You and I - a pranushka tale

chapter six

It was dinner time.

Dinner was when the whole family sat down to eat together. Veerayaindi strongly believed everyone should be present and it was always an hour of joy and happiness as the family enjoyed the food and the company of each other.

Mithrah and Nithya hurried down to the dining room in the hopes of finding good seats but much to their dismay they were late. 

The huge mahogany table was already almost full. Mithrah tried to find a seat and realised there were two empty chairs and that was in front of Rana and Prabhas. Before she could run and sit in front of her brother, Nithya beat her to it. With a perfected glare aimed at her cousin's head, she reluctantly sat down beside Nithya, her eyes immediately meeting the silent man in front of her. He cocked his head slightly to the left, not looking away. His eyes slowly skimmed over her face and then her body causing her to snap her head towards her brother. She wasn't expecting that. But more than that, she wasn't expecting her body to react.

Wanting to distract herself from the intense gaze she still felt warm her skin, she allowed her eyes to gaze around the dining room. Paintings adorned each red wall, some of which were her own work. Mughal paintings were certainly the common theme here as well. On another wall was her mother's collection of priceless plates that were decorated with intricate designs and was to never be touched. But no matter how hard she tried to focus on the distractions around her, like a magnet, she felt a strange pull to drag her eyes back to the man in front of her. But God heard her prayers and dinner was beginning to be served.

Due to the festivals at the temple, vegetarian dishes were the only food being made in the villa for the next few days. At the sight of vegetarian biryani, Mithrah began to ignore the man in front of her and dug into the heavenly dish she was provided with. But God only allowed so much peace.

"Rana, I need you to come with me tomorrow to the mill. There are some...issues we need to deal with." Veerayaindi said, his tone elusive but everyone but Prabhas understood what the issue was.

Mithrah immediately glanced at her brother with a worried expression, something that didn't go unnoticed by Prabhas who looked at them with a frown. Rana's previously playful expression sobered up as he nodded.

"Tomorrow I was going to show Prabhas around the area," Rana said, attempting to change the subjects as slowly everyone else broke into their little conversations. "Since I can't go, I guess Mithrah can take him."

She almost choked on her beloved food. "Mithrah what?"

A playful smile appeared on Prabhas' lips as Rana made a face. "You guys seem to be getting along. You can show him around tomorrow." Her older brother said once again making Mithrah wonder how on earth he was to be a police officer.

She was confused as to which interaction between her and him gave the idea they were getting along like a house on fire. If anything Mithrah was the house already on fire and Prabhas was pouring oil, encouraging her to rage.

Trying not to overreact in front of everyone else, she forced a smile on her face. "And why can't you take him any other day of the week?" She asked, trying to sound patient and reasonable. The biryani was no longer as appealing as it was a few minutes ago.

"Mithrah just take the poor boy out tomorrow. The days after we all will be busier with the temple." Padmini said smiling at Mithrah's annoyed expression. She watched them fondly, their interactions reminding her of two children.

"I don't want to be a burden, I can-" Prabhas slowly began, sounding far too dramatic and amused for whatever he said to be genuine.

But Veeraiyandi interrupted him immediately with his warm smile. "Don't be like that Prabhas. You are not a burden at all."

"Speak for yourself," Mithrah muttered under her breath.

"Did you say something?" Prabhas asked innocently, a mischievous glint shimmering in his eyes.

"I can't wait to show you around." She replied giving him a toothy grin. She was going to drown him in a well the second they're alone tomorrow she decided.

Veeraiyandi chuckled as he noticed his daughter's obvious reluctance and the amusement that was growing on Prabhas' face. "There's no one better to show around this village than Mithrah," He said with an affectionate smile on his face. "She knows every nook and cranny here." His voice was filled with pride as he watched Mithrah gleam at his words. She was certainly daddy's girl.

Radha made a sound of agreement before she playfully rolled her eyes. "Of course she knows the village well like the back of her hand. This thief would do something then sneak out before one of us could catch her and tell her off."

Prabhas laughed as Mithrah smiled sheepishly thinking of her childhood days. She would often do something to annoy her mother then run out into the village, hiding in places impossible to find her. It was often after she heard her mother's worried voice would she step out.

"Rana was no better," Radha added when she saw her son smirk at the fact that Mithrah's mischief was being announced out loud and not his. "When he got caught, he would smooth talk his way out of any punishment."

Everyone chuckled as Veeraiyandi looked at them both with pride. "I like to call them criminal masterminds." He said to Prabhas who was listening to everything with amusement.

Radha turned to look at her husband with an adoring expression. "I wonder where they got their minds from." She answered, her eyes blatantly telling the answer.

Veeraiyandi placed his hand over his wife's as they looked at each other affectionately, their love not faded in the many years of marriage. He looked at her the same way he did when his eyes first fell upon on her in a temple festival many years back. From first glance, he knew Radha would be the only woman in his life. His Madurai bride that he would fight the world for.

But their love story is one to be told another day.

Later as Mithrah made her way towards her bedroom, one of Nithya's friends, Jeni stopped her. She was a pretty girl but Mithrah remembered when they were younger they always knocked heads, fighting over the same toy. But certainly, Mithrah was now a grown woman and the past was in the past.

"You okay?" Mithrah asked, wondering why Jeni was alone near her room at this time. "Are you looking for Nithya?"

Jeni shook her head fiddling with a piece of folded paper in her hand. Mithrah's eyes dropped towards the paper then back to the unreadable expression back on the other girl's face. She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and raised the paper towards Mithrah who stared at it blankly.

"I need a favour." She said. "I heard you were friends with Prabhas."

Mithrah didn't know what to say as she stared at the paper, still not taking it into her own hands. Her and Prabhas being friends were as comical as her world domination. It wasn't going to happen. 

Ever.

"Could you give this to him?" Jeni asked.

"What is it?" Mithrah asked slowly, finally taking hold of the paper, feeling the weight of the single sheet.

"A letter." She replied. "A love letter."

"A what now?" Mithrah spluttered. She refused to believe Jeni was asking her to give Prabhas a love letter. Who does that in this day and age she wondered staring at the letter eyes wide and of all people to ask, she had asked Mithrah, probably the only person in the whole house who hasn't fallen for his charm.

Feeling an unexplainable surge of frustration rile through her, she handed the paper back to Jeni and shook her head. "I don't know him." She replied.

Jeni raised a perfect eyebrow. "You don't know him? But they said-"

Mithrah faked a laugh. "They say a lot of things." She pretended to look at the massive clock on the wall. "Would you look at the time? It's getting late. I am going to sleep. Goodnight." She said hurriedly and speed walked off to her room. After closing the door shut, she leaned back and glared at the wall.

For some reason, Jeni liking Prabhas irked her.