Bright sunrays filtered through the pristine white curtains of the Singapore hotel they were staying in. It was cosy and warm inside. Yesterday's rain made the atmosphere inside cool and cuddle-worthy. And that was exactly what the couple was doing.

Vennela's legs were entangled in her husband's, her jet black hair spread like a bedsheet around his broad back as his head was comfortably snuggled on her chest.

The faint smell of the lingering sex of last night wrapped them in a comfortable silence. Both of them loved mornings like this. Especially their babies favored them to sleep much more, since they were big sleepers like their father.

Exactly around 2 am, they would wake up for a feed, then go back to sleep and wake up late.

Jai turned his face to the other side, making Vennela groan softly.

"Umm...ba..va...slowly..."

"What ha..ppened...ba..by?"

"Uhummm....your beard is pric..king me...😖"

He chuckled and rubbed his nose on her breasts.

"Uhhmmm...stay still ..." she clutched his soft hair making him stay in a place.

"What's..the time now?"

"I have no..idea...must be so late..."

"Hmm.." Jai fell for another sleep wrapping his arms around her waist.

Vennela opened her eyes horrified. She stretched her hands and picked up her phone somehow.

"OH MY GOD!!! Bava !!! It's 8 in the morning😨"

"Mm...okay...sleep some more...😴"

"No..wake up!!! You've to go to the construction site today..😦" she pulled his hair trying to get him up from her chest.

But her husband was giant for her as her efforts went in vain.

"Offoo !!! Are you serious right now ?"

Getting no response from him, she reached his bums and pinched there.

"Ouch !!! What's with you bangaruuu?😩"

"Don't you have to visit the construction site today ?"

His eyes widened as he got up startled.

"What time it is ?😳"

"8..."

"Oh heck !!! Wish I could have slept with you like this😑" he groaned while adjusting his disheveled hair, rubbing his face with other hand.

Vennela giggled as she tied her long hair into a bun.

"My body is fully sore. Thinking about bathing itself is making my insides scream in protest. The pain when water falls on the hickeys you've given all over my body itself is a nightmare😶‍🌫️"

"What about my body, bangaram?"

"You're tougher...😗" she said while collecting her bathrobe from the floor and wore it.

"Your teeth is sharper🥶" he got up from the bed naked and stood infront of her.

"Ayyo...this man....so shameless, bava🙈" She covered her face beneath both palm.

"You've seen everything all the time, bangaram..."

He wore his boxers.

"Still..this is day time"

"What's different at day time?"

"I still can't process how I'd fit you inside me🙈"

Jai laughed harder, collecting his clothes.

"Okay...so that was a problem, huh?"

"A very big problem😗" she pouted making him chuckle again.

Vennela got down the bed and hugged him feeling emotional all of a sudden.

"What happened to my baby all of a sudden?😘" He rubbed her back softly.

"Naaku teliyadu..I will just miss you..eppudu vastaru ?🥺" (When will you come back?" )

"I'll try to come as soon as possible. OK?😘😘"
He cooed her cheeks and planted kisses on her head.

"I'll go bath now. You get some more sleep"

Vennela nodded reluctantly as he disappeared into the bathroom.

Sleep wasn't coming near her, so she checked babies' crib and sighed in content watched them sleeping peacefully. Vennela adjusted their blankets softly.

She checked the cupboard to see Jai's clothes all ironed and she had nothing else to do. Not even cooking. This was sometimes enjoyable, but mostly boring for her. She was a busy wife in the morning. Cooking for Jai was something she found her joy in mostly.

Anyways she felt the need to pump out her engorged bosoms. Vennela took out the sterile automatic pumps and attached both letting it do it's job. She sighed in relief and leaned to the bedrest.
Vennela yawned and closed her eyes for a while.

Meanwhile Jai finished his bath and came out in fresh pair of tee shirt and shorts.

"Awww...baby..you could have slept properly no?😘" He kissed her head hugging softly.

