THIRTY SIX

Diane sat at the driver’s seat of the car, her hands on the wheel. Her sister, Malvika was seated at the passenger seat beside her, staring out through the window while Natasha sat behind, staring blankly into the atmosphere. They were parked in front of the cemetery where they had buried their father. Diane stared ahead of her, the tears in her lids blinded her vision.

Malvika turned to her, reached out her hand and placed it on her shoulder. “Hey, shouldn’t we be getting down?”

Diane shook her head. “You guys can go ahead,” she replied without turning to look at her.

Malvika hesitated. She turned her towards Natasha, raising a brow in question. Natasha shrugged in reply and together, they opened their separate doors and stepped out of the car. Malvika paused, turning to Diane. “Hey, are you going to be okay?”

Diane nodded, forcing out a smile. “I’m fine,” she said. She watched as her sist