Sumellika Short Stories

1. Beautiful Revenge (part 10)

Hello! Welcome to part 10...

In the soft glow of the morning light, Saumya nestled herself beside her mother at the dining table, a gentle concern etched on her face. "Maa," she began softly, "I've already given tea to Siya. Her fever seems to be subsiding, but she still looks so weak." Pausing for a moment, her brow furrowed with worry, she continued, "By the way, she was asking about Raghav. I haven't seen him all morning either. Do you know where he is ?"

Her mother's lips curved into a knowing smile, a silent reassurance in her eyes as she listened to her daughter's concerns.

***

Here, Raghav emerged from the garden, a peculiar sight indeed. His clothes were torn and dirt-streaked, with neem leaves scattered amidst the disarray. In one hand, he clutched giloy sticks, while the other busily dusted off his beleaguered appearance.

Azaad, stepping out from the house, caught sight of the unkempt figure but failed to recognize him. Approaching with a mix of concern and authority, he called out, "Hey! Where do you think you're going? You can't just barge in like this. If Mr. Raghav sees a ragged stranger, I'll be the one facing his wrath."

Unfazed by Azaad's initial confusion, Raghav's voice cut through the air, firm and frustrated. "Azaad!" he called, demanding attention.

Perplexed, Azaad scanned the surrounding, "This voice... it sounds familiar," he mused aloud, his eyes narrowing in scrutiny. until he heard Raghav's next words, "Hey what are you seeing here and there? I'm speaking." And his gaze settled on the figure before him. Approaching cautiously, he extended a hand to clear the grime from Raghav's face, a gesture met with unexpected resistance.

With a sharp jerk, Raghav recoiled, his frustration palpable. "It's me, Raghavendra Rao!"

Azaad got shocked seeing him like this... 

Azaad's amusement bubbled forth in laughter as he took in the scene before him. "Sir, what on earth have you done to yourself?" he chuckled, unable to contain his mirth shaking his head in disbelief.

Raghav's explanation tumbled out in a mixture of irritation and resignation, "I am like this because of this giloy , Mother had said that Giloy should be cut from above, not from below. And when I went to cut it, I saw that it had climbed very high on the neem tree, I had no choice but to climb up there myself resulting in this condition."

Azaad's laughter subsided as he chided Raghav gently. "Who told you to climb the tree? You could have just asked me to send someone."

Raghav's defiance flared. "Do you think I lack this much of common sense? It was Mother's order, and I had to obey," he retorted, his unwavering loyalty to his mother evident.

Frustration seeped into Raghav's voice as he lamented his current predicament. "Ugh!!! It's all because of that crazy doctor! I married her to make her life a living hell, but ever since our marriage, my life has been turned upside down. The Raghavendra Rao, who once dictated terms to his enemies, now finds himself forced to serve his enemy. And that too, for that crazy doctor. Who knows what else I'll have to do because of her."

Azaad, ever the voice of reason, chimed in, "Even you are very stubborn, sir. You've dug your own grave, now what's the point of regretting? You should've thought about this before swinging the axe at your own feet!"

Raghav's frustration boiled over, "If you keep talking in circles like this, I'll use the axe on you too, understand!"

Azaad persisted, "Sir, what I mean is, I had warned you not to marry Ms. Siya, but no, you had to seek revenge. Look at the result now."