"Uhm...I wasn't sleepy, bava...did you wipe your hair properly ?😇" She took the towel from his hands and started wiping his hair.

"I cannot even prepare a coffee for you. It's too much boring like this, bava😩" She sighed.

"That's why you need rest. Don't do anything. I'll call and order breakfast. You go and brush teeth"

"I'll. But you start having first. Clothes are already ironed"

"Alright. I'll come back afternoon. Don't worry"

She nodded and passed him the milk bottles.

"Can you fill these? I'll clean up quickly and come "

"Sure☺️" he did his job as assigned and kept the pumps for washing.

Vennela had a quick bath and came in a soft floral cotton frock that reached till her knees.

"Awesome...so pretty😍"

"Thank you, bava ...🥰" she replied shyly sitting beside him.

"I ordered idlis, chutney and sambar for us"

"Phew!!! Happa!!😃 I was craving for some hot idlis" Vennela muttered, her mouth already watering.

"That's why I ordered it. Sit with me" as Jai asked, she sat beside him and had her breakfast.
__________________________________________

Back in the village, preparations for the annual temple celebration had already begun.

The temple courtyard was being cleaned, colorful decorations were being planned and the elders had gathered beneath the large banyan tree to discuss the arrangements.

Jai's father sat with a few of the neighbours, going through a list.

"We need to start the preparations early this year..last year the rain spoiled half of the arrangements" one of the neighbours said.

Jai's father nodded.

"You're right. The decorations, prasadam, annadanam and the evening procession all need to be planned properly...."

Another neighbour smiled.

"We should finalize everything this week... The festival is only a few days away"

"Yes ...the temple needs to be decorated from the entrance all the way to the main road"

"We'll need more flowers this year..last year we ran short on the final day"
one of the women added.

Deva nodded.

"I'll speak to the flower supplier tomorrow. We shouldn't leave anything until the last minute..."

An elderly neighbour smiled.

"You always take care of these things, don't you?"

Jai's father laughed softly.

"What else can I do? If everyone sits and discusses, someone still has to actually arrange everything...😆"

Everyone laughed.

A younger man sitting nearby opened a notebook.

"Okay, let's make a proper list. First, decorations. Second, the pooja arrangements. Third... annadanam"

"And the procession..." another neighbour reminded him.

"Yes, the procession too..."

"What about the cultural programme?" someone asked.

"We should have one in the evening...the children have already started practicing"
Another woman suggested.

"Oh...that's good. Let them perform😇"

Another neighbour suddenly smiled.

"And this year, we have one more reason to make the celebration special..."

Everyone looked at him.

"Jai and Vennela with the twins..😍"

A few people immediately smiled.

"They'll be coming, won't they?" an elderly woman asked.

Jai's father nodded.

"They will. Jai has an important meeting in Singapore right now, but he'll be back before the festival...😊"

The women immediately became excited.

"Ammu and Rishu! We haven't even seen them properly yet..."

"They're already six months old, aren't they?"

"Yes..almost 6 months over..."

"Then they must have grown so much"

Jai's father smiled.

"They have. Every time I see them on a video call, they look different..."

One of the neighbours laughed.

"That's because you're their grandfather. You probably notice every tiny change😄"

Jai's father smiled warmly.

"What can I say? They're my grandchildren...❤️"

Another woman joined the conversation.

"I heard Ammu looks just like Vennela..."

"And Rishu looks like Jai" someone else said.

"Then they'll be a perfect combination"

Everyone laughed.

A little later, Vennela's father arrived from the other side of the road.

"What are you all discussing so seriously?"

"The temple festival..." Jai's father replied.

Vennela's father sat beside him.

"Have you decided the date for the annadanam?"

"Saturday afternoon..."

"Good. I'll arrange some of the groceries☺️"

Jai's father nodded appreciatively.

"That would help a lot..actually we have tl harvest some vegetables we planted few months back. We can utilise it for this programme"

"Exactly. That's great😄"

One of the neighbours looked between the two men.

