I had initially considered posting this for the Holiday contest, but Murphy's Law (and endsems) ensured that I could not get around to writing it till now. Credits to my editor zoyiab.
Anyway, vote, comment, and send private feedback to let me know what you think of it.
----
Karen Carmichael had always been somewhat of an enigma. She was one of the most talked about people in the world, but shied away from the spotlight as much as she could. Just 32, she had already courted more controversy than most. She was the CEO and ex officio chairwoman to Carmichael Industries, her step father's business empire.
Very few people knew her personally. She conducted most of her dealings from her lavish mansion on the Upper East Side. Largely reclusive, she was more of a social rarity in all of the fabulous parties thrown here and there, with good reason. Some of the things she had done in her life were questionable at best, and she preferred not to talk about them. One of them would have to be marrying her step-brother Adrian.
When a recently divorced Victor Carmichael married the beautiful socialite Alice Lane, he had no idea that one day his son and her daughter would fall deeply in love. They shared more than the normal love between step siblings. Karen was passionately in love and Adrian felt the same way. But there was a whole slew of societal dogma and media hounding that stood in the way.
If they went through with it, they would be branded as semi-incestuous degenerates by the whole world. Being the strong-willed and confident woman she was Karen did precisely that. Their parents reluctantly accepted it and she gave a stirring speech at a press conference to silence all her critics once and for all. The hearts of every New Yorker went out to them and the intrinsic purity of their romance.
She was barely in her twenties when her parents died in a sailing accident. The siblings got each other through that difficult phase. Adrian had taken charge of the business conglomerate initially. They were married in a joyous ceremony at San Marino. Then, after ten years of married bliss, tragedy struck. And that is where our little tale begins............
Karen sighed for the umpteenth time. This was the part of Christmas that she hated- getting ready for dinner. Being as reclusive as she was, she never really got the hang of what to wear when entertaining guests. The only party she had was a small, private Christmas dinner for her oldest friends, Tom and Sue Markham. Her personal chef was busy at work, conjuring a sumptuous banquet as she still struggled with her clothes. After some searching, she finally found the dress that Adrian had brought her from Paris. Her eyes spontaneously moistened in his memory.
Life was just not the same with what had happened to him the previous year.
Finally, she put on her dress and made her way downstairs to receive her guests. Sitting down to have dinner, Sue noticed that there was an extra chair at the table. She felt a pang of sorrow. Adrian was a good person, who did not deserve what happened to him. They started eating.
"So tell us Karen, how is the business going?"
"Very well actually, we have big plans to expand our market to India. There is a huge potential customer base waiting for us."
"Oh that sounds wonderful, and in your personal life? Are you seeing someone?" asked Sue kindly.
Karen visibly stiffened. After a while, she said, "No. I have not seen anyone since Adrian......"
Sue immediately apologized for being intrusive. Karen controlled herself well enough and did not cry. Somewhere in her heart, she had not yet accepted the reality.
"It's okay; I knew Adrian was going to come up eventually. So, you must be curious about what happened last year?"
The Markhams looked at each other, unsure of what to say. Karen sensed their unease.
"Don't worry. I am comfortable talking about it. In fact, talking about it somehow makes the load feel lighter. Like a form of therapy."
Tom gently nodded towards his wife and they gave her the go-ahead to start. Karen drew a deep breath and gathered all her thoughts. It was a very painful memory, but one she would have to come to terms with.
"It all started one day, when Adrian had an unexplained seizure in his office. It was during a board meeting. He was rushed to Mercy and I flew in from Chicago to see him. The doctor had some bad news for us."
She paused, trying her hardest to hold back her tears.
"Adrian had small cell carcinoma, a rare and untreatable type of cancer. He had about a month to live. There wasn't any warning. "
The tears were almost out by now.
"I stayed by his side the whole time. It was a cruel dichotomy. On one hand, I could not bear to stay away from him. On the other hand, it hurt so much watching my one true love slowly dying. Then one day, he made his request."
Her restraint finally slipped as the corners of her eyes moistened.
"He said he was in too much pain and,... and....... asked me to end it for him."
The dam of stoical calmness finally ruptured as she wept.
"He was in so much pain and nobody saw it. He told me to put him to sleep where he could not feel it any more."
The Markhams extended their arms to console her, but she waved them away and composed herself.
"His last words were- Karen, I love you so much. Thank you for this."
She wiped her tears and resumed.
"I guess you know the details of what happened after that?"
Tom sighed knowingly. He had been her defence attorney. The state of New York collectively gasped when they heard about her euthanizing her brother. Opinion was sharply divided on the issue. There were those who wanted her head and those who thought she had done the right thing.
Karen Carmichael was the most talked about figure in New York for a while. Her trial was widely covered by every news channel on the planet. Tom had prepared a speech for her to say when she would be questioned, but she waved it off and spoke from her heart. Her words were eloquent and touching beyond measure. The jury members actually began sobbing by the time she had finished. The verdict was a unanimous 'not guilty'. She left to a resounding round of applause. Since that day, it had become necessary to maintain a low profile.
"So how are you coping with it? Do you need any help?" asked Tom kindly.
"No thank you, I will be just fine."
They finished the rest of the dinner in silence. Karen often shot a longing glance at the empty chair beside her.
