Village meets city love

Chapter 8 - The Shattered Silence: Varun's Unspoken Anguish

Life had been running smoothly for Varun and Lavanya, with their daily routines bringing a sense of rhythm and comfort. Varun was always loving and sweet to Lavanya, and she adored his gentle nature. However, one evening, something changed.

It started like any other day. Lavanya woke up early, did the morning pooja with Meena, and woke up the rest of the family. She made sure everyone was ready and on time for their day. The day went on as usual, with Lavanya managing the house, preparing meals, and taking care of everyone's needs.

Varun had a stressful day at work. Deadlines were piling up, and he felt overwhelmed. He rarely brought his work stress home, but today was different. When he walked in the door, he looked tired and frustrated.

Lavanya noticed his mood immediately. "Varun, you look tired. How was your day?" she asked, her voice full of concern.

"It was fine," he replied curtly, avoiding eye contact and walking straight to their room.

Lavanya was taken aback by his tone but decided to give him some space. She continued with her evening tasks, preparing tea and snacks for the family. When she brought Varun his tea, he barely acknowledged her, staring at his laptop and typing furiously.

"Varun, do you want to talk about it?" Lavanya asked gently, placing the tea on his desk.

"No, Lavanya. Just leave me alone," he snapped, not looking up.

Hurt, Lavanya quietly left the room, trying to hold back her tears. She wasn't used to Varun being this way. He was always so kind and understanding. She didn't know what had changed.

Later that evening, during dinner, Varun remained silent, barely touching his food. The tension was palpable. Meena and Raghavan exchanged worried glances but decided not to interfere.

After dinner, as Lavanya was cleaning up, she accidentally knocked over a glass, which shattered on the floor. The noise startled everyone.

Varun, who was already on edge, couldn't hold back any longer. "Lavanya, can you be more careful?" he shouted, his voice echoing in the silent house. "Why can't you do anything right today?"

Everyone froze. Lavanya stood there, shocked and hurt. She had never seen Varun this angry. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she tried to stay calm.

"I'm sorry, Varun," she said softly, bending down to pick up the pieces of the broken glass. Her hands trembled as she cleaned up the mess.

But Varun's outburst didn't stop there. He continued blaming her, saying hurtful things about her upbringing and capabilities. "How can a village girl like you know how to handle glasses? You were only fit to carry mud vessels. It was my mistake to marry a girl like you who only knows how to do household chores. Do you even know the value of money? You have wasted my hard-earned money. And why are you always crying? Don't you have eyes to watch your steps?" He even resorted to using hurtful and derogatory language in their native tongue, "Stupid, worthless girl, you don't even know how to stand properly."

Lavanya looked at him, her eyes still filled with tears, feeling the weight of his harsh words.

Meena stepped in, her voice gentle but firm. "Varun, that's enough. She didn't mean to break it. It's just a glass."

Varun stormed out of the dining room and slammed the bedroom door heavily.

Meena tried to console Lavanya by saying he might have some office tension and to give him some time.