"Between the two of you, everything will be taken care of"

Vennela's father smiled.

"We're not doing it alone. The whole village is involved. And where is Aditya?"

(Aditya is Vennela's and Jai's babai)

"Aditya has went to the town to bring some things for the festival"

"ohh okay...alright..i almost forgot that. He had told me earlier" Jai's father said.

The temple bells rang softly in the background.

Then one of the younger women suddenly asked..

"Who is going to decorate the entrance?"

A man immediately pointed toward another neighbour.

"He is..."

"Why me?🙄"

"Because you only did it last year"

"And that's exactly why I don't want to do it this year😬"

Everyone burst out laughing.

Jai's father shook his head with a smile.

"Fine, fine. We'll divide the work properly...😂"

The conversation continued well into the afternoon.

The temple festival wasn't just an event for them. It was something that brought the entire village together.

The priest soon joined them with a notebook.

"The main pooja will be on Saturday morning. The procession will be in the evening, followed by the cultural programme..."

"Should we arrange fireworks?🤩" one of the younger men asked.

Lakshmi immediately shook her head.

"With so many small children around, keep it simple no..."

The neighbour laughed.

"You're already thinking about Ammu and Rishu"

"Of course I am, they are my grandchildren.." she replied.

Everyone laughed.

Another woman teased her.

"Be honest... Are you excited about the festival or about seeing the twins?"

"Both..!😗 " she answered without hesitation.

A few women were sorting flowers nearby.

"It feels strange without Vennela around" one of them said.

Her friend nodded.

"Yes. The house is so quiet now...."

"Quiet? Her parents probably miss the babies more than they miss her...😂"

They both laughed.

"I saw their photographs yesterday. Ammu has Vennela's eyes..."

"And Rishu looks exactly like Jai"

"Then they're going to be a beautiful pair when they grow up"

Vennela's mother smiled proudly.

"They already are...❤️❤️"
_________________________________________

"Bangaruuu, I'll come afternoon. I don't need the laptop. I'm visiting the site only no" he told his wife while getting into his formal beige pants.

"Ohh yes...I'm a complete fool🤦‍♀️" she facepalmed at her blunder.

"No you're not. You're my sweetest wife. Dare you talk like that"

She giggled and resumed.

"Is files necessary, bava ?"

"Yeah..keep the blue and yellow one..the blueprint and some work details are in both"

"Okay...are you sure laptop isn't needed?"

"Even if it's needed, I'm taking the pendrive with me. Can connect in anyone's laptop. By the way, every details are inside the file. That's why I'm not carrying the load☺️"

"Okay...I've kept an umbrella inside your bag. Rain and sunlight comes back to back so..."

"Yes! Thank you sweetheart. I had actually forgotten about that😘" he gave a flying kiss to her while buttoning up his shirt.

She chuckled catching it and came near him, buttoning up rest of the shirt.

"Sit here bava"

She made him sit on the bed and started combing his hair neatly.

"My good boi😍😘" Vennela felt the love bubbling up inside her specially for her husband as she cupped his face and planted a peck on his lips.

"Awww...what happened to you bangaruu? You're the sweetest, today😄"

"Can't I appreciate my husband? Huh. You always complain that I don't appreciate and now that I'm doing, you start teasing me🤨😏"

"Ayyoo...it's not teasing. I'm loving it so much such that I dislike going to visit the site today..I just want to stay with you and babies😍"

She blushed and played with his collar.

"You'll come in afternoon though. I'll wait for the lunch to have it with you"

"Okay. I'll be quick. Also order something and eat if you feel hungry in between OK?"

"Okay dadda🤭..." she giggled twirling his moustache. Then passed him his wallet, phone and bag.

Jai shook his head smiling and reached the crib. His heart melted instantly at the site of their babies sucking thumbs cuddling closer to each other in sleep.

"My darlings...they are always dreaming of milk, bangaram😂" He chuckled softly.

