She didn't know when but she dozed off into sleep, only when she could feel someone was trying to wake up her up her eyes shot open.

"Ekantha? It's 9am already! Get up",Kanyaka said.

"It's 9 already?",she almost yelled.

"Yes kanna, you never slept for so long! Are you feeling okay?",Kanyaka asked.

"I..I am fine maa, I don't know how I slept for so long. Let me freshen up and come",she said and rushed to complete her morning chores.

Ekantha's inner voice : How did I sleep for so long? I have never slept for so long time ever, except for.. What is happening with me? Is it normal for me to be like this?

Quickly completing her morning chores, she got dressed in a dark green suit with a pink dupatta which made her look like a cute doll. Tying her hair into a high pony, she was still lost in thoughts about her sleeping longer than usual.

She completed dressing up and went to the dining room to find her grandparents, her mother, Vennela's mother and Vennela sitting on the dining table waiting for her.

She just passed a small smile towards them all and pulled a chair for herself and settled down.

"Ekantha, if you had any problem you should have said us",her mother started the conversation.

She just bent her head low, didn't reply anything.

"So, it is you who have the problem and not Abhi?",Kanyaka asked.

Ekantha took a deep breathe,she looked at everyone on the table who were waiting for her to answer. Yet again, a now or never moment for her.

"Yes maa, it's me who has a problem infact it has been always me who had a problem with anything. I just need sometime to process the thing that I am going to get engaged. Its not that I don't like,Abhi! I've grown in a household where I've seen..forget it. It's not very easy for me to do all this, maa! But he was there for me supporting in every step of mine. This is a very big step that I have to take maa. Marriage and love only happen once in my life and that would be with him only and there is no looking back at it. I just need some time to process everything so that both of us can have a healthy and happy relationship. I was scared to tell you about this, but again I don't know from where do I get the courage to tell you all this. I did it! I said whatever I had to, now it's on you all to take whatever decision you want to take",she said in a single go and everyone on the table were taken aback.

They weren't expecting such a sudden outburst. It came as a shock, more or less like a surprise. Ekantha would never have outbursts like this, but in recent times these outbursts increased. They didn't know if they have to be happy that she is expressing herself or be scared about her mental health that could be improving or deteriorating.

Ekantha didn't rush back to her room. She sat there and served herself breakfast. Nobody spoke after Ekantha spoke and everyone continued to have breakfast in silence. After the breakfast, Ekantha went to the living room and sat down with her laptop looking at ideas and suggestions for her skill development and all.

Kanyaka came and sat beside her as Ekantha continued to do her work.

"Kanna, are you scared to let amma know your opinion?",she asked.

Ekantha's hands froze on the keyboard and her eyes were trying not to drop those tears that they have been holding since some time. She looked at her mother with teary eyes and kept her laptop aside, hugged her mother tightly and broke into tears. It broke everyone's heart to see her like this. Kanyaka slowly patted her back trying to calm her down.

"I don't want to say no to you, amma! You have done so much for me and I am very lucky to have you in my life. But this decision in life is something that I can't compromise or get adjusted with it. I talked with Abhi, I wanted to know his views also and Maa somethings in life are always very sensitive and fragile which we take for granted, it pains so much maa, here",she said pointing towards her heart.

"Here, it pains a lot, trying to forget all those memories and all those words. I am afraid that same thing will happen again, which I am not ready for. I am not telling, I might never be ready for this but I need some time maa! Abhi was okay with it too. One thing I want to request is please maa I need some more time till we get engaged. He is everything that I never knew I wanted in my life..",she said it all.

Both the mother-daughter duo were in tears. Those horrible memories resurfaced their memory and both of them cried their hearts out letting the tears flow down as their hearts melt down which were holding a lot of burden till that point.

After sometime, Kanyaka wiped Ekantha's tears and patted her head while still holding her daughter in her embrace.

"I am your mother, kanna. In past maybe because of lot of things, you feel like you are scared to tell me about anything but remember one thing, your mother will never ever do anything that you don't like nor force you to do things that you don't like. I know, this might take sometime to get into real life, but your mother will never want to see you in tears, stressed out, anxious just for a decision that you have to make. We're all with you, kanna! Don't ever be scared to speak what's on your mind ever! Whatever it is right or wrong, we'll only know when yo speak it out",Kanyaka said.

"Thank you so much, Amma",Ekantha said and hugged her mother.

"Now, now enough of tears! We have to go to Abhi's home also. You continue with your work and we'll get ready till then",Kanyaka said to which she nodded and Kanyaka kissed her on her forehead and got up from there going to her room.

Vennela wanted to go and sit with her best friend for a while but her mother stopped her, asking Vennela to give some lone time for Ekantha to re organise her thoughts and spend sometime alone. Her grandparents also went into Kanyaka's room.

Ekantha felt much better after hearing such soothing words from her mother's side. She never expected that her mother would one day tell her all this. She was the silent spectator in their house, never dared to speak up neither for her nor for her daughter maybe that's what Ekantha learnt too in the course of time.

She thanked God for giving such amazing people in her life. She looked around to find none of them being around. She immersed herself in the research work making note of all the required details that she would be interested in and what all things she need to build etc.

On the other hand, in Kanyaka's room she was very much vulnerable.

