⚔ The Right Way ⚔

Corin woke that morning with a sense of peace and calm washing over her. Her memories of the night before were scattered and she remembered that Kallm had been with her all night until she had finally made it back into her room.

It was a memory that she knew she would cherish forever.

But now it was time to go. She had done what she had come here to do, Kayana had told her what had happened the night before with Vodia before she had left in a flurry of skirts back to her room.

Her parents were going to stay a little while longer with Raian and Mednia, but Corin was going to go back to Lirat aunty. Truth be told, she missed her little aunty and their quaint shop. Her father had offered to bring her back though. She had fixed her mistake and Corin appreciated the thought, but she was happier there.

Placing her final material into her suitcase, her eyes caught sight of the purple colouring and Corin sighed. Bringing it up to her face in front of her mirror, Corin smiled. She wrapped it around her shoulders and pulled it loosely up above her head.

She knew why she was taking her time to get ready, but she didn't want to admit it.

She hadn't seen Kallm that morning, and whenever she asked she was simply told that he had gone out to run some errands and to just wait for him to come back. But the taxi was booked and she couldn't put it off.

The longer she waited the harder it would be.

Kayana was back with her family and the love her life. Raian had also found someone to love. And Kallm? Kallm would be rid of her and he wouldn't have to suffer watching the girl who was responsible for the sadness of his brother.

Shaking her head, Corin willed the thoughts away. She was allowed to spend her final hour here happily. She would be gone soon enough.

Zipping the suitcase up, Corin pulled it onto the ground and began dragging it outside her door where she saw Vodia on the phone. Seeing her he grumbled something and hung up, placing the phone in his pocket and moving forward to take the heavy bag from her. Corin stood still as he began moving away, but realised that she had never truly apologised to this man.

"I'm sorry." She quietly spoke, but she knew Vodia heard her.

He came back then, and lifted her chin with a finger and smiled at her.

"Corin, you made a mistake. No one should be punished their whole life for a mistake." He wiped the falling tears from her cheeks and smiled. "Do not condemn yourself for foolishness that you have fixed."

Corin nodded, gratitude flowing through her and she thanked the lord that her brother-in-law was a wise man.

He hugged her lightly then, tucking her under his arm as she repeated thank you in his ear.

"I'll take your bag downstairs." He said to her and he lifted her bag in a swift move and began moving towards the stairs. Corin felt a weight off her shoulders and she finally thought that it'd be okay.

Giving her room one last sweeping glance, she closed the door behind her and followed Vodia down the staircase. At the bottom she saw her family and Madkun standing with both Vodia and Kayana, the couple standing close together. Vodia's arm was around Kayana's waist and Corin was happy that Madkun was one that valued his children's happiness over what the world would think.

She moved forward and was pulled into an affectionate hug by Madkun, his fatherly love spilled into her and he whispered in her ear. "Thank you for all that you've done beti." He kissed her on her forehead and Corin moved to Vodia and Kayana.

The two smiled at her together and both rested a palm on her face. Corin placed her own hands on top of theirs and smiled back, happiness bursting through her as she saw how content they were. She only wished that one day she would be lucky enough to have the same thing.

Moving on, her brother pulled her into a hug in one swift move which resulted in her whole family squashing her in between themselves. She could feel their relief and Corin tried to show them her appreciation for all that they had done for her. But she knew that no amount of hugs would show exactly how much they had done for her. Even by sending her to live with Lirat, they had changed her life for the better, it had been when she had properly met Kallm and she wouldn't change that for anything.

Pulling away, Corin giggled at the over dramatic tears of her mother, who she would see next when she came to visit. She wiped her cheeks and gave one last fleeting glance to the majestic house that had given her shelter and said a quick prayer.

"Shall we come outside?" Kayana asked gingerly, though she knew the answer. Corin didn't like saying goodbye twice.

"No no, jiji, it'll be okay."

Corin grabbed the handle of her suitcase and pulled it up, dragging it behind her to the driveway. She turned to the house and gave it a blow kiss and handed her luggage to the ready driver who placed it in the boot.

The sky rumbled and Corin quickly put one foot inside the car, slowing down only to make sure her purple scarf wouldn't fly away with the wind. She sat comfortably in the backseat and let her mind wander. The only thing that would've made this goodbye perfect was if Kallm was back, but Vodia had told her that he had gone into work to run a few errands. She knew she couldn't fault him for that. But she wished that he was here.

The driver got into the car and looked at her through the rearview, waiting for her nod before he turned on the car and pulled out on the road.

It seemed the wind was getting louder, Corin could've sworn she heard her name, but realised that perhaps she should just put her window before it started to rain.

Corin noticed that the driver continued to look in his rearview at something behind the car and Corin turned herself to see what it was.

"Stop the car." Corin ordered when her eyes focussed on the figure running behind her.

"Stop the car!" She shouted when the car hadn't immediately jolted to a stop. She jumped out of the car, her scarf pulling off her head as she stood in the wind waiting for Kallm to come close enough for her to speak.

"Kallm ji, what -"

He held up his hand, bending over to get his breath back. When he stood up again, Corin was closer to him, close enough that if he wanted to, he could pull her into him. But this had to be said. There was time for all of that, the rest of his life in fact, if she said yes.

He kneeled down on one knee, grasping both of her hands in his and took a deep breath. He hoped this would work.