"Yeah...just like their nana..😏" she shook her head smirking slightly.

"Okay...thank you baby...you had to tell something like this before I go out no?🙂‍↔️"

Vennela laughed softly and kissed his arm.

"I say that to tease you. Anyways walk safely around the site. Watch the steps..ok?"

"Okay sweety😘" he kissed her forehead for long making her sigh in content.

She nodded and sent him till door.
__________________________________________

The apartment became quiet again after Jai left.Vennela stood near the door for a few seconds before returning to the bedroom. She checked the crib and found both babies still asleep.

"Finally☺️!!" she whispered with a smile.

She went about her morning quietly, giving them the little time they had left to sleep.
But it didn't last very long.Ammu was the first to wake up.

Her soft whimpering slowly grew louder until Vennela walked over and picked her up.

"Shhh... Amma is here, baby.."

She carried her to the bed and sat down comfortably, settling her against herself.

Rishu woke up a few minutes later.

Vennela looked towards him and smiled.

"awww...now you're awake too?😘😘"

He kicked his little legs beneath the blanket.

"Wait wait...let me get you too..."

She adjusted them both and fed simultaneously.

Once both babies were done, Vennela kept them beside her for a while.

The two of them were awake now, looking around the room with their usual curiosity.
Ammu grabbed at the edge of the blanket while Rishu was busy trying to roll onto his side.

"Don't start fighting with the blanket baby...amma just gave you food..." she said gently pulling it away from Ammu's fingers.

Ammu immediately reached for it again which made her laugh fondly.

"Fine... Have it😂"

She let her play for a few moments before getting up.

"Come on both of you let's get you ready..."

Later that morning after their bath, the twins were dressed in fresh cotton clothes.

Vennela sat on the bed with Ammu between her legs while she gently combed the little girl's hair with her fingers.

"Look at you..so pretty my little princess is..😘"
Ammu blinked up at her.

She kissed her cheek.

On the other side of the bed, Rishu was lying on his stomach, trying very seriously to move forward.

Vennela watched him for a few seconds.

"Where are you going, kanna?"

Rishu pushed his legs against the mattress.

"Are you planning to escape?😂"

He made another determined little movement.Vennela laughed.

"Your nana is going to be very happy when he sees this. He's been waiting for you to start crawling properly...☺️❤️"

Rishu stopped and looked towards her.

"awww...you melt amma's heart always...muah😘"

She picked him up and placed him beside Ammu.

"Both of you stay here for five minutes"
She walked towards the cupboard and arranged some clothes.

When she returned, the twins were already occupied with each other.

Ammu had grabbed Rishu's fingers.

Rishu was trying to pull them back.

"Hey ..hey..."

Vennela sat beside them.

"Why are you both fighting already?"

She gently separated their hands.

"Don't trouble your brother, ammutty🙂‍↔️"

Ammu stared at her innocently.

"Don't give me that face. I know you"

She kissed her forehead.

By late morning, Vennela had settled the babies comfortably in their play area.
She checked her phone and noticed that her mother was online.She smiled and pressed the video-call button.
After a few rings, her mother's face appeared on the screen.

"Hello amma...."

"Vennu ! What are you doing?"

"Nothing much. The babies just finished their bath"

"Oh, let me see them"

"Wait...here see...☺️"

Vennela turned the phone around.

Her mother immediately smiled.

"Ayyoo... look at them. They've grown so much again..."

"I know. Every week I feel like they're looking different"

"Of course. They're growing quickly. Turn the camera properly. I can't see Ammu's face"

"okay amma..."

Vennela adjusted the phone.

"Now I can see her😍"

Her mother smiled at the screen.

"Ammu... Ammamma is here..."

Ammu stared at the phone for a moment before reaching towards it.

"See? She knows her ammamma..."

"Of course she does. Put Rishu also"

Vennela moved the camera.

