Serendipity

Chapter 18

There was a pin drop silence in the room. Everyone was waiting for the upcoming Maha sangram.

"What were you doing hn?" Dadi asked with a hiss.

Riya who was still confused and extremely pissed off because of her broken slumber deadpanned. "Sleeping." With an isn't-it-obvious look.

Looking at her monotonous reply and bored look the anger of Leela Devi sky rocketed.

"Aise lipat ke? You are daughter of Mishra family. Ghar ki izzat. But when the daughter is shameless herself what can we say." She puked out all the poison she had in her mind.

Everyone knew that the venomous storm of Leela Devi has invited Riya's furious waves and now no one can avoid the upcoming tsunami.

Leela Devi wanted to cage the ladies of her family but Riya wasn't a parrot who could be captured and trained to speak what others want her to. She is that Koel bird who got her own mesmerizing voice destined to float in the endless sky.

Her eyes raged with fire and before she could say something Raj held her hand. He knew that she despises when someone questions anyone's character but now that someone is her own grandmother. This is why he didn't wanted her to utter something which can spoil the joyous environment for Ujjwal's marriage.

He knew Leela Devi's nature since childhood. She was always unhappy with the closeness between the children of two families. Always gazing at them with judging eyes. Even now her eyes were zoomed where he was holding Riya's hand.

Riya looked at Raj and he requested her to stay calm with his eyes and a reassuring squeeze to her hand. After taking a long breath she looked straight into Leela Devi's eyes.

"We were just sleeping Dadi. That's. All." Riya said in a clipped tone on the edge of bursting out but left the place immediately gulping all the anger down her throat.

Everyone could hear the loud bang of the bathroom door and a layer of dead silence spread over the moment.

"Abhi se itna attitude hai. Pata nhi khud ko kahan ki maharani smjhti hai. Bare kuch keh de toh muh ban jata hai." Leela Devi spat out in anger.

"Sorry Dadi, but just because you are elder than us, it doesn't give you the right to judge someone's character. Specially Riya's. If you have any problem with us coming over then let us know but please don't hurt her." Saying this Raj left with Rohan tagging along with him.

"Such a manner less kid. What wrong did I say that he lectured me for this long." Leela Devi said looking at Pradeep but he had a look of clear disappointment on his face.

"Aaj apne meri beti pr nahi balki mujh pr sawal uthaye hai maa." Pradeep said with a defeated tone.

"Aaj apne hadd paar kar di." Sandeep said with hurt in his voice.

"You guys are believing that manner less boy over me." She said in an exasperated way.

"He isn't manner less Dadi. In fact I am glad Raj had the courage to take a stand for my sister." Ujjwal said with a humorless chuckle. "Let's go Rina."

Rina left the house with Ujjwal but not before assuring Sudha that everything will be alright.

Sanju stayed back for Riya who was currently in the washroom under the shower trying to wash over all the negativity away from her mind.