nani seemed exposed and as Gauri realized with sadness, vulnerahle was reaching her item 13 We love you, nani," Gauri sud finally, wonilering if she words hung in the air, sounding distant and insincere. streaming from his 14 Rahul was standing quietly next lo the window, his face red. loans withered fgure cyes Just then, he moved forward and reached the bed Ile leaned over nani's and took her checks gendly in his hands Head bowed, he stood there for an etemity, cradling her face and soaking her saree with his tears In silence, volumes were being spoken in this that wonderful wordless cvchange like an incvorable l 5 Gaun fell a rush of warmth deep inside her li surged upwards shapes As the nood, filling her eyes until the noom melted in a wash of colours and liquid pictures blurred, her perception snapped into brilliant focus For betler than her, he knew the true meaning of the vi He knew it perfectly because he grasped it not with his head but with his hean Like a child unrestrained by propriety o cgo, he had the reedom. courage and honesty to reach out in pain to his nani This was love, simple and pure was in one sense a l 6 Gauri realized that Rahul's condilion, for all the gricr it brought. remarkable and precious gin For among the many things Rahul was bom without, was the capacity for insincerity. Ile could not show what he did not feel nor could he suppress urgent emotion As she stood next to him. consumed hy his expression of unselfish love. Gaun stopped wondering why Rahul could not be more like her rhtt moment she wanted ra he more like him back lo Delhi, Gauri sad 17 As Rahul and Gaun were leaving in the evening to drive Bye, nani As she turncil lo look at her one last time. she noriced mani s lips together. as if she was trying to speak Somehow, only for an instant, she mustered the strength to say good bye That's when Gauri knew Rahul had reached her say, uaid in all 18 Thar evening by nurii s deathhed when none knew whar no Rahul had FOOTNOTE Nan Malemal grandmother 2. Mama: Malemal Uncle