"Oseyiii.. Amlu.."

Parthavi looked up from her laptop screen scowling.

"Enti?"

"Instead of staring at that muscle man and his whoever friend, you can help in kitchen right? Kasta Vantinti pakka ra."

Parthavi grunted.

"That is not Whoever. That is his best friend."

"Yeah! Best friend who lets him touch her and lean on her! Adi choose nuvu ila thaiyaru ayavu. You have gone crazy looking at their so called friendship."

"Hey! I will help you in kitchen and even clean bathroom but not a word about my darling and his darling!"

Prabha grunted and hit her head.

"Amlu! Nana vache time ayindi. Dont sit staring at your laptop then I cannot control him."

"Happaaa"

Parthavi let her laptop on charger and went into the kitchen to help her mother with dinner preparation.

"Amma! Tomorrow I am going to Gajuwaka to see Bhoomi. We are going to mall with her friend."

"Inform your Nana yourself."

"You inform your husband yourself Amma. If I say this to him, he will start his sollu about me wasting time and money and I am bane of this house, paapam in his jathaka chakram! Naku thala baddhalayi podi Amma"

"He.."

"Now you don't support your husband. I am going to Bhoomi's house only. Not some stranger's home. And Amma, did you check on that guy?"

" Which guy?"

"Ade Amma.. Aa Raghunandhu."

"Your Nana is talking to Prithvi amlu."

"Oh!"

At the precise moment, Hari came with fallen face.

"Emayindandi?"

Prabha asked. Hari shook his head.

"The boy has drinking habit"

Parthu frowned.

"Habit?"

"Parties.. Business meetings"

"Ahh! Nanagaru! It's common nowadays. If it's addiction then it's a problem."

Hari frowned.

"What are you talking Parthu?

"I am being Practical ayyagaru. See, in today's time, we cannot judge a person by his habits and social drinking is becoming a trend. And he is a businessman who is running a successful firm. So he will meet people and not every time he can deny drinks. So sips here and there should not be a problem. If its smoking or addiction then we can think hard. But this.."

"Parthu!"

"See.. I have habit of eating junk food, you have habit of running away when going gets tough. Compared to us, his social drinking is good. And his family is good and he cares for his family well. We can see that from the way he treated Ditvi and you people. Not everything can be acting Ayyagaru. In some way his reality will show, and so far, from whatever I saw, he is genuine. So check if he is addicted to drinking or chain smoker. Else I dont see anything wrong in proceeding further. So now Amma, I am going to call Bhoomi and tell her that I am coming there tomorrow and going to have blast with my Kodalu. And the Chappathis are done. So now Parthu takes your leave and goes for her night bath. Happy head breaking. Bye."

And Parthu went for her bath leaving her parents with their jaws on the floor. Hari turned to Prabha.

"Where did she learn to talk so much?"

"What is there to learn? Thanu mee Vaarisuralu kada?"

"Prabha!"

"Look! She is very clear in what she wants. And I don't find any fault there. 29 years back when they said the groom has no bad habits, goes to office and returns home like a good boy, I happily nodded my head and look at my fate"

"Prabha! Seriously?"

"Choodandi, this is 21st century. Kali yugam. We cannot judge a person by his habits. Though Prithvi told about this drinking habits, didn't he also tell that the boy has never got into any unwanted scandals? And he said that he has build his firm from the scratch and he takes care of his family after his father's death. And given he has been abroad many times, I don't see his drinking habit as some bad quality. Foreign lo ayithe they drink wine instead of water so can we call them bad people? I don't see anything wrong with him or his family. So there is no stopping the proceedings."

"Now I understand where she is learning to talk!"

"I am learning from her! I cannot stay that naive girl from 29 years back kada?"

"Amma Prabhavati! Na Paradevathe! Now don't start. I am trying to change myself right?"

"What is the use now? Your daughter has gone far from you and doesnt even addresses you as father, your other daughter doesn't even talk to you. You have lost respect in their eyes."

Hariharan hung his head. At that moment, Parthavi came there wearing her nighty.

"There is no use in talking about past amma. Akhalestunde. Annam Pettu Prabhavati."

"Oye! Calling me by name?"

"You are my first best friend Prabha. Now stop your sollu khaburlu and get me dinner."

Hari shook his head and went to get freshened as Prabha served Parthu her dinner. Hari had a lot to learn from his daughter who was half his age. He went to Vasudhara and gave her the pen she asked for which she took without saying another word and Prabha could see it hurt him. But certain things could only be healed through pain. So she let it be.

Shantha was feeding her daughter Prasiddhi who was sitting on Rishi having her dinner.

