HER TRUE SOULMATE

Family Time

"Stop scaring my daughter!" Sharada said lightening the mood. 

"When did I do that? I don't know why but these days you are accusing me of things I haven't committed!" Raghu said exasperatedly. 

"When did I?" Sharada asked with her furrowed brows. 

"This morning! It's not me who stole the peanuts!" he defended himself.

Earlier that day, Sharada and the ladies were making dosa for breakfast. For the chutney, Sharada's sister-in-law, Sita, roasted some peanuts and set them aside. They didn't know when or how Raghu sneaked into the kitchen and stole all the peanuts. Before they could find the culprit, Sharada caught him eating the peanuts while talking with Ramu. The rage she felt in that second was known to the whole household. How? Because she yelled at her husband. But what was the use when he had already eaten them all!Laya understood that her uncle had stolen the peanuts again and got caught. This had been a ritual in their house for years. Her uncle thought he was smart every time he stole peanuts, but her clever aunt always caught him red-handed. At this point, Laya couldn't help but sigh at her uncle's folly.

"Do you dare to tell me you didn't eat the peanuts? Do you dare to tell me you stole them?" Sharada asked like a perfect detective, questioning a thief who had stolen a hundred crores. Laya looked at her uncle curiously, wondering how he would escape this great calamity.

"Sharada, you don't trust your husband a bit!" he said, clutching his heart dramatically.

"Trust and you? Huh!" Sharada rolled her eyes at him.

"Look at her, Layamma. She doesn't trust me," he said dramatically while shedding fake tears. Sharada rolled her eyes at her husband. 

"My dear Hubby, please don't tell others that you are my husband outside if you continue to act like this. Also, why do you bring my poor Laya when you commit some theft!" She said it with a scrunched face.

"I am your husband!! And I didn't commit any theft. I have every right to everything here, just like anyone else," he said exasperatedly. How could anyone forget that he was the head of the family? He should remind them at least now! Those peanuts are his to begin with. Everyone has equal rights to everything, but not to peanuts! 

"That's why I am advising you! Stop being a thief and be a model husband." she said, making everyone laugh. Laya noticed her youngest uncle, Rama Krishna, was looking at her with a disapproving gaze the whole time. But she didn't care. She got used to it and ignored him as usual. Their dinner finished amid laughter and smiles. But little did Laya know that this would be her last chance to laugh heartfully.

"I will divorce you and marry a young woman!" he said exasperatedly. He thought he successfully annoyed her.

Sharada's mom thought hard for a while... and said... "Hmm... Do it. I want to go on a world tour. If you divorce me have to give me half of your property as your anomaly along with divorce. I can find a good man and marry him. I am only fifty... Can't I find who is fifty-five or so?" she said so seriously to the point her Raghu Dad believed her words! Laya held her laughter at his petrified expression.

"Woman! No one is getting a divorce here! Stop your wild thoughts!" he almost yelled.

"See... the ego of yours. You can do it and I can't do it. As I am woman, right?" she asked, surprising him. For the first time, she reminded him about women's rights. Raghuram looked at his wife Sharada differently, he wondered what made her say this line. In their thirty-five years of married life, she forgot the existence of those things. But now she was reminding him. He lowered his eyes and wondered whether it was due to her displeasure at the thing he was doing. But... that was for Laya's own good. Even Raghuram treated Laya like his own, but it's just that he can't give love to her till she is old. He has two other daughters and his younger brother has a daughter. They all are going to cross eighteen years, they have to get married. He can't delay their marriages. He regretted delaying Laya's marriage for three long years.

Laya looked at her mother in shock. What happened? Why her mother behaving strangely from the moment she came here? And her youngest uncle's inquisitive gaze at her constantly was making her feel restless. Her three cousin sisters were looking at her pityingly from the moment she came.

The dining hall was in utter silence at her words. Just like her everyone was shocked at her. "Mom! I forgot! You know... all the sunnundalu (a sphere-shaped sweet made of urad dal and jaggery) made by you were eaten by my friends. They left only two for me. Will you make them for me tomorrow?" Laya asked breaking the awkward silence as she pouted cutely.

"Didn't I tell you to eat all of them by yourself? Why did you give them to others?" Sharada started berating her daughter again. The awkward atmosphere was replaced by the pitiful gazes of everyone directed towards Laya. Laya resigned to her fate and took her mother's scoldings.

Sharada only wanted her daughter to be healthy, sending her love and care through her son. Laya loved sunnundalu so much that Sharada didn't allow anyone else to eat them when Laya was around. Laya endured all of Sharada's scoldings with a smile. Ah, this is what family is all about! How did she miss it all this while? But then again, she was afraid her youngest uncle would pressure her to give up her inheritance rights, and her father's constant nagging about marriage also weighed heavily on her. So, she moved away for the sake of her bright future.

"Sharada! Are you done? She returned today! Let her have some peace. If you go on like this, she would turn dumb!" Raghuram said to his wife.

"Even if you give it to others, don't give it all to them," Sharada said with a sigh.

"Mom... I didn't give them. I kept it in my room and went to college. When I returned the vessel is empty," Laya said feeling wronged.

"Sigh... kids these days... whatever... Momma will make them for you tomorrow," Sharada said to her.

"Momma is best..." Laya said and hugged her tight, surprising her. But her eyes held a complicated gaze as she looked at him with a disapproving gaze.

After her eldest son, Arjun Pasupulati, Laya was the eldest and cutest one in the home. Arjun married and settled in Chennai with his wife Durga. When Laya said she would be moving out Sharada cried the most, but she didn't oppose her. Also... when her peddananna (father's elder brother) was trying to find a groom to marry her off, her peddamma stopped till now with the help of her brother.

"Laya... come with me," her peddananna, Raghuram asked her standing up from his place.

"Mom... I should see an empty plate when I come down. Don't forget to eat!" Laya said through her squinted eyes.

"Layamma... that..." Sharada trailed.

"If I come to know that you didn't eat, I will barge in with the food into your room in the middle of the night," Laya said making Sharada scared.

Sharada doesn't eat food at night for god knows the reason. Only Laya can make her eat. Sharada served food on her plate and started eating her food as if someone was chasing her making everyone laugh. Seeing her start eating, Laya stood up and walked to the study.

"Dad..." she called out.