HER TRUE SOULMATE

Must Marry?

Laya went inside the room and checked around. She saw that her peddananna was waiting for her. His table was oddly full. She noticed there were few land documents, jewelry, and boxes there. She wondered why they were still lying out instead of in the locker

"Layamma..." he called out. Laya was about to go ahead for the locker keys habitually to keep these things out. 

"Peddananna?" she responded.

"We will put them inside after some time. Now listen to me," he said and she nodded. 

"You are a filial child. By the way... why do you want to lock them there? It's only us, right?" He asked her, and even though he knew what her thoughts were, he just wanted to listen.

"Peda nanna! You still ask me?! How many times did I tell you to lock the documents properly and store your things properly? Hmm? I warned you not to leave things like this." Laya fumed at him, making him smile at her.

A smile grazed his lips as he listened to her scoldings. How could it not be? This little girl, who was not his daughter, treats him better than his own. If she didn't call him Pedananna, everyone would have thought she was his daughter. 

She was just a responsible and filial child. She always tries to ease everything around her. At times, he feels bad for not being able to love her the way any child deserves to be loved by their parent. If he were adamant about not sending her to Chennai, no one would have forced him to do it. And even Laya would not go. It's that he let her be because he knew she was the most pitiful child here. 

"Pedananna..." Laya called him.

Raghu snapped back to reality when he heard her voice.

"Layamma... These are your things," he asked making her knit her brows.

"Dad, what?" She trailed at him like a whiny cat.

"Take them," he said to her in a softer tone.

Laya took out the things he asked her to do.

"Do you know Arjun's friend, Rahul?" Raghu's dad asked.

"Yeah, when I was in Chennai, I saw him attending Arjun Anna's (Arjun Brother) daughter, Anjali's, birthday. But I don't have much impression on him." Laya said as she tried to remember the person whom her father was mentioning to her.

"What about him?" Laya asked, asking him to get to the point. 

"What do you think of him?" he asked. 

Laya blinked at him. "Should I think about him? But why would I do that?" she asked. She didn't understand why they were talking about that man. "Honestly, I don't even remember that Anna's face either," Laya said after a pause.

"Don't call him Anna," Raghu almost yelled at her. 

Raghu doesn't know whether he should laugh or cry. If he had let her develop in an area like this, maybe this wouldn't have happened. 

"Do you remember Krishna? Arjun's bestfriend?" he asked. 

"Yeah. But that Anna passed away last year, didn't he?" Laya asked. 

"Yeah. Poor him," Raghu said, feeling pity for him. 

"Actually, you are supposed to marry Krishna this year. But he passed away," Raghuram started. She felt something uncomfortable in her chest after hearing his words. She had a gut feeling that whatever she was going to listen to, she wouldn't like it. This was also the moment she realized that she no longer could delay her wedding or marriage. 

"Krishna is your brother's business partner. They both planned to start a branch in Chennai. Also, not to mention, all our businesses in this city were handled by us. But their plan was stopped due to Krishna's sudden demise. But Rahul came over and took over his brother's place in the company.  During this one year, your brother and Rahul bonded well, despite Rahul being younger than him," he said. Laya could feel that something was going to happen. She felt she shouldn't listen from now on. Laya felt that... her father was planning something for her. 

"Pedananna, How does this concern me?" Laya asked as she looked at him inquisitively.

"He is not as old as your brother. He is only twenty-six years old. Rahul saw you in your brother's marriage. After that, whenever there were functions at your brother's house, Rahul used to attend them. He saw you there a few times." Raghu continued.

Laya could guess where this was going. She doesn't want to listen.

"Pedananna, I am sleepy. I will take my leave," Laya tried to flee away.

"Laya! Stop!" he said loudly and sternly, making a shiver pass through her spine.

She stood frozen in her position. "Sit," he said. She habitually obeyed his words.

"Rahul is a good guy. You will like him. We arranged a marriage for you with him in a week.  Tomorrow is your engagement with him!" Raghu's dad said.

"Dad... I didn't get a job," she said, looking at him with teary eyes, breaking her heart into pieces.

She usually calls him Pedananna. But when she used the word dad... it meant she was against the decision he was making. She was not at all comfortable. She also uses dad when she was happy. He can understand whether she was happy or sad with the way she calls him. 

Raghuram knew he hurt her now. She called him dad many times before, but now... he suddenly felt burdened and saddened hearing her call him dad. He wished to do what she asked for but he just couldn't. In fact, in their family, she was the smartest one. He wished she could soar higher, but Rahul was a good guy. But what he didn't know was that if Rahul got to know they forced Laya into marriage, he would break a hell out of this world.

Even though he knew everything, Raghuram decided to go ahead. There are three more daughters in this house. He can't let his daughters stay in his home for a long time. They will have their families, and their homes. This will never be their home or family. Raghuram may be a good father, but he has a deep-rooted patriarchal mindset, which has caused and will cause troubles for his children in ways that he never expected. 

"Laya, you will do as you are said. You had the advantages and the privileges that no girl in this house ever had. Yet they never complained, but here you are. Complaining and raising your voice. I wonder where did I go wrong," Raghu said to her. He failed to realize that he said many things to her that he never supposed to say. 

Laya was shocked to hear all these words from her uncle. Never in her wildest dreams she expected this from her. 

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