"Kuduruga undu ve"

Shantha admonished as Prasiddhi kept moving without taking her morsel. Rishi cajoled her and made her eat.

"Daddy's princess!"

"Daddy kadu Nana."

Prasiddhi said in her sweet tone making Rishi and Shantha chuckle.

"Arey! Telugu bale vastunde neeku! You are speaking good telugu."

"Telugu Mana.. Ummm.. mana.."

"Bhasha"

Everyone turned to see who completed the sentence and had a big smile on their faces. Prasiddhi immediately ran.

"Mavaiyya!"

RAghu picked her up and swung her high in the air making her squeal.

"Orei Pandu.. She is still eating ra!"

"Akka! Don't call me pandu"

"Pandu pandu pandu.. Na Mama Pandu.. Raghupandu vaari peru"

Prasiddhi sang riling Raghu up. He glared at his Akka and Bava who tried stifling their smile.

"Someone is having a very bad influence on her!"

"Ahem.. Ahem.. you will know. And what is this surprise visit?"

"Nothing Akka! Bava and Anna wanted me to look into a building that could serve our purposes of shifting our firm here. So I came."

"Oh so night you are staying here or going to Madhurawada?"

"What question is that Shantha? He will stay here, look at the building and then go to Madhurawada tomorrow evening for weekend."

"Oh Looks like you have decided for me bava."

"You will thank me later Bammardi. Now that your brother is here, tomorrow I am going out on official purposes Shantha. Take him for your shopping."

"WHAT?"

Raghu turned to his Bava who ran from there to dining room while his sister looked as if she was given free pass to heaven.

"Raghu.."

"Pandu becomes Raghu.. And Raghu will be sacrificed."

"Rei rei.. Ala anaku ra.. Please ra"

"Okay"

Prasiddhi squealed again making them chuckle. Raghu went and freshened up and came for dinner. As usual Dinner was noisy affair with his Sister and brother in law's banter and his inputs in between. Soon he took Prasiddhi and went to his room there and put her to sleep after some fun and settled on the bed looking at the ceiling with his one arm beneath his head while other was around Prasiddhi.

He smiled remembering Parthavi and then jerked. Oh boy! He never texted her back. Damn he was not used to this texting. He took his mobile and saw the knife emo and wanted to hit himself. Keeping a pillow beside Prasiddhi he sat up leaning on the headboard he opened his whatsapp and texted her..

'Hmm.. Parthavi..'

An angry red emo came as reply.

'Sorry I am late.'

'Too late Mr. Architect.'

'Sorry chepanu ga'

'Abbo! Bale chepparu'

'Parthavi'

'What?'

'What is bothering you?'

Parthavi widened her eyes and looked around her room and only saw her sister Vasudhara sleeping not caring for the world or her upcoming internal tests. She sat properly leaning on the bed headboard.

'Nothing'

'Which means something'

'Now who is psychic?'

'What is wrong Parthavi?'

'Do you drink Mr. Architect?'

Raghu was tempted to type Yes and water. But decided against as he could feel her tension.

'Yes'

'How often?'

'Depends on how often I have foreign or high end clients to meet in their parties.'

'Ante?'

'If you are asking if I am addicted.. Then no Parthavi.'

'Hmm.'

'You can ask anyone. I don't go beyond champagne, that too just two'

'Bottles?[:o]'

'Flutes Parthavi. Two flutes!'

'Hardcore drinks?'

'You mean rum whiskey etc etc.'

'You expect me to spell them out?'

'Just wondering how you know them.'

'I live in this world only Mr. Architect'

Raghu smiled seeing the name. Until now she was aloof.

'I dont go for hardcore drinks. Tried once in college and never had interest in them and after that, my aversion only got stronger. And I never even tried smoking if that is your next question.'

'Hmm..'

Parthavi smiled. She was right about him. She knew he were genuine.

'Anymore doubts?'

She saw the message and put a thinking emo for which he sent a grudge emo making her chuckle.

'Why did you take so much time to text back?'

'How to tell you?'

'By typing?'

'Happa! Joke!'

'Answer!'

'I am not very tech savvy Parthavi. And I am too lazy to even check my mails. My personal mail will be like dustbin with so many mails. And my mobile is another story.'

Parthavi giggled and shut her mouth seeing Vasu turning. And she sent laughing emo.

'Enti?'

'You should see me with my mobile!'

'You always parade with it?'

'No! I take days to call back a missed call and message ayithe ante. Govinda!'

This time he put laughing emo.

'So now all okay?'

'Yes Mr. Architect.'

'So..'

'So...'

'Good night!'