She sat along with her parents and held both their hands together along with hers.

"I did it all wrong amma and nanna. Look how she is, if only I had taken a stand, if only I could tell her that she is worth it more than she thinks, if only I could tell her she has tried enough and she will get it eventually, if only I could tell her, her efforts matter and she is beautiful the way she is, if only I could be a shield to her through all those days she had to go through hearing them speaking about her, if only..",she broke down into tears.

"I failed being a mother, amma! As a mother, I must have been a person who she can share anything with but she is scared of telling me that she doesn't want to get settled down soon and needs sometime. I made so many mistakes amma, and for my mistakes my daughter is suffering here. I am sitting here helplessly looking at her suffer, I have been doing this from the past , now and.. I am such a bad mother, ain't I, amma and nanna?",Kanyaka asked as she broke into tears putting her head onto their hands.

Her parents patted her back trying to calm her down. Their daughter who was being vulnerable with them for the first time after being married for 20+ years shook them to the core.

"Kannu, you didn't fail as a mother dear! No mother is a bad mother. You have tried too, to protect her from everything you can. Past is past, kannu. Now even if you cry about it, we can't change it. We can help Ekantha still become a better version, now that she has a supporting fiancee as well, everyone of us can help Ekantha become like everyone of us",Kanyaka's father said while her mother nodded at his words.

"I will try my best to give her everything that she ever needs, amma! She is my only daughter and seeing her like this breaks my heart but for the sake of my daughter, I'll be strong and make her strong and bold enough to face this world",Kanyaka said while her parents gave her an encouraging smile.

It was almost afternoon by the time, the family was having their time with each other. Since Ekantha was already ready, she continued to do her work also work on her style for making her own portfolio. She was planning to go to the flower market in Hyderabad the next morning once and bring some flowers so that she can try by herself and learn it. Kanyaka and her parents got ready too in the meanwhile. Vennela's mother had some official work so she couldn't accompany Ekantha and her family while they visit Abhimanyu's home, Vennela was joining along with the family.

Anika and Dixit said they would be there by the time the family reaches there. All of them booked a cab, where Kanyaka and her parents went in it while Ekantha and Vennela travelled on their scooty.

After around one hour all of them reached at Abhimanyu's home. Vennela and Ekantha reached early and met Anika and Dixit there.

All of them went into Abhi's home and as soon as Ekantha entered, Tara ran to the entrance escaping from Abhi's hands and running to Ekantha. Ekantha's face was full of glow as soon as she saw Tara, she scooped Tara taking her into her arms and patting her head gently while Tara licked her face.

Both Abhi's family and Ekantha's family looked at that and exchanged smiles. Abhi greeted Ekantha's family and took blessings from Ekantha's grandparents.

"Sheegrameva kalyana prapthirasthu[May you get married soon]",both of them blessed him as he scratched the nape of his neck trying to control his blush creeping onto his face.

As the elders were busy having some conversations, and Ekantha was busy playing with Tara. Abhi sulked being bored.

Vennela cleared her throat gaining Abhi's attention.

"Bored? or Jealous that she is busy with puppy?",she asked with a smirk on her face.

"Both actually! She loves Tara, and She loves me also. I'll be waiting for my turn",he said as Vennela silently clapped for him chuckling.

Just as though Tara heard his thoughts, she ran to Abhi and settled down in his lap which resulted in Ekantha coming to him as well. The cousins were smart enough to sit in such a way that only the place beside Abhimanyu was empty and she had nowhere else to sit.

"Are you okay now, love?",he whispered to her.

She nodded and looked at Tara who sat silently in his lap.

"Are you sure about it?",he asked once again.

"Yes, it wasn't good but now its all good",she said.

"Is the plan still on?",he asked to which she looked at him confused.

"Don't look at me like that, yaar! I am not asking you to run away with me and get married",he said and she looked at him wide eyed.

"I'm kidding, Ammu! I was asking if we are still going to your grandparents home day after tomorrow? And tomorrow evening is the party for Tara's welcome to home",he asked.

"That's for sure! We're doing it but are you comfortable travelling back to back? I mean to say you've had a rough week,right?",she asked.

"Not a big deal! We're going and the plan is on",he said entwining her hands with his and giving her a smile while she just looked at him and then at their entwined hands. Mentally hoping nobody's nazar is kept on them.

"Abhi"

"Ekantha"

Hello dear readers,

How are you all doing? I am doing okay okay! Just a bit stressed about semester ends, It doesn't really feel like I have studied this semester, it just went by!

Anyways putting a full stop to my rant, how was the update? Did you all like it?

This part is dedicated to omradhakrishn ! Here is a send off gift part one for you dear loyal reader and also a good friend of mine. Will definitely be waiting for you to come back! Here's a request to all my readers, please pray that our friend cracks their exam and gets her desired dream come true!

Don't forget to vote and comment your views please! We're very close to 20k reads and I can't believe we came here, after this long! Thanks for your support, don't forget to vote and comment your views! They motivate me so much <3

Oh I forgot to ask, how are the banners and the cover? Did you all like it?

You can scroll to the next chapter now! Thank you for reading! Keep living life to fullest and take care of yourselves!

Your Author
Sakshi Devo