"He's busy with his toy"

"Look at those cheeks😍😘"

Lakshmi laughed.

"You say the same thing every time, you're obsessed with his cheeks...."

"of course...they look so delicious like ghee laddoos...😍"

Vennela laughed wholeheartedly hearing it.

Her mother smiled.

"How are you?"

"I'm fine, amma...healthy and happy here...☺️"

"And Jai?"

"Bava left for the construction site in the morning..."

"Did he eat before leaving?"

"Yes, amma..he did. We actually had idlis this morning.."

"that's good to hear. Check after his health too, Vennu. Make sure he is properly having food in between all the work stress"

Her mother leaned back in her chair.

"I do that always, amma. Also he is a foodie☺️" she smiled thinking about her husband fondly.

"I know...I can't wait to prepare his favourites when he comes back here. Last time I couldn't prepare the Guntur naatu kodi curry (Guntur desi chicken curry) he told he was craving"

"Haha...amma you remember everything.😂 Okay prepare for your son when he is there. I want my avakkaya annam and cold spicy perugu..that's all🤤" Vennela's mouth watered saying it.

"Of course ...Pallavi has already made pickle. She is experimenting new things from you tube"

"Haha...I can't wait to try whatever she is experimenting🤭" Vennela chuckled.

"The festival preparations have started here, vennu"

"Yes i was about to ask..."

"The whole village is already busy. Yesterday they cleaned the temple courtyard. Today they're planning the decorations..."

"Really? Everything is so fast😯"

"Yes. Your father and babai were discussing the annadanam arrangements this morning..."

"Babai came back?"

"He'll be back soon.."

Vennela nodded.

"What else are they planning?"

Her mother smiled.

"Everything. Flowers, decorations, pooja arrangements, procession, fireworks... you know how everyone becomes energetic once the festival comes near"

"I can imagine...amma...😍" her eyes softened remembering about the temple festival which was one of her favorites in the childhood and now. They all used to sit on the temple ground and watch the kuchipudi ballet drama playing on stage. Her hands adorned with new glass bangles. Deva purchasing kajal, nail polish, colourful clips and everything she asked.

"You should see the temple now. They're already cleaning everything around it..."

"I wish I could see, amma...🫠"

"You will. You're coming, aren't you?"

"Of course. Bava said we'll be back before the festival...🤩"

"Good. This time we'll have all of you here. It's been so long since the whole family was together"

Vennela smiled.

"I know. I really want to bring the babies there..."

"Everyone is waiting for them"

"I know☺️" she smiled sweetly.

"Okay...I'll call you later, Vennu...we have kept the chillies to dry outside. Have to get that inside"

"Okay amma...take care. Tell my regards to everyone. I'll call chinnatha later"

"Okay..take care all of you...❤️"

She disconnected the call and gave all her attention to babies.
__________________________________________

Meanwhile, at the construction site, Jai stood in front of the eastern section of the building with the revised blueprint spread open in his hands.

The site engineer stood beside him, along with two supervisors and a few workers.

Jai looked from the drawing to the actual structure again.His expression changed.

"Who checked this before the work started?"

The site engineer hesitated.

"Sir... the junior team checked the measurements yesterday..."

"Which junior team?"

"Rakesh's team, sir"

"Call Rakesh.."

The supervisor immediately made the call.

Jai crouched near the marked section and ran his fingers along the edge of the concrete structure.

"Bring the total station..."

One of the workers hurried away.

The site engineer looked slightly uncomfortable.

"Sir, the difference is very small..."

Jai looked up sharply.

"Small?🙄"

"It's only a few millimetres, sir. We can compensate for it in the next section..."

Jai stood up.

"No. We don't compensate for a mistake like this in the next section.."

"Sir, I meant..."

"I know what you meant"

His voice remained controlled, but the irritation was obvious.

He opened the blueprint again.

"Look at this line. This is the reference axis. Everything that comes after this depends on this alignment. If this is wrong, the next section shifts. Then the next one shifts again. By the time you reach the finishing stage, we're going to be correcting a problem that should have been caught before the first slab was even touched..."

