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“That is really, really not cool of you,” said Jaya. She crossed her arms. “What’s going on with you today, Reeva? You’re acting like a completely different person. And I am not into it.”
Reeva stood up and climbed out of the bathtub. She felt like her explanation required it. “Look, I really need you both to hear me out, and then if you’re still pissed off with me, I’ll shut up and leave. Okay?”
Sita sighed. “Whatever. We’re here now. Just... say what you need to say.”
“Okay, thanks. Well—I know it’s going to sound mad. Buthere goes.” Reeva took a deep breath and began the speech she’d been planning for the last fifteen minutes. “It turns out we had a black cat when we were all younger, and it died when I was five.”
“Seriously?” asked Jaya. “You’re going crazy cat lady on us again?”
“What’s the point of this?” chimed in Sita. “I really don’t care about our family pet history.”
Reeva decided to ditch her speech and get to the climax. “Okay. Sorry. The cat didn’t just die; Dad killed it.”
Her sisters stared at her in total bewilderment. Now that Reeva had a captive audience, she explained the whole thing—from her dreams to her conversation with Kavita Kaki and her latest chat with Satya Auntie. Her sisters’ expressions slowly changed from confusion to shock to total incredulity. By the time Reeva finished explaining why she was convinced their father was a cat murderer, they were both trying not to laugh.
“It’s not funny,” snapped Reeva. “It’s serious.”
“It’s completely ridiculous is what it is,” said Sita. “I’m not taking your dreams as proof, Reeva.”
“Uh, I kind of agree,” added Jaya.
“But you’ve been going on at me to see a hypnotherapist!” cried Reeva. “This is the same thing!”
“Oh, if you’d been through it with a professional, it would be completely different,” said Jaya. “But this is just something you made up from a bunch of nightmares. It’s not the same thing.”
“I did not make it up!” Reeva stared indignantly at her sisters. “This is real. I was there. You have to trust me.”
“Not till you get evidence,” said Sita. “Don’t look at me like that; you know you’d say the same to any one of your clients.”
“And what about the affair?” asked Jaya. “There was obviously something between Dad and Leela.”
“That’s the best bit!” cried Reeva. “There wasn’t! Leela’s a lesbian. She’s been with Sinu for years.”
“The one in the blazer?” asked Sita.
Reeva nodded eagerly. “Yes! She and Dad were genuinely just friends. Mum must have been jealous of her because of that.”
“Okay, well, as happy as I am for Leela’s relationship, I don’t think that means we jump to Dad killing cats,” said Jaya.
“You thought he was a spy!” cried Reeva.
“For once I agree with Jaya,” said Sita. “It sounds like you’re grasping at straws here.”
“Also, you were still a massive dick,” added Jaya. “Even if this somehow ends up being true, which would be totally insane, you didn’t have to make the funeral all about you.”
“I didn’t! I made it all about Dad and how much of a fraud he was. Why do neither of you realize how major this is?”
Sita shrugged. “Even if it was true, I don’t think it’s that bad. I mean, it’s only a cat. Andifit happened—which it may not have—it was probably an accident.”
Reeva’s mouth dropped open. “Only a cat? He threw it with all his strength! It crashed into furniture and died!”
“Allegedly. And if he did, it was in a rage,” said Sita. “It’s not the same as a cold, calculated attack. I’m sorry, but I don’t think it’s the worst thing in the world. Shit happens.”
“If this is the big secret, it’s really underwhelming,” agreed Jaya. “And why would Mum and Dad have faked his death just because he killed your cat by mistake? As if Mum would even care. She’d probably be relieved that the cat wasn’t molting all over her Gucci anymore.”
“Mum’s selfish, but she’s not a monster! She faked his death because this proves he’s got major issues. She was worried for us. Because if he could do it to a cat, he could do it to a child. Also, Isaw the whole thing!” Reeva fumed. “I honestly cannot believe you’re both reacting like this. Sita, what would you do if Nitin did something like that?”
“I’ve already dumped him.”
