Veiled Affection: Secrets Of Heart.

Chapter-16.

Murugan.

The next day, the silence was heavy, with everyone lost in their own thoughts. I sighed and looked at my sister, her tear-stained face pained me.

"Chandru Mama, I have come to a conclusion. You can work the land, take the profits that come from it, and manage the poultry farm too," I said, looking at Chandru Mama, whose eyes were shining with gratitude.

"What about you, then, Muruga?" my mother asked.

"Radha said she would manage the house, and I want to study. I left my studies and couldn't continue, but now I'm willing to learn, and Radha is helping me with it." I smiled at my sister, but Gayatri was silent.

"Gayu?" I asked.

"How can you think so selfishly, Muruga? Your mama, who worked in Dubai, has to work on the farm for a living. You could help us set up a business until we’re good enough to survive on our own. What’s the point of learning when all you're going to do is farming?" she said with disgust, and Radha, sitting beside me, gasped.

I was perplexed by the situation. I looked at my mother for help, but she looked away, and I gulped, feeling tears in my eyes.

"What the hell, Gayatri?" A voice boomed in the silent atmosphere.

"What, Radha?" Gayatri retorted, hatred evident in her eyes.

"What the hell did you just say? Selfish? If that man, my husband, was selfish, you would still be a spinster in this house, unmarried." I tried to pull Radha away.

"Please, Mama. I need to give some proper knowledge to these people about how much you've suffered in silence," she said, and I backed away, seeing the fierceness in her eyes.

"What? What did he sacrifice to get me married? He only got me married because my father had money," Gayatri shot back, and Chandru Mama tried to pull her away. Radha scoffed.

"You don’t deserve his kindness. None of you do. You call this man selfish, Gayatri, but what have you ever done for him or this family to call the man who's been working day and night selfish?" Radha said, moving dangerously closer to Gayatri.

"And you, Athai (mother-in-law), despite knowing everything, how can you sit idly and watch all of this?" she shouted, and my mother moved away in fear. I wanted to stop her, but I didn’t have the strength.

"He’s the one who sacrificed his education to help your father, Gayatri, while you were busy talking to Chandru Mama about getting married. No offense, Chandru Mama. Murugan took the responsibility of paying off the loans your father took and was left with nothing except the land, which he almost sold." How did she know all this? I don’t remember telling her. "He got you married in the grand way you wanted, putting his whole life at stake because your in-laws demanded dowry. And yet, he didn’t say a word."

Chandru Mama looked away. He wasn’t responsible for it, but Gayatri's in-laws pressured us. They threatened to call off the wedding and humiliate Gayatri, so I had to do what I did.

"And when Kalyani had to get married, he took loans again, while also managing the house. Thank goodness Mani Mama didn’t ask for anything, or he wouldn’t have had a life left for himself," Radha said, catching her breath.