The Foster child

Chapter -18.

Everyone's life went back to normal.     

When Prithvi was 29 years old, he was fast-tracked to a higher official post in the army, and moved up in rank.
 
Agastya ‘s company arranged a retreat at a hill station, and every employee could bring a family member. Dharani  just returned from her home town three days ago. When  Agastya invited her to go with him, she didn't turn him down.They were already  engaged  and Dharani  thought of spending some time with him.

To get to the hill station, Dharani and Agastya took the tour bus that his company had hired. There were more than ten people on it, and they ranged from executives to common employees.     

They were going to stay in a guesthouse run by the local villagers. Due to limited resources and the number of rooms, the employee in charge of accommodations made Dharani stay in a room with a young woman, while Agastya stayed in another room with a man.     

It was the beginning of June, but the weather was still cold in this area. 
People had to wear sweaters and scarves in the morning and in the evening to protect  themselves from the chilling cold.

   

The guest house itself was nested in the hilly  region. The scenery was spectacular—mountains, valleys, plants, and sunshine. Every now and then, a few clouds floated across the range.     
Various kinds of blossoms filled the air with their fragrance, and all the way around a small stream, birds chirped pleasantly, jumping here and there among the boughs. The flora was marked mostly by willows.     

The woman sharing the room with Dharani  got up early in the morning. The moment she got out of her bed, Dharani,  who hadn't slept well last night because of the cold and damp air, woke up as well, springing out of an uneasy sleep with a tired yawn.     

After that, when the woman went to the bathroom and began to clean herself, the sound of running water was too loud for Dharani to fall asleep again, so she had to get out of bed as well.     

By the time they were ready and went downstairs to have breakfast, it was 7am and the sun was long out. Many of  Agastya’s colleagues were already in the canteen.     

Agastya was sitting at a table nearby with someone from the company. When he saw Dharani , he waved at her and called out, 

Agastya:
“Dharani,  over here!"     

Dharani walked over to his table. To her pleasant surprise, Agastya had already bought breakfast for her. She was moved by his thoughtful nature. 

The canteen food was not that tasty  and it served only oily food like poori and vadas. Agastya brought  her the same. Dharani gets car sick easily and having oily food early in the morning will make her situation worse. 

In order not to disappoint Agastya, she had very little breakfast. She carries some bananas with her in a cover, afraid that she might get hungry later.

Agastya introduced her to some of his colleagues .Their eyes lit up seeing such a beauty.  Green with envy, one of them teased Agastya.

Colleague:
"Dude, it's quite a stroke of luck for you. You've got yourself such a pretty girlfriend."     

Dharani smiled politely at the man. Agastya felt proud and told him with a smile, 

Agastya:
"Dude! She's not my girlfriend; she's my fiance."     

The man gave him a thumbs-up and then turned towards Dharani  assuring her of a happy life.

Colleague:
 "Agastya is a good guy. He will take good care of you. You'll be a happy wife."