Fragile Hearts

C h a p t e r - 20

Riya entered her home, her heart light and her smile wide, practically skipping into the living room. Her mother, Kavitha, watched her with an amused, yet puzzled expression.

Kavitha: “Riya ma, enna achu... Odambu edhachu seri illaya?" her mother asked, curious about her unusually cheerful behavior.

"Oruvela ivaluku news poirucho.." she thought.

Without answering, Riya spun around, holding her mother’s hand, her laughter filling the room. She planted a playful kiss on her mother’s cheek and twirled away toward the stairs.

Kavitha: “Riya!” her mother called again, but Riya only turned back with a smile, nodding her head in happiness before heading upstairs, her mind elsewhere.

As she entered her room, she quickly shut the door behind her, leaning against it with a wide grin. She held up her palm, staring at the brown cover that had brought her so much joy.

For a moment, she walked and stood in front of her mirror, admiring her smiley reflection, her excitement bubbling over.

Riya: “What a perfect day,” she whispered to herself, lost in the moment.

With trembling hands, she carefully opened the brown cover, eager to reveal what was inside. But before she could glimpse its contents, a loud, booming voice echoed through the room, scaring her.

“RIYA!!!!!”

She shrieked, her heart leaping into her throat. The cover slipped from her grasp, tumbling to the floor. As it landed, a small, exquisite jhumka fell out, gleaming against the ground.

Still catching her breath from the scare, Riya bent down, picking up the jhumka delicately. Her mind raced, completely ignoring the person who had just scared her. As she stood back up, turning to give the intruder a piece of her mind,

Riya: "Konjam kuda arivu ill----" she froze in the mid sentence.

Standing before her was someone she hadn’t expected to see.

It was Raghav.

It was Raghav—her father's elder sister’s son. The same Raghav she had a childhood crush on—the one who had rejected her back then.

For a brief moment, her head spun with the past. She clenched the jhumka in her palm and managed a stiff smile.

Raghav, however, was thrilled to see her, his excitement clear on his face. Before she could react, he took a step forward and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a hug. She stood stiffly, her hands clenching tighter around the jhumka, not reciprocating the hug.

Raghav: "It's been so long, Riya! You look amazing," he said, his voice full of enthusiasm.

Riya gave a forced smile, pulling away as quickly as possible.

Riya: "Yeah, it's been a while."

Raghav didn’t seem to notice her discomfort and continued speaking,

Raghav: "You remember when we used to play hide and seek at grandma’s place? You were always so bad at hiding! I am good till now, look how scared you are..." He laughed, clearly enjoying the memories, but Riya could barely muster a chuckle.

His sudden appearance had completely shifted her mood.

She cut him off mid-sentence, her voice tight.

Riya: "I’m tired, Raghav. Konjam room ah vittu veliya poriya..."

Raghav blinked, looking a little taken aback.

Raghav: "Oh, um, sure..." He hesitated, his smile fading slightly.
"I didn’t mean to intrude."

Realizing how harsh she sounded, Riya softened her tone, forcing a smile.