The sunrays peeped through the clouds to awaken its earthlings. The flowers bloomed with fresh scent and radiant colours. The birds sang their beautiful melody of twits and coocoos.

One silent soul looked at the morning rays and breathed out the most beautiful tune making the birds jealous of her choice of harmony.

The Varma family smiled at her sweet voice including the maids and servants who worked more diligently listening to their young miss.

The driver was washing the car to make it ready for his master’s ride to the office. He smiled listening to Prisha singing the most melodious song.

The gardener thanked the almighty to bless the child with a heavenly voice.

She opened her eyes to take the blessings from the sun who shone on her angelic face.

She switched off the instrumental music and got up to stretch her muscles in the park with her jogging partner – Dad.

In the park

Pradeep stopped at the bench and signalled his daughter to sit with him.

Prisha sat beside him and drank the water from her bottle.

Pradeep caressed her hair and enquired about her life, friends, college.

He listened to her stories and laughed in between at the reveal of her friends antics. The father and daughter shared a dynamic like that of friends who would share their daily dose of laugh, cries, and everything with no lies. The Varma family was built on the trust that the parents and children had on each other which strengthen their bond more from time to time.

He then grabbed her hands and caressed it speaking

“Isha, how do you feel about marriage?” Prisha looked at her father’s question and tried smiling.

“Well, bro is getting married. He seems happy with Chech and guess they will be happy together in future,” Prisha tried to frame her thoughts in words.

Pradeep smiled and asked her

“What about you?” Prisha did not understand the context. So, she just kept talking about her brother and his fiancé.

Pradeep interrupted her saying that he was thinking of getting her married.

She got confused and laughed at his remark. But found that her father was serious about the question.

“Dad, I mean…I never thought about that. I mean…I am still in college. So,” Pradeep chuckled at her words and said

“*huff* of course. But we were thinking of getting you married after your studies. Not before that. coz I don’t want to hinder your academics,” 

Prisha was still tensed and kept quiet. Seeing that Pradeep patted her shoulders saying that they would be late and should head home.

Menon house

Sanal was calling Amritha but as usual she didn’t answer his call. He threw his phone on the bed and went to take his bath.

At the dining table, he played with his food and thought on why she did not pick his call. She was never like that.

“Hello, miss me!” Latha smiled at the voice of their naughty Amritha who jogged towards the dining table and took a bite of the apple.

Sanal glared at her making her confused.

“Why didn’t you pick my calls and read my messages, huh?” Amritha kept the apple and strode towards him saying

“I was busy with college. We have our finals next week. So, assignments, projects. Busy… busy…,” she then put the upma on her plate and started eating it relishing the taste and praising her Latha aunty.

“I made it for you especially. Rekha told me that you would come to meet me today for that,” Amritha thanked her aunty by hugging her waist.

Sanal screwed his eyebrows at their talks and asked her

“Oh, nothing, it is between me and aunty. Don’t bother yourself with it. Ok? bye, see ya.” Saying so she went to the kitchen to talk to Latha.

After some time, she came out of the kitchen and rushed out of the house taking her bag, ignoring him totally.

Sanal was confused at her behaviour. She was avoiding him for the past three months which was so unlike her.

The last time they were together was on a holiday with the family to the Hill station in Shimla.

But one week after their return, Amritha always avoided him and only interacted with the other family members.

She would always dodge his questions with some random excuse. Not answer his calls or message him back.

He thought to find out the reason behind her ignorance.

In the school

“So, we can leave the next day after Rajeev’s birthday bash. Right, Dad?” Soumya asked her dad who nodded his head and bid her bye.

Sameer then left to his office as Vinay had called him to meet their investors.

Previn went to shopping with Uvika as they were invited to a birthday party of a teenager.

Since, Uvika was clueless on what to buy for a 19-year-old boy. She told Previn to help her out.

At the shopping mall, they were searching for a perfect suit for the birthday boy.

“Previn, what about this? this looks fab, right?” Previn scrunched his nose shaking his head.

Uvika huffed and turned back to select the suit.

They have been shopping for almost an hour with no success.

