Happy reading, honey buns!

"What time is it?",Ekantha asked.

"Almost 3,yeah quarter to 3. Why do you ask though?",Anika asked.

"Cover up for me, I'll be back soon",she said and rushed to the washroom.

She needed to go somewhere, somewhere away from here to think. She decided where she wanted to go.

She changed into a white salwaar suit, she came out and put the dupatta on her shoulder and gave one last look to Anika who was standing there all surprised and shocked.

Ekantha never did something like this, all the time she saw Ekantha being aloof if some problem comes and thinking about it negatively. It scared Anika, what if she is trying to go and-

No no, Ekantha might be an over thinker and an insecure soul but she would never take any such decision. She said to herself.

"Atleast tell where you are going, Ekantha. You are scaring me",Anika said.

"Nowhere risky, don't worry I'll be back. I just need some space. This",she looked around the room and made an uncomfortable face.

"This feels like I am somewhere in a place which is just so closely packed and suffocating. I will be safe don't worry",Ekantha said.

Anika pulled her into a hug, Ekantha froze. She remember Abhi and her, about them the previous night.

"I don't care where you go as long as you find it peaceful enough to breathe and stay but just take care, okay?",Anika said pulling herself away.

Ekantha nodded and jumped from the window into her garden and dusted her hands which had dust. She got up to find Dikshit there.

"Are you going somewhere?",he asked and Anika peeped out of the window.

"Dikshit, you come here! I will tell you",Anika whisper yelled so that nobody would hear them.

"I am coming, but Ekantha",he said and Anika just signalled him to shut up and come in the home.

Dikshit went in and Ekantha slowly escaped out. She walked for fifteen minutes and finally reached the place she wanted to be there.

It was the garden beside the temple. There were so many birds sitting in various places all round the garden, chirping.

A small smile escaped from her lips. A quite genuine one though.

She sat on the bench and one of the birds came and sat on the steps.

She was loving every bit of it. Temples, gardens, nature, birds, greenery, these were the things which gave her happiness which she could feel it from her heart.

She just looked around for some more time and that's when her thoughts flew back to Abhi's, Ketan's, Anika's words.

She thought about Ketan's intentions, was she really a burden to him? Was it always like that or she always thought he loved her. She wanted to ask him all of that and tell him how much she went through.

Anika's words really did have some power. She felt some courage building up in her. Before thinking about anything else, she wanted to talk to her father. She found the solution, she got it. First things should be cleared first so that we can go on for the next ones.

Her father, her insecurities, everything was interlinked and without carefully untying that chain, she couldn't possibly tie a knot with Abhi.

Maybe this wasn't going to be an easy thing to be done, but Ekantha realised and understood one thing today, it is her life and she has to live it to the fullest, and learn to make her own decisions to let her story unwrap itself.

Ekantha prayed internally to her favorite God, she asked him to bless her with courage and confidence to face no matter what comes on her way.

She walked from there to her home with a happy expression on her face. An end of dupatta in her hand which she was playing with. She looked like, that Ekantha who was a complete definition of perfection.

She reached home, and saw Abhi's car outside. Her smile was about to fade away, but when she saw Abhi getting out of the car while looking into his phone, her smile came back onto her face.

"Ammu, what are you doing outside your house?",he asked looking at her and around the surrounding.

"Me? Actually not going to lie, Abhi. I went to a garden nearby and I am coming back just now. I wanted some fresh air, Did I make you all wait?",Ekantha asked getting worried.

"What do you mean by all? It's me, I just came. Amma, appa and Mayu they went to temple. So no worries, you are on time only",he said and smiled.

"Abhi, if you don't mind. Can you do me a little favour?",she asked looking around her and then at him.

"Yeah, darling. You can ask me anything not only a favour. I wouldn't mind",he said and smirked.

"You won't back out from this, right?",she asked once again.

"Are you going to ask for my life, Ammu?",he asked acting scared.

