The Seven Phases Of Marriage

6. Compliment

Gowri glared at Avni and turned to the opposite side, sighing heavily, "You're a big disappointment, Avni."

Avni ducked her head, feeling guilty. She is at her in-laws' house, and her single fault might lead to a black mark on her parents' upbringing. The last thing she wanted was her parents to bear consequences for her mistakes.

Avni woke up yawning in a dark room and picked her phone, feeling fully awake. She was confused and blank until she gasped, realizing the time -10:00 am as her phone indicated. She pulled the curtains letting the hot sun rays peep in.

Avni muttered, frustrated, grabbing a dress from the closet, "Siddharth is such a monster! He shouldn't have closed the curtains letting me sleep. He doesn't even have common sense." Her mind is not working, and she feared the worst.

Avni mentally hit her head and rushed into the washroom, hurrying. She got dressed in a salwar kameez with her hair still damp from the shower. She marched downstairs and tip-toed into the kitchen, sending quick prayers to the Lord.

Avni clearly remembered the rule list dictated by her mother before marriage -'Always wake up early. A woman waking up late does no good to the house'. It's not that she feared her mother, but it's not justified on her part to act all lazy and reckless in her in-laws' house.

"You're a big disappointment, Avni."

Avni's face paled as her mother's emotionless voice greeted her. She held Gowri's shoulder, pestering to face her, and mumbled in a low whisper, "I'm extremely sorry Amma. I will never repeat this."

Avni pleaded, "Please forgive me, Amma," but her mother was stern. Gowri ordered Avni to start cooking, indicating the essentials neatly arranged on the kitchen counter. Avni is supposed to cook a sweet dish for her in-laws today, and Gowri kept everything ready for her to cook faster.

Gowri knocked on Avni's door multiple times since morning, but there was no response. Avni was in a deep slumber. She was furious at her daughter's irresponsible behavior but arranged everything to ease her task -Maybe that's what Mother's Love is...

A Mother might be stern and rude when children commit mistakes, but she'll always be there to help.

Avni laughed as she irritated her mother and pestered her constantly for forgiveness. Gowri smiled, hitting her gently with her anger vanishing in thin air. She warned Avni in a serious tone before behaving normally again, "Never repeat this, Avni!"

Avni cooked kheer and lunch as per her mother's instructions. She offered the sweet to God first and carried it to the dining table as it's almost lunchtime.

Renuka inhaled the aroma as she paced to the kitchen. "Avni, It smells amazing! I can't wait anymore," Renuka announced, setting the plates for lunch.

Renuka and Kishore gifted her bangles after tasting the sweet according to the ritual. They blessed her as she touched their feet, "Stay happy with Siddharth forever!" Avni smiled as they praised her throughout lunch as she served them.

Gowri and Shankar were delighted to hear Avni's in-laws praising her and kept quiet, feeling emotional and content.

They insisted she has lunch with them, but she politely refused, waiting for Siddharth. Her parents were surprised as she loved hot food and her in-laws giggled understanding.

Siddharth arrived as their parents were halfway through lunch and removed his shoes. He paced confusedly to the dining hall inhaling the aroma, and exclaimed loudly, "Ma, What have you cooked? I am starving!"

Siddharth grabbed a chair wiping his hands, taking in the potato fry, green sorrel dal, tomato pickle, white rice, kheer, lemon rice, Vada, and fryums. He was about to serve himself when Avni stopped him and arranged his plate with every item.