's who he was by the look of his age—hand wrapped around her shoulders in a protective manner.

I gulp down the tears forming in my own shallow eyes from the sadness.

Her mother, coping exactly her expressions but her hand was on sons shoulders. He looked around my elder brother's age. He smiled. So brightly and so comfortingly—I could feel the happiness from his smile, it was that impactful—as if he just had an idea pop in his head to annoy Mary.

They all looked genuinely happy. Like their life was a bliss. "That's Aaron." I don't flinch from the voice like I always do. Instead I remain standing put, looking at the picture with a small smile. The four of them. Just like us four. The only difference is I left home.

"My brother." I nod, still having a small grin on my face. Not a jealousy one to see them happy unlike me but an awing one. A genuine one. "My best friend." The thickness of her voice was burning through my ear, I whip my head in her direction to see her chin quivering and her lips trembling awfully.

"Mary?" I whisper, my hand automatically makes contact with her shoulder. I press. Gently but assuring her I was here to hear her. To listen while she spoke. I wasn't going to judge. I was the last person to judge someone.

"He brought this house." She whispered, her voice still thick and uneasy as she froze her eyes at his picture. "Aaron worked so hard, Siya. Day and night just to gift mum and dad this house. We were planning to combine our savings for this apartment, and we did. The day we shifted in this house--" she pauses and closes her eyes. A deep breath released and I felt my own heart stomping.

"He went out to bring some sweets in celebration. We waited. And waited. And waited, Siya." Her eyes were once again lost on the frame and I drifted my hand away from her, not liking the rawness of her voice. It was stabbing through my heart. Because I knew something bad happened and I can't imagine losing Viren.

"We got a call. Apparently he wasn't watching the road while crossing and he got hit." She didn't sob out loudly but the tear made it's way on her cheek and I found my own throat going dry and scrappy as I swallow the tears.

'You'll remember and appreciate how nice of a brother I am one day, hopefully I'll be around to witness it. Unless if I die.' I started chewing my nails, pretending just so Mary couldn't see how hard it is to even hear her confession.

"He died on the spot. At twenty-seven. Three years ago. The sweets were scattered around him, those sweets. All he wanted to do was celebrate and look what happened. He left behind us, and even Anna. His fiancé." The bruised voice wanted to say more but someone rang the doorbell and she rushed away from me like I've done something wrong. Like she hates just remembering what had happened.

For a second I wanted to share my own story with her. A story without a title. How I ran away a few days before my wedding with Raghav because I was a coward. That I've also got a family who perhaps wishes—prays I'm dead after putting a dark black hole on their reputation. Just because I wanted to remain as Siya Joshi. Just because I didn't want to be bounded into a relationship.