Next vote target-130⭐️

Karthik's POV...

" Appa, I have hired a caretaker for you. Her name is Ms Mary, and my friend Arun recommended her since she worked for his father when Arun went on a business trip for a month.

She has trained well and has experience of around six years in the domiciliary care field. Her nursing agency also said positive about her services.

So, from today onwards, she will attain you and stay here until you recover completely. This evening, I'll be here before she arrives to instruct her duties. "

I turned towards Kavya and asked, " Kavya, did you arrange the adjustable bed that I bought for her? And don't forget to come early today. We should be here before she comes."

She nodded and said, " Anna, I will look after her needs. You stop worrying about that."

I smiled at her words and looked at our father, who was sitting with an emotionless face. " Appa...." But he cut off me and asked, " So, you won't stay here after this? You only waited for a chance to get rid of me, and now you have achieved it." He said with a mocking tone.

" Appa, what are you talking about? I stayed here willingly to look after you. And now you're getting better day by day. So that's why I'm giving the responsibility to a caretaker. But that doesn't mean I'm getting rid of you. I'll visit you every day and attend to your needs." Saying I got up from the chair, which was near to father's bed.

" You have changed Karthik..." My steps halted listening to his words.

" What?" I asked nonchalantly.

" You are not my son, Karthik, anymore... You have changed, or should I say someone has changed you." He said in an accusing tone.

I caught his point when he uttered those last words with a deep tone. " Appa, I'm not changed; your way of looking only changed. You know very well that now I'm married and I already left Kayal to stay alone at night all these days only to be near you to look after your health....."

" So, that girl complained about that, and now you're leaving your father for that characterless girl's demand...."

" Appa, can you stop your misunderstood thoughts and blaming my wife? I thought you would have changed even a little bit, but unfortunately, your mind is still stuck in the same place. At least try to give her some respect, Appa, because I won't tolerate it if someone disrespects my wife."
I didn't know when my voice started to increase gradually while talking to him, so Kavya stopped me by holding my arm.

" Anna, please be calm. Don't take him seriously; he's our father, and now we have to consider his health condition before talking to him...."

" See Karthik, that's my daughter, and that shows her love how much she is beholding on me. But you have turned into a winning doll where that witch controls your keys. "

Hearing his never-ending accusations, my shoulders slumped down defeatedly and asked him," I don't know, Appa. I don't know how to prove myself to you other than this. I am trying Pa. I've been trying from my teenage years to prove that I love you and respect you. But your distrust has blinded your eyes that you couldn't accept that anymore."

Once I completed, he scanned my face as if he was weighing my words and nodded his head slightly. " Okay,  forget what I did in the past, and sorry to neglect your effects. If I ask something you to prove yourself now that shows your respect for me, will you do it, Karthik? " His tone was drastically changed, and he looked composed.

Thinking for a moment, I nodded and asked, " Okay, Pa, I'll try my best. What should I do to earn myself your trust?"

For a second, he looked at Kavya with a satisfied smile before turning his attention towards me, " OK then, as much as possible, you should divorce that girl and marry my sister's daughter,  Aarohi. That's the only way you can prove that still you have respect for your father who raised you like the man you're now."

That's it...

That's the point where my patience was waning to the thin point ...

But I didn't lose my temper this time like before. Straightening my shoulder, calmly I took my steps towards him and leaning forward I looked at him without wavering my eyes, where he could gauge my words and expressions and could see how I was determined on my decisions.

" There you are wrong, Appa... If you are thinking you can manipulate me holding on to your health condition and awakening the guiltiness, then you are completely wrong. You said right, you're the one who raised this man. Then yes, this is the man who will never give up on his wife in any condition even if he wants to sacrifice himself for her.

She has endured a lot throughout her life, and I knew nothing could be changed. In the past, I was a helpless coward who couldn't stand for her. But...hereafter, I won't allow anything or anyone to ruin her future. If you have any idea like that, you should erase it from your mind and accept reality. Because nothing gonna change as you think.

At the same time, I am not going to avoid my responsibilities towards you as a son or as a good brother to Kavya. I will always be there when you guys want me...." Retreating I made distance from him and said "I hope you will at least understand your son, who you have never tried to understand until now." When I finished, his face was neutral but I could see the unbelievable look beneath his eyes.

Kavya was dumbstruck by my not-so-cool outburst but avoiding her stare I said, " I'll be here before seven. And you also try to reach home without getting late." With that, I came outside of the house and starting the engine, pulled my car out through the gates.

While I was waiting for the signal I fetched my phone and looked at it where our image adorning my wallpaper. She was soundly sleeping on my chest listening to the lullaby of my heartbeat where I was holding her closely. I captured it last week after the most intimate session of us.

If you're wondering whether it was with clothes or without clothes, no doubt it was taken after we freshened up and got ready for the bed with our night suite. Because I don't want anyone to mistakenly see my girl improperly.

