The Unnamable Bond (On Hold)

Home Sweet Home

That evening, Aishwarya was at the beach yet again. As promised, she paid a visit to the tea stall and had a hearty chat with that young boy's mother. Soon she grew fond of her and vowed to meet her everyday. After leaving the place, she walked towards the sea and seated comfortably on the sand. This time around, she moved closer and allowed the waves to splash at her feet. The cooling sensation brought her a thousand memories of her childhood where she used to play on the seashore along with her younger brother Prasad. An instant smile appeared on her lips as she thought about the good old days. Then her thoughts moved on to the happenings of the entire day. She thought about Adhitya and how warm he was to speak to. She also had lunch along with him, chatting about general topics and about their respective families. Though she was initially reluctant to open up, Adhitya made her feel at ease. She also felt that he might turn out to be her best friend in the forthcoming days. Strangely, she felt that she had known him for ages. Manohar wasn't the jovial character which she preferred. Though he loved and cared for her, he was way too elder for her to enjoy the simple things along with her. Their opinions and perspectives differed a lot.

Slowly, the sun began to set. Aishwarya stood up, dusted herself and walked towards her home.

*****

The Chettinad style house looked elegant and was a definite treat, if a mere pedestrian on Appar Street was to set eyes on it. It was aesthetic, an eclectic combination of traditional Indian architecture interspersed with Victorian elements. It was an abode of luxury, its sheer magnificence unmatchable with any other house on the street. The interiors were painted in hues of cream and light brown while the flooring had Italian tiles. The hall had a huge open roof with minimal grills which provided enough ventilation to the entire household. Walls were decorated with traditional rosewood carvings and the furniture were a blend of local and Victorian style. There were three bedrooms, one for Shankaran and his wife Latha, another one for Aishwarya, and the third one for Prasad.

As soon as Aishwarya entered the ethereal house, she was welcomed by the fresh fragrance of jasmine flowers.

"Amma, are you tying flowers?" she asked, as she washed her hands and feet in the sit-out.

"Yes, Aishu, refresh yourself. I will prepare tea for you. Then you can wear these flowers on your hair."

Aishwarya beamed at her mom's words. She was then greeted by her dad.

"How was your day?" he asked.

"It was fantastic, Appa. You know, I made a new friend today. His name is Adhitya. He is also a new trainee."

"Wow! That sounds good. So you have company now."

"Yes, Appa. He is good to talk to."

"Hmmm, how was your training? What did Rajesh tell?"

"It went good. We were taught about some aspects of our work." 

"Glad to hear! Okay freshen up and join me in the sit-out. We will have tea."

After a few minutes, the trio had tea in copper tumblers and a few pakodas prepared by Latha. Later, Prasad joined them after returning from college.

"Hey, akka, I heard that you were talking to the tea stall lady. What's going on?"

Aishwarya choked on her tea and glared at him.

"What's the problem in talking to her? Since she noticed me for the past three days in the beach, she prepared some fresh sundal for me and sent it through her son. In order to thank her, I met her in the evening and befriended her. Why do I have to give explanations to you?"