It was evening, and Shourya had just finished his meeting. He was hurrying out of his room when, suddenly, he collided with Jagathi. His hand instinctively shot out to steady her, gripping her shoulder and making her stop. His heart skipped a beat at the close contact.
"Shourya, have you seen my brothers?" she asked urgently, her voice tinged with worry.
"Don’t know why, but I haven’t," he replied, still a little taken aback by the unexpected encounter.
Her eyes widened, panic setting in. "Oh my God! Where could they have gone? I searched the entire house—no one’s here, except for Mom. Not even Dad’s home!" She rambled, her voice growing frantic as she turned to leave, biting her nails nervously.
Shourya watched, confused, unsure of what was happening. Just as she was about to rush off, she stopped and turned back to him. But before she could say anything, she noticed her mother approaching. In a swift move, Jagathi grabbed his hand, pulling him toward the storeroom.
"Wait, Jagathi—" Shourya whispered, startled by the sudden shift in direction.
Without saying a word, she quickly locked the door behind them. Shourya’s eyes widened in surprise, as he whispered her name again. "Jagathi?"
She clasped her hands together in front of her, her face desperate. "Please, Shourya, please don’t make me face them. I don’t want to go in front of them—they’re here to see me. For the marriage alliance, you know?"
"What?!" Shourya exclaimed, shock flooding his voice.
She pressed a finger to her lips, her eyes pleading. "Ussh! Ussh! Please don’t say anything, just… please don’t let them see me."
He stood there, hands on his hips, still processing what she had just said. His gaze softened, yet his expression was serious.
Jagathi lowered her head, guilt flashing across her face. "I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked this of you. But please… do something so they leave without seeing me. I’d have asked my brothers or my sister-in-law, but they’re not here. Please… save me. I’ll do anything you say, I’ll give whatever you ask for."
Shourya let out a deep breath and stepped closer to her, his voice firm but gentle. "Jagathi, please relax. We’ll figure this out, okay?".
Jagathi nodded quietly, her relief evident as Shourya turned toward the door and unlocked it. He stepped into the living room, casually walking over to a corner and pulling out his phone. With one swift motion, he dialed someone as he paced, his voice steady but filled with purpose.
As he spoke, Jagathi’s mother, Janaki, entered the room. She greeted Shourya with a warm smile. “Shourya, please, keep talking to them. They came to see our Jagathi. I need to go to Laxman’s house, they should all be there.”
Shourya nodded in understanding, acknowledging her request with a polite smile.
Back in the storeroom, Jagathi was quietly praying, her fingers crossed as she murmured a prayer to herself.
As soon as she felt the tension ease, Jagathi opened the door just a crack. She peeked out, her eyes scanning the living room. To her relief, she saw Shourya engaged in conversation with the guests. Within moments, they all stood up, shook hands with Shourya, and left the house.
She exhaled deeply, her heart racing with gratitude, and walked slowly toward him, each step lighter than the last. “Shourya,” she called softly.
Shourya stood and turned to her, his expression breaking into a gentle smile.
Jagathi’s eyes brightened with understanding, her voice filled with disbelief. “Really?” she asked, her smile widening.
“Idiot!” Shourya teased, giving her a playful look just as his phone rang again. He walked aside to take the call, shaking his head in amusement.
Jagathi watched him for a moment before a bright smile spread across her face. She quickly ran to her room, her heart still racing. She leaned back against the door, her thoughts flooding her mind as she whispered to herself, “Thank God! Thank you, Shourya! Thank you! Thank you so much!”
•••••
Ten minutes later, Jagathi heard a knock on her door. She quickly walked over and opened it, only to find her brothers standing there. Before they could even speak, she grabbed the nearest pillows and started beating them.
"Stupid! Idiots! Where were you guys?!" she shouted, frustration clear in her voice.
Anand and Vinodh scrambled back, apologizing in unison. "Sorry! Sorry! Don't worry, we’ll handle it next time. Where were you?"
Jagathi stopped mid-swing and dropped the pillows, her expression softening just a bit. "Shourya talked to them. They left."
Anand’s curiosity piqued, he leaned in. "What did he say to them?"
Jagathi shrugged nonchalantly, though a small smile tugged at her lips. "I don’t know. But as soon as he spoke to them, they left. Just like that."
Vinodh, still processing everything, gave a quick glance to his brother before stepping out of the room. "I’m going to find Shourya," he said, his voice tinged with curiosity.
•••••
Anand glanced at her with concern, his tone softening. "It's okay, let's go out for a bit. Get some fresh air."
Jagathi shook her head, her expression weary. "No, Bhai. I’m not in the mood. I just want to be alone for a while."
He paused, studying her face for a moment, his eyes searching for any sign of distress. "Are you okay?"
Jagathi looked up at him with a mischievous glint in her eye, a playful smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "If you don’t answer my calls next time, I’ll break your phone," she teased.
Anand chuckled, shaking his head in mock surrender. "Sorry, sorry, I promise I’ll answer."
"Good," she replied, her smile lingering for a moment before it faded into a softer expression. Anand nodded, clearly relieved she was at least joking.
With a final glance at her, Anand turned and left the room, his footsteps echoing as he made his way down the hallway.
•••••
Vinodh made his way up to the terrace, his steps light but purposeful. As he reached the top, he found Shourya standing there, arms folded, gazing out at the horizon, seemingly lost in thought. The warm sunlight bathed the space, casting a serene glow over everything.
"Shourya," Vinodh called out, breaking the silence.
Shourya turned slowly, his gaze shifting to Vinodh.
Shall we have coffee?" Shourya asked, his voice calm and inviting.
Vinodh, a little caught off guard by the sudden offer, nodded quickly. "Yes, sure," he replied, pulling out his phone. He called his wife to ask her to bring coffee up to the terrace. As he ended the call, he stood beside Shourya, his eyes scanning the view.
Keep smiling
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...
