“No! That’s not good idea,” Chandni Auntie said, her pitch rising to match her horror. She looked like someone had dropped a mountain of evidence in her lap for a crime she’d suspected. “Naina must go to own place. I don’t like all such things.” The fluttering hand at her chest went crazy. “Dr. Kohli, he doesn’t like all such things,” she added, as though Dr. Kohli’s opinion on the matter would hold sway where her own had not. “In Kohli family, girls don’t stay all night out like this way.”

Naina’s hand flew to her mouth and something inside Vansh snapped.

“Naina has literally lived by herself for twenty years!” His mother turned a warning glare on him. Naina couldn’t seem to move. “That’s two entire decades that she’s stayed out all night like this way!”

Finally Naina moved. The warning glare she threw at him had no force. She had no force.

Her mother seemed to gain bluster from having snuffed Naina out. “Her father will never allow all such things. He will disown. Throw her outside.”

“That’s outrageous,” Vansh said to Chandni Auntie, and turned to Naina. Why won’t you say anything? Where are you?

It was like she wasn’t even in the room. “You’re her mother,” he said, disbelief making his voice harsh. “Don’t you think you need to stop him? Keep him from doing something so cruel? She’s at a hospital with a sick friend, for God’s sake. You should be proud of her.” He looked at his own mother. “You should all be so goddamned proud of her!”

“Vansh.” Finally Naina spoke. It was barely a whisper. “Please stop.” She was shaking.

“They’re being unfair. Why won’t you stand up to her?”

Chandni Auntie looked horrified. Her eyes filled with tears and with a loud sob she ran from the waiting room as though she and not Naina were the one who’d been hurt.

Naina ran after her and tried to grab her arm. “Mummy, please.”

Her mother shoved her away with so much strength Naina stumbled back. Her eyes were dry, horribly dry.

“No, Naina. Don’t come near Mummy.” With that Chandni Kohli ran down the corridor with the nurses and the medics staring after her.

Ma followed her, tossing the most disappointed look over her shoulder at Vansh.

Naina stumbled back to the waiting room and dropped into a chair. Vansh squatted in front of her.

When he tried to touch her, she shook her head. Not touching her right now felt impossible, but he waited, let her gather herself.

Then she said the last thing he could ever have imagined her saying. “I’m sorry you had to see that.” She sounded embarrassed. A teardrop slid from one eye and she squeezed her eyes shut.

“Naina, come on.”

She didn’t react. It was like he wasn’t even there.