The engineer nodded.

"Yes sir...i got it.."

"Then why wasn't it caught?"

There was silence.

Jai looked around at the team.

"I asked a very simple question. Why wasn't it caught?😑"

The site engineer finally answered.

"Sir the measurements were checked, but..."

"But what?"

"We may have used the older reference point🫥"

Jai stared at him.

"The older reference point? Are you being serious right now?"

He nodded bowing his head down.

Jai closed his eyes briefly and took a breath.

Then he opened the blueprint again and pointed at a particular marking.

"This revision was circulated two days ago..."

"Yes, sir"

"And you're telling me the team was still working from the previous reference?"

No one had answers. Jai's jaw tightened.

"Then what exactly are we doing here?😬"

Nobody answered. He turned towards the supervisor.

"Stop all work in this section"

"Yes, sir..."

"And I don't want anyone touching it until the structural team checks it"

"Understood, sir..."

Jai looked at the workers.

"Everyone else can continue with the unaffected areas. But this section stays exactly as it is"

One of the supervisors nodded.

Jai turned back to the site engineer.

"Get me the measurement sheets from yesterday"

"Sir, they're in the site office..."

"Bring them, then!😑"

The engineer hurried away hearing his irritated baritone.

Jai remained where he was, staring at the structure.
A few minutes later, the engineer returned with the files.

Jai took them and started going through the measurements.

His irritation grew with every page.

"Who signed this?"

The engineer glanced at the sheet.

"Rakesh, sir..."

"And who verified it?"

"Mr. Prakash"

"Call both of them. I want them here asap"

Within a few minutes, the two men approached.

"Sir, you called us...?😶"

Jai held the sheet up.

"Explain this..."

Rakesh looked at it.

"Sir...😶‍🌫️"

"Don't say you don't know"

The young engineer swallowed.

"I checked the measurements yesterday"

"I know. Your signature is right here. Tell me how the hell you arrived at these numbers?!!😤"

Rakesh looked towards the supervisor before answering.

"We used the reference point marked on the previous drawing.."

Jai's expression hardened.

"And why did you use the previous drawing?"

"I didn't receive the revised copy, sir"

The site engineer immediately intervened.

"It was sent to the site office, sir"

Jai turned towards him.

"Then why didn't it reach the team?"

The engineer had no answer.
Jai slowly folded his arms.

"This is exactly the kind of thing I don't want happening here"

His voice was quieter now, but somehow that made everyone more attentive.

"We can fix concrete. We can redo measurements. We can correct drawings. What we cannot fix is negligence after the structure has gone too far...🙂‍↔️"

Nobody spoke.

Jai continued.

"I don't expect every person here to know everything. That's why there are engineers, supervisors and drawings. But I expect people to check what they're working with"

He held up the old drawing.

"If you receive a revised drawing, the old one should be removed from circulation immediately. Not kept in a folder. Not left on someone's desk. It should clearly be REMOVED.."

"Yes sir we will be more careful from now on" the site engineer said, a little shaken.

Jai looked at Rakesh.

"And if you're unsure about a measurement, you ask. You don't assume..."

"Yes, sir"

"Good...now lets fix it..."

He handed the sheet back.

The structural team arrived shortly afterwards. Jai walked them through the problem himself.

"Take the measurements again from the primary reference axis. Don't use any existing markings as your starting point"

The structural engineer nodded.

"Understood, sir"

"And once you're done, I want the revised measurements compared against the blueprint before anyone resumes work.."

"Sure sir...."
Jai stepped back.

His anger had not completely disappeared, but his focus had returned.

The site engineer approached him cautiously.

"Sir... I'm sorry about this..."

Jai looked at him.

"I know mistakes happen, but this one should have been caught earlier" Jai continued.