"No, but",she was trying to ask but she  was gulping down, she wasn't having the courage to ask him about it. Second thoughts were going on in her brain in background.

"Ammu, anything other than my life is not more than you for me. So, don't think much and ask it already",he said.

"Abhi, can you take aunty, uncle and Mayu back home? Please?",she asked with a cutest possible face.

"What?",Abhi asked her confused.

"Can you please take aunty, uncle and Mayu back home. Just for today, please",she pleaded him.

By the time, they were discussing the three of them were right in front of their eyes.

"Hi, Ekantha",Mayu waved her hand.

"Namasthe uncle, namasthe aunty! Hi Mayu",she wished them with a sweet smile.

"Mayu, call her di or something. Calling by name is not acceptable",Vishalakshi said.

"Aunty, it's okay. I asked her to call me by my name",Ekantha said and Mayu went to side hug her and held her hand.

"Oye, move away",Abhi said.

"You go away, she is my friend first",Mayu said.

"Enough kids, let's go in first",Vishalakshi said and all of them nodded.

Ekantha went in and directly went into her room. The four of them settled down in the living room.

Kanyaka came into Ekantha's room and closed the door.

"Anika told me you were in washroom, why were you coming from outside along with Abhi's family, Ekantha?",Kanyaka asked.

"Amma, I'll tell you everything. Give me some time",she said and Kanyaka gave her a disappointed look and went from there.

The elders were talking about things while Mayu was hell bored.

"Aunty, can I go and sit with Ekantha?",Mayu asked.

"Yeah, sure dear. Anika come here",Kanyaka called Anika.

"Namasthe aunty and uncle",she said her greetings to Abhi's parents and gave a smile to the brother sister duo.

"Anika, Take Mayu to Ekantha. It seems like she is bored here",Kanyaka said and Mayu scratched the nape of her neck.

Anika and Mayu came back to the room to find Ekantha and Dikshit sitting there and thinking what to do.

"Mayu is here, Ekantha",Anika announced and Mayu peeped in

"Hi Mayu",Ekantha chirped.

It seems like, she has been like this since the time she came back and both Anika and Dikshit were in dilemma thinking if it was really the same Ekantha.

"Hi Ekantha, Actually I wanted to tell you something but I couldn't say you that out there so I came here. Hope you don't mind",Mayu started off.

Mayu sat beside Ekantha on her bed.

"Tell me already, Mayu",Ekantha said.

"You don't worry about telling your decision now. Amma and appa are going to handle it. Anna already said that you need more time and Amma understood it. See, Ekantha I don't care if you ever become my anni Or not. But be my best friend, will you?",she asked with a pleasant smile.

"Best friend? But, what will be the use of me being your best friend. I'll bring more shame to you. Your best friend can't even make decisions about her life and is scared of many things in her life. You tell me, do you need a best friend like this?",Ekantha asked.

"Oh no, Ekantha! I need to teach you a lot of things. We don't see all these things in friendship. All we see is if we and the other person are being able to vibe with each other and be comfortable with each other. Understood?",Mayu asked to which Ekantha nodded.

"Aha, finally! Like finally we found someone who can put some sense into Ekantha's head. She never listen to us, Mayuri",Anika complained to which Dikshit and Mayuri chuckled.

"Ekantha, do you want to meet my brother and have some alone time?",Mayu asked wriggling her eye brows.

"I don't know",Ekantha answered being completely clueless.

"Ah, but I know. Come with me",she said and dragged her out into the garden.

"Wait here, I will come",she said and ran holding her frock a little bit above so that it won't fall in her legs.

She did look cute in the baby pink floral frock and her hair left open with a hair band adored on it.

Ekantha was looking at the plants, and noticed that a lily was blooming and she slowly touched it.

"Anna, shut up and come",she heard Mayu's voice and turned around.

"You both talk, till the elders complete their boring talks. I will go and sit with Anika akka, and Dikshit anna",Mayu said and vanished from there in no time..

To be continued..

Hello dear readers,

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Your Author
Sakshi Devi