"Good morning, Anyu!",she wished him and he looked at her in surprise.

"Ahh, I can't with you Ammu", he said as his ears started turning red.

"Why Anyu? What happened?",she asked him looking at him with the most innocent eyes.

"How? How did you even think of this name for me?",Abhimanyu asked trying hard not to let his smile reach his ears which might make him look like a creepy psycho is what he thinks.

"Is it not good? Don't you like it?",Ekantha asked with disappointment clearly visible in her eyes trying to mask her emotions was an utter failure.

"Which idiot in his right sense wouldn't like such a great nickname? I loved it, everytime you call me that I feel butterflies no whole entire zoo in my stomach",Abhimanyu said trying not to kick his legs in air while trying to sound sane.

"You don't have any problem with me calling you like that, right? I just thought of that name last night and just..",Abhimanyu cut her off as she was speaking.

"I don't have any problem, Ammu! All good and you have the talent of keeping nicknames. Trust me with it",he said to which Ekantha just smiled.

"Shall we start now?",she asked to which he nodded.

They got into the car and settled down in their respective seats. As they started their journey, Ekantha switched on the radio.

"Just so that you won't fall asleep. Do you want to connect to your Spotify or mine, Anyu?",she asked.

"Mine or yours doesn't matter, Ammu! Anything works",he said and she connected her playlist. A middle age telugu song was playing.

Sasivadane sasivadane swara neelambari neevaa..

"Wow, what a start!",he exclaimed as he heard the music start.

Both of them enjoyed the music for a while and it was getting boring after a while.

He needed to divert his attention to something else or else he would doze off for sure.

"Ammu, can you please talk something? I feel sleepy!",he said with a puppy face.

"Uh oh, is my playlist boring? Shall I connect yours?",she asked.

"No, no! Similar songs are on my playlist as well. I just feel like I will doze off if I continue to listen to more of it",he said.

"Do you want to stop for a while and have your breakfast?",she asked.

"No, I don't really feel hungry. Are you hungry?",he asked and she nodded.

"Alright, there are some snacks in that bag in the behind seats. You have it, and also give me some in between",Abhi said and she looked at him wide eyed.

Stealing quick glances at her, he chuckled.

"I was just pulling your leg. You have it, I told you I am not hungry already",he said giving her a small smile while continuing to focus on the road.

"Are you sure? I mean-",she tried to reason but got cut by him.

"I heard that if you're with someone special, even boring roads feel like adventure trails and you feel completely full like you had a feast even though you didn't really",he completed, glancing at her for a second before fixing his gaze back on the road.

Ekantha felt her heart skip a beat, something about the moment made her cheeks warm.

She grabbed the box and opened it to find some cookies.

"Oh, cookies! Who made them?",Ekantha asked.

"Mayu made them, she has this craze for baking and all since she was in 8th grade and amma happily supported her since then. These are choco chip cookies, she sent it for you especially because apparently she thinks it's her signature recipe, she just wanted to tell you thanks for your help with the selection of her farewell saree",he spoke to which she chuckled.

"Mayu is really sweet! Thank her from my side for these cookies",she said.

"You need to tell it yourself, ma'am. She'll be more than happy to hear it from you than me",he said.

"Definitely"she said and took a bite-and then another-and another. They were ridiculously good.

Somewhere between the second and third cookie, realization dawned.

"I'm so sorry, Anyu! I completely forgot to give you one",she apologised and quickly handed him one.

"Oh don't be, Mayu's cookies does that to everyon. Anyways, since I eat it regularly I am not that fond of these. My favorite is Sour Cream Cookies with buttercream, they are just yum",he said quite literally imagining the taste of the cookies.

"But still, I should have given the cookies to you. That's very rude from my side",she said to herself as her eye brows frowned.

"Relax, Ammu! It's me, your Anyu! You eat, I eat, what's the difference?",he said and winked to which she looked at him wide eyed.

