I Wish We Weren't Related by Radhika Sanghani

Author:Radhika Sanghani [Sanghani, Radhika]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2023-07-11T00:00:00+00:00

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Reeva dialed Lakshmi’s number again. She still wasn’t picking up. The one time she desperately needed to speak to her, and she was AWOL. Fuck! She couldn’t process this alone. And who was she meant to speak to if not her best friend? Nick was on a flight to LA, and Reeva didn’t want to go to him about this. In an act of desperation, she tried her mum. But the phone rang with no answer. Who else? She had other friends, sure, but they mostly had husbands and families. She couldn’t call them at eleven p.m., slightly drunk on a Wednesday night. They’d be asleep. Though they might wake up when she told them her youngest sister was going to have her ex-boyfriend’s child. No, Reeva couldn’t burden them with this. It was a family crisis, so she’d have to share it with family.

Reluctantly, Reeva messaged Sita. You up?

She replied instantly. What is this, a booty call? But yes. The girls are sleeping, so I’m in the living room watching shit TV.

Reeva left her room and padded downstairs in her thick socks, oversized T-shirt, and the men’s boxers she loved sleeping in. They were so much roomier than the female versions.

Sita was sitting on the sofa, wrapped up in a fluffy cream dressing gown, sipping from a mug. The TV was on, with what looked like a gritty crime drama. Sita spoke to her without taking her eyes off the screen. “CSI reruns.”

Reeva curled up on the other end of the sofa. “Cool.” She turned to face her sister. “So. We’re both going to be aunts now.”

The show turned to ads, and Sita turned to look at her. “Yup. God knows what Jaya’s spawn will turn out like.”

“It feels odd.”

Sita sighed. “Yeah. I thought it might be hard for you. I guess you always thought you’d have kids with Rakesh. And now she’s at it.”

Reeva nodded. “Pretty much. It also makes me the only sister who isn’t going to be married or a mum. And I’m the oldest.”

“I’m not really married anymore; just on paper.”

“I know. I don’t want to fall into a self-pity hole. It’s just making me realize nothing in my life is going to plan.”

“I thought you were happy with Nick?”

“I am. And I hope that, you know, he and I . . . well, last. He’s still a lowercase boyfriend. Meanwhile, Jaya’s marrying Rakesh and having a baby. I can’t believe she’s going to be a mum and I’m nowhere near.”

“It’s still quite early days; she hasn’t passed twelve weeks yet. It might never happen.”

Reeva’s mouth dropped open in shock. “You did not just say that!”

“What?” Sita shrugged. “I’m not saying I hope it happens. But it could. It’s happened to me. And Mum.”

“Really? I . . . never knew that. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not a big deal.” Sita wrinkled her brow. “Mine was only a year after the girls were born. Blessing in disguise, really; I couldn’t deal with three of them.”

“And what about Mum?” Reeva looked at her sister.

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