Tina

I knocked at the door of Taran and Rudhran ji's bedroom. This is not the first time I'm coming into this room in the past three days. There was an unnamed instant connection between Taran and me, and only the previous night I learned the reason.

Taran has brought me to this room to play and study with me. I used to immediately leave as soon as Rudhran ji entered the room but now I have to share the room with him. The door opens and Taran launches at me. I crouched down and hugged him back.

I peeped into the room and couldn't find Rudhran ji in my vision's reach. "Where is daddy?"

"Bathroom la, neenga ulla vaanga, mummy," I didn't feel weird when he called mummy but something fluttered in my belly. I hugged and kissed on his cheeks and he repeated the same.

Is this how every mother feels when their child calls them mother for the first time?

I sit on the bed and him on his computer. Thankfully, I'm facing the opposite side of the closet door, so even if Rudhran ji comes out only he can see me. Though Taran is in his summer holidays, his school is organizing club activities for computer science, maths and science.

Taran showed me his completed science project which I left in half as Rudhran ji returned.

"You finished it?"

"Daddy helped me." It's been over ten minutes when I came but there was no sign of Rudhran ji.

"How long has he been there?"

"More than an hour," he replies and continues with his work.

More than an hour, which means he came here directly after leaving Thooriga's room. He looked like he was broken when he left. I got off the bed and hesitantly walked to the closet. I knocked on the door but it got pushed open and I heard the sound of the shower running.

I entered the closet and stood outside the open bathroom door and called out his name. I didn't get any response, I closed my eyes and slowly stepped into the bathroom to call him again. When I still didn't get any response, I opened my one eye a little but seeing the state he was in, both my eyes shot wide open.

Rudhran ji was sitting under the running shower, fully clothed, balancing his head with his hands leaned against his knees. His body shaking with his muted sobs. I ran to him and shook him as he seemed lost, "Rudhran ji, aap kya kar rahe ho?" (What are you doing?)

I got drenched too and I realized that I didn't turn off the shower. I turned off the shower and I pulled him out of the bathroom with what little strength I had. I tried to make him talk but he didn't reply. I made him sit on a cushion bench in the closet and take a towel to pat his head dry.

Taran watched us and I told him, "Rudhran ji Taran is watching you, please talk something."

I cupped his face through the towel and lifted it up. His eyes were red with all the crying and I didn't understand what to tell him. Suddenly, Rudhran ji, hugs me around my waist and starts crying, burying his face in my belly. I stand frozen, dropping the towel from my hand. Taran chuckles and runs out of the room, closing the door behind him.

"I was never there for her when Jeevitha needed me. She was my best friend and I failed her." I looked down at him and let him pour out his heart. He patiently listened to my story and it's my turn.

"When she was forcibly married to Prakash, when he abused her, when she found out she is pregnant with my child and when she wanted me to check on Taran. If I had stayed here without going on a business trip, I would have saved her from the marriage. If I hadn't put my mobile in silent for a meeting, I wouldn't have lost her and our unborn child."

My mind goes to my dad, even he would have felt the same when he came to know that mummy was raped. Subconsciously, my hand goes around him, hugging his head and shoulder, trying to calm him. "You brought her out from that marriage, you saved Taran, you gave them shelter and love. It's just the circumstances, it's not your mistake."

I felt a jerk in his body and he suddenly pulled away from me. He stands up and I take a step back. "I'm sorry, I didn't intend to ... " he struggles.

"It's okay, I came to talk with you and found you like that...'' I stammer, "Get changed, don't stay in wet clothes."

Seriously Tina?

I curse my mouth and walk out of the closet. I'm halfway to the bedroom door and I stopped to tell him what I actually came here to talk about. I turn to him and he stops removing his t-shirt.

Hai Rabba Mujhe Bachao (Ohh God Please help me.)

"Sorry Sorry...I came to talk with you about something."

"Tell me," he walks out of the closet.

"Ilakkiya aunty..." I start but ask the question which has been troubling me since lunch. "Why didn't you tell the truth about this marriage to the family?"

He crosses his arm against his chest, "I was about to tell but Raj stopped me. Without any reason he wouldn't do or say anything. When he expressed his concern, I realised the reason."

I nod my head as I get what he is trying to say. Raj was angry and concerned about our lying to the court and we might get convicted for faking marriage and Thooriga being a false witness.

"Well, now Ilakkiya aunty is asking me to move in with you in this room," I fiddle with my ring.

"Do you trust me that I wouldn't harm you?" I nodded my head at him. "Can I trust you?" I scowled at him and turned to stomp out of the room as I heard him laugh.

Niece and Uncle both are cut from the same cloth. They shift their moods in a fraction of seconds for other's happiness. "I'm experienced in staying away from my wife in the same room for four years. So I can manage for another three years," he calls out behind me.

"Okay, I'll bring my luggages," I replied without turning back to look at him.

"You go and get changed, in ten minutes I'll come there to help you." I nodded at him and covered a few distances to open the door.

"Tina your shawl," Rudhran ji calls me and Ilakkiya ji who's hand is raised to knock at the door goes to cover her mouth as she blushes and averts her eyes. I turned back to find Rudhran ji standing shirtless near the footboard of the bed with his wet t-shirt in one hand and my shawl which had slid down while I was talking with Taran.

I gaped at him and turned back to look at Ilakkiya ji face palming, "Sorry, I just came to check whether you have moved in. If you want I can shift Taran to my room."

"No No No," Rudhran ji and I say in unison as I feel him within a foot behind me. "We were about to get her things, ka," he informed her as he placed my shawl on my shoulder.

