Enchanted melody of our hearts

⚰UNFORSEEN LOSS-CHAPTER-27

Third pov:

Tears streamed down Meera's face as she stumbled through the doorway. The sight of her daughter in such distress sent Anjali, rushing to her side. "Meera ma, what happened?" her voice laced with concern.

Meera buried her face in her mother's embrace, her sobs echoing through the room. The commotion drew Naveen, and her grandmother to her side. Naveen's voice crackled with urgency. "Akka," he pleaded,  "tell us what happened."

Through choked sobs, Meera managed to stammer, "Appa... he knows everything."

The revelation struck the family like a physical blow. A stunned silence descended upon the room, broken only by Meera's heartbroken cries. Heads swiveled towards the source of a new voice, a voice dripping with bitterness.

Kumaran, his face etched with a mask of pain and fury, stood framed in the doorway. "So," he rasped, a bitter chuckle escaping his lips as he clapped his hands sarcastically. "I seem to be the only one left in the dark. Quite the family secret, wouldn't you say?"

A flicker of pain, raw and visceral, crossed his features before morphing into a mask of icy anger. He stalked towards his wife, Anjali, who watched him with a mixture of fear and shock in her eyes.

"You knew about this, didn't you?" he accused and his eyes filled with hurt and anger.

Anjali's lips trembled, but no words came out. Kumaran's gaze shifted towards Meera, his voice surprisingly calm. "Why, Meera ma? Why didn't you tell me?"

Tears welled up in Meera's eyes, brimming and threatening to spill over. Kumaran, despite his anger, couldn't bear to see his daughter cry. He reached out, gently wiping a stray tear from her cheek. His voice softened further,

"Remember, Meera ma," he began"when you were a little girl? Every day, after picking you up from school, you'd tell me everything. What you learned, how you colored your drawing, what you ate, how you fought with other girls every little detail. Appa thought we were best friends, you and I."Meera spoke up, her voice trembling. "Appa, we planned to tell you after our studies—"

Kumaran cut her off, his voice filled with anguish. "And you think that makes it better? That hiding this from me was the right thing to do?" His gaze shifted between his wife and daughter, the betrayal clear in his eyes.

Meera's heart broke seeing her father's pain. She had never wanted to hurt him, but now it seemed like there was no way to avoid it. Kumaran turned away, unable to look at them.

The insistent doorbell shattered the tense silence. Naveen, flung the door open to reveal a furious Adrian.

"Dad, let us explain!" he roared, pushing past Naveen and storming into the room.

"What are you going to explain, Adrian Hernandez?" Kumaran lashed out. "With whom do you spend your time? Do you think I don't know about rich boys like you? I know you guys don't have any responsibility and just drink yourselves into oblivion. I don't want my daughter to be your conquest! Of course, you helped us when I had my heart attack, and for that, I am indebted to you. But who knows? You might emotionally manipulate my daughter."

A flicker of resentment crossed Adrian's face. He understood Kumaran's over-protectiveness, but it felt laced with unfair assumptions. He opened his mouth to defend himself, but Meera spoke first,  Before he could speak.  "Appa, I know about Adrian's past and he is not a playboy, People can change, and Adrian has changed. He has shown me nothing but love and respect. He has been honest with me, and I trust him." But Meera didn't disclose what he did in Spain.

Adrian smiled, his love for Meera growing as he saw her defend him in front of her father. Kumaran's face softened slightly, but his eyes still held a hard edge. "Meera, you are young and naive. You don't understand the world the way I do. Of course, you two have been friends since childhood, but Meera, try to understand. He came here after abandoning his studies for four years, and we don't know what he did in Spain."