You and I - a pranushka tale

chapter eighteen

Mithrah woke up to find Thara fluttering about in her room, clearly restless but there was a glow of excitement on her face. Mithrah lifted her head and frowned. "What are you doing?"

Thara froze on spot, surprised that her friend woke up.  She frowned. "I don't know."

"Well, why are you walking up and down my room repeatedly?" Mithrah asked, stretching as she got off her bed. She noticed Thara fidget anxiously as she made her way to her wardrobe. She stopped moving and raised her eyebrow, giving her friend full attention.

"Your brother is going to tell your parents about us today." She said in a rush when she noticed Mithrah staring at her.

As gleeful as Mithrah felt about this, her eyes widened as she realised something. "You do know if you tell them now they're going to get you two married as soon as they can, right?" The tone of her voice blatantly portrayed her despise of marriage causing Thara to laugh out loud.

She walked over to her friend and pulled her hands into her own. "Ah, my fool. I want to marry your brother as soon as I can."

Mithrah raised an eyebrow and then suddenly started smiling as she pulled Thara into her arms. "You're the fool for wanting to get married." She said with a laugh as the two of them tightly embraced. "But I am happy for you," Mithrah told her truthfully. "I got to ask though, why do you want to get married as soon as possible?"

Thara sighed deeply and pulled back so she could look at Mithrah's curious expression. "Rana is leaving soon for his work. I don't know how often I would have seen him when he leaves. But I want to always be by his side. As his wife."

Mithrah's gleeful smile faltered as she realised how she was going to be affected. She was slowly adjusting to accepting that her brother was leaving to work someplace far but now her best friend was leaving too.

But much to her annoyance it wasn't just their faces that fluttered in her mind. It was the face of the man she feared she wasn't going to see for much longer. One that she couldn't seem to push out of her thoughts no matter how much she tried.

Thara frowned when she saw Mithrah's smile fall. "You okay?" She asked, her voice tender as she watched Mithrah shake her head with a laugh.

"Of course I am!" She replied, trying to brush off the reality for a while longer. She always knew this was going to happen. If it wasn't Rana leaving, it was going to be her. Mithrah was reluctantly waiting on replies for all her job applications and without her choice, they were all far away. Their separation, regardless of it being temporary or not, was inevitable.

Mithrah quickly showered and got ready as Thara stayed in her room nervously. Mithrah was going to suggest playing some music to ease her friend's worry when Nithya suddenly swung open the door.

"Rana has gathered everyone around downstairs," She informed them excitedly. "Apparently he is going to tell them something important. Come!"

Thara and Mithrah looked at each other eyes wide before hurrying behind Nithya who already left. As they neared the room where everyone was around Rana, they slowed down significantly and tried to walk in 'casually.' As soon as Mithrah stepped into the room, her eyes skimmed around everyone as she tried to seek him out.

Almost naturally their eyes met. Prabhas who was previously looking around the room expressionless as if he was deep in thought, suddenly had a small smile on his face as he cocked his brows teasingly at her. Mithrah narrowed her eyes and pretended to look away uninterested, but anyone could see the way her lips softly curved upwards.

Thara stood by one of the pillars, almost half concealed as she watched everyone quieten down and give Rana their full undivided attention. He looked around nervously, something Mithrah very rarely saw.