"I don't remember wearing this bracelet on our wedding" Vennela remarked, looking at their wedding album which was delivered that morning.

"That's fine. You had fever. Look. The toe rings moment." Amar pointed at his favourite picture. Vennela quickly turned the page.

"It's Shruthi's birthday tomorrow. We need to think of a plan to surprise her." Vennela reminded Amar.

"The gifts are ready." Amar assured her. "We just need to invite her to our place and surprise her exactly at 12 o' clock."

"But we have to invite her in such a way that she doesn't suspect anything" said Vennela.

"Simple. Tell her the wedding album and the video are here. She'll come running" said an easily recognizable voice.

They turned to see Anirudh waving at them. "Rudy! When did you get here?" The brothers exchanged fist bumps.

Vennela felt happy to see Anirudh. "I am so happy to see you come back, little brother. Come, let me serve lunch. I cooked it myself. Hope you like it." She took him to the dining hall.

"Amazing vadina" Anirudh gulped down the food and asked for more. Amar stopped him when he was having third helpings. "You still didn't tell me how you got here."

"I told amma that I have been working in the same department for one year. I need a change of environment. So, she gave me two options: New York or Hyderabad. I chose Hyderabad and our second cousin Kailash has been sent to New York. I'll be working under your supervision from Monday." Anirudh explained.

"Oh no, what did I do to deserve this?" Amar pretended to be scared.

"Anirudh, make sure that you irritate Amar to the maximum extent" said Vennela. Anirudh was happy to see the change in her. 

"Sure. That is what I'm famous for." Anirudh and Vennela high-fived each other.

Rishi-Raj arrived at that instant. "Rudy! You're here? Vacation?" Raj asked him. Anirudh shook his head and explained everything.

"It's good to have you here. Our college starts in two weeks. We'll be busy. So, you'll help us with the unfinished task" said Rishi.

Vennela frowned. "He means Rudy will help us with our assignments" said Raj, kicking Rishi's leg.

Vennela called Shruthi, who promised to come directly from her college. The plan was to keep her busy with the wedding album and video while they bake the cake and decorate the music room for the birthday bash. "Who will supervise the decorations?" asked Vennela.

"We" answered the twins.

"Right. I'll keep her busy in the first floor. Amar and Anirudh will bake the cake." Vennela announced.

"NO" yelled everyone else. Vennela was startled.

"I mean, you're very bad at keeping people busy," said Raj.

"She'll understand what you are up to," said Raj.

"I need a good assistant. It's a difficult task. Rudy can't do it" said Amar.

"I traveled at lot. I can't work in the kitchen" said Anirudh.

"Fine. Anirudh, you will stay with her and make sure that she doesn't come downstairs. I'll help Amar" Vennela decided. Everyone sighed in relief.

Finally, when Shruthi arrived, they started playing the wedding video in the first floor. Rishi-Raj sneaked out while Shruthi was engrossed in the video."We have a small meeting. We'll be back later." Vennela and Amar excused themselves. 

"Which flavour?" asked Amar.

"My favourite, Choco-Vanilla" said Vennela.

"Because it rhymes with your name?" asked Amar, making her smile.

They started mixing ingredients. She accidentally spilled chocolate syrup on herself. Amar started laughing. "You've become Choco-Vennela". Still laughing at his own pun, he took a selfie pointing at her face. Vennela threw the remaining syrup on his hair.

"Food fight it is!!" He threw ketch-up on her top which happened to be her favourite. She picked up a tray full of ice cubes and emptied it on his head.

"Raj, look what our matured and well-behaved akka and bava are doing." Rishi exclaimed bringing Amar and Vennela back to their senses. He was recording their fight on his phone.

"Please continue. It's so funny," said Raj, clapping his hands.

They shooed the twins away. Amar went away to wash his hair while Vennela went to change her clothes.

Anirudh deliberately kept rewinding the video making excuses like 'I love this part', 'I look so good here', 'the decoration looks so nice', etc.,

"I never saw a boy who is so interested in watching wedding videos" Shruthi remarked.

"Well, it's because it is Amar anna's wedding. This is the first wedding video I'm watching so keenly. Otherwise, I'm not interested in such cheesy stuff." Anirudh told her.

"All boys say that. They think disliking such things will make them look tough." Shruthi offered him some French fries.

"Hey, I'm not faking it. I really don't believe in the concept of marriage." He felt the need to explain it to her.

"You mean, you hate marriages?" asked Shruthi, with a shocked expression on her face.

"No. Please don't get me wrong. It's just that I think this 'happily ever after' thing is overrated. It happens only in the movies. I mean, how many couples we know lived happily forever in real life?" Anirudh didn't want her to think of him as some insensitive man. He didn't know why but her opinion mattered to him.

"I agree. Married life is not that easy. But, how many singles we know lived happily forever? No matter how strong we are, we will feel the need to have someone to share our feelings with at some point of our lives. Someone who doesn't judge us. Someone who will find us beautiful in and out." Shruthi always believed in a happy married life for herself.

"Maybe you're right. But not everyone is lucky enough to find a soulmate." Anirudh didn't understand why he was discussing his doubts with her. But he just felt it's the right thing to do.

"Well, the thing is we don't have to find a soulmate. We need to find a person with whom we share a few common things. We need to cherish the similarities. The differences don't matter if there is a strong bond of respect and understanding. Like akka and bava. I can see it in their eyes. The eyes speak volumes. We just need to understand the meaning." Shruthi smiled at him.

"Eyes speak?" Anirudh looked into her eyes to see what her eyes spoke. He felt his heart pounding. He realized what he was doing and spoke hastily, "See, you didn't let me watch the video. Why are you so talkative? I'll rewind it again."

When the video has been played completely, he opened the folder of photographs. "I saw the album already," said Shruthi.

"There are more pictures in this folder which are not included in the album" said Anirudh, hoping there are enough photographs to last another half an hour.

"Okay, let me add ice cubes to my juice" she said standing up.

"No, you can't. I mean this is rainy season." Anirudh tried to stop her but she didn't listen. He offered to get it himself but she was already descending the staircase.

He spoke loudly for Amar and Vennela to listen, "What's the hurry, Shruthi? We'll reach the kitchen in two minutes."

Vennela panicked. The kitchen was full of ingredients of cake. "We can't clean it up in two minutes."

"Let's close the door" said Amar.

"The lock is not working. She'll open it." Vennela tried to hide everything.

"I have an idea." He took her to the entrance of the kitchen. "What are you doi--"

He put a finger on her lips and pulled her into a tight embrace. She was shocked. "This is the only way" he whispered.

Shruthi saw the couple hugging each other as soon as she entered the kitchen. She instantly turned back and ran away closing the door to give them some privacy.

"I tried to stop you" said Anirudh.

"Why couldn't you be more specific?" she scolded him.

"How would I know?" He himself was surprised. They returned to first floor.

Back in the kitchen, Amar didn't break the hug even after Shruthi left. This was the first time he has embraced her. It felt like heaven. She was clutching his shirt very tightly, closing her eyes. He smiled and finally released her. She opened her eyes. She was completely disoriented and collided with the kitchen platform. He held her hand with a sheepish grin.

"Are you alright, moonlight?" He cupped her face.

"Yes. Why wouldn't I be?" she pretended as if it didn't bother her. 'He did it to send her away. It means nothing. We're just friends' she told herself trying hard to ignore the feeling of bliss in her heart.

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