"She is spoiled." Karan commented.
"She spoke a lot." Carter replied with amazement.
Karan's eyes got narrowed at his reply. "...Does that matter?"
"She never talks to strangers. I am shocked that she said what she wanted to. She didn't hesitate with you. I almost thought that she would ask me to talk to you, or even send you a text message to ignore meeting you again."
Hearing that, Karan doubtfully looked at him. Not understanding what he meant he asked. "Is she an introvert?"
"I don't know. She just doesn't like to talk to anyone other than her brother."
"Why?"
"Because those people are not important to her. She chooses her people on her own. She never says that she has friends, but she never denies the fact of having acquaintances. She keeps those people close to her who are important or beneficial to her. But that doesn't happen in one day."
"I am not getting you."
"You didn't see it? Today she not just talked to you so much but also was scared of her impression on you. She wanted to portray a good impression on you. This is the first time I've ever seen her doing that."
"Really?"
"Yes. After what happened she is disinterested about what others think or what they do. All she cares about is what she wants. What she desires. Even if you call her selfish for that, on her face, she is insensitive to that. She acts selfishly and openly."
Karan felt regretful again. The girl lives all alone with her younger brother, taking all her important decisions all alone, what else could he hope for from her. Carter doesn't stay with them all the time.
In fact he stays mostly with his family and only checks on them after six months. And even if he wanted to do more than that, Nora won't allow it. She didn't want to separate Carter away from his family just because of two kids.
To live in this world, Nora taught herself right away. One has to be selfish if they want to live and don't want to get hurt.
But because of this Nora paid her price too. She had no one to rely on. She doesn't trust anyone. She has no friends, living all alone.
"How is she living all these?"
"You can say that she was just living to breathe."
"...I can't force her." Karan spoke truthfully. He can't do worse to that girl. He had no courage to do so.
Carter and Nora might have thought that it was all easy for him to yell at her, but after shouting her name, he instantly regretted it.
He wants to take care of her not to educate her strictly this way on their first-day meeting after all these years. He is strict with his son, Ryan. But he can't do that to her.
"If you want her to come back for good, then you have to do something." Carter spoke.
"What? Do you want me to cage her?" Karan spoke helplessly.
"Make her realise that it's high time. She has to be back to her rightful place."
"Carter-"
"Mr. Gill. I had tried. But she doesn't listen to me. Only you can make her understand now."
"Actually... I think our work is done. From here someone else will take care of it." Karan answered.
Today all he had to do was to bring Nora to the office. And then feed her mind an idea of guilt. However things got out of hand too soon. He doesn't know if he is successful or not. Moreover after knowing about that little girl he finds himself too cruel to do things like this to that girl.
***
Coming out of the building, she didn't look back and took the cab. She can't count the number of times she took deep breaths to calm herself.
But till now, she can still feel herself trembling. She wasn't scared but she was all tense after talking to Karan.
Somehow she knew that at the end of the day she has to listen to them. She has to go back to that house. And she is still not prepared for that.
Watching those unknown people outside the window, she felt her serenity coming back. Scribbling something on the window she reminisced about her days just weeks ago.
She had never thought that she would be here in just a week. She was in the middle of her thoughts when suddenly she heard a loud screeching sound.
Nora's car was about to hit another car, but as the speed of the car was not fast, the driver took control of it.
Nora's grasp on the safety holder got tightened. Her breath quickened in fear. Driver hurriedly stopped the car on the side road before checking on Nora.
"Ma'am are you alright?"
Nora was clueless of what happened in those few seconds. Staring at the driver mindlessly she asked. "...Yeah I am good. But what happened?"
"I am really sorry. I thought I'll be able to pass the yellow light before it gets red. But… we almost bumped into another car. But I saved us. Right? I am sorry. I am really sorry."