"That's why I'm angry. Not because the structure is impossible to correct. It isn't. I'm angry because we had enough people checking this and still nobody noticed"

"Yes, sir. We'll make sure it doesn't happen again"

"I expect that"

Jai looked at the workers and back at his watch.

It was already getting closer to lunchtime.

For a moment, his thoughts went home.
He pictured Vennela with the twins, probably somewhere near the living room.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

Then he looked back at the structure.
"Alright. Let's finish this.."

He picked up the blueprint again and walked towards the measurement team.
The irritation was still there, but now it had become determination.

He wasn't going to leave the site until he was satisfied that the mistake had been properly corrected.
_________________________________________

Vennela was reading a novel, babies already asleep when her phone began to ring.

She kept the book aside and picked up her phone. The number wasn't saved.

She frowned slightly.

"Who is this?"

For a moment, she considered ignoring it.
But the call continued.
She answered.

"Hello?"

There was silence.Vennela waited.

"Hello?"

Still nothing.

She pulled the phone slightly away from her ear and looked at the screen.

The call was still connected.

"Who is speaking?"

A voice finally came through...Low and a little distorted.

"Is this Vennela?"

Her expression changed slightly.

"Yes. Who is this?"

Another pause.

"I need to talk to you..."

"About what?"

"About Jai"

Vennela's eyebrows drew together.

"Who are you?🤨"

"I can't tell you that"

She straightened.

"Then why did you call me?"

"Because you need to know something"

"What?"

The voice became quieter.

"Your husband isn't telling you everything..."

Vennela stared ahead.

"What are you talking about?"

"You should ask him where he was last month"

Her grip tightened around the phone.

"What does that mean?🙄"

"Ask him..."

"Who are you?"

The caller didn't answer.

"Why are you telling me this?"

There was another silence.Then came the voice again,

"You think you know your husband very well...."

Vennela's expression hardened.

"I do know my husband....🙄"

"Then you should have nothing to worry about"

"Stop talking in riddles. Tell me what this is about"

The voice remained calm.

"You'll find out soon enough..."

"Wait.."

The call disconnected.

Vennela stood completely still. She stared at the screen.

The call duration showed only a little over a minute. She immediately tried calling back.The number was unreachable.

She tried again.

Nothing.

"Who the hell...?😑"

She lowered the phone slowly.

Her first instinct was to dismiss it as some stupid prank.But the caller had known her name and had specifically mentioned Jai.

Her mind was racing. She was totally shook.

She knew exactly where Jai had been..he had a business work in Chennai last month which lasted only for 2 days. Vennela and kids were in Rentachintala back then.

"No..."

She didn't want to let one strange phone call disturb everything.

Jai wasn't someone she could easily doubt. She knew him, his habits, his moods, the way he spoke, the way he looked at her when he was hiding something silly like eating something she had told him not to.

But this wasn't about that.The caller had sounded deliberate. Not like someone making a random prank call.

Vennela looked at her phone again.

She hesitated.

Should she tell Jai?

She imagined his reaction. She didn't want to put this on him without knowing whether it was even real.

Her eyes moved towards the clock.He should be home soon.

She placed the phone on the table.

"Maybe it's nothing..."

She tried to convince herself despite the little tremor on her hands.

But the words continued to echo in her mind.

Your husband isn't telling you everything.

She swallowed. Then her phone vibrated again.

Vennela froze. She looked down at her phone.

A message from the same unknown number. Her heart began beating faster as she opened it.

There was only one line.

"Ask him about the woman from Chennai"

Vennela stared at the screen.

For several seconds, she didn't move.

Then she slowly locked the phone.

Her face had gone pale.

"Chennai...?😳"

She knew Jai had travelled to Chennai for a project. But that was nothing unusual. It had been work.

At least, that was what she knew.

She looked towards the door.

Jai would be home any minute.

And suddenly, the peaceful afternoon she'd been waiting for didn't feel peaceful anymore.
__________________________________________

To be continued...

Yours,
Aiswarya2018.