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Preeti got up from the chair. “All right, then. I’ll get going. My little devils will be back from school.”
Sitara smiled and followed Preeti out of the bedroom.
“I really appreciate your help, Preeti. I don’t think I could have gotten the shopping and packing done for the trip without your help.”
Preeti smiled. “You know I enjoy shopping. After watching all those fashion influencers on social media, I feel I’m an expert now.”
Sitara laughed and hugged her friend.
Preeti hugged back. “So, see you in two weeks and you better enjoy the cruise!”
“I promise, I will,” Sitara said. “Give Kit and Keya extra kisses from Aunt Sitara.”
Preeti smiled. “I will.”
Sitara waited until Preeti got into her car and drove away. Smiling, she walked back into the house.
“Madam, are you sure you don’t want anything prepared for early dinner?”
Sitara looked up and smiled at her housekeeper. “No, Rani. I’m leaving in a couple of hours to the airport. Shankar will drop me at the airport and leave as well. I’ll see you all in two weeks. Enjoy your vacation too. I’ll call you when I return.”
The older woman smiled and nodded. “Thank you, madam.”
Since Sitara would be gone for two weeks, she didn’t see the need for her housekeeper or driver to remain at home. She had even asked the gardener and other help to take a two-week break. She just needed a reminder to set the sprinklers and home security to vacation mode.
As soon as the housekeeper left, Sitara shut the door. The home security alarm automatically turned on with a long beep. Although the upscale neighborhood was safe, she was used to turning on the alarm as a habit. Dheeraj was quite particular about it since they kept some of their research information at their home offices.
Letting out a long sigh, she headed towards the bedroom. The slight echo made from footsteps as she walked on the polished marble floor, once again made her realize how empty the house was.
Dheeraj and she didn’t entertain or socialize much at their home. When they got married, they were too young, and had lived in small spaces close to wherever their research was located. But when they suddenly earned a lot of money from their breakthrough research and product, they eventually upgraded to a bigger home for security reasons. Although she didn’t care much about the change in their financial status, Dheeraj was very uncomfortable. He preferred a simple life over sudden fame and money.
To make him feel comfortable, their house had a minimalistic décor with only necessary furniture. Even the walls were left bare except for the simple yet expensive modern art paintings.
Dheeraj’s office and bedroom had been similarly designed as well. But she chose a different décor for her bedroom.
As soon as she stepped into her bedroom, the warm feeling of a home enveloped her.
Although her bedroom held simple furniture, the walls were filled with photos of her family, knickknacks of her childhood and other things that made her feel at home.
Each time she saw the smiling faces of her parents and her older brother in the photos, warmth filled her heart. Only a small, lingering ache of their loss still remained.
Her eyes fell on the last photo they took as a family. Her father and brother were in army uniforms while she and her mother wore bright, colorful dresses. The picture was taken at one of the many military parties she attended while growing up as a military brat.
Even though she knew she couldn’t change the past, she still wished she could have spent more time with her parents during her mid-teens. But her parents had told her she needed stability and focus on her studies, and so had they put her in a boarding school for her high school. She still recalled the phone call she received in the middle of her classes.
“I’m sorry, Miss Narayan…”
Her parents and brother were killed in a terrorist attack at the army base camp. She was told that there had been a constant threat to her family because her father was an army general. She later found out that the threat was also the reason why her parents had decided to send her away to a boarding school.
She had gone through years of grief counseling paid by the military to grieving families, but she couldn’t get over the loss of her family completely. And when she thought she wouldn’t bear any more of such losses, years later she also lost the man she married.
Her eyes fell on her wedding picture, and heart ached seeing the young face of her late husband. Dheeraj had been a good person with a beautiful, simple soul. She enjoyed his company. He was a good friend and a perfect research partner. They both held the same aspirations to create something that would help humanity.
Dheeraj’s death in a boating accident had been a shock to her. Because he wasn’t the kind to go on adventurous holidays. In the many years she had known him, he had never done anything remotely dangerous or risky.
There has been some unnecessary speculation and rumors that he might have been on that trip with another woman with whom he might be having an affair.
Dheeraj wouldn’t lie to me, unlike—
