"Stop there."
Before Nora could turn away, Ryan spoke up. "I'll drive you to your hotel then. Come with me."
"Amm… There's really-"
"It is. Now get in." Giving her no chance to refute he walked towards his car.
Nora's brows frowned deeply. She doesn't like to be treated this way. They aren't that close enough yet. She still wanted to stop him, but she didn't know how to stop or how to address him even. Giving another sigh tiredly, she followed him.
"Am I being too nosy if I ask you why you are not staying at your place?" He asked as he drove off the car out of the parking lot.
Nora kept looking outside the window. His question didn't surprise her, it just made her think about her answer. All these days, this question has been asked a number of times. But not for once she bothered to answer it.
However now the thought of her being not bound to the person who is asking, she sincerely gave it a thought. However, the answer is again something that others wouldn't understand.
Knowing it, she replied carelessly. "... It's bothersome to clean the whole mansion just for a few days."
Ryan's lips twitched. The answer was too sloopy. Even if it's not intended, Nora's behaviour clearly shows her inattentiveness towards him.
"Still... Coming back after such a long time… Ummm don't you want to go back to your home first?"
To his words Nora said nothing. She can feel what he meant. If she was at his place, she would have done it too… but is she? Is there any place for her to call her home?
"If it was me, I would have done it even if it's just for a day. That's the place you cherish the most. Your home, that's solely yours. No one can take it away from you-"
"I don't want to bother anyone." Stopping him in the middle of his words she spoke as nonchalant as much she could.
Ryan could see what she was trying to do but he has to do what he has come to do. If not today then never again. That girl will never stop to listen to him again. In the car he at least got a chance to talk, where she couldn't run away.
Wasting not another breath he continued. "Saving that hassle you are only losing your chance to be happy. I am sure, your brother too must have wanted to see his home. He has never even seen it before like you. He would also like to see the place where he used to live with his parents. He has always been outside with you. For the first time, he got the chance to come back. It's his country too. Where he doesn't need to feel like an outsider. He must be very excited, isn't he?"
"..." 'His home? Our country? Their parents?'
Nora felt an inexplicable feeling with those words. While making decisions in their life, she forgot that those decisions are not just affecting her, but also her brother. The right over those decisions wasn't just her's, his brother also had.
Taking such a big decision in their life, how could she forget about her brother. Her brother has all the right to make his own choices.
But whenever it comes to their parents, she always made him do what she wanted. She never asked, she only ordered. And for her happiness he followed it quietly.
Her fist tightened. She forgot that even if she raised him, she is no one to snatch away his parents from her. She never allowed him to talk about their parents in front of her.
Her guilty conscience scared her. The thought of how she had done wrong to her brother, frightened her. What Ryan said wasn't wrong, and she got nothing to reply back.
Before she could think of any reply, they already reached the hotel. All this time Ryan didn't try to speak more. As if he knew where to stop or why Nora needed time to think about his words.
With a meaningful look, he dropped Nora, before driving off.
***
"Hello?"
"How did it go?"
"I think it will take some time but she will realise it."
"What did you say to her?"
"About Krish."
"You used him, Ryan?"
"Don't say the word 'use'. I said what's true dad."
"Whatever. It better show us the result as soon as possible. Or we will lose the only opportunity we had with so much work."
"Hope for the best dad." Hanging up the call, Ryan went inside his classroom.