Kalaba Kadhala | Part 1

Chapter 30

Anushka was seated on the well-worn couch, her laughter ringing out like a melodious song, a sound that had been sorely missed in the home. Priya and Chitra, flanked her sides, sharing in the joy of her unknown happiness.

"Can you believe it? She made tea! Anushka, our Anu!" Priya exclaimed, her face radiant with elation as she cradled a steaming cup, the fragrance wafting around them.

Anushka grinned, a warmth bubbling within her. "Of course! Who else would make the best masala chai in the world? Even after everything, it's my specialty!" She glanced down at the residual scars across her arms and legs, reminders of a harrowing experience that, only days ago, had cast a long shadow over their lives. But today, they were just scars, battling for space with the brightness of the moment.

Chitra nudged Anushka playfully. "And you know it's just because you want us to think you're the best cook in the house".

Giggling, Anushka shook her head. Her brother, Arjun, came back from the kitchen with a fresh pot of tea, steam curling up like happy spirits. "You're definitely still the best, but I think we might need to taste test your skills every day just to be sure!"

Deva, their father, watched the scene unfold from his armchair across the room, his heart a mix of joy and pain. After years of silence, years spent nursing wounds that had turned bitter and cold, seeing Anushka laughing again made him feel an emotion he thought he had lost. He had missed her soft presence, her gentle laughter that could brighten even the darkest moments.

As she served the tea, he could see the vulnerability beneath her determined smile. "Anu," he said, his voice surprisingly thick, "ith enakka Amma?" (Is it for me)

Her bright eyes found his, and for a moment, it was as if they had defied time and the misunderstandings that had drifted between them. "Aama Appa... vere yaarku." (Yes dad, whom else?) She said handing him the cup.

Tears misted Deva's eyes, a floodgate threatening to open after years of stubborn repression." I—" he hesitated, struggling with years of unresolved tension. The air felt heavy, charged with all the things he wanted to say but hadn't found the words for. The joy of the moment threatened to twist into regret.

"Appa" Priya whispered softly, noticing the change in the energy of the room.

But before he could respond, the front door swung open with an alarming creak, shattering their moment of fragile bliss.Aditya walked in, His face was pale, ashen, and the weight of worry hung on his shoulders like a shroud.

"Adi?" Priya exclaimed a frown replacing her smile. "What happened? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Aditya's eyes were vacant, his usual spark extinguished by whatever demons haunted him. "It's... it's bad. Very bad," he stammered, the words barely scraping past the lump in his throat.

"What is it?" Arjun asked, his voice tightening as he sensed the dread in the air. "Sollu anna." (Tell us brother)

The room, once filled with warmth and laughter, thickened with apprehension. Aditya stepped forward, leaning heavily against the wall, as if his legs could no longer bear the weight of what he had to convey. "Prabhass," he finally managed, each syllable laced with sorrow. "Naidu attacked him."

A heavy silence fell over them, punctuated only by the sound of Anushka's cup clattering against the floor. She barely registered the breakage, her eyes wide with shock as she snapped her gaze toward Aditya. "Prabhas?"

The room spun around her, colors bleeding into each other as the impact of Aditya's words washed over her like ice water. She felt as if she had been thrust back into that dark place of terror and despair, her heart breaking again, in a different way.