Happy reading, honey buns!

The night was the usual, she was able to doze off for a while but woke up earlier than usual. For some reason, her sub conscious was still thinking about things even though her brain refused to think about things.

Early hours in the morning, she made up her mind to meditate for a while. She pulled a mat out of the rack and spread it out neatly. She sat in Indian style and slowly closed her eyes.

As soon as she closed her eyes, all the scenes from the past started to appear in front of her eyes. It was getting difficult, it felt as though she was re living all the moments once again. Her breathing started to fall slow and slow. She was trying to take deep breaths but it felt like that was the most difficult thing that she ever did in her life.

Hearing her deep breaths, Vennela woke up to see Ekantha was sweating and her breathing was very passive. She took her hands in hers and started rubbing them.

"Ekantha, Ekantha, deep breathes! Are you okay?",she shook her.

Ekantha wasn't able to respond back, she was trying to catch up with her breathing. After a few minutes she was able to get back to a normal stage. Vennela got up from her place and rushed to get the water bottle from the side table beside their bed.

She got it, and handed to Ekantha opening the bottle cap. Ekantha took it from her and gulped it in one go. It felt like, she found an oasis in the desert.

Vennela rubbed her back and side hugged her.

"How are you feeling now?",Vennela asked.

"I wouldn't lie, nothing seems to work Vennela",Ekantha admitted.

"What happened just now? Was it an at-", before Vennela could complete her sentence Ekantha nodded.

"Yes, it was an attack and this is not the first time",Ekantha replied.

"I feel so bad that you have to go through this, Ekantha. Just remember you're not alone and I am with you in this",Vennela said and Ekantha just gave her a small smile.

"I am so sorry, I disturbed your sleep. You should go back to sleep, Vennela. I am sorry once again",Ekantha said.

"C'mon Ekantha, it's not a big deal when compared to you. Sleep is secondary, you are my priority right now. I don't care what happens",Vennela replied.

"But still, you have work and you won't be able to sleep in the afternoon. It's only 3:30am now and there's a lot of time for you to wake up. Go back to sleep, I will just sit in the balcony. I need to calm myself down",Ekantha said.

"Are you sure? Because, I don't want to take a chance. I can actually accompany you to the balcony",Vennela said.

"I am sure, I just need some time alone",she said to which Vennela nodded.

"Remember to give me a call if you need me, I am not going to sleep like a log neither is my sleep important at this point. Get it?",she asked holding Ekantha's hands.

Ekantha looked at their hands and looked back at Vennela with a tensed expression on her face.

"Yeah, don't worry. I'll try to get over it quickly. I won't be bothersome from the next time",Ekantha said.

"You",Vennela holds her face and looks into her eyes as Ekantha does the same with visible guilt in her eyes.

"You are not burdensome, Ekantha! You are precious and I wouldn't want to lose you. Neither anyone who is with you now would want to lose you. We all want you in our life, you hold a value in all our lives and don't let anything let you think the otherwise",she said and Ekantha nodded.

"Go on, I'll just lay down here",Vennela says and Ekantha goes into the balcony.

The sky was still dark and the stars were visible. It felt like she was watching all those stars as though they are her only family left in this world with whom she can actually let out her emotions without thinking twice.

"What do I say? Do I say that I have grown more sensitive or do I say that things bother me more now than then? Is it because I am away from them that I think more and more or is it because they are away from me? Why does this hurt so bad? Why do I have to carry these memories, these scars with me? Was I so easy to get rid off for them? Why wasn't it easy for me to forget them? Is there a pill that will help me get rid of it? My bad, look what am I even talking? One thing, one day maybe all this will fall in place and that day, maybe I'll find answers for all my questions. What do you say, family?",Ekantha silently talks to the dark sky and the shining stars.

A small smile forms on her face while looking at the sky. She sits there for the next two hours trying to sort out her thoughts, some to blame her and some to  answer her questions, and some to clear her confusions.

The clock striked 5:30am and she went back to her room to find Vennela sleeping soundly on the bed. She completed her morning chores within half an hour.

She got ready for school and then went to the pooja room to lit the diya and pray.

"God, please give me the strength to get through everything and give me strength to face everything and come out stronger than I ever was",she prayed and turned around to see her mother.

"Good morning, amma",Ekantha said and Kanyaka looked at her trying to read her face which looked pale.

"Are you okay, Ekantha?",she asked to which Ekantha nodded positively and gave her a small smile.

"Are you going to meet, Anika today?",Kanyaka asked.

"Yes, amma! I'll meet her once I am done with my school. I'll come home a bit late after meeting her",she said.

"I'll make breakfast and come",Kanyaka said and was about to go to the kitchen.

"Amma, I have some work. I'll have my breakfast later. You carry on",Ekantha said.

