Village meets city love

Chapter 16 - Silent Struggles

Two days after Varun's confession, the house was filled with tension. Lavanya was very quiet, her face showing how hurt she felt. She didn't smile or talk much, and everyone could see she was sad. Varun felt terrible. He regretted telling her the truth but knew it was something she needed to know. His guilt weighed heavily on him.

Varun's parents, Meena and Raghavan, noticed the change in the house. They saw the distance growing between Varun and Lavanya but didn't know why. They watched silently, worried about their son and daughter-in-law, but Lavanya and Varun had silently agreed not to tell them about their conflict. They didn't want to worry the family more.

Arun, Varun's younger brother, also seemed different. He looked anxious and distracted. He was getting a lot of phone calls, which he answered in secret. He would quickly put his phone on silent and go somewhere private to talk. No one paid much attention to it at first, too focused on their own problems.

One evening, as everyone sat in the living room, the silence was heavy. Meena tried to make conversation, talking about simple things, but no one seemed interested. Varun was lost in his thoughts, feeling the weight of his guilt. Lavanya sat quietly, her eyes sad and distant. Arun, too, was quiet, glancing at his phone every few minutes.

Suddenly, Arun's phone buzzed loudly, breaking the silence. Everyone looked at him. He quickly grabbed his phone and went to the other room to answer it. His behavior was strange, and for the first time, everyone noticed.

"Who is he always talking to?" Meena wondered aloud, her voice filled with concern.

"I don't know," Raghavan replied, looking worried. "He's been acting very secretive lately."

Varun and Lavanya exchanged a quick glance. Even though they were dealing with their own issues, they couldn't help but feel concerned about Arun. Something was clearly bothering him, and they hadn't noticed it until now.

Arun came back into the room, trying to act normal, but it was clear that he was hiding something. His phone buzzed again, and he looked at it nervously before putting it back in his pocket.

"Arun, is everything okay?" Varun asked, trying to sound casual.

Arun nodded quickly. "Yeah, everything's fine," he said, but his voice was tense.

Lavanya, who had been silent for most of the evening, finally spoke up. "Arun, if something is bothering you, you can tell us," she said softly. Her own pain made her more sensitive to others' feelings, and she didn't want Arun to feel alone.

Arun looked at her, surprised by her concern. He hesitated, then shook his head. "It's nothing, really," he said, but his eyes betrayed his words. "Just my friends in some trouble. That's why they're calling me continuously. No need for you all to worry about it."

Everyone relaxed a little, reassured by Arun's explanation. They retired to their rooms, each carrying their own thoughts and worries to bed.

But as they settled in for the night, no one knew about the big news Arun would reveal the next day, a bombshell that would change everything.