Parthavi frowned. But then she thought may be he should be early to office tomorrow. Not minding her small disappointment she replied him.

'Good night'

And she lay down smiling thinking about their conversation.

Raghu did the same. He went back to his old position. One arm around Prasiddhi and other beneath his head. Both closed their eyes thinking about each other with smile on their lips.

Next morning, Raghu woke up and made coffee for himself and milk for Prasiddhi. His Akka and Bava were never morning persons. So he knew this would happen. And he was never a morning person too. But Prasiddhi was. He never understood how this girl was born in this family.

Chuckling as Prasiddhi gulped her milk, he went for his morning workout in the balcony keeping an eye on his niece who was busy with his mobile playing fruit ninja. After his workout, he got himself a juice and settled on the mezzanine sofa with Prasiddhi doing her homework as in some one hour, she had to go to school.

After thinking for a long time, he took his mobile and called Parthavi.

"Good morning"

"Ardha good morning cheppr loosu evaru?"

"Midnight? Parthavi, its 7:30 in the morning!"

Parthavi sat with a jerk. She looked around and saw that Vasu has already left and her mother was as usual doing her suprabhatam for waking her up.

"Architect?"

"Finally! Good morning"

"Good morning!"

She said yawning wide making Raghu chuckle and Prasiddhi giggle for which he put his finger on lips signalling her to be quiet.

"So Madam mood ok?"

"Oh yeah!"

"So now you have no doubts"

"Inta poddune, idi adagadanika leparu nannu? Did you wake me up early in the morning for this?"

God she was cranky. Though he was never a morning person, but once he was up, he was pleasant until he had very bad sleep.

"Oh! Sorry"

Parthavi hit herself.

"Don't be. I get cranky when I am woken up."

"I understood"

"So.."

"Are you up?"

"Yes"

She said yawning again and he could feel her scratching her head and smiled.

"So, Ms. HR! Though you did give your answer to your family. What do you have to say after the little deep interview session last night?"

He asked making Parthavi choke. She looked around and then ran to the terrace loft not minding her Amma's sahasaranaamam.

"Parthavi?"

"Give me some time man! I just woke up and you are proposing me when I am yet to brush my teeth"

"Parthavi! I cannot smell your mouth through phone."

"Still!"

"Not romantic enough for you?"

"Romantic ah Ruyyala pulusa?"

"And now you bring in food!"

"Sorry! Looks like I am still asleep."

"I know you are awake enough to give me straight answer."

"Aagavaiyaa Magada!"

"Fine!"

He could hear her taking deep breath. He waited with bated breath.

"Well, you are not drunkard, chain smoker.. You are good looking. And by the way.. You are aaradugula Andagaadu unlike your statement that day. And you have awesome family. So I don't see any problem in going with the engagement."

Raghu wanted to hit his head somewhere.

"You want to get engaged to me because of these?"

"Well, I am in love with your nephew and I love your niece"

"Parthavi!"

Parthavi giggled.

"I never said no Mr. Architect. If I had even a millimeter of doubt, I would never let things get this far."

"Ante?"

"Ee Ms. HR ki, Mr. Architect bale nachadu.. Ms. HR likes Mr. ARchitect. Bye"

Saying she cut the call and got nicely from her mother once she went down. Then she hurried up and got ready and flew on her scooty to Gajuwaka to meet her lover Bhoomi.

Here, Raghu was in a trance. His sister waking up, bathing Prasiddhi, cooking and feeding her the breakfast and running to the school, nothing registered. He just waved his hand and ran to his room and fell on his bed. On the force, his room music system switched on as the remote was beneath him. He tried moving and the song changed. He took the remote and was about to switch it off when he heard,

Meghalo dancing nenu..

Merupultho racing nenu..

Water pai walking nenu..

Chukkaltho chatting nenu..

It was depicting his situation. He never knew he could be filmy. Chuckling he stood up on the bed and started shaking his legs for the tune.

Rainbow lo swimming nenu..

Full flow lo singing nenu..

Jaabili pai jumping nenu..

Santhoshanne sipping nenu..

Yeah.. he was so happy. He remembered how Parthavi said he likes him.

Hey.. Bhramarambaki nachesanu.. Hey jejjanaka Ambarame Touch chesanu..

Hey Parthavi ki Nachesanu.. Hey jejjanaka Ambarame touch chesanu

He sang loudly and jumped from the bed and was swirling his towel that was around his neck since his workout. Suddenly his eyes caught something.

He stopped dancing and looked around and freezed.

As leaning on his room door frame, stood Parthavi looking all cool wearing black jean, bugs bunny peach color T shirt, hair caught in catch clip.. And and and her hands crossed across her front.