"Hmm okay," she leaves face palming again. I closed the door and turned to confront him about removing his t-shirt when I'm still in the room and for the fake PDA but my feet slipped with the water dripping from our dresses.

I was expecting to have a fall but Rudhran ji held me. I could feel his one hand around my shoulders and the other around my waist. I opened my eyes to find my one hand on his shoulder and another on his biceps. I try to stand up immediately without having minutes of eyelock like it happens in movies and serials and he helps me to get my balance. I adjusted my shawl and left the room before asking him to call the maids and mop the water, as Taran might slip and fall.

You wantedly went and agreed for this fake marriage, now enjoy suffering for the next three years, Tina.

Thooriga

As soon as Tina leaves, I thought of leaving to check on Raj, but I received a call from Vini. "Hey Vini, how are you?"

"I'm good and you?"

"Good too." I decided to give my time to all of my relationships equally, so I asked, "You said that we all can hangout, have you made any plans?"

"Yes, but it's not my plan, there is our school reunion party tomorrow at Wenlock Hall, Gem Park Hotel. It was planned a month ago and I forgot to inform you when I came to meet you on your birthday."

"Ohh," I'm not sure whether going to a party is a good idea with Chitha and Tina's marriage and Raj's anger due to misinterpretation of my words. "Can I let you know after sometime?"

"Of course, but inform me before tonight."

"Sure," I hear a knock on the door and Tanya goes to open it. I disconnected the call after Vini and I exchanged our goodbyes.

Taran runs into our room and jumps to sit on the bed, giggling. Tanya and I looked at each other wondering about his actions, "Ennachu, Taran online club activities ilaya inga vanthuta?" (What are you doing here without doing your online club activities?)

"Mudichiten, Daddy um Tina mummy um huggie panitikanga adhan naan vanthuten," he blushes and covers his face. (All done. I came here as Daddy and Tina Mummy hugged each other.)

"Edhey?" Tanya and I looked at each other surprised. I closed Taran's ears, "Didn't she say that what they said in court is all false?" We both laugh and Taran joins us.

We tickle to make him laugh more. The members of the Harshavardhan mansion can laugh only at these types of situations. Is there anyone in the family without a broken past?

The door to the room opens and Tina walks in. Taran jumps off the bed and he runs to Tina calling her mummy but she stops him, "Taran, Go to daddy, mummy will be there in another ten to fifteen minutes after changing. I'm wet."

I giggle as my mind takes the last word in double meaning and Tina glares at me. Once Taran is out of the room, "I said in single meaning," she says annoyed and Tanya bursts out in laughter.

"Even I thought in single meaning," I lied as she crouches on the floor and fetches out a dress from her suitcase. "So what made you wet, Chithi?" I teased her by stressing on the word wet.

She walks into the closet and leaves the door a little ajar as she explains what happened while she changed into a fresh pair of clothes. Gratefully, Tina went at the right time, else I can't guess how long Chitha would have been sitting under the shower and crying. My mind goes to Raj as pretty much both left the room in the same state of mind.

I call him but he doesn't pick the call. "Okay, I'm going to check on Raj." I inform them as Tina comes out of the closet. "Give me your laundry basket, I'll place it with mine and let the maid to drop it back in Chitha's room." she nods and picks her laundry basket to pass it on me. We hear a knock on the door and I open it as I'm about to leave. Chitha is standing there and he scratches his head, "Tina ooda luggages eduthu pogalam nu vanthen." I smile and give way for him to enter, "Nee laundry basket eduthu enga pora?" He picks Tina's bags. (I came to get Tina's luggages; Where are you going with the laundry basket?)

I explained to him the reason, "Tina intha oru suitcase neenga eduthu konga meethi ellam naan eduthu kuren. Apporam antha laundry basket um neenga namma room ke eduthutu vanthu dunga." (Tina you take this suitcase alone and I'll get the others. Also bring your laundry basket to our room.)

"Namma room ah?" I asked him in surprise. (Our room?)

"For the next three, it's going to be our room," he shrugs and leaves with her luggages.

Tina gets her laundry basket from me, "Will you hate me after three years?

I hugged her, "I would never hate you, my love and respect has just increased for you."

"Okay, now go and check on your Raj," she says as she pulls back from me and hugs Tanya.

We left her room to Saby bro and Jagan anna were standing outside Tina's room guarding me and they followed me as I went back to my suite. I pressed my palm to unlock my suite and asked Saby Bro to follow me in.

"Raj enga bro? Naan phone panna call eduka marataru," I asked him as I leaned on Raj's office table. Saby bro knows about us and I have known him since my childhood, we both call each other as bro, so asking him is no issue.

"Ennachu bro, Boss kovama poonaru?" He comes to lean beside me. (What happened bro, boss left angrily.)

"A small misinterpretation of words," I crossed my arms and pouted at him.

"He is in the gym but if you go to him with this sad face, he may not calm down. Go to meet him with your spity self," he cheered me up.

I smiled at him before going into my room. I locked the closet and changed into yoga pants, a sports bra and a hoodie. I fill my water bottle in the lounge room and walk out to find Saby bro sitting on Raj's office Chair.

"To the gym, bro." I told him as he opened the door for me.

"Roger that, heiress."

Get ready mama your kitty is coming for you.

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Those who are missing Raj, he'll come on Saturday, until then have a glimpse of him in the Chapter 41 of "The Lion and the Rose."

https://www.wattpad.com/1175680425-the-lion-and-the-rose-chapter-41

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