Veena jogged to the clothes store and told the salesgirl that she had ordered for a shirt and pant for her cousin.

The salesgirl went to get her order. By the time, Veena looked around the shop to check for some clothes for brother too.

She picked a blue coloured simple check shirt with a white pant.

She walked towards the cash counter and suddenly collided with a rough body.

She picked up her parcel and looked up to see a known face.

Previn immediately hugged her and laughed audibly to make Uvika rush to him.

Uvika was surprised to see her fiancé hugging a total stranger.

Previn backed from the hug and spoke

“5 years! Who would have thought that we would see each other here in Mumbai! What a day?” Veena laughed at his remark and saw confused eyes looking at them with a surprise.

Previn went towards Uvika and side hugged her saying

“Meet my fiancé, Uvika. And Uvika, meet my college friend, Veena,”

Veena immediately took a shocked Uvika in a tight hug moving her side to side.

“I am so happy for you! Both of you! Congratulations! It is big news! Finally, my snorty buddy, has got such a beautiful fairy for wife! How did you manage to get her, huh?!!really surprising!” Veena made fun of her bestie getting a cute glare from him.

“Well, I am not that snorty boy anymore, ok. Look at me. Dashing handsome Businessman!” Veena nodded her head at his remark, agreeing to his charm.

The trio went to continue their chat over a cup of coffee in the nearby café.

In the evening

Nair house

Veena was sipping her lemon tea standing near the balcony of her room.

She looked at the dark starless night like her life which had gone dark when…

She shaked her head, wiping her tears and went towards her table opening her laptop.

“Hey, how are you? Thought you were too busy to chat with me?” The person on the screen teased her who smiled.

“I would never miss a chat session with you,” She then relaxed herself on the chair to chat with her ‘friend.’

The living room

The family was having their dinner filing in each other’s daily routine.

Rajeev was discussing his birthday plans with Vineeth, even inviting their friends.

Just then Veena came to have her dinner. Vinod noticed that his daughter was rather quite than usual.

So, he approached her and asked to which she excused saying that she was tensed with the office work.

“Veena, I know this is one topic you get irritated with. But, dear, I worry for you. And as your father I too have certain responsibility towards you. So,” Vinod tried to make a conversation with his head strong daughter.

“Dad, please. If you are talking about getting me married, again. Then I think you are wasting your time. I told you I don’t want to marry especially after…” Saying so, Veena marched out of the living room and went out to relax her tangled mind.

In the garden area, Veena sat on the bench wiping her tears remembering the dreadful part of her life that broke her from inside.

She also dreamt of having a loving family. But,

‘Stop it, Veena! For the last time,’

‘Why! I have the rights to know!’

‘Shut up! Remember your stand in this relationship!’

‘Yes! I do remember! That I don’t have any part in this relationship! It is only her, isn’t it!’

Slap!

‘Don’t cross your limits!’

Veena cried inaudibly picturing the scene that made her what she is today – cold hearted.

“Chech! What are you doing here?” Trishna called her out siding the sweetpea vines from her way.

Veena wiped her tears hiding her face from her sibling.

“Nothing, I just...um…wanted some fresh air. What about you? Walking in the moonlight talking to..?!” Trishna blushed at her remark.

“Um…Namith called. And he…um… was asking about Rajeev’s birthday present. We were planning to give him together…as…um…a couple?!” Veena smiled at her attempt to cover her romantic talks with her fiancé, Namith Vishwakumar.

“Oh! couple, huh?! That’s cool! So, where is the date?” Trishna was wide eyed at her sister’s word who caught her lie.

“No, Chech! Seriously, we are going to buy a present for him, nothing else!” Trishna moved her curly hairs behind her ears.

Veena patted her chubby cheeks nodding her head, teasingly making her blush more.

Trishna placed her head on her sister’s shoulder who caressed her hairs humming her favourite song, making her clutch her arms more lovingly.

Veena was very protective towards her siblings, especially Trishna. Trishna too considered her more like a guardian who always guides her and stands for her.

Trishna agreed for the marriage only after getting the approval from her Veena Chech, which was equally respected by Namith. Even, their parents could not understand the dynamics between these siblings.