Village meets city love

Chapter 17- The Big Surprise

Lavanya's days had become monotonous. Each morning, she rose early to start her chores, feeling the distance growing between her and Varun. Their conversations were minimal, and the tension was palpable. Varun, filled with regret and guilt, found it hard to bridge the gap.

One morning, around 8:00 am, as Lavanya was washing the utensils, the phone rang. She asked her mother-in-law, Meena, to attend to it and put it on speaker. Varun, who had come to wash his hands before breakfast, overheard Lavanya's request. Before Meena could nod, he put the phone on speaker himself, indicating Lavanya to speak. She glared at him but started to respond to the call. Meena watched the scene, smiling, and shook her head as she continued cooking.

The voice on the other end was from an HR representative of a reputed company. Lavanya had attended an interview through a Zoom call a few weeks ago. The HR confirmed that Lavanya had been selected and could start in two weeks. Lavanya accepted the job offer with a steady voice, though her heart was pounding.

Meena, who overheard the conversation, was delighted. She fed Lavanya a spoonful of sugar, a traditional gesture of celebration, and then turned to Varun, who was standing there in shock. "Varun, do you know what your wife did? She planned to surprise you with this job offer. She asked all of us not to share the details."

Meena left from there to inform her husband and other relatives through calls.

Varun, his heart heavy with guilt, whispered, "Why?"

Lavanya gave him a bitter smile and replied, "Because I wanted to take care of your needs. I wanted to shoulder your burdens and be there for you when you needed me. I wanted to be your safe place, to buy you gifts, to share in your joys. But before I could do any of that, I was punished brutally for your frustration. You called me a burden and treated me with such cruelty. I'll never forget that day, Varun. You left a deep wound in my heart with your hurtful words and inhuman behavior. You shattered my hopes and dreams for a happy married life. I will never forgive you for what you've done to me."

Her eyes filled with anger, Lavanya continued, "I am still here because of our parents, not because of any love for you. From now on, we will live like roommates in our bedroom. To the outside world, we may appear as husband and wife, but it will be in name only. Keep that in mind." She wiped the tears from her eyes and turned back to her work just as Meena returned to the kitchen after sharing the good news with relatives.

Varun, overwhelmed with regret, left for the office without eating breakfast.

Later that day, around 3 pm, the doorbell rang. Meena told Lavanya she would check and asked her to continue folding clothes. When Meena opened the door, she shouted for her husband and Lavanya. Both ran to the doorstep, and what they saw filled them with shock.

Lavanya immediately called Varun and his elder sister, Deepa, telling them to come home immediately to handle the situation. They both agreed and left their offices, citing a family emergency. Varun, who arrived last, went straight to the person causing the shock and gave him a tight slap. He grabbed his collar and demanded, "Why did you get married at 20 years old to an 18-year-old girl?"

Yes, Arun had secretly married.

The news hit everyone like a storm. Lavanya stood stunned, unable to comprehend the sudden turn of events. Meena and Raghavan were visibly shaken, trying to process the reality that their youngest son had taken such a drastic step without informing anyone.

Arun, looking both scared and defiant, faced his family, knowing he had a lot of explaining to do.