Nora calmly fling her hand as she spoke. "See problem solved. No one is unhappy here with any loss."
Carter couldn't help but feel frustrated by both the kids. Rubbing the space between her brows, he sighed a third time. Licking his lower lips he started again. "That's not a problem, to begin with Nora! That's your father's company."
"Uncle." She vigorously opposed him.
Hearing words related to her parents was never something joyful for her. It's been years, but the image of her parents dying in front of her is something still soul-stirring to her.
"You always avoid the topic. This will never help anyone in this room." Carter knows her fear. He knows what Nora avoids the most. However, the time of her running away from everything is finished. Now is the time to face off.
By now she was all annoyed by the discussion. Caring nothing she stood up to leave.
"Nora." He called to stop her.
"Why today all of the sudden?" She asked without looking back.
"Your school is about to finish."
"So?"
Carter took a pause and said. "...We must go back."
"Sorry but I won't. This is where I am gonna die." She madly declared without thinking about her words.
Hearing the death from his sister's mouth, Krish uneasily called her loudly. "Sister!"
Nora's anger calmed down right away. Turning back to her she bent down to his level before hugging him. "I am sorry. I was wrong."
"How can you say that?"
"I am really sorry."
"..." Krish said nothing. Unlike Nora who has got her shares of memories with the whole family, he has no one but his sister as his only family. If she can't listen about their parents, he can't listen to anything bad happening to Nora.
Carter felt sad to see the kids living so timidly. But striking the iron when it's hot, is the best way to achieve your goal. Taking a deep breath he spoke again. "This can never be ours. Our everything is back to our homeland. Your childhood. Your friends. Your home-"
"Uncle! My home, my family, my happiness, is my brother. We only need each other, nothing more."
"Nora-"
"That's it. There is nothing else to talk about." Nora said and stood up from the ground before leaving the hall.
Krish watched her sister going upstairs. Until he heard the sound of the closing door, he didn't look away from the stairs.
The hall fell to the pin-drop silence. None of them spoke anything anymore. One was tired of everything. And the other one didn't know what to say.
Krish understands both sides. In fact, if he was asked to go back home, he would gladly accompany the decision.
Although their house abroad is big, but according to Carter it is nothing compared to the mansions they have in their homeland.
Being a kid he doesn't desire much but all the excitement in the world. And her uncle says that where they used to live was like a heaven for kids. Although he has lots of friends here, Krish and Nora are still foreigners in the eyes of the government.
He doesn't know the feeling of calling his land as his motherland. Singing his country's patriotic national anthem. He wants to feel that feeling. But if his sister wants something else, he would lovingly follow her. More than anything, Nora matters to him the most.
"Uncle, why are you forcing her? Aren't you happy here?" Krish asked.
"That's your father's and mother's company. You don't want it?" Carter asked back. Even though he knew that Krish wouldn't be on his side, he still wanted to ask.
Krish gave a small smile to that question. He isn't big enough to know the consequences of his decision. However, he does know one thing. "I don't remember anything. All I know is that my sister is my father and mother. Unlike me, she remembers everything. Unlike me, only she remembers everything. If she doesn't want to suffer from everything again, why is that a problem? Why do you want her to go through that hell again?"
"Because she is running away from her past."
"Because that hurts."
"Krish-"
"Uncle, everything is perfect here." He said solemnly before leaving the hall too.
***
"What happened?" The voice asked from the other side of the call.
"She isn't coming back."
"I thought it won't be more than a year or couple of years." Karan spoke up. When Nora decided to shift abroad, the max he thought would be two or three years. But now it's been more than five years and still no news. And it's high time to come back.
Carter nodded understandably. "I didn't know that either."
"It's been years. She must come back now."
"I can't force her."
"You know how important it is for her to start showing her presence in the company. Don't you?" Karan spoke gravely. "Her college must be completed here, Carter. No matter what."
"What should I do?" Carter asked from the front. He had no more ideas to work on. In fact, he has no ideas to begin with.
"Do anything. Even if it ends with blackmailing." Karan said indifferently.
"Mr. Gill." Carter harshly called him.
Karan rolled his eyes and asked. "What do you plan then?"
"Tricking her."
"And that is good?" Karan couldn't help but scoff evidently.
"Better than being a villain." He justified his idea.
"Okay, then you get sick."
"She will never fall for that."
"..." Karan felt that too. "Krish is on our side?" He asked.
"A big no. The boy is all about his sister. Whatever she says, is all that he does."
"Then I'll get sick… But... will it matter?" Karan doubtfully asked.
He isn't sure if Nora would even care if something happens to him. All these years, he rarely called Nora. In fact, it's so rare that he doesn't even remember the year he called her. And even if he did, it was all about work.
"Can't guarantee."