Gāyathri turned and fled to her room.

The intention to apologise faded. All the words that she wanted to say died on the tip of her tongue. She was not even sure what she was supposed to feel. It was only after she shut the door behind her, that she allowed the thoughts and doubts full rein.

'How was it even possible? How was it that nobody had even noticed? It had taken her less than three weeks to find out about their affair. How had they managed to keep it hidden? Or did everyone know and keep quiet? Had her father known about it.? Was that the reason why her mother was convinced that 'the other woman' was no longer in her father's life?'

Closing her eyes brought up that image with greater clarity. Lavanya had been unabashed and pretended that they had not been noted. While that grated, it was Chandra's unruffled attitude that chafed her. He had not reacted nor responded to her presence, though a fleeting expression had crossed his face. She strained to identify what that sentiment had been but could not, not with the jumbled emotions running through her.

It was unfair, she had come to think of him as her big brother, it had not been difficult. He so reminded her of her father, despite the lack of strong resemblance and she had always yearned for a sibling. Strange, treating him as a brother was easy, neither her mind nor heart objected, unlike the case with Karthik. It was the kid's cute innocence that won her over, though at times jealousy reared its ugly head.

She walked to the balcony, hoping the fresh air would clear her head. Yet even in the cold air, the memory of what she had seen weighed on her. She had not seen them but she was not a naïve child. Chandra had been kissing Lavanya, who seemed to be reciprocating it with equal passion. Contradictory thoughts battled; 'Could they not close the doors before succumbing to their passions? How could Lavanya cheat on her husband? Chandra was surely a trusted member, how could he betray her father so? Was everyone blind to not see what was going on? How long had it been going on? And was Karthik truly her...?'

Her heart refused to complete that last question even though her mind whirled with the unimaginable possibility. And in that chaos of one thing struck with clarity, there was no way she would continue to stay here. It did not matter what the family knew, it was immaterial what they thought of it, she knew what she had seen. They might be able to justify it but she was not going to be around to condone it.

'How could a day that had started so well, turn so horrid? The euphoria of the shopping trip had dissipated. Surely there was no way the day could get worse.'

She received a resounding answer to her rhetorical question.

•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••

Gāyathri felt the beginning of a headache and groaned when she heard voices outside her room. She was not interested in any company, least of all energetic and enthusiastic children. But Karthik had either not been taught boundaries or maybe she had been too liberal with her, for he bounced into her room, flinging open the closed doors with a loud bang. Anusree followed her boisterous brother in her usual calm manner.

"Atta, where are you? We searched for you everywhere. Come play with us."

Atta. That one word was the proverbial straw on the camel's back. She was his sister, how dare he call her otherwise? Gāyathri stifled the growing urge to slap him, and resisted the gnawing itch to shake him up. The fading logical part of her brain reminded her that he could not be responsible for the misconceptions he was labouring under and that it would be better if she let it pass silently. She did not trust herself to be rational if she spoke.

A resolution that crumbled the minute he called her atta again.

"Karthik, you will not call me that. Why is it so difficult to call me akka?

"Because you are my atta.

The casual assertion exasperated her and she gritted her jaw, she was going to stay quiet, not say anything more, try to be be calm...

Her inner strife must have been visible on her face for Anusree jumped to support her brother, "He does not understand why you are upset when he calls you his atta. That is who you are, I know amma and Nanna said we should call you akka because you are not very old. But why does it bother you so much?

Now she was infuriated, "Listen, you must understand, I do not think that calling me atta makes me old. But do want you to get the relationship right. I am your sister so it is correct to call me akka and not your aunt. My father is also your father so that makes me your sister, not an aunt."

There, she had said it. It did not matter what they had been told, it was time to correct the lie they believed in. Gāyathri waited for her words to sink in, hoping that she had cleared their misconception. Yet the bewilderment on their faces made it apparent that what she had said was news to them.

'Great, how was she going to convince them? They acting as if it were unbelievable.'

But before she could say another word, they started giggled and she was flabbergasted. A fresh swell of anger rose in her, fisting her right hand she moved a step.

Her anger must have shown for the kids took a few steps back. That hurt, however angry she was she would never hit them.

For a few minutes, all stood simply staring at each other. And then Karthik challenged, "Atta, you are wrong, I shall show it to you."

He turned and fled from the room while Anusree stood at the doorway.

•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••

'Well, that did not go anyway as planned.'

Not that she had planned this inconvenient encounter. She leant against the French window, wondering if Karthik would get his mother to prove his point. That would be uncomfortable and she wanted to avoid an ugly confrontation. But maybe it was for the best, all the lies would finally be in the open.

A few minutes later, he thumped back into the room, alone, which was a relief and a disappointment. She smirked as Karthik dragged a huge album behind him. She had to admit that he did look adorable as he sank on the bed and pulled the album open.

"Come atta, I will show you."

Gāyathri stayed where she stood, reluctant to see what Karthik wanted to show. How dare he say she was wrong? What lies had he been told that he could be so vehement in his assertion?

But even if one could dismiss his stance as childish stubbornness, Anusree's silence echoed his statement.

"Atta, come here."

At his repeated request, she rolled her eyes. The sooner she saw what he had to show, the quicker she could be left alone. There ware no point in taking out her ire on the kid.

With a resigned sigh, she crossed to the bed and stood at the edge. Crossing her arms across her waist, she watched as he flipped the pages. It was from a birthday party, his second or third. Pictures of cake, his tiny friends, balloons, party caps, laughing adults, crying babies; the photographs flashed by, a colourful kaleidoscope of happy memories.

She could not help be reminded of her birthdays, none of the pictures taken on that specific day had her father in them. She had never asked and now would never know why. It hurt anew, the sorrow weaving through her anger. 'It is not fair, her father not being present for her birthdays. Not fair, that her mother had never been accepted in this family, for no real fault of hers. Not fair, that her parents had been taken from her. Not fair, that...'

Her thoughts cut off when Karthik stopped at a page and showed it to her with a triumphant shout, "See?"

The centre spread was a large family photograph and she skimmed over the faces wondering what he was trying to say. Her bewilderment must have shown for Karthik pointed and named them.

And each name he took, was a punch to her gut.

"Amma and Nanna."

Lavanya and Chandra, standing together, his one arm around her and another placed on Anusree's shoulder. Karthik, snug in his mother's arms. Both smiling at the camera, with love and pride in their eyes.

"Tatha." 

Her father, standing beside Chandra, as usual, unsmiling at the camera. He rarely smiled but in this photograph, he looked a bit uncomfortable too.

"Pedda tatha and pedda nanamma." 

Great grandfather and great grandmother. Her grandparents; stern-faced grandfather with a hint of a smile and a beaming grandmother. Joy radiated from their faces, dulling the spark of the diamond jewellery and the resplendent silk saree her grandmother wore. They still dressed the same, but she now knew the sorrow that lined their faces.

"Nananmma." 

The woman who stood beside Lavanya, away from her father. A woman she had never seen before but who seemed familiar and who bore a strong resemblance to Chandra. Her mind heard Karthik but refused to acknowledge it. How could it be? If that woman was Karthik's grandmother then she was Chandra's mother. There was no doubt about that.

And on the heels of that acknowledgement, came the terrible truth.

One that tore into her heart even as disbelief roared in her ears, but she could no deny longer it. Each piece of the puzzle that clicked into place stole her breath. As the lies she had believed crumbled, she collapsed on the floor.