"Corin. I was wrong. I was so wrong when I said I couldn't forgive you. I was hurt. I was hurting and I needed someone to blame, but I was wrong to put the blame on you. You weren't the only reason. I shouldn't have asked this much of you and I shouldn't have made you feel that I could never love you. Because I do Lavender. I really do. I love you." Kallm breath came out in huffs as his adrenaline coursed through him. He launched a hand into his pocket a pulled out the velvet box that he had run around the whole city to find but the box fell out of his hands onto the ground in front of him. Letting go of Corin's hands, Kallm reached for it, but was stopped by Corin kneeling herself and lifting the box. She placed it on her palm and held it out to him and Kallm didn't think anything in the world was prettier than her right at that moment.

Kallm watched her as he lifted a hand to turn the box towards her and opened it, but her eyes didn't move from his. She lowered the box, but kept looking at Kallm.

He looked down at the box when she placed her other hand under his chin and brought him closer.

"I love you." She mouthed to him, no sound coming from her lips, but Kallm knew exactly what she had said. And he closed the gap between them. He reached for the ring then and Corin extended her hand, but not removing her mouth from his as he did what he had wanted to do since Vodia's wedding.

Kallm stopped and kissed her forehead, beaming as he held her in his arms for the right reasons this time. She shivered lightly, but Corin didn't notice the cold as she snuggled deeper into Kallm's embrace. She loved him. And he loved her too.

She didn't think this day would ever come. At least not so quickly. But she wasn't complaining.

Kallm pulled her up with him, not being able to take his eyes off her glowing frame. The fact that he was the reason that she looked so happy made him want to shout from the rooftops. She had said yes. It hadn't been too late.

Turning to the driver, he pulled Corin with him, seating her in the taxi before himself, and leaning forward to the driver, he softly told him to turn the car around. They were going home. 

When they got there, the whole family was waiting at the doorstep, all looking on anxiously.

Corin glanced at a sheepish Kallm who was rubbing the back of his hand as he came to stand next to her, grasping her hand lightly.

As soon as Kallm touched her, their families let out sounds of joy. Madkun and Ionido immediately turned to each other and shook hands, with Caterina wiping tears of joy away from her face.  

Kayana leaped forward and lifted Corin's ringed finger, putting the small and delicate rock on display for all to see. Kayana sent a playful smile towards Kallm's bashful posture as he stood behind Corin before Vodia blocked her sight. 

After nodding at Vodia, who seemed to take the hint, Kayana pulled Corin away and led her upstairs into her previous bedroom. On her way there, Corin noticed that Kallm was also being led to his room. She questioned him silently and Kallm responded with a shrug of his shoulders.

What was going on?

Once inside, she saw the beautiful orange and red ghagra laying on her bed. Corin gasped and looked at Kayana who nodded towards the window. Running towards it, Corin looked outside, at the large white gazebo and the white chairs with matching orange and red bows tied to them, that were set up. There were oval table sets on the outskirts of the seating chairs that had yellow roses on them with matching bows. Had they planned this? When? She had just gotten engaged!

Corin looked back at Kayana, who led her back to the bed.

"It's our way of saying thank you, Corin."

"When?"

"Yesterday, after Vodia had spoken to Kallm."

But before Corin could reply, Kayana had begun undoing her hair and brushing it, and Corin remembered when she had done the same for Kayana at her wedding.

It was her wedding. Corin was finally going to get married to the man of her dreams.

And the best part? Kayana and Corin were finally going to be sisters.

~

Kallm donned the suit and looked at his brother, extending his hand which held the tie that he had never been able to do himself. 

Vodia chuckled lightly and took it from Kallm.

"When did you do this, bhaiya?" Kallm questioned his oddly mischievous brother. 

Vodia's answer was a grin and a wink as he turned Kallm towards the mirror. "You forget who I am, brother." 

Before Kallm could ask anything else, Madkun walked into his youngest sons' bedroom and smiled fondly at the sight before him. His oldest son finally happy with the woman he loved as his wife and his youngest on the same path. 

Their mother would be proud. 

His sons walked towards him and both put an arm around him as they hugged their father. 

Madkun wiped the tear from his eye and he pulled back, grinning at his children. 

"When did you grow up?" He asked Kallm fondly and Kallm just smiled back.

"The Pandit Ji is asking for you. It's time for your to go downstairs." 

Caterina had the same message for Corin and giggled when her daughter asked her if she knew. Why else would she have been crying when Corin was going? She was going to see her the next week anyway. 

She walked towards her now beautifully dressed daughter who seemed to radiate beauty in her clothes. It was Kayana's idea for Caterina to bring her wedding set for Corin, 'just in case' Kayana had said. Placing a hand on both of her daughters shoulders for a second, Caterina couldn't have been happier. 

Corin just shook her head affectionately and gathered her skirts. How long had she been dreaming of this moment?

She took every step slowly, cherishing the moments where her decisions had led her. It had started off as a mistake, a tragic mistake that Corin wished she had never done, but now, it was all going to be okay.  

Making her way outside, she scanned the crowd. She saw her brother and his fiancee, her parents together and Vodia and Kayana standing together, all looking at her with love in their eyes and Corin couldn't be happier.

At the end of the ribboned pathway, she saw her fiance, her soon to be husband, standing there with his heart open for her, his smirk infectious as she read between the lines. I won, my lavender, was what his eyes were saying to her and Corin couldn't help but agree with him, except in this case, his win was a win for her too. 

Who would've thought in finding the right way, she'd find the right one too. 

⚔ The Right Way ⚔