Veiled Affection: Secrets Of Heart.

Chapter-15.

Murugan.

I just didn’t want to leave this place yet, but unfortunately, we have to get back to our routine life back at home. I want to spend every waking moment with my Radha.

"Polama sir?" (Can we go now, sir?) the driver asked me. We are traveling by car back to our village.

I sighed and nodded after packing everything inside the car. She is sitting, looking at me with a smile. She slides her hand along my arm and rests her head on my shoulder.

We talked for a little while, and then she fell asleep. Trust me, whenever we travel, Radha needs music, sleep, and a cup of tea. I chuckled as she leaned against me, fast asleep.

As we neared our village, I noticed we had brought many gifts for our family to surprise them, but little did I know that I would be waiting for a surprise myself.

There stood Gayatri—what is she doing here? She wasn’t supposed to come for another week. I frowned at her. She was standing there with her children, who were playing with each other. Once she saw us, she ran toward Radha and hugged her. Radha looked at me, confused.

Radha patted her shoulder soothingly to console her.

“Let’s go inside and talk,” I said. We all went inside, where my brothers-in-law and my sister were sitting with my mother.

Chandru Mama was sitting there, his head hung low. Radha was consoling a crying Gayatri.

“What happened?” I asked, looking at Mani, my best friend and Kalyani’s husband. He looked angry, but he came toward me.

“Chandru Mama has lost his job,” he said in a firm tone.

“But how can that be? You signed a contract for three years, right, Mama? What happened?” I asked, looking for answers, and he looked completely broken.

“I know, but they betrayed me. The contractor from India, who was supposed to manage everything, escaped overnight. Now, me and two other people from India are caught in this mess. Without a working visa, they cut us off from both the job I put so much effort into and terminated the contract,” he explained, his voice full of distress. Everyone gathered around him to offer comfort.

I rubbed my temples, overwhelmed by everything. A gentle hand patted my shoulder. I looked to see Radha standing beside me, her sad smile offering me some comfort.

“I know everyone is tired. Let’s eat and get some rest. We’ll figure this out in the morning,” Radha said, taking charge of the situation. “I’ll make something for everyone. Gayatri, trust me when I say that sometimes things happen in life that make us question everything. But they happen for a reason, so we can treasure what we truly desire.”

She paused and looked directly at Chandru Mama and Gayatri.

“God doesn’t give us patience; He creates situations that teach us patience. He doesn’t hand us our worth; He creates circumstances that make us realize our worth,” she said, hugging Gayatri as she cried on her shoulder.

“It’s going to be alright, Gayu akka. Your brother and I will make sure of that,” she said, looking at me with determination. I gulped, seeing the resolve in her eyes. Everyone was teary-eyed.

“Let’s just get some rest and settle down,” she said. After a tense dinner, we all retired to our rooms.

I lay with my hand on my forehead, the weight of everything pressing down on me. I wished my father were here to guide me through this.

“Mama,” I heard Radha’s voice. I looked at her.

“I don’t know what to do, Radha. Just when I thought everything was going well, my sister and brother-in-law are suffering. I saw it in Mama’s eyes—he doesn’t want to go back. I’m afraid of what will happen to them. They have two children to care for now. What should I do?” I said, frustrated.

She came over and hugged me as I buried my face in her neck, wishing this were all just a nightmare.

“Mama, if I say something, will you listen without jumping to conclusions? I need you to understand what I’m saying,” she said, and I frowned.

“You always wanted to be a teacher like your grandfather, but you couldn’t continue your studies because of your situation,” she said. I nodded, wondering why she was bringing this up now.

“Are you willing to continue now?” she asked, and I looked at her in confusion. At a time like this, she wants me to abandon everything and finish my studies? I frowned.

“Listen, Mama. Why don’t we let Chandru Mama manage the land and poultry farm? He knows agriculture, and he’s learned about modern irrigation from his time abroad. You can focus on your studies in the meantime,” she suggested, and I sat up, startled.

“What are you saying, Radha? Even if we give him the land, what about their livelihood? What about us? We need to manage our family too,” I said.

“I understand, Mama. But you don’t have to carry the weight of everyone’s responsibilities on your own. We can share the load. I’m not asking you to be selfish, but rather the opposite. I can handle our family finances for the next two years and support your education. Chandru Mama can manage the income from the land,” she said.

“But what about our children? What about us?” I asked, and she blushed, looking away. I gently lifted her chin to meet my eyes.

“Let’s wait for two more years, Mama. We’ve only just gotten together. We need time for ourselves. Once we have children, I’ll be fully focused on them, not on you—who never listens to me, anyway,” she teased. I chuckled and pulled her onto my lap. She gasped.

“Mama!” she exclaimed.

“What? You just said we should take time for ourselves, and I plan to make the most of it,” I said, kissing her sensitive spot on her neck.

“Mama, stop playing! We’re having a serious conversation,” she scolded, and I sighed, pausing my hands.

“Okay, but I have conditions. First, I’ll do it, but I want to pursue distance education. I don’t want to leave everything on you,” I said, and she nodded happily. Since I already had my undergraduate degree, I thought of pursuing a Bachelor’s in Education.

“Second condition: if we have children naturally during this time, we will embrace it,” I said, and she nodded shyly.

“Third condition: I will drop you off and pick you up every day. No arguments,” I added, and she smiled.

“So, it’s settled. Anything else?” I asked. She looked at me for a moment and said,

“Never stop loving me, Mama. That’s all I ask. Oh, and one more question—how many?” she asked, and I looked at her, confused.

“How many what?” I asked.

“How many children do you want?” she clarified. I chuckled.

“However many you want, Radha, but at least one,” I said, and she smiled at me with love in her eyes.

We fell asleep in each other’s arms, but I stayed awake for a long time, watching her sleep and wondering how I got so lucky.

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