I smiled at her cute pout with those chubby cheeks which I was yearning to bite now. Damn man...my junior was getting hard while thinking about her.....' honk honk', ' Beep beep' my sweet dreams broke with the noisy and ear-piercing horn sounds of vehicles from behind my car and then only I saw already traffic signal turned red to green. I quickly pulled out the car from the stop not before sending a quick  ' I Love You, Pondati ❤️ See u in the evening ' text to my girl with a red heart emoji.

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Third person's POV...

Within a few seconds, Karthik's text was successfully delivered to Kayal's one-week-old, brand-new phone. And her screen light illuminated indicating that she received a notification with a tink sound. The person who was checking her phone with curiosity glances and her eyes unexpectedly landed on the new text ' I Love You Pondati ❤️ See u in the evening ' with the sender's name in the corner mentioned as Karthik accompanied by a red heart,

Karthik ❤️

"What the fuck ! " the person who was holding the phone dropped it to the table and exclaimed loudly forgetting that she was using the obscene phrase in the middle of the crowded bakery.  most of the heads turned in her direction with annoying and disgusting looks while some wild teenagers laughed enjoying the scene.

Startled by her best friend's sudden outburst Kayal immediately picked up her phone from the table and checked the reason behind her friend's unforeseen action after the particular ' tink' sound.

Seeing her husband's message, Kayal already who was in nervousness about how to disclose her marriage to her friend, froze not knowing what to do and how to explain her actions.

" Abi, what are you doing? You're making a scene in the bakery" Both the lady's reveries broke hearing Abishek's voice and he was throwing daggers towards his sister with warning glares.

Asking the apologies from his customers he almost succeeded in diverting their attention back to their work.

" Kayal, are you okay? You are looking like got hit by a ghost? What happened to you both? " This time his voice seemed concerned and Kayal tried to make it cool little by putting on a fake smile and said, " Yes, Abishek,  we're good. Just a little chaos between friends... Some friendship stuff...Sorry to disturb you." Nodding he gave them calculative stares but didn't dare to dig out more.

" No, it's okay. Carry on. But please try to join us in the kitchen within thirty minutes. Anne needs you there.." Getting a positive answer he vacated the place giving some odd look towards his sister who was sitting opposite Kayal and throwing death glares towards her.

" Abi-...."

" Stop there Kayal, I already felt something wrong with your past behaviors during our phone conversations and even when you saw me here, today you didn't react like how I thought,  instead you seemed shocked and nervous.  I just waited to get those things out of your mouth by yourself but see finally you made me shocked... Woow" she said sarcastically in a mocking tone.

" Abi, I wanted to tell you everything and I even tried a lot of times but..." she cut me off and said " Are you kidding Kayal? Between friends, there should be faith and can't be any hesitation. Seeing this message on your phone and those words... I don't know up to what level you have hidden things from me. But I'm sure, seeing your face and reactions it couldn't be anything smaller."

Heaving a sigh she looked at Kayal straightly and asked, " The person who sent you the text has mentioned you as Pondati at the end of the message. Did you guys married really or what? And don't you dare to feed me lie about this" she warned gritting her teeth.

Wetting her dried lips Kayal tried to utter that one word which was hard to say at this moment..." Y...yes" she whispered but Abi didn't miss hearing that.

" Great...Just great..." she sarcastically remarked with a sad hint.

" Abi p..please, listen to me for once..." Kayal's voice started to shiver because she doesn't want to lose her only true friend because of her stupid deed. She knew what did she does was wrong. But she didn't hide those things purposely.

" No kayal, I need some time before listening to your fucking pathetic reasons. But don't think that I'm leaving you and can escape from me so easily. Hoping your reasons can be reasonable before I kill you with my bare hands for deceiving this stupid friend of yours. I thought I was your best friend like you're mine. But I'm not sure that is true anymore" Getting up from the chair she picked up her handbag and said, " Now go and do your damn work before your sore ass boss blames me for holding your time for long." With that, she stormed out like a fireball without a second glance.

Heaving a sigh she wiped the teardrop which rolled out from one eye and took a deep breath to stabilize her breathing rate which was hard to control.

She knew her friend couldn't stay without talking to her. She might have scolded her for hiding important things from her but eventually, she would talk with her casually as before, forgetting the issues.... She knew about her friend very well. She smiled believing her instinct and wiped her eyes taking the tissues from the holder.

Picking her phone, once again she read the unopened text of Karthik and wondered the reason behind his sudden love confession message at this unusual time. She kept her thoughts aside sent him a reply and left the table to continue her work which was stopped by her best friend's surprise visit...

Of course surprise it seems....

Kayal hoped Abi will be alright when she meets her next time and she would understand her friend. But the next thing that struck her hard was how to disclose to her friend that The Karthik who her friend married was the same Karthik who annoyed Abi always and thought that he was her friend's brother???

                                   ~~~~~

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