Oh, Be My Dawn, Sweet Heart! (Only Sample)

12. Deep, Deep Hatred!

Imaya’s PoV

It is Tuesday, I don't have college today. The days in my home are getting on my nerves. I try hard to leave my hatred behind but everytime she does something, it makes me go insane all over again. I have been waiting for the weekends ever since she came home. It is like I am living like a guest in my own home. It's been over a week now that she has been in our home. She has gone out for the weekend and is back here again.  

She is a very enthusiastic girl. She does things with so much involvement. She wakes up earlier than me and does all the morning work that I have been doing all these years. She then cooks the breakfast and we all eat. She then cleans up the kitchen and sweeps the floor. I took up the job of mopping the floor every other day which is a holiday for me. If I were home, I would help her cook lunch. She would play songs on her phone and would sing along while she cooks. We then eat lunch and we clean up the kitchen. Then she takes her clothes and towel and walks to the pumpset in our fields to play there. She has made it a habit now to go there in the evenings. She will be gone to the fields when I come back from college. She will come back only when I serve evening tea to everyone. 

I, on the other hand, spend my evening studying. I would come home, refresh myself and make tea for everyone including her, then tend to my chicken coop and shut myself in my room. The biggest nuisance is that I am sharing my room with her and one good thing about that is she would never come in until it is time for bed. 

Indar mama came all the days last week to check on her. He even took her to the bus stop last weekend to send her home. I felt like it was too much. I mean he can check on her for the first day or even the next day. Who in the world will check on someone in their new place for five days straight? He did. The work she does is nothing compared to the salary she is going to get from Indar mama. 

“Hey, imaya, I saw a new recipe with bottle gourd on youtube. Shall we try it out today?” She asked me as I was chopping bottle gourd for lunch.

“Hmmm, show me.” I asked her. I don't really hate her very existence. She is a very nice girl to be honest. She cracks jokes all the time and she makes everyone laugh. But the thing I hate about her is the attention she gets from Indar Mama. And again it is not her fault.

She showed me the recipe and it looked nice and I thought it would turn out yummy so we decided to cook that dish. We cooked everything for lunch and laid it on the table. After we were done, I went to call for Ammachi and Appuchi for eating.

“Ammachi, lunch is ready.” I went to the backyard where she was collecting flowers from the crepe jasmine tree. She always takes flowers from there and makes it a garland for the pictures of god in our home. I make a garland for the Murugan idol in our temple everyday. I drop the garland in the library when I go to college in the morning nowadays. 

“I'm coming. You both sit and start eating. Appuchi has not yet returned from the field. I will go look for him.” She said.

“You are not going anywhere in this heat. You get in, I will go and bring him.” I told her, getting the basket of flowers from her. 

“Ok, but come soon. Indar was supposed to come today to the fields to make the land ready for our next plantation. If he was there, bring him as well.” She said as she stepped in the home. 

I walked towards the fields in high hopes to see him. I don't know why but it made me happy to know that there is a possibility to see him. I searched for him everywhere as far as I could see but I had no glimpse of him. Though it made me sad and disappointed, I went near Appuchi.

“Appuchi, what are you still doing here? We harvested our vegetables last week and now it is time for the land to rejuvenate itself. Why can't you stay home and take rest? Anyways we would plant only next week, right?” I asked him.