"No compromise with food, Ekantha",she heard Vennela's mother's voice.

"Aunty, that.. I have some work also I don't feel hungry so-",Ekantha tried making some excuses but everything resulted in vain.

Vennela's mother and Ekantha had their breakfast together. Later, Ekantha informed her that Abhi would be picking her up.

"Okay, you both have fun! Also take care, tell Abhi to come home someday for dinner. Last time, we had so much fun. He is a guy, with great humor",Vennela's mother said and the three of them giggled.

Ekantha took out her phone and checked for any messages from Abhi, her face formed a frown when she found none. She was confused if to call him or not but decided to call him once and atleast inform him so that he wouldn't have to take trouble.

The phone rang, but he didn't answer the call. Sighing, Ekantha left a text message for him. Fact unknown to her was, Abhi was sick since the last night because of which he couldn't wake up early.

Me
Abhi, Good morning! I just wanted to inform you that I am going to school as it's getting late. Evening, I'll meet Anika and then come back home. I'll text you once I return back home or in between. Good day, Abhi! Take care 🤍

Once she sent the message, she looked at her watch and then started to walk towards the bus stop with a handbag hung on to her shoulder and ID card hung around her neck.

She waited for the bus to reach school and finally when she got onto the bus and could find a seat she plugged in her ear phones and started listening to Ilayaraja's hit songs.

The travel time took around half an hour, she got down at her stop and started walking to her school.

In Home

Kanyaka sat on the couch and dialled to Vishalakshi. She answered the call within a few rings.

V : Hello, Kanyaka garu! How are you doing?

K : Hello, Vishalakshi garu! I am doing good, how are you?

V : I am good, How is Ekantha doing? Abhi told me about everything.

K : She seems a bit off, Vishalakshi garu. He did? I called you up to talk about this matter only.

V : Kanyaka garu, I know as a mother of a daughter what kind of thoughts you might be experiencing but I will tell you we are always here for you! We might not be a family right now, but surely one day we will be. Don't worry about anything, just let both of them make their decision and then we'll see about everything else.

K : I don't have words to express my thankfulness to you, Vishalakshi garu. Your words mean a lot to me. In this situation it's a bit difficult for me to ask Ekantha's decision regarding this marriage but I'll try what all I can.

V : No hurry, Kanyaka garu. We can wait! Whatever is bound to happen will happen. Let them take their sweet time in deciding about it, after alll it's a life time decision. Let them not make a decision in a jiffy, let them get to know each other. Although I like Ekantha for the person she is and can't wait to have her as my daughter in law, I'll be happy to wait for her consent in becoming a part of our family.

K : Ekantha would be the luckiest person to have such a sweet family as her own and it's all on her side now. Whatever it is, I have made up my mind to accept it.

V : Same from our side too! Did she go to school already?

K : Yes, Vishalakshi garu! She left half an hour ago. She said Abhi will drop her at school.

V : But, Abhi is still in home and it's almost time for school. I hope she's not waiting for Abhi. Let me check on him and then, I'll call up Ekantha!

K : Okay Vishalakshi garu, I'll call you later! Bye! Take care!

In Abhi's Home

Vishalakshi hung up the call and went to Abhi's room. She was surprised to see the door open and he was still on the bed with  his phone in his hand. He was surely in a deep sleep, Vishalakshi thought to herself.

She walked upto him and slowly placed her hand on his forehead to check if he was okay. She was taken aback to see his forehead was burning.

"Rey, Abhi! Get up! You are burning. Oh god, this boy",Vishalakshi tried waking him up.

Hearing Vishalakshi's voice, Mayuri came to Abhi's room.

"What happened amma? Why are you yelling?",she asked setting her tie properly.

"Your brother is burning with fever, go to the kitchen and bring some cool water along with a cloth",Vishalakshi said and Mayuri rushed to the kitchen.

Vishalakshi put Abhi's head on her lap and started caressing his hair followed by his face.

Mayuri came back with the things that her mother said and sprinkled some water on him.

"Abhi, Abhi",his mother called out for him and slowly he opened his eyes.

His mother dipped the cloth in cold water and kept it on his forehead. Abhi felt it very difficult to open his eyes.

"Abhi, you are burning! Why didn't you tell me that you were sick last night?",his mother asked and he closed his eyes once again before he could answer anything.

On the other hand, they forgot to inform Ekantha about it. Every few minutes she used to check phone to see if she received any message from him but she tried to convince herself by thinking that he could be busy, if only she knew....

To be continued..

Hello dear readers,

How are you all doing?

I am here with an update after almost a month, no amount of excuses can make it up for this but I came out of station due to which I wasn't able to update.

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Sakshi Devi 💗

Insta : sakshi.wattpad