Srinivas turned toward Janaki, concern in his voice as he asked softly, "What’s on your mind, Janaki? You haven’t slept."
She sighed, her eyes distant. "It’s about Shourya."
He raised an eyebrow, his expression a mix of surprise and curiosity. "Shourya? What about him?"
"I... I don’t know where to start," she said, her voice hesitant. "I mean, we have a daughter, Srinivas—a daughter of marriageable age. You know how people talk. Having a young man staying here... what will they think of us?"
Srinivas remained quiet, listening intently as she continued.
"I trust you," she added, her gaze softening as she looked at him. "I know you wouldn’t have allowed this without thinking it through. But I feel so conflicted, Srinivas—scared, even. I’m not sure if I’m overreacting, or if my worries are justified. I just... I don’t know what to feel."
Srinivas took her hand gently, reassuring her with a calm smile. "I understand, Janaki. It’s natural to be concerned.
•••••
Vizag.
Rajendra sat in his armchair, engrossed in the newspaper, while his friend Mr. Sanjay and his daughter, Pooja, sat nearby. Shobha entered the room with a cheerful smile, quickly joining her father. "How are you, Dad?" she asked, settling beside him.
He smiled warmly, patting her head. "I'm fine, my dear."
Turning to Pooja, Shobha playfully tugged at her cheek. "Hey, Pooja!" Pooja rolled her eyes and made a face. "Di!" she protested.
Shobha glanced around. "Dad, where’s Mom? She didn’t come with you?”
At that moment, the maid arrived, serving coffee to everyone. Just as they took their cups, Mr. Sanjay's phone rang. He quickly finished the call and looked around. "By the way, where’s Shourya?"
Before Rajendra could respond, Shobha quickly answered, "He’s gone to Singapore for a business meeting."
Rajendra glanced at her, surprised by her quick response. Shobha gave him a reassuring look, signaling that she would handle things.
Sanjay cleared his throat. "Actually, Rajendra, I came to talk about something important. We’d like to discuss the possibility of Shourya and Pooja getting married."
Rajendra nearly spilled his coffee. "What?" he exclaimed, clearly taken aback.
Shobha stepped in, her tone firm yet calm. "Dad, Pooja, I’ve told you before—Shourya isn’t interested."
"But I love him, Di!" Pooja protested, her expression filled with frustration and hurt.
"Enough, Pooja," Shobha said, her voice low and serious.
Sanjay leaned forward, trying to reason with her. "Shobha, you’re not just Shourya’s sister-in-law; you’re also his closest friend from college. If anyone can convince him, it’s you."
Shobha sighed. "dad, you have to understand—they’re opposites. They wouldn’t be happy together. Pooja has proposed to him multiple times, and he’s turned her down each time. This really needs to be the last time we discuss it.”
Pooja’s face twisted in frustration. She shot an angry glare at her sister before storming out, her father following close behind. Shobha exhaled, glancing at Rajendra, who looked at her thoughtfully.
•••••
Shourya sat in the garden, focused intently on his laptop, his fingers tapping away as he worked. Jagathi spotted him from a distance while savoring a ripe mango, juice staining her fingers. Grinning, she strolled over to him and called out, “Shourya!”
He looked up, raising an eyebrow at her unexpected interruption.
"Come inside," she coaxed. "We’re all about to play a game!"
He shook his head, returning his attention to his screen. “I have work, Jagathi.”
She rolled her eyes dramatically. “Ugh, I can’t stand workaholics! Fine, but at least join us. You can sit there and watch while we play.”
With a resigned sigh, Shourya saved his work, closed the laptop, and rose to his feet.
Jagathi tilted her head back to look up at him, clearly amused by his towering height. “Shourya, do you realize how lucky you are?” she teased. “If you ever get lost in a crowd, we’ll have no problem finding you—you’re like a walking landmark!”
Shourya rolled his eyes playfully and said, "Shall we go?" His gaze lingered for a moment, catching sight of a tiny smear of mango juice on the corner of Jagathi's lips. Suddenly, he felt an unexpected urge to taste her lips, and he mentally shook himself. "What am I thinking?" he chastised silently, forcing himself to look away. “Lucky!” he said, half to himself.
Jagathi looked up, a bit puzzled, but then her face lit up with a smile. "You know, my name sounds different when you say it," she replied, her tone warm and teasing.
He met her eyes, holding her gaze for a heartbeat longer than he intended. “You, uh… you have a bit of mango,” he said, gesturing to the corner of his own mouth to show her.
Jagathi quickly wiped the corner of her mouth, laughing as she caught the juice on her fingertip. She smiled up at him, her eyes sparkling. “All gone?”
"All gone," he replied, his own smile softening as they walked back together,
Keep smiling
God bless you
Chandanakshi
YOU ARE READING
Misty Rain
Romance"Oye, Miss Universe," he teased, a playful grin dancing on his lips. She shot him a fierce glare, determination etched across her features, and turned away to walk forward. "Lucky!" he called after her, quickening his pace. She continued to ignore h...
