Chapter 5: Running and Returning Home

As soon as I heard Kabir leave, I scrambled out of bed.

My clothes were torn. I opened the wardrobe, planning to borrow some of his girlfriend’s clothes, but the closet was full of men’s clothes.

Huh?

Not a single women’s outfit?

Does she have a separate dressing room?

My brain whirred, but I didn’t have time to check. I just threw on his shirt and jacket.

Kabir is really tall, 189 centimetres—twenty centimetres taller than me. I looked like a kid at a fancy dress competition, sleeves drooping past my wrists, drowning in his kurta.

The sleeves covered my hands and the hem almost reached my knees. I rolled up the sleeves and pant legs, grabbed the scraps of my dress, and hurried out.

Once I made it out of the colony, I let out a long breath.

The morning traffic roared in the distance, and a rickshaw wallah gave me a strange look as I darted down the lane. A chaiwala gave me a knowing smirk as I rushed past, clutching the oversized jacket. Finally free.

Even if Kabir realises it wasn’t his girlfriend last night, he’ll never guess it was me.

Then I’ll be safe.

Our sibling relationship might still be salvageable.

On the way, I found a women’s clothing store, changed into normal clothes, and then went home.

The shopkeeper barely glanced at me, used to college girls changing in a hurry, and the sales aunty gave me a reassuring nod. Back in my own room, I rolled around on my soft bed.

I hadn’t slept at all last night, and then woke up to… that… in the morning.

My nerves were finally starting to relax.

I told the house help not to call me and slept straight through to the afternoon.

Luckily, Mum and Dad were travelling abroad, so no one was around to bother me about meals.

Their absence was a blessing; if Mum saw the dark circles under my eyes, she would’ve called all her friends for advice. I rubbed my eyes and went downstairs, planning to ask the maid to make me something to eat. As I looked down the stairs, I saw Kabir standing at the bottom.

I nearly tripped on the last step, my mind scrambling for a believable excuse.

He looked up, his gaze sweeping over me: "Awake?"

His tone was neutral, but there was something unreadable in his eyes. I remembered how he said, "Sweetheart, you’re awake?" this morning, followed by two hours of… physical activity.

I instinctively took a step back: "Bhaiya?"

My voice cracked slightly, and I tried to hide it by clearing my throat. His eyes were dark and unreadable.

I forced a smile: "Why are you home today?"

He tapped his knuckles on the wooden railing: "What do you think?"

How would I know?

I changed the subject: "Have you eaten? I’m starving. If you haven’t, let’s ask the kitchen to make something extra."

He asked, "You’re only eating now?"

I kept a straight face and lied, "Yeah, when I got home yesterday I realised I’d missed an assignment. I stayed up all night finishing it and slept all day."

He half-smiled: "You did homework at home last night?"

I nodded: "Yup."

"Alright." Kabir’s tone was unreadable. "Let’s eat. My dear sister worked all night, she should eat well."

His words carried a strange weight, almost as if he was watching my every move, waiting for a slip-up. I forced myself to walk ahead, my heart pounding.