ℂ𝕆ℂ𝕂𝕋𝔸𝕀𝕃𝕊 𝕎𝕀𝕋ℍ ℂ𝕌ℙ𝕀𝔻

𝟱𝟳

𝙰 𝙿𝚕𝚊𝚗 𝚒𝚗 𝙼𝚘𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗
>>>>–––– 💘 ––––<<<<

Ananya spent an entire week quietly observing everyone’s routines in the house. Avi was barely home—not that she was complaining. Shakthi, on the other hand, was a whirlwind of chaos, always hopping from one thing to another, talking a mile a minute. But it was Mithra who seemed to keep everything together. She decided the menu for every meal, reminded the home manager about everyone’s needs, and managed the household like a well-oiled machine. And no matter how much Ananya tried to offer a helping hand, Mithra wouldn’t let anyone assist her—not even her.

Avi did check on her from time to time. He would stop by her room, ask if things were going fine at college, and then disappear again. That was the extent of their conversations—brief, and nothing more. He eveb rarely ate at home. No matter how hard Mithra tries to convince him sometimes, he simply apologizes and leaves.

Shakthi checked on her too, occasionally. But even from a distance, Ananya could sense the awkwardness between him and Mithra. It was too obvious to ignore, and for someone like Ananya, who had a front-row seat to this circus, the whole situation was starting to itch at her nerves.

As a woman, it was hard to watch Mithra carry the burden alone. Was this all they were going to do—check on her? What good was a "how are you?" when it barely scratched the surface? Mithra wasn’t the type to open up even if she was drowning, and the fact that these two couldn’t see that infuriated Ananya. She didn’t want to interfere, but someone had to do something. Watching from the sidelines wasn’t her style.

She didn’t expect anything from Avi. For one, he was barely home. And second, after spending a week back at work herself, she understood that his workload wasn’t an exaggeration—he really did have a lot on his plate. Not that she was suddenly growing soft toward him, but she could at least acknowledge the reality. And because of that, she didn’t hold it against him. But Shakthi? That guy was another story altogether.

The real disappointment hit when she caught Shakthi hiding behind a wall—yes, hiding—to avoid Mithra. He looked like Tom from Tom and Jerry, peeking out with comical stealth before bolting out of the house the moment he thought the coast was clear.

When Ananya witnessed this, she rolled her eyes so hard she was sure they’d get stuck. If neither of these idiots was going to do something, she would. Someone had to knock some sense into them.

By the end of the week, Ananya had seen enough. She didn’t care if it wasn’t her business—this was driving her crazy. Ananya was done observing—it was time to take action.

>>>>–––– 💘 ––––<<<<

One random morning, Mithra hurried downstairs, muttering under her breath about how in the hell did her alarm didn't ring. This has never happened before. Has she started sleepwalking or something? She wondered.

She was already running late, and it didn’t help her mood. But as she reached the kitchen, she froze in surprise. Ananya stood there, casually chatting with the chef while helping prepare breakfast—like it was the most normal thing in the world.

Ananya looked up and flashed a bright smile.

Good morning!

she greeted. Mithra blinked in confusion, still processing the sight of someone else handling the morning tasks she had always managed. Before she could protest or step in, Ananya smoothly intercepted her attempt to help.

Relax, nanga pathukurom

(Relax, we've got this)

Ananya said, already packing a breakfast box with ease.