"I was kidding, okay?" he said with a chuckle. "Anyway, how long do you plan to survive on cookies? There's this dhaba nearby. I came across it on a college trip once. Want to stop for proper food?"

"You mean, now?",she asked a little bit unsure

"Yeah. I mean, if you want to. It's just ahead. Good food, shady trees, and some cots just like the desi feel which somehow make the food taste better," he added with a grin.

Ekantha stared out the window for a second. The idea of a spontaneous breakfast stop with Abhi on a quiet road sounded... kind of perfect.

"Let's go," she said.

And with that, he turned the wheel slightly, taking a quiet left, the radio still playing and the air between them growing just a little warmer.

After driving a bit, they reached the dhaba and before she kept the cookies box in the backseat, after removing the seatbelt. He got down from his car, as his phone rang and walked a bit.

People always leave, you are always alone..

Those words rang in her ears, she hated to think like that. She didn't wanted to be the clingy person who would always be insecure just because her partner needed some space. Battling all those thoughts, she shut her eyes tight and took a deep breath.

On the other hand, it was a work related call for Abhi, it was quite urgent that he didn't really get time to even excuse himself. The call took him a bit of time and he kept looking at the car, waiting for her to get down so that he can atleast tell her what's going on.

Ekantha took multiple deep breaths, the situation, closed spaces, being left behind, everything was working as a trigger.

It wasn't supposed to be one, but her body was reacting the other way. Her feet and palms sweating and cold already, she just shut her ears as if trying to stop the voices in her head.

She hated being vulnerable, being like this, but she couldn't avoid it. She started counting numbers, she heard it helped. Slowly, as each count increased, her breathing was coming back to normal.

Abhi who completed the call, came towards the car and saw her in such a state, she was hugging her legs tightly and shutting her ears, whispering something. It took him a minute to guess what she was going through.

Immediately, he got into the car and feeling someone's presence she looked at him. He looked worried, more than worried he was scared for her.

He waited for a bit, before he did anything. Maybe she needed to calm herself down first.

Slowly, she calmed down. Her breathing rate came down to normal and though her palms and feet were sweating, she was comparatively better.

"Do you need anything, Ammu? How can I help you?",he asked slowly.

"I'm okay, just a little bit. I'm sorry!",she said apologising. She was definitely embarassed, maybe a little guilty as well for spoiling the vibe.

"Hey, it's okay! It's okay, don't apologize. We're all good",he said and slowly took her hand into his, she didn't oppose his action, he slowly pressed her hand assuring her he was there with her, comforting her.

"Do you want to talk about it?",he asked and she nodded her head as no.

"That's okay, do you need some water or something?",he asked securing her hand in between both his hands trying to keep her warm.

"Can we just go to ammamma's home? Please? I'm sorry, but I just don't feel like eating or waiting here anymore",she said as her voice broke as she tried to control her tears from flowing down her eyes.

"No issues, Ammu! Let's start, now",he said and gently left her hand to start the car. He started the car and held her hand yet again, as his hand stayed on the gear, along with hers.

The ride was silent, unlike how it started, though he kind of hated it, he wanted her to be okay. That was his priority currently.

He kept checking on her every now and then. She just sat there silently, looking out of the window.

"Ammu",he called her and she turned towards him. Her face now pale, eyes dark red and she looked like she would break down any moment.

He halted the car, near a small garden followed by some fields nearby.

"Shall we get down and have a little walk? Maybe it will help? Only if you want to, or else we'll continue",he said and she looked out of the window.

The greenery, the sunflower field somehow gave her a sense of calmness, she turned back to him and gave him a little nod.

He got down first, and quickly went towards her car door. She got down, adjusting her dupatta, he held her hand securely and both of them took slow steps towards the field.

They walked quietly, neither of them in a rush to say anything. The gravel path was uneven in places, making Ekantha glance down more than once to avoid tripping.

The sunflowers flanked them on either side-tall, golden, gently bobbing their heads in the breeze like they were listening. The whole place felt oddly peaceful. Too peaceful for how shaky she still felt inside.

