BooksBarbecue
Back Side by Side Save as PDF
Chapters (50)
  1. Cover Page
  2. Half Title Page
  3. SIDE by SIDE
  4. Dedication Page
  5. Epigraph
  6. Part I: Fall
  7. 1.
  8. 2.
  9. 3.
  10. 4.
  11. 5.
  12. Part II: Crawl
  13. 6.
  14. 7.
  15. 8.
  16. 9.
  17. 10.
  18. 11.
  19. 12.
  20. 13.
  21. 14.
  22. 15.
  23. 16.
  24. 17.
  25. 18.
  26. 19.
  27. 20.
  28. 21.
  29. 22.
  30. 23.
  31. 24.
  32. 25.
  33. 26.
  34. 27.
  35. 28.
  36. 29.
  37. 30.
  38. 31.
  39. Part III: Rise
  40. 32.
  41. 33.
  42. 34.
  43. 35.
  44. 36.
  45. 37.
  46. 38.
  47. 39.
  48. 40.
  49. Acknowledgements
  50. About the Author

She rises to her feet and gazes at him with sad eyes. “If I forgive you now, Nirav, nothing will ever change between us. And if we have a future together, I need for things to change.”

“Don’t leave like this.”

“The truth is,” she says. “You left me first.”

He steels his eyes. “No, Kavita. Sunil was the one who left you.”

His words rake through what little remorse she has left for him. She can’t bear to look at his face. She stares at the floor, dispassionate, and says, “You’re wrong, Nirav. Sunil left me with you. And you left me all alone.”

She walks past him, grabs her things, and leaves.

38.

Kavita stands shoulder to shoulder with Hawthorn behind a chest-high stone wall. They are surrounded by throngs of tourists, drawn to the rust-coloured spectacle of the Golden Gate Bridge. They decided to make a stop on their way back from Muir Woods after scattering Sequoia’s ashes.

The wind gusts fiercely. Kavita wishes she had worn something warmer than her jean jacket. Still, she can’t deny the beauty of the place. The waters of San Francisco Bay seem to reflect the bright blue of the sky above.

“It’s a lovely spot,” she tells Hawthorn. “I’m glad we decided to take in the view.”

He squints at the iconic bridge. “It’s impressive. But now that we’re here, I can’t help but think about all the jumpers. Ironic, isn’t it? Considering what we just did for Sequoia.”

“I’ve been thinking the same thing.”

“Weird, isn’t it? The world marches on, back and forth across this bridge, ignorant of the despair right under their feet. See where my parents are standing?” He signals with his chin. Their matching orange windbreakers make them easy to spot in the crowd, as they take in the sights, hand in hand.

“I see them,” she says.

“Someone might’ve jumped from that very spot. Someone’s daughter. Someone’s sister.” He wriggles his shoulders. “I just got chills.”

A shiver runs up her neck. “Me too.” She rolls her shoulders back against the ghostly sensation. “Do you think your parents are all right? Today couldn’t have been easy for them.”