Tiptoeing towards love

2

Parthiban

A month later

She comes up in my dreams every day, asking me to marry Mozhi. Maybe it was my guilt that gives stems to such dreams but it was hard to disregard them.

Mozhi is adamant about leaving her home and in the end, I had to agree to the same and stay with her. My parents were unwilling to leave the luxury in Chennai and accompany Mozhi, which didn't surprise me as I have always been conscious of their cheap personality.

At the moment, Mozhi was sleeping in her room while I was settled in the lounge, looking fazedly at the brown ceiling. It is a traditional house with a wide square-shaped opening that lets the sunrays to graze the interiors of the house.

It is our ancestral house and after my sister's husband eloped away, she lived here. She is a non-materialistic person...respected people by their heart rather than their money. She didn't deserve such a death.

Heeding to Mozhi's sobbing, my thoughts break and I enter her room, watching as Mozhi curl into the bed and wail uncontrollably. She has been crying all day and when she isn't sniveling, she could be discerned sitting numbly. I let her be as I'm mindful that the pain she is undergoing is unbearable and she needs her own time to get out of it.

However, it has been a month and I can't let her be in this pathetic state anymore. She has a life ahead to take care of. She has completed her 12th a few months ago and have passed out with promising scores. Now she has to join a good college and establish a perfect career for herself...

She has a long way to go.

"Mozhi," I grip her arm and strive to sit her on the bed. But she instead leans against my chest and continues to weep.

Sighing, I pat her messed-up hair and console her. "Mozhi, she is gone. You have to accept it and move on ma..." She shakes her head and looks up at me.

Her moon-like wheatish-shaded face is flushed in a shade of pink due to her frequent crying. Her round eyes and lengthy eyelashes are coated in her tears. She had a chubby figure a month ago and now she looks less than 50kg which is concerning, to me.

I hadn't been paying much attention to her till now...and it hit me badly that I'd let her get to this point even though I was beside her all this time.

"Get up Mozhi, we are going to the city today," I say strictly which earns a loud sob from Mozhi. "No mama...no, I can't leave my home," She stresses and whimpers between her tears.

"Do you think I will let you suffer alone in this home for the entirety of your life? Huh? You are coming with me to the city and that's final," her sobs skyrockets and I had to hold her close to me, soothing her the best I could.

"I will prepare something to eat...get freshened up and come to the lounge, okay?" I pat her and utter softly. She just nods in response...

I cooked Upma and went to check in on Mozhi but her room was locked.

In the meantime, I enlivened myself and wore my casuals, a black t-shirt, and grey pants, and contacted my relatives in the Village to inform them about our departure.

Mozhi's father's younger sister made a scene while I explained to her about our shift to the city. She is a greedy woman alike my parents. And she has a son to whom she wants to marry my Mozhi to. For my wealth, indeed.

Most of my properties are in the name of Mozhi and she has been a target of many of the people here since long back.

And this particular woman named Gauthami is one venomous woman who has been plotting to marry her son to Mozhi ever since she turned fifteen. But my sister rejected all her advances politely and at the same time, never had she sternly said a no, because she didn't want to create any family problems with that woman.

Now that lady literally screamed at me when I straight up rudely declined her wish to marry her son to Mozhi and If I'm not wrong, she is now on her way here.

Rubbing my temple slightly, I plop on the couch in the lounge and lean back, closing my eyes to relax my distressed head.

"Mama," I divert my attention to Mozhi, now freshened and is dressed in a long yellow skirt and white button-up shirt with yellow floral designs. Her face looked pale but she was better than she was a few minutes ago.

"Sit here, I will bring the breakfast," she catches my hand and shakes her head. "I will bring it, mama. You've been looking after me for this one whole month and it's bad manners to let you do all the work even when I'm alright mama," I look up at her and smile gently.

"Seri (okay) go," she leaves my hand and walks to the kitchen.

We had breakfast together and just as we were done with it, a loud voice of a woman penetrated our home.

Well, here we go.

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Thoughts?