Ekantha rubbed her arms. The sun was warm, but her skin was still cold. Her palms had stopped sweating, but there was a dull ache behind her eyes from trying too hard not to cry.

Beside her, Abhi walked silently, his hands shoved into his pockets. He kept glancing at her, not constantly, but enough that she noticed. She appreciated that he didn't ask anything. Not yet. Not until she was ready.

A few steps later, he bent down and plucked a tiny flower from near the edge of the field. It wasn't even a sunflower-just a tiny violet one that had managed to grow between the rocks. He held it out to her.

"You know," he said, tone casual like he was just thinking out loud, "I read somewhere that sunflowers turn to face the sun. But when it's cloudy... they face each other."

She paused, glancing at him. "That's... actually really sweet. Is it true?"

He scratched the back of his neck. "I have no clue. Probably not. But it sounded nice when I read it."

She took the flower anyway, their fingers brushing just briefly. It was small and imperfect, a little lopsided, but somehow comforting.

"Thanks," she murmured, her voice still fragile.

They kept walking. Occasionally their arms brushed, but neither pulled away. The silence between them wasn't awkward anymore-it was quiet, yes, but kind.

A few minutes later, Ekantha spoke, staring straight ahead. "I hate it when this happens. I always feel like I'm being too much. Like, I know it's not that big of a deal but... in that moment, I can't think. I just... freeze."

Abhi didn't rush to respond. He gave it a beat, then said softly, "It's not too much. You're not too much. You were overwhelmed-and that's okay."

She bit her lip. "I feel stupid afterward. Embarrassed."

He stopped walking and gently touched her wrist so she'd stop too. "Don't be. It's okay to have moments. You don't need to be fine all the time. Not with me."

She looked at him, her eyes red and tired. "You don't get tired of it?"

He smiled-not a big grin, just a small one that reached his eyes. "Of you? No. Never."

The sincerity in his voice made something shift inside her. She didn't know what to say to that, so she looked away quickly.

"And anyway," he added, like he was trying to lighten the moment, "I've decided this whole thing happened because of the cookies. They were too good. Your brain just couldn't handle it."

That caught her off guard. She laughed, the sound a little hoarse but real. "You're ridiculous."

"Glad to be of service." He grinned, nudging her shoulder. "Emotional support clown at your service."

"You mean, sunflower therapist," she said with a small smile.

"Oh yes, I take payment in compliments and tea."

She chuckled, a soft sound that made him relax a little more.

They walked a bit further, saying nothing. The wind played with her hair, and for once she didn't try to fix it. She was too tired. Too relieved, maybe.

"I'm really glad it was you today," she said after a pause, barely above a whisper.

He looked at her, and for a second his smile faded not in a bad way, but like her words meant more than she realised.

"I'm glad it was me too," he said.

They headed back toward the car, side by side, their shoulders brushing occasionally. She didn't feel light exactly but she wasn't drowning anymore either.

And for now, that felt enough.

And that is Chapter 57 of MMI for you guys! Thank you for reading and still remembering me and my little story even after almost a year.

Let me know in the comments, if you liked the chapter. It took me a while to erase and write and erase because somehow I wasn't feeling like it was going with the flow.

Don't forget to vote and oh, do check out my Instagram - @authorsakshi

I'll be posting bts of writing, little sneak peeks, memes, and so many things more. I'll be happy to have you there, oh and also I am starting a new series, to showcase both my singing and writing over there. I'll be more than happy if you just drop by and give me some feedback

I'd like to dedicate this chapter to omradhakrishn idk if not for you, I feel like I wouldn't have been able to bring myself to continue this story again, maybe it would have been in my drafts but you are my top reason to write this story! Thank youuu 🥺❤

See you all in the next chapter, oh we're not ending soon but maybe after a little more we'll near ending. There's so much more drama, slow burn, and a rollercoaster ride before that!

Take care y'all! Sending loads of love❤

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Sakshi Devi