When Somadina died, every bits of rage that were bundled up in Kasara's heart dissipated. Only guilt remained.
Somadina and Kasara got married four years ago, but a single indiscretion brought the end of a fairytale love story.
He, the husband had impregnated her sister.
He called it a mistake. His explanation seemed credible. It was on a drunken night.
However, Kasara couldn't let go. She believed it was planned and deliberate and no one could blame her.
Somadina's family felt she was overreacting. While their son wanted to mend his broken relationship, they insisted he should bring the mother of his unborn child home.
After one full year of futile attempts, Somadina returned again to claim the love of his life, but Kasara was adamant like before.
No sooner had he left the house, she got a call from the hospital.
With freezing feet and fragile heart, Kasara rushed to the hospital dreading the inevitable with remorse she was too cold to voice.
The second Somadina's mother laid eyes on her, hell broke loose.
" Are you happy now? You finally killed him?"
She ignored the woman and marched to the doctor's office, chest rising and falling in sync with her hurrying footsteps.
“ Please, may I ask why I was called?”
The doctor took a long look at her and sighed. He opened a wardrobe and threw a file at her.
“ What's this?!”
“Its the reason you have been stiff against reconciliation.”
" This can't be true," she gasped a minute on the content.
“ DNA proves your sister's child isn't your husband's. She pinned the child on him, and you let her win.”
“ But he...”
" He told you he did it? You never made a second guess," he sneered and turned on the TV behind her on the wall.
“ As his doctor, he confided with me so I thought I should check the camera footage from the supposed night. This is it.”
Kasara's eyes darkened and gave way to guilt as the screen lit up with her sister sneaking into her husband's hotel room while the latter was fast asleep after a night out with his friends.
She turned away, and dropped the file on the desk. “ These can not be. He should have told me.”
“ Yes he should have, if only he hadn't slumped after going through this file.”
“ What do I do now? He's gone.”
“ Go say your goodbye.”
“ His family won't let me.”
“ You should go. You're still his legal wife.”
Motivated by the doctor, Kasara dragged her feet back to the ward where she had seen Somadina's mother. Surprisingly, the woman had settled like the sea after a storm.
But there by her husband's side was her younger sister. The girl that brought this division.
“ Leave us. I want some time alone with my husband.”
Without hesitation, the girl left with her baby.
" I'm sorry, Som. I don't even deserve to say such to you. Especially not in a situation like this. But I want you to know I never stopped loving you.
That's why it hurt so much and I couldn't let go.
If you can hear me, please forgive me for the pain that my family and I have caused you. Forgive me."
“ Will you also forgive me?”
Kasara nearly jumped out of her skin. She held her chest and looked at the direction of the voice.
He was sitting up, with the sheets over his body. “ Will you also forgive me, babe?”
Kasara looked back and met the doctor, Somadina's mother, and her sister staring her way.
“ Was all these staged?”
“ I had to use every available means to prove my innocence...to you.”
“ The test results and the tape?”
“ They aren't fake. Your sister played me to cover her mistake.”
Kasara felt humbled, unable to meet his eyes.
" I wish I could hate her, but she's nothing but a child," he said looking out of the window.
"So, I want us all to start over again," he said and took her hand, “much better this time.”
Two weeks later, at a party hosted in their honour, Kasara raised a toast to the man who loved her enough to forgive her, and her sister.
Surprisingly, the sisters could laugh again with Somadina by their side.